yes we have. it has always been about the future of the potential student. their goals after the course training here but now it is even more so. we find out where they want to live and find out about possible places they are willing to go to for employment after graduation. that way there is not a false expectation to get hired at aq place that is not hiring. we also include having the potential student talk to a career services rep to further gain clarity of what and where they want to pursue a future career that way we set that student up for sucess and not failure, and crushed dreams.
As an admissions representative we do not speak to anything regarding placement and graduation rates. We have disclosures that we give to them. If they wish they can also speak to a Career Services Representative who can help them as well as direct them to our education department for graduation rates.
Andrea,
I think this decision will be a win win for all involved. I can't state enough how important it is to make sure a student will be successful in the program.
Kimberly Stein
I definitely share the same feelings of my institution. We are currently not an open enrollment college so the process is stringent for students. Does your institution operate as an open enrollment school?
Our institution definitely utilizes best practices when qualifying students for admission. All student are put through a thorough interview, in which they are given all information prior to enrollment and we also get the opportunity to see if they have everything in place to be successful.
The college I work for decided to change to a more difficult entrance evaluation. This was done to prevent people from getting into the college that did not currently have the skills to succeed in the classroom. For those who fail the evaluation, the college provides classes to help those individuals bring their skills up to college level, so they can retake the evaluation and hopefully pass.
We continue to look at the interview process and the opportunities that present themselve. We utilize our most accurate information that is updated through our systems and directly inputted into the website for our students to always have the most accurate up to date information.
First of all we DO NOT gurantee any student a job. We do have a Career Service Department that will assist all students with job placement opportunities, career fairs, resume writing etc.
Sherwin,
It sounds like your institution is quite proud of the programs you offer to prospective students and the students you serve. I'm curious, what other resources or product knowledge information does your school provide prospective students when they are making their decision to attend there?
Thanks,
Avis
Our institution has made several modifications to our website and our admissions interview language over the past two years to ensure we are in compliance with providing accurate information to prospective students. Two years ago our website included the general tuition structure. Prospective student can easily locate tuition, fees, grievance procedures, graduation and career placement rates of students by program. Our admissions department has removed any misleading language regarding job placement, average pay of specific fields, and when asked, we try to recommend students toward the department of labor website or occupational outlook handbook for them to research career salary statistics for their field.
Our admissions forms have also been modified within the past year to include updated language within the enrollment agreement to ensure we've met compliance requirements per enrollment.
Our metro area is not filled with opportunity. We tell each of our students that there is no placement guarantee however there is more opportunity if you are willing to travel or relocate.
Also we hold higher standards for our Medical Assisting students. We inform them that this is the most difficult program we have. We let them know ahead of time that a background check must be completed.
Our approach is to strive to understand the student’s motivations and needs. We dig into potential roadblocks and ask follow up questions about whether the student is willing to overcome these barriers.
Yeah, we require wonderlic scores based upon the program of interest and that can be a deciding factor for enrollment too.
I don't think grad/placement rates had much to do with this but we have always strived as an organization to do what is best for the student. We don't prejudge students and prevent them from enrolling just because they have obstacles that they must overcome. We do our best to give everyone a fair shot and to give everyone an opportunity to enroll into college. Post-enrollment, it is our job as a college to prepare them to start college, provide the tools and support needed to succeed, and the guidance in seeking employment after graduation.
Michael,
It sounds like your school has a very thorough process to assist in making sure a student will be successful.
Kimberly Stein
Yes, our prospective students now also meet with our director prior to enrolling. Our director makes sure we covered all the bases as well as asking some additional questions in terms of the students desire, dedication, and determination to complete the program. Picking the prospective students brain to make sure that this is in fact what they want and making sure that their is nothing that is going on in their lives currently that could prevent them from finishing school.
Yes, our prospective students now also meet with our director prior to enrolling. Our director makes sure we covered all the bases as well as asking some additional questions in terms of the students desire, dedication, and determination to complete the program. Picking the prospective students brain to make sure that this is in fact what they want and making sure that their is nothing that is going on in their lives currently that could prevent them from finishing school.
We also go over the enrollment agreement so that hopefully the student understands the changes.
Casey,
You are correct, it is not just about getting them in the door. It is important for all agents to realize this.
Kimberly Stein
Robert,
Having students sign a disclosure stating they have received the graduation and placement rates is layer of protection for the school if a student ever tried to claim they didn't receive the information.
Kimberly Stein
