Dealing With Admissions
How do we deal with students who are being admitted by admissions counselors that should not be, due to learning disabilities a school is not equipped with? The school I am employed by is private and does not have any plans on hiring special education teachers due to a small budget. These students are continually being admitted. It is frustrating both to students and faculty and seems to set these students up for failure.
The situation you describe is unacceptable. What are you going to do about it?
I have found that admission people do not paint the proper picture of the course and requirements
this leaves the burden on the education staff to
set the true expectations of the requirements they will be required to pass and complete the
course.Ovrwhelmed by rhese truths some students
set thereselves up to fail and drop out without
even trying.Retention is everyones responsibility
and we all need to be on the same page.I have known admissions people who never seek out students once they are inrolled to see how they are moving along with they'er education.
No one's interest is served by recruiting drop outs. It sounds like your previous employer was willing to take action to correct a problem.
Does your current school have a good screening process and adequate support services to address these special needs situations?
I have seen that happen in the past, where students end up having to drop out of school because they couldn't keep up with the program. At my old job, the director disciplined a counselor who knowingly and repeatedly recruited students that had learning disabilities that we could not handle.
Yes, our school does an entrance test with every student who does not present a High School Diploma of GED
Does your school have any type of entrance exam? This may help to test a students' skills level. If your school is not equipped with dealing with learning disabilities this may be the best option.
Do you have a mechanism to notify the faculty when special needs students are admitted? Does the school have a follow up system to make sure that the students are getting the support they need?
Sounds like you have a delima. I work in admissions, Director of Admissions, one think I constantly tell my staff is that we cannot discriminate against anyone who meets the qualifications of the school If a student passes the exam and meets every requirement for acceptance the academic departments should do everything in their power to help these students.
This is really a tough issue, Kelly. In some cases, ADA may require that a student be admitted and the "accommodations" be made for the student's handicap. Unfortunately, that same law does not provide any financial resources. In some cases, it does seem that the student is being set up for failure.
Have you investigated any outside resources that may be available from local social service agencies? Is there a forum where you can discuss the issues with your colleagues and leaders?
I Know that it will be hard, but I would do my best to take the time to help as much as poss.It sounds like life as already given them a "Bad Blow", they need all the help that they can get. Find some way to help them to relate to you as well as the other way.All humans want to fit in & be successful, in one form or another. I'm sure others doubt them : let's not help, the doubt.TIME& CARING,could make all the differ.& maybe change some lives.
