Enroll the right students
The first step is to enroll people that have PASSION for the field that they will be learning! You can only keep a student engaged if they want to be there.
Your point about passion is a good one, Rosio, but hard to access in advance - particularly with shy, introverted prospects. In a posting above, Lisa Carstens offers some creative ways to assure a proper fit between student and program.
Dear Patty,
I believe passion is contagious. As an instructor it should be a PRE-REQUISITE to teach, but I do not consider it should be the first step for enrollment. A passionate instructor can inspire the non-passionate students to care and respect their chosen career and eventualy seeing them inspiring others. I believe, the first step is to enroll people that have the desire to start their education and from there to their success.
Nancy, what kind of feedback have you gotten from Admissions¿ Do they appreciate your candor¿
Our admission reps often reach out to us with prospective students during their tours. When they talk to me, I ask them some hard questions and try to fill in a few truths about the industry. For instance, I ask them what kind of hours they want to work or ask them if they are okay working in hot kitchens, on holidays or every weekend night. Even if they tell me yes on the spot, I still feel like they will think about their decision to enroll in culinary school because of my questions. I want them to really want it and know what they are getting into.
Interior design went through a similar experience a few years ago. The increased interest and enthusiasm helps drive admissions, but the institution has to be proactive in tempering expectations.
A definite hindrance. Television programs such as you describe show nothing of the real world of the kitchen nor the positions our graduates can expect to take when they leave school. The reality of the restaurant industry is often a rude awakening for students who enter school because they were inspired by television.
"Obtaining a means to a better future" is a powerful reason for a student to enroll, but as you point out, they must have a clear idea of what it will take to reach that objective.
Many students enroll just for the sake of obtaining a means to a better future. Unfortunately some students don't have a clear idea of what the course entails and as soon as they are better informed, want to drop out. The importance of factual information and a comprehensive program will assist the student to be better prepared for their program. The educator is in the unique position to go the extra mile and assist the students who are having doubts 0 invariably, you will make the difference for this student.
I can understand your comment about the passion, however as an instructor I wish there were more emphasis on making sure that all of our students were academically prepared for higher education. I have one or two each semester who really do not belong in school. Regardless of the pretesting they get by. Then when the work is too hard, we have issues and eventually a lost student.
Unfortunately, I also taught at a local University, we had the same problems at that level. I am told that it is a result of "No child left behind" that we have high school graduates who cannot read or do math.
Passion can be important--but, the age-old question is how do you measure it?
Our school recently revamped how it accepts students. Students have to apply to the school-no longer just signing all of the paperwork gets them guaranteed acceptance. We do background checks to make sure that there is nothing in the student's background that will not allow them to be licensed or certified in their chosen field of study--don't want them to spend alot of time and money and not be able to see a return on it.
We have also implemented a 30-day "trial" period, if you will. During this 30 day period, both the student and the school have a chance to "size" each other up. In particular we look at attendance--students are not allowed to miss but the absolute minimal amount of time--we are looking for students who really are committed to their studies. It also gives the student a chance to see the school in action and see if it is the correct fit.
Since this program has been implemented, our retention, especially in the first 2 quarters, has gone down.
A student who is willing to do whatever it takes to get to class and to get their work done demonstrates a level of passion that we sometimes don't see as passion.
Passion, motivation, determination. I teach a difficult program where students will fail far more than pass in order to progress. We have constant interraction with our students to be successful by providing every source we know to help enable them to be successful. When a student shows signs of possibly dropping or moving on, we meet with them on a "fact finding" mission as to the situation that is triggering that feeling. Depending on the reason we are usually able to turn around the need to leave. But even when the student does not come right out and say anything, we need to be in tune to their progress, their body language, their overall demeanor to give them the extra encouragement they may need.
You still don't know if you have enrolled the right student even when you have done ever thing possible to ensure that you have. Things come up that can enterfer with the best students. The more mature adult student takes their education more seriously but life happens. Then retenion drops beyond our control.
Well first you can tell by talking with some potential students if they have passion for the field by look on their face or in their eyes, but of course there are always those few that may not be overly passionate about a subject, but after some discussion and self practice, students tend to show even more passion. Ex. I teach a Medical Assisting Lab class and alot of the students complain and say they don't want to perform venipucture, they don't like blood, but after discussion and practice, most of them come to me and tell me how much they enjoy venipuncture and think they may want to get into that once the graduate. What a proud moment.
The industry that we serve can be very demanding both mentally, and physically. I agree that prospective students must be made aware of what is required to succeed in the field. Further I feel that it is the moral responsibility of the school to acurately access an applicant's chances for success.
This is sometimes a hard measure to gauge, as not all students exhibit passion in the same way. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the admissions process this isn't discovered until the student is a quarter or two into their program.
Having a more involved admissions process, including higher standards and multiple phases involving various people (and being willing to NOT admit a student) could help attrition in the long run.
in my classes eeryone starts with a dream of becoming a chef, most of them have a 30 to 45 age, and when they come to class and feel the strees they tend to get scared and drop out frecuently, most of them love the to cook but have no passionfor the profecion to keep at it for long time. they should be filtered on a early stage of admissions and not be another number for a salesma.
Passion may be what gets them in the door or proactivly researching the particular field.
In the culinary field "I have a passion for cooking" is spouted out by almost everyone I have interviewed for a job in my kitchen or student in my classroom in the last 10 years.
Many students think the industry is the pretty pictures in a cookbook when the real world is repetition of lots of rather mundane tasks in a hot uncomfortable environment usually when everyone else is not working!. Certainly we lose a number of students due to the wackup call of the reality of the business and the training vs. their perception of the industry.
I believe that I must first be a positive force in my class. I must encourage participation and positive interactions amongst my students. Once my attitude and disposition are positive, usually my students will take on the same attitude. Students tend to mirror their environment and especially the attitude of their instructor.
I guess I agree to a point, Matthew,but haven't you also seen students who are very reserved in the classroom that have been highly successful in their careers? Or students who are late bloomers; who take time to gain the self confidence to demonstrate their passion for the subject?
Does the lack of demonstrated passion impact the way you would relate to that student in the classroom?
