We track each student daily through their first course at our campus. The instructor reports on their progress and behavior patterns in class that day at a faculty meeting. Any student identified as having a risk factor (or stressor) present in their lives is contacted personally and offered community or campus resources, as appropriate, to assist them with their stressor. It is specifically communicated to each student at orientation, on the first day of class, and at several other points in their enrollment that we are an important part of their support system, and that they do not need to put their goals on hold because "life is getting in the way." We not only tell them, but also show them that we will do everything in our power to help them work through the stress they are encountering, and that we truly do care about their success.
We get the students to come in early when we see the student has missed a day we telephone the student to find out the reason and see if the cause is something we can prevent in the future such as transporation. In our city wee have ride to work program which includes vocational schools and doesn't cost the student anything.
Brenda, is your grade book/student portal developed specifically for your institution or is commercially available? If so, which system are you using?
Our organization makes the instructor phone calls to students that do not arrive to class on the first day of a new course, and every day after. Often times this has proven to be one of the first signs that a student is troubled.
Our instructors call the students when they are out. On our grade book/student portal the staff can enter remarks regarding the student. (n class issues or personal matter that have come to light. If a situation arises, any staff member can reaqd the remarks & become aware of what is going on in the students life.
Our school has a "blinker" system in place. If a student misses 2 classes in a row without contacting the instructor, the instructor sends out a "blinker" email to all other faculty and staff. It's kind of like an "SOS" call. Then whoever has the best personal connection with the student reaches out to them so we can get them back in school.
Our school uses several different methods to demonstrate school commitment to our students. We have counselors available that have experience in the industry we focus on, we have open door policies from the day of orientation until graduation,we have postings regarding student progress at every step of their program. We have staff evaulations for improvement in the instruction at our school, guests speakers who are also experts in the industry, as well as positive functions for students to participate.
Karla, are there any other practices that you would like to implement as a result of this course or the Forum postings? There's always an opportunity to make a good thing better.
Our school implements many procedures to show our commitment to the students. They are counseled by their instructors when problems arise, we have staff that are experienced in the industry we teach that relate to the students and are available for counseling. We also have recognition of accomplishments such as postings of their names when tests are passed and small rewards for advancement in the program. We have an "open door" policy where our students are concerned. I am confident in our school's commitment to our students.
Calling after 15 minutes takes the practice to a new level. Is this done for every class? How do you handle multiple classes on a single day? (ex. class at 8; another at 10) Will both instructors call even if the first determined that the student wasn't coming in that day?
Loren Kroh
Are externships a requirement for graduation? Are they paid? What responsibility does the student have in finding an externship?
Loren Kroh
I assume that brigade also re-enforces professionals standards and practice.
Loren Kroh
The Adminstration at the campus I work at greets the students every morning & evening as they come in. The Instructors or Teaching Assistants call the missing students after 15 minutes of class start time (daily) to check and see if they are on their way. If the student states they won't be in they are informed of that days agenda, as well as, what to expect/prepare for next class (i.e. quiz, final). I just recently received a phone call from a student who thanked us for caring enough to call and see if she was ok. Made me feel good. She stated this was the first time she ever received a call about her whereabouts from a college.
From our purpose statement to our daily communication, we demonstrate our commitment in a variety of ways.
I personally appreciate the extent we go to in evaluating our students prior to, during, and after their externship. Our Career Services department, expends a lot of energy in matching students with employers, which is not easy to do.
Our respective programs work closely with Career Services to ensure that students are ready to transition from their in-class comfort zones to the high-pressure office environment. It's in the office setting that we can know whether the students are successfully demonstrating they've met the predetermined learning outcomes.
The feedback from employers is not only shared with the extern, the feed back is given to the classroom where we discuss continuous improvement.
Hi Professor Kroh,
Just like a lot of my colleagues have already commented on this board; my campus has a system set up where we are required to call students if they are absent and log the results of the phone conversation into the portal so that we can track their absences as we go. I find that this helps with retention because the students find that they are more accountable and tend to come to class more when the instructor is so involved.
We also have a policy where students can approch their instructor, the lead instructors, or our Executive Chef if they have personal issues outside of the classroom that interfere with their attendance. I find that because the support system is so strong, many minor issues are often resolved before they have a chance to snowball into greater ones. This definitely shows that the school is committed to the student and I feel that retention is improved because they have an increased sense of belonging.
Everyday before class the students do "brigade". This is where the instructor checks for proper and clean uniform, health card, and hair and nail hygene. This demonstrates that the students are commited and respecting the school and the education the are recieving.
At our school we call the students when theyb have missed a day or two and that ensures we can correct any issue that has come up
Two weeks seems like a lot to catch up. What's your success rate?
Loren Kroh
We contact students on a consistent basis when they fall behind by two weeks in their program. This keeps them on track longer and they understand that we will be contacting them should they fall behind.
Joyce, sounds like a lot of paper floating around. Is there a computer based option to communicate between the instructor and attendance people?
Loren Kroh
