Retention Program
As a school, what are 2 improvements that could be made in the processes & procedures to improve the overall retention of students?
anthony, do you think their employers will allow for traffic jams?
Loren Kroh
Allow for at least two lates without it counting against the student. Also allow for traffis jams that they have no controll over at all.
Affordable, safe housing options for students would help reduce outside stresses. Providing more online class support may also help to reenforce the curriculum, promoting greater understanding of the material. I look forward to the new curriculum/blended learning when it rolls out.
Because financial burdens are a big part of the reasons students leave and many are moving away from home for the first time with no idea of how to budget money I believe that during orientation a course on budgeting would take place. Second I believe that with class sizes of 30 students it become difficult for one instructor to recongize students that they may loose especially in lab environment. Having an additional assistant would help students that get lost in the big class environment.
Focus on making the Instructors understand they are here because of and for the students alone. This isnt a just a job. We are in a place that gives us the power to make or brake people, and yet I over hear the attatude of instructors about how fast and good they are at weeding out the weak. Not a place to be hard or on a power trip. Have training classes on this that can refocus these instructors on the perpose of there being in this building. They are good instructors that have fallen into the masses.
What can be done to help the bulls? Is this something that could be detected by performance observation by a supervisor?
Sometimes people just roar in like a bull in a china closet and do not try to understand the matrix involved, when they should first step back and observe first, and just communicate.
Learned and/or coached. Is there a system in place that allows people who have mastered the skill to help develop those who haven't?
Jim, have you taken any new hires under your wing and shared some of your experience - sort of like a mentor? Even if formal training isn't set up, senior employees can provide guidance and leadership for the new employees.
I’ve said this before but it bears repeating, it is essential that the instructor connect with the student, if a leader is simply a rule enforcer the classroom experience becomes a hot bed for hostility. How a student is approached is critical, the instructor sets the tone for the class in the first few hours of the course. If your approach is to beat the student over the head with rules and make sure they know you’re in charge you’re in for a long course and the atmosphere in the class room will be tense. A true leader knows how to balance authority with being personable.
Here’s a good rule of thumb, if your really in charge and connecting with students you never have to proclaim “I AM IN CHERGE DO WHAT I SAY†If your really in charge you never have to say this everyone knows your in charge, and the students feel more confortable, balancing these two things is a real skill and it must be learned.
I would work on expanding the end of course evaluations and possibly look for ways to reward thoughtful responses, in an effort to reduce the number of pencil-whipped submissions. I would also provide training to all employees on how to handle tense or difficult situations with students, such as addressing professionalism, dress-code, or other concerns. I did not begin to feel comfortable addressing students in these situtions until after I had been with UTI for a year or so and witness positive examples from the management team, training early on at UTI would have been beneficial.
make sure the student has a better understanding of what to expect when they get here. Don't sugar coat. Show the students that we care on a regular basis not just on occasions.
More extra-curricular activites and possibly a news letter.
Keep a good attitude as an instructor, try to put your self in the student’s position.
If there are any problems, don’t over react. That can make students afraid about asking for help.
I think that if you can help the students to find positive and fun things to make out side of school and work they will get a better outlook on school.
Remember they are not from around here, give them information about thinks to do and see while they are here in Arizona.
It doesn’t have to cost allot of money to have a positive experience.
Sitting in your room all weekend just creates outer problems….
As a school, improving rentention is important. The students dedicate a large amount of time for our programs. Offering a more realistic time frame and/or some breaks might be helpful. The students have to be in the classroom so often it is hard for them to work, which is a problem. Maybe some different schedules would be helpful. For some of our students, this is the first time being away from home. Offering some more time away-like spring break, 2 weeks at Christmas, and maybe a week in the summer would help the home sick students.
I think that the departments that support the students need to meet/partner reguarly to discuss any students in jeopardy and plans moving forward to help them. I think we need to make an effort to understand the departments and what they do to assist the student in greater detail than we do now.
Letter of the law vs. Spirit of law...
and
More student/faculty events that are free to all and off site on off days...Saturdays.
One Improvement to help students out would be to get some student housing, much like dorms. I think some other schools have tried that before and it seems to work well. Another would be a Hot Lunch set up. I have heard that works also.
I think we should have some student activities that make the student feel like he is part of the big picture auction off hammer blows on a junk honda ,flag football,Softball games any thing to make the student feel he's part of the school.
