We need to help support them not just as a student but help them to develop as a person.
We sanction field trips, tractor pulls, nascar races and all at a discount price. This help them to be more human than anything else.
I empathize with you about everyone having the best practices. This always presents a challenge to leadership. However, if you can quantify results you can manage the debate. This "argument" also presents an opportunity for a friendly competition to see which practices really are the best. This will get everyone more involved.
This is a management issue in my opinion that we all probably have to face at certain times. People like to be in control of their environments and after someone has spent time and expended the efforts to develop and put something into practice it is difficult for them to just let it go. After all, it is their sweat and blood that may seemingly be dismissed; they may take offense to that dismissal. One way to correct this that has worked for me is to identify what is in need of change or development, coordinate all of the stake holders to meet on the subject, get ownership by all participants and through regular effective communication develop what is necessary. It has been my past experiences that only through team efforts where the team is either successful or unsuccessful will you get individual ownership that will work towards a goal that benefits all.
In my college the professional program managers have different retention practices, from attendance monitoring to progress monitoring. We are trying to standardize these practices, but currently they are using old policies that need updating. Standardizing around best practices would be an excellent place to start and it would bring everyone together. One thing I find is a difficulty is that each manager believes his or her practice is the best and therefore does not want to consider other practices. It takes some convincing to move everyone in a similar direction.
Does your institution have a training program for admissions reps to ensure they have adequate product knowledge? Have you ever invited them into your classroom?
Do the admission advisers maintain contact with the students throughout?
Do individual programs have different retention practices? Standardizing around best practices might be a place to start to develop a retention plan.
Interesting suggestion about the End of Course test. What do your colleagues think about it? Would the test content be the same? What are the down sides of implementing this practice?
How can you go about getting a mentoring program started, Adam? Is that something you can do with your students or do you need to go through a more formal process?
Is the counseling done by faculty or support staff? What will it take to improve counseling? Who should make it happen?
What are the forces that keep these things from happening? Is it a question of time, talent or treasury?
We need a positive climate of good comunication at every level betwen all Dept's. I am only saying we have to keep working at this one, we will never be perfict.
The 2nd is to be ontop of what our market needs so our student's are needed and each day help them see the part they play.
The students who come to my school come with many barriers and problems that exist as they enter. This is often compounded by further problems as they move thorugh their programs. This puts a new meaning on advising. The admission advisors are not professionally trained counsellors, but they do refer students to resources and try to support a student's positive self esteem. The programs that are successful in retention have the managers of each progam meet with each student within the first 2 weeks of school. Afterwards, they meet with the student every two semesters (one semester is 5 weeks long). What we do know is that we need a plan to manage the barriers that students bring to school.
Better counseling of students by the staff when they are dealing with problems would help retention. Alot of teachers aren't percieved as approachable by some students. After class activities would be helpfull, maybe even more hot dog days in the parking lot.
One improvement would be the outside activities that we use to have more involement with like the field trips, go cart racing, and other things we use to be involved in.
The Second thing is a more organized force of mentoring instructors to talk to the strugling students, and more involved student counsel with the students in class visits by them and short discussions in the room inviroment to help continue the retention.
I think that a mentoring program should be started. We can either do it with senior students or with instructors. The other thing we should be doing is holding them more accountable for their actions. Just like in the field if you do the job everything you are the one resposnable to make sure it is done right. If it isn't your the one that has to fix it for free the second time. This way they know what they are getting themselves into when they leave to get a job.
1) I think they should have the End of Course test on a thursday, instead of friday. Then they should let those who did not get the minimal passing test score, retake the test on friday and if they pass it, they would pass but with just the minimal passing score. that would reduce a lot of the stress of taking the final and get them not to rush.
2) Survey the dealerships in our areas and find out what the most frequent tasks are and make our hands on labs close to the ral world tasks. This give them a lot more value.
One item to improve retention is to have knowledgable sales reps who will be able to realistically tell and show potential students what they will be able to expect in their time here. That way, there are not any 'suprises'that will discourage them.
Training for instructors to teach them how to recognise students that are stuggling with issues, and how to help them, whether it is to personally help the student or know where to refer the student for help.
How would you suggest screening prospective students to assure they are ready to help themselves, Robin?
You're right about contradictory information being frustrating to students, John. Any thoughts on how to get everyone on the same page?
A better quality of student is needed and if the student would be ready to help themselves. Some of the students are not ready for the world and this may be from being helped along through school and life. Let them try for themselves before we jump in to help. Then assist them in understanding how they can do something themselves to get to were they need to be.
