Student Retention Best Practices

1
Student Retention Best Practices

• NC Community College System, Noel Levitz and
  Sallie Mae, Inc.
• Student Retention Workshop
• November 14, 2006

2

• Presenter Charletta Sims, M. Ed.
• Associate Director of Student Development
  Services for
• NC Community College System

3

• Overview
• of NC Community Colleges
• Student Retention Best Practices
• 2005-2006 Survey Results

4
Area of Best Practices in Student Retention

• Early Outreach
• Testing
• Registration Deadlines
• Special Services Programs
• Academic Advising Programs
• Mentoring Programs

• Learning Communities
• Minority Male Mentoring
• Textbooks on Library Reserve
• Cultural Enrichment Activity
• Committees Task Force
• Recognition

5
Student Retention Best PracticesNC Community
College Participants

• Asheville-Buncombe TCC
• Beaufort CC
• Bladen CC
• Carteret CC
• Coastal Carolina CC
• Cleveland CC
• Craven CC
• Durham TCC

6
NCCCS - Best Practices

• Edgecombe CC
• Halifax CC
• Isothermal CC
• James Sprunt CC
• Johnston CC
• Piedmont CC
• Randolph CC
• Wake TCC

7
Characteristics of SuccessfulStudent Retention
Programs

• Highly structured
• Interlocked with other programs/services
• Rely on extended, intensive student contact
• Place special emphasis on staff/faculty quality
• Focus on attentive cognitive needs
• Track and monitor student satisfaction

8
Early Outreach

• Require first time students to attend Orientation
  programs
• Offer on-line Orientation Programs
• Provide extensive Orientation instructions on
  special services, graduation requirements,
  support services, etc.
• Require students to take College Success Course

9
Early Outreach - 2

• Financial Aid Awareness
• -Offer Financial Aid workshops within the
  college
• -Offer Financial Aid Workshops to high school
  students and the community

10
Testing

• Offer One Stop Testing Sessions
• High School Testing Program Offer Placement
  testing to high school students on their
  premises
• Placement testing for new students
• Provide orientation information in small
  groups after testing
• Register students for classes

11
Registration

• Limit the number of registration days
• Send notification to students who have dropped
  from courses or programs
• Telephone students who drop from courses or
  programs

12
Special Services Programs

• Curriculum Learning Center
• Student Support Specialist
• Student Support Services
• Special Workshops
• Disability Services
• Student Focus Groups
• Re-organization of Admissions and Counseling
  Office

13
Curriculum Learning Center

• Provides Tutorial Services - English, Math, basic
  computer skills, etc.
• Provides professional staff counseling
• Instructor Referrals - Instructor Retention
  Alert Forms

14
Student Support Specialist

• Counsels students regarding problems that lead to
  withdrawal or dropout
• - transportation
• -childcare
• -emergency funds
• -provides tutorial services
• -other services needed by the student

15
Student Support Services

• Provides Social, Academic , Career Counseling
• Provides Tutorial Services
• Provides special assistance to low income and
  first generation students
• Provides workshops seminars
• Provides remedial instruction

16
Special Workshops

• Stress Management
• Note Taking
• Time Management
• Test Taking
• Study Skills
• Student Success Workshops

17
Disability Services

• Facilitates success in classroom through support
  and accommodations
• -Resolve disability related barriers
• -Monitor student attendance
• -Monitor academic performance

18
Student Focus Groups

• Used to engage students in college decision
  making

19
Re-organization of Admissions and Counseling
Offices

• Provide proactive intrusive academic, personal
  and career counseling
• Provide Customer Service Orientation
• -Encourage collaborative effort by the college
  faculty staff to offer friendly customer service

20
Academic Advising

• Establish early warning system
• Offer routine counseling
• Early alert referral by faculty
• Establish Academic Advising Day
• Transfer Advising Center
• Encourage faculty meetings and mandatory
  appointments
• Academic Probation after two consecutive
  semesters
• Require student to complete recommended
  remediation

21
Academic Fresh Start Program

• Students apply to Admissions Committee to remove
  Fs from Transcript
• Student must meet specific criteria
• Eligible Students improve GPA
• Increase transfer opportunities

22
Academic Support Center

• Provides computer assisted instruction
• -Tutorial
• -Academic advising
• -Individual learning models

23
Committee and Task Forces

• Develop Retention Quality Improvement Team or
  Committee
• -Review methods to retain students
• -Make recommendations for retention solutions
• Develop Student Success Committee
• -Discuss issues polices that impact student
  success
• -Include faculty, staff and students

24
Mentoring

• The Mentor Project
• -Utilizes student mentors to-
• -model good academic behavior
• -teach study skills
• -meet regularly with students
• -identify campus resources
• -monitor student progress
• -Keep progress journals

25
Mentoring -2

• TRIO - Mentoring Component
• - Faculty staff serve as mentors
• - Assess individual student need
• - Follow up to insure needs are met
• - Mentors guide students through the
• system
• Encourage Leadership through mentoring

26
Learning Communities

• Provide integrated support system for students
• Students bond and serve as support to each other
• Selected students are assigned to two or more
  courses
• Students are encouraged to study together and
  work on projects together

27
Minority Male Mentoring Initiative

• Program developed to improve retention and
  graduation rates among minority males
• Program features -
• -Counselor/Advisor
• -Extensive mentoring
• -Weekly counseling
• -Monthly group sessions
• -Enrichment activities

28
Textbooks on Library Reserve

• Developed to help students who cannot purchase
  books
• Books are placed on reserve in the Library for
  student use
• Students can use books for (2) hours at a time

29
Cultural Enrichment Activity

• The Channel TRIO - Book Club -Piedmont CC
• -increases participants sense of self
  awareness, self knowledge, self discovery
• -provides contact with faculty and staff
  outside the classroom
• -students read (4) books a year
• -students meet (3) times a semester

30
Communication

• Provide more avenues to disseminate retention
  information through -
• -Web Pages
• -Workshops
• -Cultural enrichment
• -Newsletters
• -Counseling
• -Mentoring

31
Recognition

• Reward academic achievers
• Reward train staff
• Retain staff who perform well

32
Thank You!

• Contact Information
• Charletta Sims
• NC Community College System
• simsc_at_nccomunitycolleges.edu
• 919-807-7106