I'm in student services and here, we are each available for about 65 students each. Of my 65, I know and speak to each at least once a month. I have been a cheerleader, a problem solver, a shoulder to cry on and even a disciplinarian at times. When they open up, we look objectively into the issue and try to solve the problem. A good example is of my students who lose their internet connection. Since this is an online program, it is imperative for them to have at least that. Many times, i have had my students call and tell me they don't have the internet and I google free wifi in their area. We find it that way very often.
Orientation is where we inform them about our services, during the quarter if the student is not doing well he or she knows other options. Besides the faculty constantly works with them for their success.
Ashley, do you deal only with online students? Are the 65 spread out across the curriculum or in a cohort? Do they 'talk' to each other and form a support group?
Loren Kroh
I do only deal with online students. They are all in different places in their program, and they have the option to converse with each other in a special chat room for students only. It is an excellent place for the newer students to get some insight from the older ones. I have suggested and seen them form study groups, and I was thinking of implementing a study buddy program. Ask the instructors to provide suggestions on who would be good to help in tutoring, then ask those students if they feel like that's something they would be interested in doing. If they say yes, we can pair them up with students who are struggling.
My institution has a program called "Dream to Graduation." Every student's first class is a college success class. In this class, students begin to think about their goals: why there are in school, what they want to do in the future, etc. They write down these dreams and are instructed to share them with several other people. Then, throughout the course of the next few months, they revisit these goals with their department chairs or core program instructors. This reminds them of their goals. In each phase, they rewrite their goals, which helps the students visualize their dreams.
Instructors are required to phone students not present in class to determine if there are prblems that need to be addressed by the instructor or school. Referrals to various helpers can then be made if necessary.
Ashley, your study buddy program sounds like a winner. I hope you are successful in implementing it.
Loren Kroh
Leslie, is the success class the only one the students are taking? How long is it? Does it include units on time, money and stress management? How about communication and learning styles?
Loren Kroh
Gene, how often have you referred students to support resources? What was the result?
Loren Kroh
There is only one college success course, and it is four weeks long. (All of our courses meet for twelve hours a week for four weeks.) I have never taught this course, so I do not know what specific units/objectives are included. It does seem to make sense that the units you mentioned should be incorporated, though. However, our course objectives are chosen by our corporate office and cannot be changed on the individual campus level.
Thanks, Leslie. I hope this course was useful to you; I really appreciate your active participation.
Loren Kroh
School commitment is displayed in many form one way is with the student/teacher mentoring program that allows us to keep track of our students through the course of their time with us.
Richard, how does the student/teacher mentoring program track students? What are you tracking with the system?
Loren Kroh
Once a student is enrolled he or she is already has a commitment. We have a policy in the school that if a student missed a class, The student needs to call the instructor and she will be given make up class.
Couple of interesting points: the student has the action to call; most of the other postings have the instructor reaching out and they will be given a make up class.
How many students actually take the initiative to call when they miss a class and more importantly, how many request the make up class? How is that handled? Does the instructor literally re-do the classroom presentation for that one person? How is that received by the faculty?
Loren Kroh
At our school, the Academic Team and the Student Support team work together to help reach out to what we call "struggling" students. Nine times out of ten, these are students that are having a hard time juggling school and their life.
The instructor will identify a student that is struggling academically (sometimes it will be a support adviser communicating a personal issue on behalf of the student to the instructor) and the two will work together to provide the student with as many support services to help get them back on track.
On the instructors end, proactively assessing the students communication, performance and level of participation will usually identify a student struggling with an outside (or even inside) stressor. The student is called and emailed and intervention occurs on both ends.
Victoria, how often does this occur? What's your success rate in resolving issues?
Loren Kroh
Our students must call in if they are not present and if they don't call in the instructor will call them after class to ask why they were not present and give them their assignments to keep them caught up regardless of life circumstances. Additionally we have an interactive portal website where teachers and program directors can set up meetings or text/email with the student to keep better in touch with the issues being faced by both the student and faculty member trying to teach the student. Also, if there is a gap in the student schedule we will call them to remind them when they are supposed to return and feel them out to see if there is anything preventing them from returning.
Tara, is the interactive portal exclusively for use by staff and faculty? Is there a similar portal to connect students to support services and/or faculty?
Loren Kroh
Yes...there are contacts for every service we offer...students can access their FAFSA, pay tuition online, see their grades, schedules, print an unofficial transcript, see their attendance hours. They have access to student services and career services as well. We can request a meeting with them and it will send an alert to their portal account and faculty use it in this way as well if they have a tutoring session they are offering they can send a web alert to notify students that wish to attend.
