Sharing Student Information
What information do you collect in Admissions that Faculty could utilize to personalize interactions with students at orientation?
In Education, we actively participate in the enrollment process by assisting admissions reps with the interview. We clarify any questions regarding the various programs and share with the student the expectations we have as a school for the success of our students. At that time, students express their fears and by sharing their problems and concerns with us, we can offer our advise and tell them of the student services that are available so that they have no doubts regarding enrollment into a particular program.
At our orientation we have the students write down why they have chosen to go back to school, as well as, what they want their life to look like when they are graduated.
The instructors use these to encourage and motivate their students whenever the students begin to lose their focus or get discouraged.
When they graduate we give these letters back to them so they can see how much they have accomplished. They are so thrilled to read them!!
- Jessie
EXCELLENT! Having faculty involved in the actual admissions process is a wonderful, effective tool for building relationships and setting realistic expectations. Is the information you collect during this process captured somehow for future use in retention activities?
Susan
Jessie--
This is awesome! Certainly a 'best practice' that could easily be adopted by others. Kudos!
This does sound like a good idea. I am trying to find ways for my students to have more interaction with the other students, but orientation has all of the different majors mixed together. Any ideas?
At the end of the general orientation to rules of the road, have the students break into their class group with their respective instructor so that they can begin to get to know each other before the official first day of class.
Great Estelle!
Do you do any formal activities to help them get to know each other?
Not at this time but we will begin a student body that will interact with other students and with members of the administrative staff.
Great idea, will discuss this with our Academic Dean.
Joanne
To all--
Do any of your have any formal 'hand off' from Admissions to Education in the way of documentation (outside of the Application for Admission)? Notes, in or out of your computer system, etc.
Susan
Today, following an orientation, I found a stack of forms the career department uses to get info from students, so they can get ready to help market them. These may provide something we in education, and those in admissions, or financial aid, does not know since what a student might reveal to a back-end career services person they might not tell front end or education. I plan to review these going forward.
Susan,
Regarding your question about a formal hand off process, the answer here is, unforetunately, no. However, my teams are so used to working togehter that this info generally, especially if very applicable, finds its way into the right hands.
It is a very good idea/suggestion, and I plan on giving it some thought.
B
We hold monthly staff meetings with all departments to facilitate the sharing of information. Before a start, the admissions team presents a run-down of the new students. Transportation issues, educational challenges, expectations are all discussed.
Estelle,
Have you experienced any difficulty in scheduling faculty to participate in the admissions process? I've found it difficult to sync the two departments.
Matt
Bret--
EXCELLENT! These are the types of 'hidden gems' that can be excellent sources of retention if identified. Be sure that information is shared appropriately, of course....but the more employees can have to help retain students the better!!!
Susan
Dear Bret:
Our admission reps work very closely with our faculty. In fact, any important information their students tell them pertaining to education, the rep will seek out that student's instructor and let them know about that student concerns. For example, the student may have special needs or some circumstances that the instructor may need to take into consideration when working with the student.
Joanne
Dear Susan
I agree, the more information we have about a student is so beneficial.
Joanne
Matt/Bret--
Informal communications are great as long as they are working. Leadership, which it sounds as if you two are providing, is key to making this effective. Just beware if players on the 'team' stop playing or you grow so quickly (wouldn't that be a great problem!) that this gets left by the wayside just trying to keep up...it's easy to stop sharing that type of valuable information.
Susan
Admissions collects background information on prospects through a preliminary questionnaire the prospect completes before meeting with the admissions representative, the lead sheet from the phone interview, and the questionnaire used during the interview process. In addition to the prospects' response to questions, the admissions representative helps the prospect to develop a career roadmap. The faculty can use the information in the students' academic files to find out their motivation for earning the degree, what they are running from or running to, why they want to have a better life, and sometimes there is helpful information about past behaviors or patterns. For example, if a student has attended three other colleges but not completed a program at any of the colleges, this is a high risk pattern.
In addition, the students complete a "Heaven Forbid" paper in the orientation process. The paper explains what the student would like us to tell them if they ever think about withdrawing. The sheet also includes contact information for at least one person close to the student that is supportive of the student getting career training.
