Get Your Students Hired
Charles, this is common. Perhaps a last chance to change the person life is a good thing. The key is to strive to teach and create a learning environment that changes lives.
Dr. B
It seems that our admissions pocesses are geared to accepting everyone and there is very little emphasis on qualification. As an instructor I have had to contend with students who could not read at a grade-school level. Our school is a tech. school and these students cannot compete with their peers and certainly not in the job market. There should be a test to see if a student has the basic skills to perform on the job sight.
Yes, the idea is to link academics with admissions right up front. This way, the story is the same.
Dr. B
The admissions processes can be improved to increase student retention by meeting with each new admissions rep to go over specific program details (FAQ's). The more the admissions people understand their product, the closer the student expectations will align with what is being taught in the classroom.
I most certainly feel the admission process can be improved at our school. I think occasional meetings that bring together the admissions staff and instructors will help to clarify expectations of the students as they go through the program. I hear many things that our admission team will say to prospective students that is either incorrect information, or a version of the truth. The students then enroll with expectaions that will not be met in the classroom, which in turn may effect retention as they feel they were mis-informed and are left very unhappy. Through the years, this has greatly improved, however, there is still work to be done in this area.
Good idea. The notion of a check list or self-checks helps you to stay on task. Another key is to involve or link academics with enrollment. Why? The student gets the same story. This important to retention.
Dr. B
I sincerely believe we always can improve on our retention methods. Utilizing self checks for applicants has quite good results in assessing where prospective students stand in truly knowing what the training requires and the job requirements.Having present students answer questions such as what it is like to be a student here and they are going when their studies are complete has definately increased our retention numbers.
Good. And, what would happen if you linked all departments together? Do you see any advantages to all admin being involved from the first day of school?
Dr. B
Checklists help. The key is to link early in the process and to make sure that all of you are telling the same story. This is the way to stop unrealistic expectations.
Dr. B
I believe admissions can improve their processes by implementing the checklists outlined in the lessons. Most of the time a student will come in with unrealistic or exagerated expectations of what their program of choice actually involves. This upfront candid discussion can really help to refocus or helpa student better understand what is and should be expected of them and vice versa what they will get from the program
Sounds like you have a good team and a team that is linked for student success. Be sure to involve career services, too.
Dr. B
Any process can always be improved. Our admissions department is very effective in recuiting students.
What I appreciate the most about our admissions department is how well they communicate with the other staff at the school. It makes for great teamwork and a great work environment.
As far as improvements, I can't think of anything particular right now. Think I will read all the posts sometime and get some good ideas!
Yes, I have too. The key is to link academics and career services into the conversation. Raise the level of conversation to relate to what can be done, when they complete their education.
Dr. B
I have heard several reps talk like used car sales people who are pushy and full of foolishness. They do not seem to stay around too long. However, I have heard some admissions reps really invest themselves in prospective students. I would assume that a correlation between the intent of the rep and the dreams of the student, when they converge, lend themselves to student programatic success and graduation. I think that recruiting the best reps from the beginning will help improve service and retention. I also think that the rep should, at least, have an equivalent degree - of not higher - so that they can experientially be of support and credibility.
The key is to have all staff linked and telling the same story. Do all that you can to make that happen. It really helps.
Dr. B
I do believe that our admissions process can be imporved, but they are limited because our corperate office mandates the process. One of the biggest challenges that we have is our admissions team not sharing the regulations and expectations of school. This set some student up for failure because they were really not ready to come to school. Despite this, we do have a very good retention though and work hard once students are in school to help them suceed.
Instructors have little or no communications with the admission representatives. It would probably be best that the education managers handle any questions dealing with another department. It wouldn't be proper for an instructor to approach anyone from the admissions department.
Our Admissions department is very successful in enrolling students for every new start. The are also required to participate in our Weekly retention meeting so they can contact students who may not be attending.
In most cases if students have issues while in school they contact their admissions rep first.
Also, our admissions team is cross trained by our compliance department and academics to make sure they are providing correct information about school policy for missed attendance, grades, possible leave of absences should the need arise etc.
The student is also given school tours which include our career and student service department
and how these departments can assist the student should the need arise.
Excellent. Sounds like you are ahead of the game. All staff needs to tell the same story to students. This is a key to retention.
Dr. B