11032

11032

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (no formal paper)

A Practical “How-To” Guide and a “Hands-On” Approach to Student Retention in a Uncertain Economy.
Rathi Krishnan, Kaplan University, Florida, USA, rkrishnan@kaplan.edu

This presentation examines student retention to reduce the drop rate of students due to unemployment and/or loss of financial aid in the current economy. When job losses nationwide have impacted many students’ pursuit of an education, it falls upon the faculty to use timely, effective intervention to prevent a high drop rate. The presenter has used these strategies effectively in her classes in the 3rd Qtr. 2010 and has improved student retention by 18%- 24%. Intervention involves timely outreach, the use of technology, teamwork, and classroom practices to assist in student retention efforts. This presentation will discuss how teaching style directly or indirectly fosters active learning. The seminars and the discussion boards are good places for personal engagement with students. Personalized comments and questions, as well as addressing students by their first name can forge a connection between faculty and the students and help to foster “bonding” to take place. Students likely to drop out are more likely to reach out to a friendly, informal, and caring instructor. Team effort, such as setting up partnerships, buddies, and mentors can substantially help keep students from drifting away from achieving their academic goals. In addition, the coordination of the efforts of student advisors, administration, and faculty in aiding student retention is examined in this presentation.

All Audiences student retention in an uncertain economy