Friends,
As we wrap up our fiscal year, it's often time to also begin planning for next year. I invite you to review this list of retention strategies. It is a brief list, but I am hoping it will begin an active discussion on student retention strategies.
What are your students most common barriers to retention?
How are you addressing them?
Let's get an active conversation going about how we can hold on to our students and help them reach their goals.
Sincerely,
Kathy
Comments
Friends,
I hope you had a chance to review the link in the above thread for tips about retention. However, I'd like to add another item. Student expectations in the program and teaching / learning experience are critical components related to retention. Think about how many times you have seen an advertisement to try something new. Were your expectations met? If not, are you likely to return or try the experience again? So how does this tie in to the adult education classroom?
I'd like to start this discussion with an example. Think about how you market your program. Does the marketing match the actual student experience? For example, are we indicating our program is free? While the class may not include an enrollment fee and be at no cost to the student, the student may incur expenses relating to child care, missed work, transportation, excetera. So, is the program really free? When the program is marketed as free and then the student finds their experience to be different, they may be prone to discontinue attending the program.
Think about how you market your program. Do you see a connection to this and student retention? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.
Sincerely,
Kathy