Professor Liz Thomas - Devloping your approach to student retention and success

Developing your approach to retention and success

@ProfLizThomas

Workshop overview Your Access Agreement. Evidence of effective practice from the What

works? Student retention and success programme.

What works evaluation approach. How the University of Chester is working to

improve student retention and success, engaging with academic disciplines and across the University.

How the University of Chester is evaluating the impact of its work to improve retention and success.

Sharing and reflecting on participants experiences.

Using evidence to develop your Access Agreement

What are the priority areas: retention, completion, attainment, progression?

Who are the target groups in relation to these issues?

Use of institutional data in relation to specific student groups across the modes/sites/subjects of study.

Evidence of what has worked well and less well in the past, including contribution to targets.

Development of numerical institutional targets relating to outcomes as well as outputs.

What works? Student retention and success programme

1. At the heart of student retention and success is a strong sense of belonging in HE for all students. This is most effectively nurtured through mainstream activities that all students participate in.

2. The academic sphere is the most important site for nurturing participation of the type which engenders a sense of belonging.

3. Specific interventions cannot be recommended over and above each other. Rather the institution, department, programme and module should all nurture a culture of belonging through the way they function and relate to people.

What works? Student retention and success programme

4. Student belonging is an outcome of:Supportive peer relations.Meaningful interaction between staff and

students.Developing knowledge, confidence and

identity as successful HE learners.An HE experience which is relevant to

interests and future goals.

Academic

Service

Social

E a r l y e n g a g e m e n t ex t e n d s i n t o H E a n d b e y o n d

Student capacity building

Staff capacity building

Institutional management and co-

ordination

9

Implementation: Characteristics of effective interventions and approaches

Belonging

Mainstream

Proactive

Relevant

Well timed & appropriate

media

Collabor-ative

Monitored

Strategic implications

Belonging

Commitment Priority for

all staff

Staff capacity

Student capacityInstitutional

data

Monitoring student

behaviour

Partnership with staff and

students

The What works process

Implementation

(activity)

Confidence, engagement

and belonging (outcome)

Retention and success(impact)

S t r a t e g i c e n a b l e r s

Monitor or

observe

Survey/ intervie

w

E&B survey

Institutional data

Activities

delivered

Attitudes/

behaviour

changed

Students

engaged and

‘belong’

Improved

retention &

success

15

Evaluation logic, methods and indicators

No. of activitie

s delivere

d

Quantity or

quality of

change

Levels of E&B

increase

% change

in specific indicator

sU n i n t e n d e d c o n s e q u e n c e s

Thank you

For listening, participating and sharing.

For your comments: liz@lizthomasassociates.co.uk.

For more information www.lizthomasassociates.co.uk