CAROL’S SUMMARY: Sense, a survey of community college retention, noted that these schools typically lose about half of their students before the students’ second year. The goal of the survey was to find out why.
The results show that many students are unaware of the services their college offers during the first weeks of their first semester. In hopes of higher retention, the Sense suggests that community colleges reach out to their new students earlier and more aggressively with orientation, academic advising, and financial aid.
Questions to consider:
1. Did you feel welcome at your school during the first weeks of your first semester?
2. What could your school do to make students feel welcome and promote retention and success?
ARTICLE:
From the issue dated March 28, 2008
By LIBBY SANDER
http://chronicle.com
Section: Students
Volume 54, Issue 29, Page A25
Community-college students, like students anywhere, begin to form their impressions of an institution the instant they set foot on its campus. And often what they find during those first few weeks can determine whether they come back for more — or turn heel and leave.
The findings from a new study, the Survey of Entering Student Engagement, may offer some clues as to why those who leave do so, and what officials can do to make them stay.
The survey results, which were released this week, show that a large number of students are unaware of their college’s core services in the opening weeks of their first semester. And only one in five said they felt welcome at their institutions the first time they came to campus.
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