student engagement strategies improving retention in a diverse student body tara mackay – chief...
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Student Engagement Strategies
Improving Retention in a Diverse Student Body
Tara MacKay – Chief Academic Officer – [email protected]
“…diverse populations of students experience college
differently and encounter group-specific barriers
to success.”
Engagement for Improving Retention
Behind the Buzzwords
1980s: Diversity
Behind the Buzzwords
1980s: Diversity1990s: Engagement
Behind the Buzzwords
1980s: Diversity1990s: Engagement2000s: Retention
Retention and Graduation Rates
Two-year/private
Four-year/private
0% 10%20%
30%40%
50%60%
70%80%
90%100%
GraduationRetention
Who’s At Risk?
• First-generation college students• Low-income students• Part-time and transfer students • Racial/ethnic minorities• International students• Disabled students• Men or women (by program)• Other groups unique to your school/mission
It’s Not All Bad! Distance Ed Excels in:
• Attracting at-risk students• Making college possible• Shielding students from
stereotyping• Opening the classroom to
the world
Group-SpecificBarriers to Success
Otherness
• Perceived aloneness• Lack of role models• Majority-centric materials• Deficit-minded approaches• Growth outpacing resources
Support and Mentorship
• Difficulty with forms and procedures• Difficulty locating resources/information• Weaker academic ambition• Weaker family support/understanding
Scheduling and Priorities
• Greater opportunity to drop• Work priority over school• Lack of continuity with class• Need for distance ed-
specific study skills
Accessibility
• Language/colloquialism barriers• Cultural differences• Difficulty understanding audio/video
course materials• “Bureaucratic interference”
Understanding Groups Through Institutional Research
Asking the Right Questions
• Ask questions thatidentify key groups
• Allow opt-out andmaintain privacy
• Survey from entranceto exit (and beyond!)
• Use consistent questions and measures
In-Depth Studies
• Focus groups, case studies• Sessions military student study to ask:–What are military time commitments?– Do fellow military members support design
education?– Do fellow design students support military
background?
Equitable (and Easy!)Strategies for Engagement
Representative Course Materials
• Racial/ethnic diversity in visuals• Engaging language• Diversity content
in gen edcourses
Representative Course Materials
Accessible Course Materials
• Text transcripts• Appropriate
reading level• Careful use of slang• Screen-reader
accessibility• Accommodation training for staff
Experience-Based Assessments
• Projects that reflect/share backgrounds• Lightly directed discussions
Experience-Based Assessments
Faculty Members = Role Models
• Make diverse faculty a priority• Encourage relate-ability• Make faculty visible
and accessible• Pay attention to
student feedback
Scheduling and Advisement
• Cohort scheduling• Assistance/understanding in scheduling• Easy-to-read policies and resource guides• Sensitivity training for advisors• Group-specific advisement
Scheduling and Advisement
More Ideas and Next Steps
• Tutoring and remediation• Clubs and community groups• “Did you know?” campaign• Allocation of resources to diversity and
engagement
Any questions?Tara MacKay