| Retention of students in their first year of Career | | | | on learning. This approach means less training for the |
| Colleges is a mounting challenge. Student retention is | | | | employer and a better prepared student. Career |
| such a priority that most Career Colleges hold special | | | | Colleges must keep the class room exciting and keep |
| meetings once a week to track each student who has | | | | the attention of the student or they will end up dropping |
| not showed up for class. Because the students that | | | | out. Keeping students engaged in the class room will |
| attend Career Colleges typically have jobs, families, | | | | help with retention. |
| and financial challenges retaining them in their first year | | | | 6. Student Recognition: Since students at career |
| of school has become a huge issue. Retention is | | | | colleges sometimes have self esteem issues, |
| everybody's concern at any Career College. From the | | | | recognition of the little stuff really does matter. Once a |
| front desk person, to the faculty and staff, right up the | | | | term you should recognize your students for |
| line to the Campus President...everybody should be | | | | attendance, class participation, volunteering, and |
| concerned about retaining students. Here are 10 | | | | academic achievement. Your student are hungry for |
| strategies for retaining your students in their first year: | | | | this because they may not get it at home or work. |
| 1. Greet Them At The Door: Make it a Campus | | | | Also hold a Student Appreciation Day once a quarter |
| mission for some of your faculty and staff to meet | | | | where the faculty and staff serve pizza and soda to |
| and greet students as they come into school in the | | | | the students. This is a nice way to show that you care. |
| morning or evening. Your student will appreciate that | | | | 7. Ombudsperson: Students will have many life |
| you are there to help. It also gets the staff to know | | | | challenges that if compounded will result in a student |
| the students and can answer questions. | | | | dropping out of school. Issues like child care, financial, |
| 2. Faculty Involvement: Make it mandatory that each | | | | family, and transportation are issues that must be dealt |
| first year student meet with their faculty advisor at | | | | with. If you want to retain your students you must |
| least once a term. Students can get lost in the shuffle | | | | have someone to help them through these hardships. |
| during the first year and if they don't make a | | | | Dealing with these issues should not be taken lightly. If |
| connection early and often they are at a higher risk of | | | | you don't help them through these issues they will drop |
| dropping out. Meet with your students! | | | | out. |
| 3. Diversity Training: Career Colleges attract a high | | | | 8. Gender Specific Activities: Because many school |
| percentage of minority students, however, the faculty | | | | populations are nearly fifty percent women it would |
| and staff may not reflect the same diversity. Getting | | | | make sense that you add value to your campus by |
| your faculty and staff to understand and be sensitive | | | | holding gender specific activities. Consider holding a |
| to other cultures is crucial to retaining your students. | | | | child friendly day once a month. Invite students to bring |
| Students in Career Colleges feel much more | | | | their children and hire a childcare professional to watch |
| comfortable with faculty and staff if they see a wide | | | | the kids for the day. Consider holding a workshop on |
| range of diversity. Hire a diversity consultant to come | | | | health issues for women. Hold a Daddy Day and ask |
| to your faculty and staff meetings to help your | | | | community leaders to come in and speak about the |
| campus deal with this issue. | | | | challenges of fatherhood. |
| 4. Clean Facilities: You would think this would be a no | | | | 9. Training: Student retention is everybody's business, |
| brainer, but many times clean classrooms, bathrooms, | | | | so train your faculty and staff to understand the |
| and break rooms are not a priority and career | | | | importance of student customer service. Teach them |
| colleges. Any Campus President is fooling themselves | | | | that every time a student inter- acts with one of them |
| if they think a clean building does not matter in retaining | | | | it is a subliminal commercial that the students takes |
| student. Students don't want to sit in a dirty facility nor | | | | home with them. The goal is to make all those |
| do they want to be paying for it. Make sure your | | | | commercials positive and upbeat. If you master this, |
| facility is well maintained right from the parking lot to | | | | you will retain your students. |
| the classrooms. | | | | 10. Finally, smile, smile, and smile some more. Students |
| 5. Hands On Activities: Employers and students are | | | | like the warm and fuzzy more than you can imagine. |
| demanding that Career Colleges put more into hands | | | | |