Tracking and Intervention

"Build it and they will come" does not always work for student services aimed at students at risk of dropping out or failing.  These are strategies that help an institution find out which of its students are at risk and intervene to provide them with support.

• Online Tracking Systems

• "Aggressive" Intervention

• Strategies for Students who have already Dropped Out

• Required Interviews

Online Tracking Systems

Early Warning System

04/05 QAF project.  Implementation of electronic version of an existing paper-based early alert system.  Teachers send electronic notices to program coordinators with information about students who are either not attending or at risk of non-completion.  Now being tried in 5 programs in Business and more in School of Advanced Technology (05/06). 

More information, Wayne McIntyre, Chair Marketing and Management Studies, mcintyw@algonquincollege.com or Marni Squire, School of Advanced Technology

squirem@algonquincollege.com

"Tracker" Attendance Monitoring Software

Faculty of  Design and Technology, University of Central Lancashire 

Teachers’ electronic files of students’ attendance are regularly added to central database that is managed by an attendance monitor.  Students with low attendance are quickly contacted by student support staff. 

See Case Study University of Central Lancashire  pages 6-7

"Aggressive" Intervention

These strategies are termed ‘aggressive’ because staff at the school contact the student rather than wait for the student to seek help from existing student support services.  Contact may be by email, telephone, mail or temporary interruption of the student in another activity at the school. 

• contact of students who have been admitted but who have not appeared; 

• contact of student for non-attendance in class; 

• contact of student at non-submission of first assignment; 

contact of student to offer an interview to discuss marks after issuance of statement of grades at end of term.

Strategies for Students who have already Dropped Out

Fresh Start

University of Central Lancashire

Formal Support System for students who have dropped out or stopped out and want to re-enter. 

Link - http://www.uclan.ac.uk/student_services/accentre/academic/fresh-start/

Exit Interviews

University of Manchester

This program requires that students complete a telephone or face-to-face interview on leaving.  The student does not receive a refund for fees until the interview has been completed.  The purpose is to ensure the student leaves on as good terms as possible, that they know their options for returning and the data can be input to the University’s database.

Required Interview

Required faculty-student interview during October/November and again in February/ March with either a Personal Advisor or Academic Advisor for all students

Required faculty-student interview at or before midterm for all students at risk of failure or non-completion