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Engagement and capacity building: enhancing first year retention through building staff communication and leadership capability
Conference presentation

Engagement and capacity building: enhancing first year retention through building staff communication and leadership capability

Marion Gray
USC Research Conference, 2013 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 01-Jul-2013–05-Jul-2013)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2013
url
https://www.usc.edu.au/View
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Abstract

Specialist Studies in Education student retention communication first year retention
Background: Student retention is an important issue for the university, with the loss of income from an international student being $17,000 per year and $8,000 for each domestic student per year (Adams, Banks, Davis & Dickson 2010). Krause, Hartley, James and McInnis (2005) report that more than one in four first year students in Australian universities seriously consider dropping out in their first year, while students who make a comparatively smooth transition to tertiary education and enjoy a positive first year experience are likely to have a higher quality tertiary experience over all (McInnis, James & McNaught 1995; Krause et al. 2005). In order to support a University-wide, more cohesive approach to improving student retention this project explores, implements and evaluates three different engagement and retention strategies: monitoring student engagement with Blackboard and tutorial attendance, discipline/program specific staff mentoring, and academic planning sessions for students failing an early assessment. Research Project Aims: - enhance the first year student experience - build capacity in students through self-regulatory behaviours, - improve academic performance through early identification and intervention - increase retention of first year students directly involved in this project - provide better communication and processes between courses and Disciplines - build leadership capacity in course coordinators and first year mentors - raise the status of first year support strategies amongst academic staff - provide evidence to support the implementation of a model of engagement - develop a model of engagement that can be adapted and implemented across USC. Methods: 1) dentification of 20-25 suitable first year first semester courses or discipline/program areas. 2) Implementation of a specific intervention strategy in each of the courses/areas during Semester 1, 2013. 3) Data collection through analysis of SIAU enrolment data, student grades, workbook evaluations, student surveys, student focus groups, and staff focus groups.

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