Student Engagement Strategies

Improving Retention in a Diverse Student Body

Tara MacKay – Chief Academic Officer – tara@sessions.edu

“…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

tara@sessions.edu