Role of Faculty in Student Retention
"Students who have frequent contact with faculty members in and out of the class during their college years are more satisfied with their educational experiences, are less likely to drop, and perceive themselves to have learned more than students who have less faculty contact."
- K. Patricia Cross, About Campus, 1998
Current Efforts by Canisius Faculty to Support Student Success:
This information was collected from various faculty members throughout Canisius College. Faculty were encouraged by Dr. Chadwick to share the retention strategies they utilize in their classwork.
- "When teaching a FYS or another class with a lot of Freshmen I take 15 minutes out of class time in week 4 to talk about the pressures of their first year at college and how they are handling them."
- "I immediately respond to students who have emailed an excuse for absence and request of "what was missed" in class. I tell them I hope they are feeling better, etc and then give a summary of missed material. I also invite them to meet with me as needed, to catch up or stay ahead."
- "Every time I have a student who does poorly on one of my tests, I encourage them to meet with me."
- "I like to let my students know that I have an open door policy, and encourage students who are struggling with course material to review the material with me in advance of a test."
- "I like to attend my students athletic or club events, letting them know I'll be there and talking to them about it makes sure that they know I care because I do."
- Learn the names of each student as quickly as possible and use the name in class
- Tell your students what name and title you prefer to be called by (Prof, Dr, Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms, First Name)
- Be honest with your students; don't be afraid to say you do not know everything. This may open more debate and remind students you are only human.
- Give each student a midterm grade, not just the poor ones. Offer suggestions for improvement.
- Return tests, quizzes, and papers as soon as possible. Write comments where appropriate.
- Good eye contact with students is important, ackowledge them and they will ackowledge you.
- Ask students for feedback regarding the class. This ensures students know that you care what their opinions are.
- Solicit topics from your students that they may like to cover. This offers some ownership in the class to them.
- Take your students on a tour of the tutoring and study centers. Show them the tutoring center website.
- Encourage students to work with tutors you have had in your classes and know are capable of supporting them effectively.
Other Resources/Articles:
Student Retention: What Next? by Vince Tinto can be found at:
http://faculty.soe.syr.edu/vtinto/Files/Student%20Retention-What%20Next_.pdf
130 Random Acts of Kindness Towards Students
COLLEGE STUDENT'S THOUGHTS ABOUT LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY: THE IMPACT OF FACULTY ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS
Research on Student Learning powerpoint by Dr. Coward
Interesting facts about the Freshmen Class of 2013