1. Stay with the Programme:
Providing an Update on the Evolving Strategy for Student Retention at AIT’s Faculty of Business and Hospitality
Owen Ross

2. Preliminary Information
The Student Attrition Rate has Fallen by 25% in the “Business School” Since the Commencement of this Strategy in Feb 2013.
Strategy is Based on “Habit Forming”
Three Academic Papers
EYFE, IAFA, TIC
Positive Comment
Versions Adopted by Other Institutions
Appropriate to Bring it to Academic Council
“Potential of 2nd Game Changer”

3. Evolution of the Retention Strategy Description Student Meetings
AIT
Business School circa 1,600 students
3 Departments
Only HEI in the Midlands Region
Diversity and Inclusion
Dimensions of diversity
Educational (CAO, Mature/Life Experience)
Dispositional (self-esteem, EI, 1st in family to HE)
Circumstantial (age, disability, caring role)
Cultural (Language, EAL)
Specific socio-economic profile
Economic resources
Academic and Assessment literacies
Contents of Presentation:
Evolution of the Retention Strategy
Description
Student Meetings
“Intervention Plus”
Limitations
Reflections and Considerations

4. EVOLUTION OF RETENTION STRATEGY -LHDE
Significant Effort and Infrastructure Relating to Retention
Learning and Development for Higher Education
Introduced in 2010 with a View to Assisting Transition
Compulsory 1st Year 1st Semester Module
Skills Required for Success in HE
Community of Practice among Academics who Deliver the Module

5. Business School Experience
Non Progression Rate of over 30% in 2013
Typical figures for Business Students in IOT Sector
Big Stick Approach
Any 1st student failing a semester 1 subject – meet the HOD
Letter about meeting sent to each student’s home
Advise/ Encourage/ Scare/ Listen
Also all non 1st years failing more than 1 module
Students were (brutally) honest!
Average study for leaving cert = hours
Average study time in first year college – 0 hours
Conclusion: Students had Formed Bad Habits!

6. Habit Forming
School Retention Strategy is Based on Theme of “Habit Forming”
Building on Good Habits from the Leaving Cert
Developed in Conjunction with Academic Staff
1st assignment at induction
1,500 word SWOT Analysis including referencing
Time consuming
Students likely to succeed
Two week deadline
Flags For Those who Didn’t submit or failed
Students who don’t present or who fail get to meet HOD.

7. A Bigger Jigsaw Parents information session x 2
Briefings for students with failed modules
Not alone
Reinforce belief that you can succeed
Support Tutors
PASS Programme (Peer Assisted Student Support)
STRATEGIC TIMING OF ASSESSMENTS / CIRICULAM DEVELOPMENT
RECOGNITION OF HIGH ACHIEVERS
TEAM BUILDING EVENT IN ADVANCE OF WOBBLE WEEK
REFINING OF HOD - STUDENT MEETINGS TO MAXIMISE IMPACT

8. HOD – STUDENT MEETINGS
Carefully Planned
Reconciliation of Many Elements
Performance, Esteem, Personal Life, Mental Health, Resilience, Determination, Personal Organisation, Respect, Humanity, Work-Life Balance and many, many more.
Role of Student Services

9. Typical Closing Argument
Chinese Proverb: Longest of Journeys Starts with a Single Step
You (the student) are active not passive in your own life: you can take control
First Steps:
Forget S1 for Now: Focus on S2
Go to every single class for next 2 weeks
Sit up the front
Do a minimum of 40 minutes every single day and build from there
Get back into right habits!
As Meetings went on Students were Getting Less Receptive: They Knew What I was Going to Say

10. Intervention Plus 2nd Potential Game Changer?
Last 4 students got “an intervention plus”
Introduction of Persuasion Techniques
“I choose to fail” : “I choose to Pass” Complete with Signature
Sign a “Contract for Change”
Write Down Reasons Why You Failed
Student helped me write an e mail to student services.

11. Signed Off: I Choose to Pass
Failed 4 Semester 1 modules
Passed all Semester 2 modules
Passed all Repeats
Progressed
Signed Off on a Contract for Change
Failed 4 Semester 1 Modules
Passed all Semester 2 Modules

12. Student Services Intervention
Failed 5 Semester 1 modules
Passed all Semester 2 modules
Passed all Repeats
Progressed
I choose to fail
Did Not Progress
Sample is too small to be certain but signs are good
Issued challenge to Business Psychology Team to Come Up with 20 proposals for an “Intervention Plus”

13. Future Enhancements Changes to 1st year Programmes
Changing Nature and Timing of Assessment
Analytics from our VLE (Moodle) and Banner
Student Journey from dependent to independent learner
Business Psychology L8 (100% retention for 2 consecutive years)
Continue to Monitor Rates on an Annual Basis
Increase Student Participation / Guest Lecturers
Adopting Learning from all Sources
Better Induction!

14. Limitations
There is an increase in the number of students staying from September to March. This increases our baseline, which impairs our results.
Those students who drop out due to exam failure are failing fewer modules. This is not reflected in our results.
There are growing numbers of students eligible to progress who are choosing not to.
Average entry points has declined over the period of the study. This understates the impact of the initiative.
1st year students who fail a module in S2 don’t get any intervention
Extremely time consuming and high opportunity cost!

15. Total Module Performance
Deferrals:3%
NP : 10.6%
Fail : 13.8%
Pass : 72.6%
Deferrals 1.7%
NP: 8.1%
Fail: 10.2%
Pass: 80 %

16. Reflections and Considerations
My System is not My Mantra!
Retention is this Institute’s/ Sector’s Health Service
Business : Low Cost Model
Impact on Individual Students
Increase in Revenue: total >€400K this year> €250k
A 5% Reduction in Attrition in AIT would Increase Revenue by €1.2M in Three Years (Plus Human Dividend)
Is it worth Considering Investment of €500k over that Time?
EFYE Conference Attendance Might be Good Start

17. Questions, Observations and Criticisms