University College Dublin

1. University College Dublin Diadaoibh a chairde

2. Retetention Begins Before Entry 12 Weeks to Retention Underrepresented Mature Students in UCD and in the Irish Higher Education system. Ronan Murphy UCD Mature Student Adviser May 2012

3. Overview Explanation of who the students are that I work with • Some facts and figures about mature students in UCD and in Ireland • Issues mature students face pre-entry • The process and programmes for Retention • My general work as it relates to retention and student issues • General UCD student supports

4. Mature Student Retention

5. Underrepresented within the general student populationIn Ireland • Students with a physical disability or specific learning difficulty • Students from low socio-economic (backgrounds) • Students who didn’t enter university at 18, (possibly for the above reasons) but who enter university after they reach 23 years old based on what is know as mature years application

6. Mature Students in UCD • Categories of Mature Students • Those who have no third level experience or may not have completed secondary school • Those who have some association with third level • Those who come into UCD on secondary school results • Those who have degrees but are studying to a second undergraduate degree

7. Recent UCD Survey by Dr. Bairbre Fleming • 438 /926 mature students surveyed responded • 58% F/42%M • Mean age of respondents =36.4 and a median of 32 • 80% of respondents parents did not complete 3rd level • Around 40% married or w/partner • 37% have child dependents • 50% receiving state assistance for education

8. Mature Students Ireland Survey(National network of mature student officers in Ireland) • 55% F /45% M respondents = 1955 • 36% married or w/partner • 45% have adult dependents • 43% have child dependents • 33% out of education for 10+years • 11% out of education for 6-9 years • 15% out of education 3-6 years • 27% haven’t participated in any programmes of education prior to entering HE • 80% respondents parents didn’t go to 3rd level • 60% receiving some state assistance for education

9. Mature Students Ireland SurveyCurrent Financial Situation • 14% at risk of dropping out due to financial worries • 60% finding it difficult or precarious financially • 66% find their financial situation having an impact on their studies • 73% considering going on to PG • 93% unable to continue on to PG without financial support

10. Pre-conceived assumptions and pre-entry realities • Generally speaking mature students come to university from a particular frame of reference and which can bestocked with a number of pre-conceived assumptions regarding their ability to persist • Mature students also arrive with some stark realities

11. Pre-conceived assumptions and pre-entry realities • The assumptions include questions about academic ability and nervousness about their right to be present • Realities are: • Financial worries (60% finding it difficult or precarious financially) • Juggling of familyand/or work life • Childcare (37% UCD w/children) • Parent care care (47% nationally with adult dependents) • and the conscious choice to change their life

12. Assumptions and realities as triggers to non persistence • For mature students pre-conceived assumptions and/or pre-entry realities can be a trigger for entering students to question whether they have made the right choice to enrol in higher eudcation • Unlike their 18 year old student colleagues mature students already have their lives outside univeristy and the very act of entry to HE requires them to altertheir lives , sometimes drastically, and juggle new realities

13. Application and Affirmation • What is important therfore for the entering mature student is to affirmthat the leap of faith they made by applying to and accepting a place in higher education is reasonable and an attainable goal • This affirmationto the entering mature student needs to prove/display that they are not alone, that they can succeed and that others like them have completed the course having come from similar circumstances and mindsets

14. Retention • 360 entering mature students in 2011 • 171 of whom have no prior contact with HE • One retention figure is that only 1 of these 171 students has withdrawn • Withdrawal = actively withdrew • Retention = moved from 1st to 2nd year • Completed = finished their degree programme

15. Retention • Over a 10 year spread 1999-2009 the overall UCD retention is 83% but it shows signs of improvement in more recent years • Taking 2008 - 89% progressed from 1st to 2nd year which was an improvement from 86% in 2007 • 17/16/9 withdrawals over past three years for mature students • One way I count is to see how many returned emails I receive when I send out a bulk e-mail

16. The process/programme of retention • Mature years entry students in Ireland get notified of their acceptance into a university in the first week of July • I get a list from our Admissions Office of all those mature students who have accepted places in UCDby mid-July • As weknow from talking to entering students that at this point all those who have accepted places are both very excited and very nervous

17. The process/programme of retention • My service earns its salt from this point in mid to late-July through the first six weeks of term • It is very important that during this time mature students feel supported in the fact that the choice they made, the leap of faith, is valid and attainable

18. The process/programme of retention All entering mature students will get a letter from me withina week of my getting the list from Admissions The letter is both a welcome letter and an outline of available supports from that point on

19. Writing Academy

20. Writing Academy • Entering MS are invited to partake of a 3 day writing academy in late August designed to alleviate the writing anxiety that attachs itself to many entering mature students • The Academy givespeople a refresher on what is expected academically in 3rd level • This pre-registration writing programme, in collaboration with our Mathematics Support Centre,added a mathematics component in 2011 and will enhance this component this year

21. Writing Academy

22. Writing Academy

23. Mature Student Orientation Day

24. Mature Student Orientation Day

25. Mature Student Orientation Day

26. Mature Student Orientation Day All entering mature students are invited to a half day orientation programme held on the Saturday before the official university orientation This event showcases • UCD student services • Provides an opportunity for mature students to meet other mature students within and without their academic discipline • Have acampus tour • Engage with a student panel Q&A with current mature students.

27. The process/programme of retention These targeted programmes are designed to get the mature students past the first hurdles regarding • Their questioning of their academic ability • Feeling isolated as the only mature student • Having a grasp of the campus and its services • Alerting them to the one-to-one service provided by my office An awareness of the different supports especially is essential for retention

28. The process/programme of retention No matter how many programmes I could run there is actually nothing to prepare the entering mature student for the first few weeks of term and the feeling of being overwhelmed by 18 year olds The positive about this is that there is a big and infectious buzz from the younger students

29. The process/programme of retention Once academic term begins the actually day to day practicalities and difficulties begin for students trying to balance their former lives and responsibilities with the rigours anddemands of their academic work A million things crop upand I stay very busy with my one-to-one adviseryservice

30. Issues arising in one-to-one advising sessions • A large part of my service is one-to-one advising sessions and the main categories of what students seek advice on are outlined below: • This is a new data base where these issues or this work is being captured but it is being refined as some categories such as ‘Academic’ are currently covering a very broad range. Often more than one issue arises at a time (e.g. academic performance and family breakdown). We do have a way of noting second issues but again the categories are the same and are currently under scrutiny.

31. The process/programme of retention • Within the first two weeks I e-mail all entering mature students to alert them once again as to where my office is • I recently set up a facebook page to pass on any important or relevant pieces of news • Although many will have been introduced to themature student society on the orientation day I remind them of that again and of its first get togetherhttp://www.ucd.ie/maturesoc/gallery.html

32. The process/programme of retention • The first few weeks usually work pretty well as everyone is a bit overwhelmed just trying to get set up but around week 5 or 6 –trouble – • I send a specific email out to the mature students and explicitlyoutline what Ithink many of them are feeling; overwhelmed, anxious, unsure and ready to jump ship. • I invite them to come and see me and let them know that they are not alone in their thoughts • I remind them again of the different student supports and also remind them that they are already half way through their first semester

33. The process/programme of retention • The other very important piece is to remind students that once they get their first semester exam results to come and see if they haven’t passed everything as even one or two non-passing marks can get a student thinking that they aren’t up for it

34. Sampling of UCD Retention Supports for Students

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