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STAR Project. Costing the BioSciences 20-21 st April 2005 Tony Cook STAR@ulster.ac.uk. What I am going to talk about. Cost of students leaving early Principles of retention Practices of retention How the STAR project can help you. Institutional Costs. Per full time FTE
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STAR Project Costing the BioSciences 20-21st April 2005 Tony Cook STAR@ulster.ac.uk
What I am going to talk about • Cost of students leaving early • Principles of retention • Practices of retention • How the STAR project can help you.
Institutional Costs • Per full time FTE • + £5,923 (from HEFCE May 2004/23 ) • If they leave in Year 1 then • Save recurrent cost of tuition + trouble • Lose • either a further £11,846 if not replaced • OR recurrent costs of recruiting a replacement + £5,923
Cost to the Student • + Change to more suitable course/ life style • - Fee £1100 ish + living expenses. • Angst
Problem solving • Early leaving is an institutional problem • Financial Problem • Statistical Problem • Early leaving is a student’s solution to an academic or social problem
Role of Management • IF you have a retention problem worth solving • Decide what your problems are • Only solve problems you have • All solutions will require resources • Planning • Staff time • Money • Balance the pain against the gain
Principles of retention • Every student leaves for a different reason • These can be classified into three: • Poor social fit • Poor academic fit- (academic failure) • Sudden changes in circumstances
The Social dimension • “Nobody liked me” • “I did not fit in” • “The staff were not accessible” • “ I felt lost” • “I was lonely” • “I was homesick”
The Academic dimension • “Course was not what I expected” • “I could not cope with the Statistics” • “The staff were too distant” • “I did not understand what it was I was supposed to be doing”
Sudden change • Financial factors • Family circumstances • Illness • Typical of mature students • Full time / part time • Change course • Leave of absence
The STAR project • Founded on a set of objectives • Working to illustrate how to achieve these objectives with case studies and projects. • These will be distributed • LTSN, • Website • Promoted through visits
Solutions • STAR Case studies • Prior to entry • Better information- • Literature + interviewing = fewer applications higher conversions • Student mentoring- lower conversion, higher retention • Community outreach- better decision making • Better understanding of Pre-entry qualifications
Solutions • STAR Case studies • Induction • Registration week • Social induction • Study skills • Student mentoring • Service teaching- chemistry, mathematics • Developing the first year curriculum
Solutions • STAR Case studies • Flexible progression • Transition to and from placement • Changes in teaching style (e.g. distance learning) • Provision for disability
STAR Provision • All products free to HE during the project- website + paper based • We can visit, • Raise awareness of issues • diagnose problems and recommend solutions • We regularly contribute to LTSN, etc.