Faculty Management System Essay

College Advising, Characteristics of Institutions
Faculties are the primary staff with which students have contact during advising and instruction. These activities have been the focus of study and improvement activities for some time, because they are among the most important systems at the college. The survey results were valuable in revealing the key aspects of these processes that were linked to student retention. Identifying these links helps to narrow the focus of efforts to improve retention, thus making the effort more manageable. A significant proportion of the full-time faculty at the college have been experimenting with a variety of techniques, such as Cross and Angelo's (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques, which are designed to close the gap between teaching and learning. Several faculties have reported data, both anecdotal and experimental, suggesting that the techniques can increase student retention. These survey results supported the link to student retention.
Qualitative Analyses
Analyses of the comments made by telephone survey participants showed that "information needs" of students were a common complaint. The college had already identified communication with customers as an area requiring improvement, and the college's Marketing Team had developed a plan for providing ongoing staff development sessions to address this problem. The survey results validated the need for efforts to improve customer service. Although detailed data on the impact of the improvement efforts is not yet available, preliminary data show that retention among the entire population of new on-campus students increased (from 61% in 1995 to 64% in 1996). What is needed is ongoing testing to assess whether 1) levels of satisfaction are changing among the users of those services linked to retention, and 2) retention actually changes when satisfaction with the service is increased.
o Major concepts (constructs) with definition
o Major findings
Although this study was not designed to examine the student retention models developed by Tinto and Astin, the findings fit with their analysis of experiences that support student persistence. For example, students who report that information is not readily available, that offices are not helpful, or that policies are not reasonable are likely to feel alienated from the institution. Such a reaction does not provide the foundation needed for students to experience the academic and social integration emphasized by Tinto (1993) and supported in the literature as important predictors of retention. The findings also fit with Astin's (1993) model of involvement as a key component of student persistence. Compared to non-returning students, returning students in this study were more satisfied with several types of interaction reflecting positive involvement with faculty. These included "Instructors know when students do not know the material" "My instructors show respect for me as an individual" and "My instructors seem concerned with my success." These findings, derived from the students' perceptions of the quality of faculty-student interaction, affirm Astin's findings, which were derived from a survey of faculty perceptions. Astin (1993) reported that the cluster of survey items describing "Student Orientation of the faculty" was a significant predictor of student retention.