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Cycle 2 Action Plan Overview
Focus Statement
I have observed that the process for students to enroll in courses can be confusing and difficult for them. They either struggle through the process, possibly choosing courses that do not fit in their program, or enrolling in courses that are not in the correct sequence of their suggested course plan, or not enrolling in courses at all. My proposed solution is to create a simplified system using Google Docs and reusing video tutorials I created for Cycle 1 to guide students and Program Directors step-by-step through preregistration. I will train Program Directors on how to use the material provided so that they, in turn, can guide their students through the process. I will also organize a workshop where students will meet with their Program Director and other students in their program to work through their course selections and enroll in courses for the coming year.
Research Questions
My questions have changed slightly in Cycle 2 from Cycle 1. In Cycle 1, I was asking how the course selection and enrollment process could be streamlined using digital technology. My second question asked if digital technology platforms could be leveraged to help Program Directors develop relationships with their students. In Cycle 2, I am not as concerned about digital technology platforms, although I will need to use digital technology. My focus is more on the relationships between the Program Director and the student.
My overarching question is, how can registrars and the information they collect be used more effectively in the area of student retention? I have two sub-questions: 1) How can the course selection and enrollment process be streamlined and simplified? And 2) How can preregistration be leveraged to help Program Directors develop relationships with their students?
Target Audience
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Faculty Program Directors - I will have 10-12 Program Directors participate in this study. They range in age from 34 to 68 and have worked at the College for less than a year to over 30 years. They are all Program Directors, so they help design the curriculum for their program's degree major. They teach courses in their chosen field and advise their program students academically. The reason why I would choose Program Directors is because they will go through the process of preregistration on an annual basis.
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Current students - I will have between 15 and 20 participants who are current students at the College. They will be between the ages of 18 and 35, the majority will be single, and they will be entering their second, third, or fourth year at the College. The reason why I would choose current students to participate is that they go through preregistration every year that they return as a student.
Implementation Process
For Cycle 2, I will train the Program Directors with all the documents I will prepare for preregistration, including training in Populi and Degree Audits. Coaching and training will occur during a faculty meeting near the beginning of April. I have scheduled the student workshop for April 19, 2023, so I must complete the documents and training before that date. I will create a step-by-step guide for students and a similar guide for Program Directors. In those documents, I will include hyperlinks for additional documents and information that will give further information to those who need it. I will train the Program Directors in a group situation, but I will meet with them one-on-one if they would like more specific training.
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The Preregistration Workshop on April 19, 2023, will be optional for students who plan to return in the Fall. They will meet with their Program Director and other students in their program to select their courses for the coming year. All the documents they need will be available in digital or printed formats. This workshop aims to have returning students enrolled in courses for both the Fall and Winter semesters before students leave for the summer. If students have yet to completely register for courses, they have at least started thinking about their schedule and will have an opportunity to discuss it with their Program Director.
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During the Faculty Conference scheduled for May 25, 2023, I will request some time to focus on how the workshop went. I will want information from the Program Directors on what went well and what did not, whether the documents were helpful or not, and what I could do to improve the workshop. I will survey the students once they return in September to find out how the workshop went and how they felt about preregistration. I am waiting until September to get student feedback since getting student participation during the summer will be difficult.
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My goal in streamlining preregistration is to have students enrolled in courses before they leave college for the summer with a stress-free process for the student and the Program Director. Another goal is to provide support and coaching to Program Directors as needed so that students will meet with their Program Director rather than the registrar for advice on preregistration. According to the literature, students who build relationships not only with other students but with faculty and their advisor are more likely to return and complete their degrees (Aljohani, 2016; Manyanga, et al., 2017; Russell & Jarvis, 2019; Walters & Seyedian, 2016).
Assessment & Evaluation
I will know my strategy is successful if the Program Directors find it easy to advise students with proper course selection and enrollment and if they have conversations with their students about preregistration. I will have a focus group of faculty members to discuss how preregistration went for them. I will develop a survey for those Program Directors who did not attend the focus group. Additionally, I will know my strategy is successful if the students who plan to return are enrolled in courses for the 2023-24 academic year before leaving for the summer is higher this year compared to previous years. Of the students who returned for Fall 2022, 21.5% of them preregistered before April 30, 2022. Likewise, if students found preregistration easier this year compared to earlier years, my strategy would be successful.
References
Aljohani, O. (2016). A comprehensive review of the major studies and theoretical models of student retention in higher education.
Higher Education Studies, 6(2), 1-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/hes.v6n2p1
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Manyanga, F., Sithole, A., & Hanson, S. M. (2017). Comparison of student retention models in undergraduate education from the past
eight decades. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 7, 30–42.
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Russell, L. & Jarvis, C. (2019). Student withdrawal, retention and their sense of belonging; Their experience in their words. Research
in Educational Administration & Leadership, 4(3), 494-525. https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2019.3.3
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Walters, R. L. M., & Seyedian, M. (2016). Improving academic advising using quality function deployment: A case study. College
Student Journal, 50(2), 253–267.