Student Retention Focus of Provincial Conference

Academic unpreparedness, lack of student engagement and gender all play a role in student retention according to a new study by Fanshawe's Dr. Roger Fisher (right).

Speaking at the recent Colleges Ontario Student Retention Conference, Fisher reported that students who did not complete academic upgrading were 73% more likely to drop out as were students who felt socially isolated or just a number at the College. Males also had a significantly higher dropout rate, which Fisher attributed to the increased use of counselling services by female students.

His study, funded by the Canadian Council on Learning, followed 6,500 students in the Fall 2007 cohort for three academic semesters: 28% left by Winter 2007 and 37% of the cohort was gone by Fall 2008.

Toronto-area MP Bob Rae was the keynote speaker at the conference and presenters included Fanshawe's Senior VP Academic, Dr. Lane Trotter, and Dr. Jim Black from SEM Works.

For more information on the conference, visit Ken Steele's blog at http://www.academica.ca/node/10132. Conference presentations can be downloaded at www.co-student-retention.org/presentation_downloads.html. Meanwhile, Fisher's presentation is on the Research Fanshawe website - view it here (PDF).