Faculty’s Role in Helping At-risk Students Succeed in the College Classroom
Teaching Unprepared Students: Success and Retention Strategies
The number of students arriving on campus unprepared for the rigors of postsecondary education continues to skyrocket. Many students have inadequate reading, writing, and study skills, while others have defined learning disabilities. These at-risk students create big challenges faculty members who are being asked to help with campus retention efforts without sacrificing course quality.
Colleges and universities are increasing their focus on retention, while at the same time more students are arriving on campus unprepared for college-level work.
Lowering expectations is not the way to handle this challenge. Nobody wants to sacrifice quality just to raise graduation numbers. Can these two goals–high retention and high expectations–ever be reconciled?
Fortunately, there are effective strategies to help faculty members assist academically deficient students.
In Teaching Unprepared Students: Success & Retention Strategies, Dr. Kathleen Gabriel of California State University, Chico shows faculty members and campus leaders how to navigate this difficult terrain as she shares practical strategies for improving at-risk students’ skills and increasing student success rates.
The advice in this seminar will prepare you to provide the necessary support so that your students can meet course requirements and complete their college programs.
This audio seminar covers:
- Descriptions and definitions of unprepared students
- How to identify the unprepared students in your classes
- Current success rates of at-risk students
- Strategies to increase student engagement with course material
- Specific actions to help raise class attendance
- Ways to decrease at-risk student “avoidance” behavior
- Techniques to improve retention and comprehension levels
- How to implement “learner-centered” teaching methods
- Helpful ways to interact with at-risk and unprepared students
- Methods to assist students with weak reading, writing, or study skills
Who will benefit?
- Faculty members
- Instructors
- Lecturers
- Teaching assistants
- Instructional designers
- Faculty development team
- Faculty evaluation team members
- Department leadership
- College and university administrators
Improving retention efforts on your campus is one of the best investments you can make.
If you have any questions contact Customer Service at 800-433-0499 or (608) 246-3590 or email us at support@facultyfocus.com.
Dr. Kathleen Gabriel is an Assistant Professor in the Professional Studies in Education Department of California State University, Chico and the author of Teaching Unprepared Students: Strategies for Promoting Success and Retention in Higher Education. Dr. Gabriel has developed academic support programs for at-risk college students at the universities of Kansas and Arizona.