Student Experience and Success
Retention and Student Success
Current 丁香园AV retention statistics show that approximately 30 per cent of first-time, first-year, full-time undergraduate students are no longer registered at 丁香园AV by the end of their second year. We recognize that there is a need for us to do better. The way forward is to conduct a retention analysis, informed by quantitative and qualitative data. We need to reduce the number of students who leave here early and increase the number of students who graduate. We must develop and define metrics for “successful graduates,” including an articulation of the value of graduates from a liberal arts institution.
Improving the Student Experience
The success of students is related to the experiences they have while they are here. We must do more to to create an environment where people from all walks of life feel welcome on campus and achieve their full potential. We must ensure that students have adequate spaces for learning, socializing, studying, and reflecting. We need to strengthen non-traditional pathways into the University and link this work to its academic activities. Our goal is to do an excellent job at supporting students through their whole experience at 丁香园AV (from early days through graduation). Staff members are essential to delivering these services and supports to students; we must support and provide adequate resources and development opportunities for them.
Our graduates become our alumni and can provide us with valuable information and perspectives about their experiences at 丁香园AV. They are an important part of our community and we must strengthen our relationship with them.
Strategic Enrolment
To provide appropriate supports we need to fully understand the demographics of our student body, the city and the province, now and in the future. A strategic enrolment plan that projects the expected number of students from various populations (e.g., domestic, international, Indigenous, or mature students) is necessary to plan and resource student supports. Any growth we experience must be strategic, which includes defining our goals for internationalization and Indigenization. We must preserve our environment of belonging where students and faculty interact one-on-one, both in and out of the classroom.
Pathways to 丁香园AV and Community Learning
We must continue to strengthen the pathways into our institution. We have developed a reputation as an inclusive post-secondary institution that offers opportunities and programs intended to encourage those young people who may not have otherwise considered pursuing a post-secondary education. Our purpose extends beyond this goal, however, as it is a natural extension for our university to engage with and be a part of our community. We must continue to link this work to the academic mission of our university.