Catching students before they fall

Tips and advice on facing up to student attrition in higher education

Catching students before they fall

When students’ crucial first semesters are almost over, there will be some who have found the transition to student life and new surroundings difficult, others whose personal circumstances are providing barriers to remaining in full-time education and many more who find themselves struggling to keep up academically. So, what can universities do to keep their students onboard and engaged at this crucial time of year? This collection of resources offers help and advice on making sure new students feel welcome on campus, spotting when someone is struggling early and which supports to offer, understanding the key drivers behind students dropping out of university and much more.

How to help students with widely varied prior education to thrive in first year

How can university educators ensure their first-year teaching caters to widely varying prior knowledge and skills among students? Bethan Gulliver explains a three-pronged approach

Bethan Gulliver

University of East Anglia

Welcoming students

Neon blue welcome sign

How can universities ensure all new students feel welcome?

Nikki Anghileri and Elizabeth Parker share practical tips on executing an impactful and memorable welcome transition programme for new students from diverse backgrounds

Nikki Anghileri, Elizabeth Parker

St Mary’s University Twickenham

The way university teachers and lecturers speak to first-generation students can make a huge difference to how they get on in higher education

Gatekeepers or greeters? We must demystify university for first-gen students

Stone Meredith gives advice on using positive introductory phrases and how this can help first-generation students navigate university

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

How universities can ensure first-generation students and their families feel connected

How universities can ensure first-generation students and their families feel connected

A first-generation college student herself now working in enrolment, Aimee Huffstetler, shares insight into what administrators can do to ensure first-generation students and their families feel connected to their university

Aimee Huffstetler

Gwynedd Mercy University

Attrition section 1

Understanding attrition: What can be done to reduce student dropouts post pandemic?

We discuss the impact of the pandemic on student dropout rates and consider what universities can do to boost student retention now and in the future, with a panel of experts from the UK and Australia

Sally Kift, Jacqueline Stevenson, David Woolley

The Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows, University of Leeds, Nottingham Trent University

Use technology to catch students before they fall

Working remotely with no face-to-face contact is a challenge for many students. May Lim and Li Siong Lim explain how educators can use technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind

May Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

Building resilience

Student happiness versus student satisfaction

Should we be aiming for student happiness or student satisfaction?

Although two sides of the same coin, there are crucial differences between happiness and satisfaction – and one of them serves our students far better, says Doug Specht

Doug Specht

University of Westminster

Making students comfortable in class without coddling them

Comfort without coddling: how to make students comfortable in the classroom

Brooke Wilson discusses the importance of fostering a safe environment for students while encouraging their independence

Brooke Wilson

Colorado State University Global

Bringing confusion into class can actually benefit students

Confusion diffusion: nine ways to prepare students to work with uncertainty

Jenny Moffett explores classroom techniques to help students meet the demands of an increasingly complex and rapidly changing society

Jenny Moffett

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Helping with trauma

A holistic approach to student support

Student support, particularly for care-leavers or estranged students, is vital throughout their university journey – from pre-application to beyond graduation. Here, Fran Hornsby and Rebecca Clark offer tips for demonstrating genuine care as you do it

Fran Hornsby, Rebecca Clark

University of York

The key knowledge and approaches needed for trauma-informed teaching

Marc Mason explains how trauma works and presents itself – and what steps can be taken to minimise it in the classroom

Marc Mason

University of Westminster

Supporting non-traditional students

Advice on developing early college programmes which improve higher education outcomes for students from underrepresented group

How to design early college programmes that foster success for under-represented students

David Dugger explains what an early college programme should focus on in order to improve outcomes for students from under-represented groups

David Dugger

Eastern Michigan University

Mature students and other non-traditional students are often overlooked by university recruitment teams

How to attract and support non-traditional students in higher education

Hurdles and obstacles are created from the outset and then vice-chancellors wonder why their student population is not diverse, says Dilshad Sheikh

Dilshad Sheikh

Arden University

Illustration of student career development and Lego

How block teaching supports students from under-represented groups

Shorter, more immersive units are helping raise attainment and success for students with complex and diverse needs

Thomas Roche, Liz Goode, Erica Wilson

Southern Cross University

Keeping up student motivation

How to use the ‘motivation and engagement wheel’ to keep students on board

I developed the wheel as a model to help demystify student motivation and provide a source for targeted help where and when necessary, says Andrew J. Martin

Andrew J. Martin

UNSW Sydney

Digital exclusion hits students hardest at the start of their journey

VLEs, intranets, sports and social apps – the digital ecosystem at university is vast. We must induct students into it quickly and carefully to prevent them falling behind

Claire Smith

University of Sussex

Admissions

Getting your university admission team's online engagement right can help attract and keep prospective students

The top three engagement challenges facing admissions teams and how to solve them

Whether it's due to ‘ghosting’ or ‘student melt’, prospective students are harder than ever before to attract and hold on to, but a combination of tech and human solutions is at hand

Ardis Kadiu

Element451

Image depicting the financial burden of higher education

Pay it forward: how to help students secure financial aid

How college administrators can help prospective and enrolled students secure financial aid to see them through higher education, by Aimee Huffstetler

Aimee Huffstetler

Gwynedd Mercy University

The higher education sector in the US is using an antiquated system of judging student metrics

IPEDS and the trouble with student metrics in the US

The IPEDS education data surveys hold great weight in the HE system, but they are not inclusive enough and thus no longer fit for purpose, says Elizabeth Harris

Elizabeth Harris

Colorado State University Global

Fork in the road for student attrition

Offering students a ‘Big Green Gap Year’ has multiple rewards

James Derounian makes the case for a gap year in which school-leavers can engage with university while tackling climate change and helping with community development

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Government needs to step up in the student retention battle

The higher education sector needs the resources to get better at spotting students at risk of falling behind or dropping out altogether, says John Couperthwaite

John Couperthwaite

Echo360