Thursday, September 20, 2012

Griffith University Graduate Success


HIGHER Education is on the rise with statistics showing a 31.4 per cent increase in graduates between 2006 and 2010 at Griffith University.
            Statistics provided on the Griffith University website reveal that the number of students successfully completing their chosen degree increased from 8,286 to 10,888 within four years.
            It is believed that the growth is due to an increase in student support and the new student retention program implemented in 2012.
Griffith University School Engagement Manager Jess Coleman said that Griffith had introduced Student Success Advisors and First Year Advisors to assist students to cope with their first year university jitters.
“The freak out or what they call the freshman myth in America, in that what students expect university to be like and what it actually is like, there’s a big gap.” Ms Coleman said. “That’s why at Griffith we’re starting to introduce people like Student Success Advisors and First Year Advisors,”
 “It’s all about the first semester and making sure that students know where to go to get help and they don’t just think that they’re on their own.”
The Griffith University student retention program has recently been reviewed and redeveloped. It now encompasses curriculum development, assessment planning, student support activities and modelling and communication outreach for students.
Student Success Director Michelle Wear said that the students at highest risk of not being retained tended to come from a English as a second language background, students who received a low OP or rank or had listed the program low in their preferences.
“Once they get here the risks are around low attendance at orientation, not attending tutorials, not accessing materials online, not handing in their first piece of assessment or failing their first piece of assessment.” Ms Wear said.
“So what Griffith has put in place is a program which tracks those risk markers and gives us a cut of students when they’re first commencing to say ‘right, these ones are at highest risk’,”
Griffith University has implemented a new student retention strategy for 2012-2015 to continue increasing the number of successful graduates.



References

- Griffith University 2005, Succeeding @ Griffith: A new approach to enhancing the First Year Experience at Griffith, viewed 7 September 2012, < http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/419513/succeeding-at-griffith.pdf>
- Griffith University 2006, Completions 2006, viewed 7 September 2012, < http://www.griffith.edu.au/planning-support/business-intelligence/statistics-in-brief/completions-2006>
 - Griffith University 2010, Completions 2010, viewed 7 September 2012, < http://www.griffith.edu.au/planning-support/business-intelligence/statistics-in-brief/completions-2010>
 - Griffith University 2012, Retention and Student Success, viewed 7 September 2012, < http://www.griffith.edu.au/learning-teaching/student-success>
 - Name: Jess Coleman
   Position: Schools Engagement Manager – Business
   Email Address: j.coleman@griffith.edu.au
   Phone Number: (07) 5552 8338
   Griffith Location: Business 2 (G27) 2.12A, Gold Coast Campus
 - Name: Michelle Wear
   Position: Student Success Director
   Email Address: m.wear@griffith.edu.au
   Phone Number: (07) 3735 3961
   Griffith Location:  Willett Centre (N53) 1.85, Nathan Campus
 - S. Spence 2012, Operation Student Success: Griffith’s Student Retention Strategy 2012 – 2014, viewed 7 September 2012, < http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/419469/Student-Retention-Strategy.pdf

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