Retention
Improving the Student Experience
The college is responsible for creating a clear path for each student; and each student should have the opportunity to easily enter their path and stay on the path so that they can achieve their educational goals. How can De Anza ensure that ALL students—with particular focus on Black, Filipinx, foster youth, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Native American and Pacific Islander students—are successfully onboarded, and have a general knowledge of how to stay on their educational pathway and achieve their educational goals?
This plan focuses on identifying the student pathway from application to completion with a focus on identifying attrition points along the path and implementing strategies to improve retention.
This plan integrates individuals from across the campus to collectively map the student experience (i.e. ed goal, nontraditional and special populations, etc.), identify attrition points, and develop strategies to remove obstacles along the way. This is a collaborative effort.
Plan Timeline
Winter 2024
Spring 2024
Team proposes draft plan to college.
Team to ask for volunteers to participate. Team also asks for incentives/funding for student, staff/faculty participation in studies and deliverables. The team will be tasked with
- Identify and connect with programs/departments to learn about programs efforts to increase retention by staff and faculty
- Work with IR to identify to programs (i.e. learning communities, majors of study, etc.) with high completion rates
- Help with focus groups (develop content, logistics, summarize finding)
- Identify and connect with students to learn about their experience
- Map out attrition points in the student experience
- Identify strategies to address attrition points to improve retention
Identify team members and tasks. Agree upon timeline for deliverables.
Begin planning for study of the student experience at De Anza
- Work with IR to identify to programs (i.e. learning communities, majors of study, etc.) with high completion rates
- Interview special programs (learning communities, EOPS, ISP, etc.) staff/faculty about their support structure/program and learn what works, and what can be improved upon
- Outline focus group structure (develop content, logistics, summarize finding)
- Convene focus groups for special program staff/faculty--understand all supports: inside classroom, outside classroom, etc.
Fall 2024
Start to study any current retention efforts at De Anza
- Convene focus groups for special program staff/faculty--understand all supports: inside classroom, outside classroom, etc.
Winter 2025
Continue studying any retention efforts at De Anza
- Convene focus groups for special program staff/faculty--understand all supports: inside classroom, outside classroom, etc.
Outline student voices focus group structure (develop content, logistics, summarize finding)
- Define student population and study "Who is getting left behind" through a student focus group
- Define the needs of students (i.e. financial aid, internships, basic needs, sense of belonging) and study "What is getting in their way of achieving their educational goal?" through a student focus group
Spring 2025
Start researching and understanding student success foundations and attrition points students face in meeting their goals by capturing student voices
- Define student population and study "Who is getting left behind" through a student focus group
- Define the needs of students (i.e. financial aid, internships, basic needs, sense of belonging) and study "What is getting in their way of achieving their educational goal?" through a student focus group
Fall 2025
Continue researching and understanding student success foundations and attrition points students face in meeting their goals by capturing student voices
Winter 2026
Continue researching and understanding student success foundations and attrition points students face in meeting their goals by capturing student voices
Spring 2026
Reflect on information gathered.
Begin writing student experience recommendations to college.
- This may include professional development opportunities for faculty to develop best practices for the classroom, need for student messaging or resources, etc.
- Deliverables might also include: best practices for student retention for Student Service; best practices for student retention for the classroom, etc.
Fall 2026
Continue writing student experience recommendations to college.
Winter 2027
Complete student experience recommendations to college.
Spring 2027
Share out to college on plan findings and deliverables.