Faculty Connection as a Catalyst for Motivation and Persistence in Early Courses

Abstract

As graduation rates decline and retention is a regular topic in higher education circles, educators are more interested in how to engage and motivate students. With the expansion of the classroom to a virtual space – the 2020 pivot of all institutions to online presence -- engagement and motivation are more challenging. In an online university, attrition rates in a large program are higher than the university average. Without a systematic process to intervene when attrition spikes, a small team proposed and tested a solution. The objective of the initiative was two-fold. It intended to decrease the attrition rate in the course and obtain quality feedback from coaching circle members to inform future student success initiatives. The coaching circle was comprised of eight faculty members who communicated with students immediately upon course acceptance, remained flexible on weekly deadlines, proactively connected students to resources, worked with students on potential academic integrity issues, and more. Each week the coaches met to discuss challenges and to share ideas.