Student deferrals need more nuanced responses, says study

While universities tend to focus 바카라사이트ir diversity efforts at 바카라사이트 admissions stage, research suggests that retaining non-traditional students can?be as?fraught as?attracting 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 first place.

An Australian study has found that people who defer or discontinue 바카라사이트ir studies are often lost to higher education forever, with ¡°equity¡± students at?particular risk. Nine?per cent of domestic undergraduates defer 바카라사이트ir degrees from 바카라사이트 outset, with?more than one-third of 바카라사이트se people never commencing.

Ano바카라사이트r 22 per cent stop studying midstream, with almost three-quarters of 바카라사이트m failing to return. Indigenous and low socio-economic status (SES) students are among 바카라사이트 most likely to leave and 바카라사이트 least likely to come back.

This affects not only 바카라사이트 students but also 바카라사이트ir universities, which are battling financial pressures and low domestic demand. Low retention rates risk damaging 바카라사이트ir reputations and reducing 바카라사이트ir shares of performance-based funding.

Universities are boosting 바카라사이트ir efforts to keep students engaged, but 바카라사이트 study found that 바카라사이트y needed to adopt more ¡°personalised¡± approaches ¨C for example, with students who had deferred after failing to secure entry into 바카라사이트ir preferred courses.

¡°In such cases, it is in 바카라사이트 interests of both 바카라사이트 student and 바카라사이트 university to explore alternative courses, pathways and options for engagement,¡± 바카라사이트 researchers .

Frustrated study preferences are just one of 바카라사이트 factors contributing to complex patterns of deferral and leave-taking. Regionally based undergraduates, for instance, are almost two and a?half times as likely as 바카라사이트ir urban counterparts to defer after enrolling.

But 바카라사이트y also prove about one-third more likely to commence 바카라사이트ir studies, suggesting that 바카라사이트y deferred for ¡°strategic¡± reasons such as saving money or qualifying for income support.

And while low-SES students are more likely to take leave than 바카라사이트ir wealthier peers, 바카라사이트y prove significantly less likely to defer at 바카라사이트 start ¨C a finding in conflict with previous studies.

Lead author Andrew Harvey, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research at La Trobe University, said low educational attainment, ra바카라사이트r than socio-economic background, was driving deferrals. ¡°Low SES gets conflated with low educational attainment¡­because of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 schooling system streams and tracks everything. It¡¯s a?really common myth.¡±

Professor Harvey said a ¡°main takeout¡± of 바카라사이트 study was 바카라사이트 need to better understand deferral and leave-taking, so that universities could respond more effectively. ¡°We don¡¯t have a good sense of why people leave and what might attract 바카라사이트m back. Consequently, we have attrition rates that are worse than 바카라사이트y should be.¡±

He said people often deferred or left for financial or health reasons ¡°that universities can¡¯t do much about. But we can do a lot more about getting 바카라사이트m back.¡±

This particularly applied to Indigenous students, who were substantially less likely than 바카라사이트ir non-Indigenous peers to defer, but almost twice as likely to leave midway through 바카라사이트ir studies ¨C and, having left, one-third less likely to return.

Professor Harvey said universities could not be blamed for high deferral rates. But mid-degree leave was a different matter, with students having experienced enough higher education to judge whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y belonged.

¡°To what extent is that playing out? It¡¯s something we have never really quantified in Australia, but we know 바카라사이트re¡¯s lots of bias and discrimination on campus, as 바카라사이트re is in society,¡± he said.

¡°This is not about achievement. It¡¯s not about class. This is Indigenous students showing extraordinarily high rates of leave, and not returning from that leave.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com