Poster 10:

Providing Targeted Support to Disengaged Students in Response to COVID-19

Kelly Linden (Charles Sturt University, Australia)

This project showcases the successful expansion from a pilot project from one Faculty contacting 425 students to a whole of university model. The first census date for a student commencing at University represents a critical juncture in the academic journey; for both the student (in terms of accruing debt) and the institution (in terms of minimising attrition rates). The Charles Sturt University Retention team worked with academics from across the three Faculties (Arts and Education, Science, and Business Justice and Behavioral Science) and identified students with missed early-assessment items. They then coordinated a program of targeted student support via phone and SMS. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the project expanded and tracked over 7000 missed assignments, contacting over 2500 disengaged students. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many students subsequently submitting the missed assignment. Overall, this project demonstrated that the correct students were identified for the call campaign, ensuring that support was being targeted where it was most needed.