I want to give you a scenario. You call a student who has not been attending. She tells you "I am sick of people from your school bothering me. Leave me alone!" At that point, what are you to do per your PD/supervisor? I've been told that ALL instructors know to immediately report that the student has dropped with that date as the student's withdrawal date (last date of attendance can be earlier). I've seen a lot of posts on here that claim that instructors are told to keep calling students every week and ignore it when they tell you they're not interested. Is that true? Does that happen?
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OP, whoever told you ALL instructors know this lied. I've never heard this. Plus, it's crap. Deans, associate Deans and Program Directors tell you it's your fault if a student withdraws or fails. They don't have our backs. They throw us into the lions den and know the students will fail. Then blame us. Nobody is running to their manager to tell them a student got mad. It's so stupid. So stupid.
They pull reports to see the number of calls you've made on Skype. They know who is using it. Our PD checks twice a week to see who is using Skype and who is using Talisma. As long as you dial about 30% of your total student roster, you are fine, and appear to be doing outreach.
OP is an idiot. Instructors CANNOT drop students.
I don't think they can see your Skype account.
Why do you even call????? All they want to see is that your Skype account has numbers dialed. Just copy/paste all your students numbers in the first week, and dial/click. Keep the sound off on your computer. I'm a star and call 50-100 students a week this way, never have to talk to any idiots. As long as they see a long list of numbers being dialed in your Skype account, you are fine. It doesn't take much time at all.
25962, I have high retention. As you well know, there are stipend students who are not going to participate. Since you've taught, you know there is a certain type of student in the classroom. If we didn't, there would be no Outreach program. To tell us it's out fault is actually insulting. I get yelled at and treated rudely when I do outreach. I know of no policy in place that requires me to take any statements as a withdrawal. Fire me. It's not like you'll be PD much longer anyway. But don't insult my intelligence and pretend you follow every letter of the law and it's somehow instructors' faults students fail. And don't pretend you have students who need it sign a waiver so they can't get tutoring. Don't put it on me. I'll teach your classes, but don't act like your issues are mine.
That first responder, a PD, is hilarious!!!! Yes, instructors are to take that seriously. Wink wink. All rules are followed. Wink wink. Heavens to Betsy we need to make a good show here. Forget anyone said 'asses in the classes.' It is ALL your fault instructors! All your fault!
Promptly refer them to call ITT Tech.
How do instructors withdraw students? In Talisma? Nobody has trained me to do that.
I've read on this board that the motto in recruiting is 'asses in the classes.' Exactly how does that fit in with dropping students? And why would they be angry? Hmmmmm.
I once reported a student had plagiarized and asked for that student to be removed from my class. (It was a classic cut and paste and student refused to respond to my calls or emails.) That student also didn't attend my class for more than 4 weeks at one point. That student never was removed from my class. So, I don't know who does the removing, but they aren't very good at it. But, I can say with certainty if students are not removed for those reasons, I doubt a little anger at an instructor will prompt any action by management.
My contract says nothing about telling my boss if a student yells at me or anything about withdrawal. I see nothing on the intranet either. So, if this is a rule, someone forgot to tell me.
Since students = money right now (forget that we are broke and have no line of credit) how fast do you think any dean is going to run out to withdraw a student who yells at an instructor? Do you really think that's going to happen? It has to be the Dean or someone else to approve it. Instructors DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITHDRAW STUDENTS!!!! We ONLY have access to student assignments, our classrooms, email, Skype and our gradebooks, and at some campuses, Talisma. We have NO other access to change attendance or withdraw students.
25955, what you are describing is called Outreach. We talk about it on this board all the time.
25994, yes they are! And these are mostly the same students who are already supposed to be removed for non attendance. That should be the priority. But, they aren't. Which I think is illegal also.
If I told my boss a student was mad and didn't want to be bothered anymore and wants to withdraw, what do you think bosses at CCI are trained to do? Run out and do the paperwork!
25963, I know nothing about the DNC list. NOTHING. I am told by my supervisor I have to do Outreach by calling and/or emailing each student who meets a certain criteria. I have to do it weekly. If I don't do it weekly, I get in trouble. So, if there are do not call protocols, someone ought to let our leadership know so they can then tell us it's ok NOT to call students.
I've had a student yell at me and tell me they already told student services to leave them alone. So, student services should have removed them before I called, by that line of thinking.I wish we could remove angry students. There are PLENTY of them to be found in any classroom.
25962, have you ever done Outreach? You are kidding, right? They all get mad and have various reactions. Which instructors haven't been yelled at? We are told to keep doing it, week after week, even after students are NOT removed because they haven't been to classes for more than 14 days. Still do Outreach. If a student is mad and says stop calling, that is NOT withdrawal. I've NEVER been trained that it is. In fact, Outreach is a joke. You tell us to call, even when it's clear they don't want to hear from us. Now WE are committing some crime because they don't want us calling them. I call BULLSHIT! Your instructors should be instructing. If they are supposed to be withdrawing students, then train them how to do that. But, don't keep giving us shit students and then tell us it's OUR problem. Because, if you think that's the case, PD 25962, get in the classroom and find out what's really going on!! THAT is YOUR job.
I've never, ever been told to report anything a student says back to a supervisor. We are supposed to tell student services rep about illnesses, personal problems, or if a student shows signs of depression, etc. But, if a student is mad? My supervisor would ask me to stop wasting his or her time.
Yes, it happens.
Anonymous25962: If good instruction = high retention, why do we do so much outreach? Wouldn't our time be better served preparing for our classes so we can provide high quality instruction to our students?
DNC information: "What about an established business relationship?
A telemarketer or seller may call a consumer with whom it has an established business relationship for up to 18 months after the consumer's last purchase, delivery, or payment - even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. In addition, a company may call a consumer for up to three months after the consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to the company. And if a consumer has given a company written permission, the company may call even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry.
One caveat: if a consumer asks a company not to call, the company may not call, even if there is an established business relationship. Indeed, a company may not call a consumer - regardless of whether the consumer's number is on the registry - if the consumer has asked to be put on the company's own do not call list.
For more information, please see FTC INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS below. "
https://www.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx#who
Instructors know they may not ignore a withdrawal statement from a student. We take federal regulations seriously and do our best to ensure that our instructors are fully compliant. The only case where I could see that occurring would be a rogue instructor who has very poor numbers and does not want her supervisor to find out. She would know that our finding out would mean her termination, though. We don't tolerate nonsense like that. I have taught online and never had to resort to breaking the rules to maintain high retention. Good instruction = high retention, it's as simple as that.