Retention Strategies: A Pre-Admission Program for Adult Distance Learners

Provision of orientation programs is of primary importance in postsecondary education in order to help students assess themselves in relation to the challenge presented by their chosen program and institution and to develop the skills necessary to meet that challenge. Open institutions using distance teaching methods have a special responsibility to ensure that prospective students are not set up for failure by the promise of accessibility and flexibility. Athabasca University in Edmonton, Ontario, Canada, tries to meet this responsibility by supplying a range of preadmission services that can be delivered through a variety of modes to prospective and new students. These services include: (1) information; (2) orientation; and (3) a self-assessment questionnaire to help students or prospective students determine their reasons for returning to study and the commitment they can make to it. Evaluation of preadmission services is ongoing to ensure that they are meeting student needs. For the future, Athabasca University will attempt to improve preadmission services through increasing accessibility, using new technologies, and taking a more integrated approach. (KC)