Understanding Attrition at UNE

Abstract

The 'Understanding Attrition Project' was funded under UNE's Teaching Development Grant 2002 scheme. It was conducted between July 2003 and March 2005 under the team leadership of Associate Professor Nadine McCrea former Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) FEHPS] and the Associate Deans (Teaching and Learning) from the faculties of: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (Dr Peter Corrigan), Economics Business and Law (Professor Patrick Hutchinson), and the former Associate Dean of the Sciences (Dr Mary Notestine). The project manager and researcher was Dr Joan Anderson. The project aimed to: (i) collate existing attrition related information from across the University and synthesise this into a summary report that provides a global view of previous findings and informed the research component of the project (Part 1 of this document); (ii) gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence some new students' decisions to withdraw from their courses/units before 31st March, and the reasons why some do not successfully complete units at the end of Semester 1 (Part 2 of this document); (iii) develop strategies that may assist with reducing new students' attrition rates (Part 3 of this document). The 'Understanding Attrition Project' report will be available online through the Teaching and Learning Centre website (after Academic Board Teaching and Learning consideration and comment).