Kyle Paul, Research & Planning Analyst

There is nothing we can do because the student wasn’t going to stay in the program anyway… I’ve never seen such levels of disengagement… The workload is too much that I just can’t handle it anymore. These are all statements that can be heard when conversations about student retention occur. Based on these responses, there appears to be no preventative approach, or at least no easy one. So, if these claims ring true, the question now becomes whether the term retention is merely a buzzword? Yes, no, depends? The quick response should be no; however, this is not always the case. This post intends to address why we should not shy away addressing student retention conversations, and instead expand the lines of communication. Continue reading…

Samantha Sinclair, Research & Planning Analyst

Last week was my two month anniversary as a Research & Planning Analyst with the Institutional Research department and I already feel like part of the team. Maybe it’s the birthday pranks I’ve been recruited to assist with (e.g., decorating Rashmi’s office with post-it notes and filling Megan’s office with 400+ balloons), or perhaps it’s because my colleagues have made an effort to define the acronyms that permeate their conversations –  but whatever the reason, everyone has made me feel at home.

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Stephen Draper, research and planning analyst

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are a very important aspect of life at Ontario colleges, including Durham College.  The KPI Student, Graduate and Employer Satisfaction surveys provide a unique opportunity for the college to receive feedback that reflects on student life from the moment an individual walks through the campus doors as a first year student, to the day that their experiences at Durham College help them to land their dream job. One of my key responsibilities every year is to compile the vast amounts of data we receive from the KPI Student, Graduate and Employer Satisfaction surveys to produce the KPI report cards that are released for every program at the College. 

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Rashmi Gupta, manager, Institutional Research and Planning

Ever know of anyone who grew up aware of, or aspired to a career in Institutional Research and Planning?  Yet it is one of the most rewarding fields. If you think things through, like to learn new things, connect the dots and play Sherlock Holmes, have a can-do attitude, and can successfully interpret and use the derived information, you have the key attributes to be successful in this field. The rest of the skill-sets can be acquired (remember, you like learning new things and have a can-do attitude?)

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