The information gathered was used to develop the Redirection Protocol, which consists of seven distinct but interrelated features. They are:

1. An effective means for identifying learners at risk
2. An effective process for helping learners set realistic career and employment goals
3. Policies that establish expectations for attendance, progress and conduct
4. A systematic process for reviewing learners’ goals, progress and attendance
5. Strategies to help learners recognize and manage the forces that influence persistence
6. Access to personal, career and academic counselling
7. Awareness of the different types of redirection options available for learners

The Protocol is intended to be part of an overall retention strategy. This strategy needs to consider the LBS program as a whole from entry to exit. The Protocol addresses the problem of high learner withdrawal by exploring issues related to goal-completion. It highlights some of the innovative approaches colleges are currently using to identify and redirect learners at risk. It presents samples of good practice.

Rationale for the Project

Attrition is not unique to LBS college programs. It plagues most educational institutions, but in particular those institutions or programs that serve adult learners. English as a Second Language programs in the United States, for example, lose as many as a third of their adult learners before the end of the second month. (Brod, 1995) Many post secondary institutions are also concerned with their drop-out rates especially during students’ first year. At Cambrian College, for example, the Academic Research Sub- Committee recently reviewed the college’s retention practices at the post secondary level. As a result of its findings, it proposed that additional research be conducted to investigate areas such as pre-admission testing, time-tabling, and class size. It also made recommendations that all faculty participate in student advising and that one counsellor in the Counselling Services Department have expertise in the area of psychosocial interventions. ( Academic Research Sub-Committee, Cambrian College, 2000) College LBS programs have implemented a variety of innovative retention strategies to respond to the needs of learners. (What Works Phase 1, 2000) Some of these strategies include:

• adapting attendance and lateness policies for young, single mothers
• reducing contact hours so that students can attend to personal commitments but still remain connected to the program
• encouraging part-time or ‘flex-time’ home study
• creating individual programs that combine community-based and college programs