I am sharing an update on the Strategic Plan deliverable, “Development of BCIT student graduation and retention measurement.” This important work supports our commitment to transform teaching and learning at BCIT.
The Institutional Research and Planning team is dedicated to developing a methodology to measure student graduation and retention that is consistently accurate for different program types and ease of update for reliable reporting.
To date, we have established the data infrastructure and methodology for student retention and graduation for full-time technology students. A Tableau dashboard has been created to track cohort by entry term for each program and identifying the student’s status for each subsequent term. This method allows for accurate reporting of tracking a cohort of students through their program journey and supports repeatable reporting for future terms.
Establishing a consistent student retention measure helps BCIT understand where and when learners disengage so we can evaluate the impact of academic, advising, and student-support initiatives. Reliable, program-level retention tracking also enables evidence-based planning and resource allocation, strengthening accountability for student success and improving outcomes across cohorts over time.
We look forward to sharing the dashboard with Schools and service areas to gather more feedback to improve methodology and reports. Plans are also in the work for establishing the data infrastructure and methodology for other program types.
Thank you,
Kevin Chen
Manager, Analytics and Reporting, Institutional Research
Commitment: Transform teaching and learning
Initiatives:
- Relevant education and sustainable practices
- Connect in a culture of change
Deliverable: Development of BCIT student retention measurement practices