ABSTRACT
This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of the Student Success Program (SSP) through the lens of teachers’ experiences on monitoring and mentoring and students’ retention and migration as basis for implementation enhancement using the phenomenological approach under qualitative method. The participants of the study were twenty (20) teachers who underwent the program from the eight (8) departments of PHINMA University of Iloilo. The data were gathered using researcher-made in-depth interview questions. The research results stressed how the program's current practices influenced teachers' roles in guiding students and how these practices contributed to students’ retention or their migration to other schools or department. The research gained insights into teachers’ mentoring strategies, challenges faced during monitoring, and perspectives on the outcomes of student retention and migration. Data analysis highlights key factors affecting the SSP's implementation, including instructional module update, SRM (Student Relations Module) link, teachers’ expertise in handling the subject, class schedule and class ratio.
The findings offered recommendations for enhancing the program, aiming to improve the aforementioned factors affecting the implementation of the program. The study serves as a foundation for refining Student Success Program strategies to better address the evolving needs of students and teachers, ultimately fostering student success and institutional stability.
Keywords: Student Success Program (SSP), monitoring, mentoring
INTRODUCTION
The study sought to know the impact of monitoring and mentoring on the retention and migration of college or university students from the different year levels. The institution attracts mostly first-generation students who come from disadvantaged schooling backgrounds from urban and rural communities within Iloilo. These students face financial challenges, under preparedness, a lack of exposure to various technologies, poverty and a range of emotional burdens which can significantly affect their academic participation and performance, and attendance.
However, in its effort to deal with some of these challenges, PHINMA University of Iloilo introduced an institution-wide academic memorandum rolling out monitoring and mentoring program generally known as Student Success Program last 2020 up until the present. This program is added to the curriculum with units added to the teaching loads of some teachers. (SSP Course Outline, 2020)
It is focused and individualized in identifying the key areas of the student’s financial, academic and personal difficulties. The program also identifies and understands the reason behind their struggle and ask for help. (SSP Framework, 2020)
Through Monitoring and Mentoring (M&M), the students get the chance to talk to their teacher and open up the things that they are only willing to share.
The role of the teacher in the monitoring and mentoring is very important and it must be done properly. Each student assigned to them must be guided accordingly so that the program achieves its purpose.
The teacher in the program has to be the person who has gone through similar things or at least close to what the students experience and succeeded. Teachers who serve as role models act as a guide to help the student understand who they would like to become in the future. By understanding what they did in the past, with similar circumstances, the student can hopefully gain a better understanding of what they need to do to gain a similar — or better — future.
Specifically, the Student Success Program is designed to help students stay in school despite difficulties that affect our low-income, first generation students in particular. (SSP Framework, 2020)
In response to the multifaceted challenges faced by the student body, PHINMA Education has developed a program aimed at addressing prevalent gaps and enhancing student success. One key challenge is the issue of graduation delays, where many students struggle to complete their degrees on time. Research shows a clear connection between extended academic journeys and reduced chances of successfully graduating. Therefore, the central focus of the Student Success Program (SSP) is to expedite on-time graduation.
The core of the SSP blueprint involves a strategic approach to facilitate efficient and synchronized student graduation outcomes. The program revolves around a paradigm shift that prioritizes on-time graduation as its foundational goal. By creating an academic environment that supports and guides students towards timely degree completion, we aim to enhance their overall success.
The paper aimed to share the goal of PHINMA University of Iloilo in helping first generation member of the family to have the chance to set foot on college. Student Success Program is an extension of Guidance and Counseling program done in the classroom by the teacher.
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