Abstract:

Retention rates among military veterans who transition to adult learners are substantially higher than among traditional adult learners. Student drop-out rates are blamed on a lack of motivation and half-hearted engagement on the part of students. The responsibility to decrease drop-out rates lie mainly with those who control the system - the Institutions. While Institutions may take comfort in employing a technology system as a study aid to ensure students respond accurately and in a timely manner, the system is flawed. This flaw sits in the Institutions not being part of comprehensive systems-not a closed loop system. Additionally, the flaw is based on the lagging indicator, that is, students failed to appear for assessments.

This text will:
(1) introduce both a model and a systemic method that leads the student to compliance, and
(2) describe the elements of a system, which must be employed in full, if it is to work most effectively.

This text will use as an example the retention rate among veterans in the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate Program. Using the comprehensive system, and relying especially on push technology, American Meridian university, an on-line Institution serving adult learners, achieved a retention rate among veterans was 100%. Further, the results the AMU model achieved was more effective than traditional institutions at alerting veterans to their educational obligations, such as attending classes, being ready for assessments, and meeting deadlines for end of semester submissions. While the sample size was small, the results are a harbinger for the efficient solution to one of higher educations’ most pressing problems. This data can be employed by academes and practitioners as business process improvement data.

Keywords:

Business Process Improvement, Lean, Adult Learning, Andragogy, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Assessment, Efficiency.