Education Management: A Case Study to Turnaround Academic Performance of Underperforming Students

Nisar Ahmad
(School of Business, Economics and Management Sciences, Imperial College of Business Studies, Lahore, Pakistan)

Abstract: The main purpose of this case study is to describe the actual handling experience of a Business School in turning around underperforming students studying in various degree programs. The Business School management found the number of underperforming students was rapidly increasing and their academic performance (Cumulative Grade Point Average) declined overtime. The Business School management had to take corrective measures at the earliest to reverse the fast deteriorating academic performance of the students while keeping its likely impact on the students/parents and on the declared policies of the institution. The options considered included the following:
(1) Underperforming students must be dropped from their respective program of studies or
(2) They must be given one more trimester to show positive results.
  A high powered well-disciplined Monitoring Team (from within Business School management) was devised by the Business School and given the charge of the situation to plan and execute all that was required to turnaround underperforming students at the earliest. After a thorough study of the various possible techniques used in handling under performing students in other indigenous and foreign educational institutions, the Monitoring Team came to the conclusion, that given the environmental and cultural setup of the students of the Business School, no piecemeal remedy will be effective to reverse the academic performance trend of the low performing students. The Monitoring Team decided to involve a range of stakeholders — the concerned students, their guardian/parents, their teachers, and the student counselor to ensure that all parties were aware of their respective roles. As a first step, the Monitoring Team considered both the above options crucial. These options were tested and later the first option was dropped while the second option was adopted and refined to create a monitoring system, which ultimately delivered a feasible solution to the problems faced by the Business School and the students. The design and methodology adopted by the Business School in handling the underperforming students was tested over a period of seven trimesters. The students’ performance record showed that the low performing students charismatically regained their confidence and capability; with the result that the majority of them completed their degree programs without further delay and monetary loss. The underperforming students were treated on case-to-case basis and their program of studies was accordingly designed to suit their individual circumstances. This was essential because the intelligence level of such students varied widely and needed customized guidance and monitoring plan. The approach adopted by the Business School in turning around low-performing students was unique on several accounts. Firstly, it required all the stakeholders to play their specific role. Secondly, all the stakeholders were consulted and they agreed to discharge the desired responsibilities. Thirdly, all the stakeholders were required to perform their role strictly on time. Fourthly, to ensure proper execution of the monitoring plan, the Monitoring Team played a key role in its coordination, monitoring and reporting. Finally, the Business School took the failure of the students as a test of Business Schools’ own performance. To make the Case Study a useful document for replication in similar situations elsewhere, a complete sequence of activities supported with a time frame and a road map is included for reference and consultation.

Key words: underperforming students, education management, student counselor, academic performance, and student performance monitoring