Barriers to attendance at Recovery Colleges

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what affects attendance at Recovery College, what students who have missed classes perceive to be the barriers to attendance and suggestions for improvement. Design/methodology/approach Survey of 16 students who have missed Recovery College classes. Findings The most common reasons for non-attendance were personal factors associated with physical illness; competing commitments or life events; and worries about other students and anxiety. Recovery College factors included inconvenient location, time or date of the course and poor communication from the college. Students found individual learning plans (ILPs) helpful and that they improved attendance. Recommendations are made to improve attendance through clearer information and communication; ILPs, text reminders before classes and phone calls from tutors if students miss classes. Originality/value Many services are looking at how to become more cost effective – improving attendance is one such way. This paper offers an analysis of barriers to attendance and makes recommendations about how attendance can be improved.