RESÚMENES DE INVESTIGACIÓN

Evaluation of a retention and permanence strategy in the university system: “look again” program of career re-guidance

This investigation will evaluate the impact of one of the strategies used by the UNLP for the retention and permanence of students within the university system, which is carried out by the Faculty of Psychology through the Vocational Occupational Guidance Center. It is an investigation line that emerges from our previous investigations “University Abandonment - Inclusion Strategies” and “Inclusion Strategies Evaluation to decrease University Dropout and Re-guidance in other Educational areas”. These investigations were focused on the analysis of permanence and retention strategies that are implemented in the UNLP, through different Academic Units, in centralized programs of the Principalship and of the Vocational Occupational Guidance Center. It is about the “Look Again” program of Vocational Re-guidance assigned to those UNLP students that need to check their career choices. It is a transfer action of our investigation “University Abandonment - Inclusion Strategies”. The objective will be to systematically evaluate the effect, efficacy and results that the students participation has had in this strategic program, related to the degree of satisfaction and loyalty to the career, through monitoring actions linked to the current situation.This investigation offers an opportunity to move forward on issues of direct impact on students’ paths which were redirected through Re-guidance works. Thereby it could be explored if Re-guidance strategy improved the students’ situation, if it avoided university dropout, what tools they acquired to face changes and the subjective strengths that they got from their participation. The research will also enable the strategy review, its designs and implementation, the achievement of its objectives, as well as its sustainability. Their results will be transferred to the UNLP and its Academic Units, where eventually will emerge its importance as a retention and permanence strategy for students who have difficulties in their careers.

Key words: evaluation, strategy, re-guidance.