The role of administrative support staff in preparatory program delivery

Abstract

Administrative support staff are a primary point of contact for preparatory students. As such they play important roles in advising, guiding, supporting and encouraging these students who can be highly vulnerable in a higher education environment that is often alien and potentially hostile to them. This paper considers the part that administrative support staffing front counter' service roles play in contributing to the persistence and performance of preparatory students, and the importance of effectively addressing the non-academic issues faced by these students to securing academic success.