Project: STARRRHI+

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Full Title: “Architect students of UAUIM: reducing the risk of abandonment and improving results in the 1st year of study”

Program: Romania Secondary Education Project (ROSE)

Funding: Ministry of Education / World Bank

Implementation Period: 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 (Cohorts)

1. Overview

STARRRHI+ is a secondary education project funded through the ROSE scheme. It supports a minimum of 80 first-year students (per annual cohort) at the Faculty of Architecture, UAUIM, who are identified as being at academic or social risk.

Through activities complementary to the standard curriculum—including awareness campaigns, mentoring, remedial programmes, and targeted equipment support—the project aims to ensure successful completion of the first year of study and significantly reduce the risk of dropout.

2. Role & Responsibilities: Adrian Ibric

Role: Mentor and Application Author (Writing Team Member)

Context: Faculty of Architecture, UAUIM

Strategic Contribution

  • Funding Application Co-Writer: Member of the grant-writing and implementation team. Contributed to the preparation of the STARRRHI+ application, defining objectives, activities, the mentoring concept, and the monitoring framework.

Main Responsibilities

  • Mentoring: Acted as a mentor for first-year architecture students in academic or social-risk situations. Conducted regular meetings to discuss difficulties (study rhythm, adaptation to university life, financial/personal issues) and identify solutions.
  • Awareness Campaign: Contributed to campaigns addressing the target group, explaining dropout risks, available support measures, and the benefits of engaging with remedial activities.
  • Remedial Design: Participated in the design and implementation of remedial activities (e.g., additional feedback sessions on studio work, time-management advice, exam preparation) based on team-identified needs.
  • Monitoring: Supported the tracking of participation, individual progress of mentees, and qualitative feedback for reporting to ROSE management structures.

Key Achievements

  • Program Design: Member of the core team that designed STARRRHI+ as a structured support mechanism, contributing to reduced dropout risk in the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 cohorts.
  • Direct Impact: Provided direct guidance to students from vulnerable backgrounds, assisting their navigation of academic and personal challenges during the transition to university.

3. Main Objectives

  • General Objective: To support at least 80 first-year students (in both 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 cohorts) at the Faculty of Architecture who are in academic or social-risk situations, thereby reducing dropout rates and improving results.
  • OS1 – Awareness: Increase awareness of academic and social risk factors through dedicated information campaigns.
  • OS2 – Mentoring: Provide structured mentoring to offer a safe space for identifying personalised solutions to student challenges.
  • OS3 – Remedial Support: Offer activities complementary to the standard curriculum (guidance for key disciplines, learning skills) based on identified needs.
  • OS4 – Infrastructure: Ensure necessary equipment and management support for implementing mentoring and remedial activities.

4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Target Group: At least 80 first-year students per cohort (2019/2020 & 2020/2021) identified as at-risk and included in the project.
  • Engagement: High number of mentoring sessions held and students actively participating.
  • Awareness: Execution of campaign actions (meetings, online materials) regarding dropout risks.
  • Remedial Action: Implementation of additional classes, consultations, and workshops with tracked participation rates.
  • retention: Improvement in progression from 1st to 2nd year (reduced dropout/failure rate) compared to previous cohorts.

5. Key Deliverables

  • Mentoring Programme: A structured support system for at-risk students, implemented by a team of mentors (including Adrian Ibric).
  • Campaign Materials: Awareness-raising resources regarding risk factors and support mechanisms.
  • Remedial Curriculum: tailored activities complementing the first-year curriculum, focusing on critical courses and adaptation skills.
  • Resources: Equipment and management resources secured under the ROSE framework.
  • Policy Data: Experience and data generated to inform future UAUIM student-support policies and retention initiatives.

6. References & Links

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