traditional – traditional no more arlene cash – georgian court university national small college...

Traditional – Traditional No More

Arlene Cash – Georgian Court UniversityNational Small College Enrollment ConferenceJuly 14, 2015 Charleston, SC

The Mythological ‘Traditional’ Student

No matter how we define them, the challenge is –

Getting them into

Getting them matriculated through

Graduating them from

Our colleges!

Inside Higher Education: Emerging Markets Emerging Strategies Booklet

9Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

9

Disruptive Innovation

• Not necessarily out of necessity

Transistor Radios

Boom Boxes IPods

Technology and how we see and use technology. Those things to which we assign status. Access

When technological innovation meets personal needs and preferences

Interests and Needs

Change

People change

10Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

10

11Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

11

Disruptive Innovation

• Not necessarily out of necessity

Transistor Radios

Boom Boxes IPods

Technology and how we see and use technology. Those things to which we assign status. Access

When technological innovation meets personal needs and preferences

Interests and Needs

Change

People change

12Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

12

13Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

13

Disruptive Innovation

• Not necessarily out of necessity

Transistor Radios

Boom Boxes IPods

Technology and how we see and use technology. Those things to which we assign status. Access

When technological innovation meets personal needs and preferences

Interests and Needs

Change

People change

14Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

14

Disruptive Innovation

• Not necessarily out of necessity

Military Aptitude Test

College Access Equalizer

Admissions Gatekeeper

Assuring Quality to Assuring Access to Assuring Quantity

Needs and Positioning Strategies Driven

SAT

Institution use changes

15Insert Your Company Name by clicking on “View” -> “Slide master”

15

Disruptive Innovation

• Not necessarily out of necessity

Primarily for adults part

time

Degree and Certificate Destination

Have become BA and AA providers

Function transitioned as needs evolved

Needs and Positioning Strategies Driven

Community College

Society’s use changes

“As we witness transformation across higher education, history can guide us. Many innovations started with non-traditional students and went on to redefine traditional education.”(www.eduventures.com)

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is moving away from grades

to competency-style education for all of its academic programs

Who are the traditional students?

Live in on-campus housing

Enroll in college immediately after graduation from high school

Pursue college studies on a continuous full-time basis at least during the fall and spring semesters

Complete a bachelor’s degree program in four or five years at the young age of 22 or 23

Traditional students are also typically financially dependent on others

Do not have children

Consider their college career to be their primary responsibility

Are employed only on a part-time basis if at all during the academic year

Who are the Non-Traditional Students?

Typically over the age of 24

At least one year between HS graduation and postsecondary enrollment

Long term postsecondary part-time enrollment

Full-time employment while enrolled (35 or more hours)

Classified as financially independent for financial aid purposes

Financially support dependents other than spouse

Single parent status

Lacking a traditional high school diploma (earned GED)

Each nontraditional characteristic negatively affects persistence and attainment directly or indirectly Most at risk for dropping out in 1st year at 2 or 4-year institution

Strategies for Success

Degree audit mapping/plans of study Develop early warning systems to identify at-risk students

Offer workshops to help students with stress and time management, organization, and resource identification

Connect students with financial aid information

Offer onsite daycare or transportation services

Offer flexible degree programs (block scheduling, virtual learning, mixed mode, video streaming…etc.)

(Pelling, 2001; Schuetze & Slowey, 2002; Hart, 2003; Ritt, 2008; Monroe, 2006; Wyatt,

2011,)

As small colleges, we are more likely to be mission driven. How do we bring about innovation? How do we integrate evolving technology? How do we keep up with the evolving profile of the traditional student and continue to be mission centered?