meet the “invincible” vince papale —

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student success The Educational Policy Institute’s The Newsletter for Higher Education Professionals April 2009 Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale — Hear Vince Speak at RETENTION 2009! An EPI Interview by Elizabeth B. Watson An Unforgettable Visit to Post-Katrina New Orleans Special Comentary by EPI President & CEO, Dr. Watson Scott Swail Online Education and Student Success An Essay by Dr. Kristen Betts www.educationalpolicy.org

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Page 1: Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale —

studentsuccessThe Educational Policy Institute’s

The Newsletter for Higher Education Professionals

April 2009

Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale — Hear Vince Speak at RETENTION 2009!An EPI Interview by Elizabeth B. Watson

An Unforgettable Visit to Post-Katrina New OrleansSpecial Comentary by EPI President & CEO, Dr. Watson Scott Swail

Online Education and Student SuccessAn Essay by Dr. Kristen Betts

www.educationalpolicy.org

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Page 2: Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale —

2 Student Success www.educationalpolicy.org

THE EDUCATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE

The Educational Policy Institute (EPI) is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-governmental organization dedicated to policy-based research on educational opportunity for all students. EPI is a collective association of researchers and policy analysts from around the world dedicated to the mission of enhancing our knowledge of critical barriers facing students and families throughout the educational pipeline.

EPI INTERNATIONAL2400 Princess Anne RoadVirginia Beach, VA 23456

[email protected]

EPI CANADA20 Maud Street, Suite 207

Toronto, ON M5V 2M5416.848.0237

EPI AUSTRALASIAPO Box 251

Fairfield, Vic 3078, Australia61.0.419.514.232

studentsuccessApril 2009

Student Success is an occasional publication published by the Educational Policy Institute. Student Success may be downloaded from the EPI website at www.educationalpolicy.org. Student Success may be distributed freely by any reader via email or other mechanism at no charge. Print copies of Student Success are not available from the Educational Policy Institute.

If you would like to comment on this edition of Student Success or suggest an article for our next issue, please contact [email protected] or call (757) 430-2200.

©2009 Educational Policy Institute, Inc.

MS. KATE DALEY, Research [email protected]

DR. IAN DOBSON, Director, EPI [email protected]

MR. RYAN DUNN, Research Associate [email protected]

MS. LINDA GREEN, Research/Policy Analyst [email protected]

MS. SARAH JAESCHKE, Research Associate [email protected]

MS. MIRIAM KRAMER, Policy [email protected]

DR. DAVID LOPEZ, Senior Research Scientist [email protected]

DR. LORI MCELROY, Senior [email protected]

MR. JONATHAN MEDOW, Research Associatejmedoweducationalpolicy.org

MS. PARIS MEILLEUR, Research Associate [email protected]

MS. PATRICIA MOORE SHAFFER, Vice President, Research & Development [email protected]

DR. DEBORAH STONE, Senior Scientist [email protected]

DR. WATSON SCOTT SWAIL, President & [email protected]

MR. ALEX USHER, Vice [email protected]

MS. ELIZABETH WATSON, Director, Marketing & Special Projects [email protected]

EPI STAFF

Opening Shots .....................................3

Special Commentary A Special Letter from EPI President &

CEO: An Unforgettable Visit to the St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans ...........4

Interview Vince Papale .....................................8

Submitted Article Changing Higher Education Landscape:

Increasing Demand for Online & Blended Education by Dr. Kristen Betts ...........11

The Re view Improving Student Retention in Higher

Education: The Role of Teaching and Learing by Glenda Crosling, Liz Thomas and Margaret Heagney ...................15

EPI Webinars .....................................17

EPI Awards 2009 Outstanding Student Retention

Award ...........................................18

In This Issue...

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Educational Policy Institute APRIL 2009 3

Opening ShotsApril 14, 2009

This May, EPI hosts it’s fourth annual International Conference on Student Retention in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference has become a meeting place for professionals from around the world interested in learning more about how to best serve students in higher education.

This issue of Student Success previews two of our showcase events at Retention 2009: Liz McCartney and Vince Papale. While the names may not immediately resonate with you, they probably will af-ter reading this month’s Student Success.

Liz McCartney is the 2008 CNN Hero of the Year, based on her contributions to New Orleans and St. Bernard’s Par-ish – the hardest hit area of Hurricane Katrina. To date, Liz and her volunteer colleagues have rebuilt over 200 houses in the ninth ward. The St. Bernard’s Project has effectively rebuilt lives. But the challenge in New Orleans is still very real for thousands of locals. Retention 2009 participants will get the chance to hear from a real-life hero what can be done when people put ideas into action. Read my essay on the St. Bernard Project on Page 4.

During Retention 2009, EPI will be ask-ing participants to contribute to Liz’ St. Bernard Project, matching donations up to $5,000.

Vince Papale is a similar hero. Perhaps a working-class hero. So much so that Dis-ney made a movie about his life in 2006 starring Mark Wahlberg, documenting Vince’s walk-on tryout with the Phila-delphia Eagles. “Invincible” showcases Vince’s determination to make the most

Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D.President & CEO

Educational Policy Institute

of his situation; to focus on what is im-portant and make the most of life as we know it. A former teacher, coach, higher education professional with Sallie Mae, and cancer surviver, Vince will talk to the Retention 2009 audience about what it takes to succeed in life, and how to value what we have. Read Elizabeth Watson’s interview with Vince on Page 8.

This year’s conference will also bring our most international contituency ever, featuring our own Ian Dobson from Aus-tralia (Ian is the Director of EPI Austral-asia), Dominic Orr of Germany, and many others.

And, for the first year, we will be award-ing three higher education institutions our prestigious Outstanding Retention Award, to be presented on May 29th. Past winner’s have included the Univer-sity of Connecticut, Youngstown State University, Oklahoma City University, and Texas A&M University. The one sur-prise is that this is also the first year we will make an award outside the United States.

This edition of Student Success also features insight into online education and student success from our friend and colleague, and former Virginia Beacher, Kristen Betts of Drexel University in Philadelphia (a theme, it seems...).

Our next edition of Student Success, due out in June 2009, will provide more information on the conference and also a review of one of our award winners.

In the meantime, enjoy this month’s edi-tion. I hope to see you in the Big Easy.

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4 Student Success www.educationalpolicy.org

A Special Letter from EPI President & CEO:An unforgettable visit to the St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans

SPEC IAL COMMENTARY

Recently, while attending the GEAR UP workshop in New Orleans, I decided to take a detour to check out St. Ber-nard Parish, the hardest hit area of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Down in the French Quarter, no one would know of the devastation left by the hurricane. Everything looks as it always did.

But a few short miles away, a different reality is painfully evident to even the most casual observer. Vacant houses with X’s spray painted on the outside. Concrete slabs denoting where houses once stood--where families once lived. Katrina may have happened more than three years ago, but the effects of that powerful storm are still being felt by the people of St. Bernard Parish. Over 1,500 families live in FEMA trailers, waiting and hoping that their homes may be re-con-ditioned. But they still wait.

My trip was specially hinged around visiting the St. Bernard Project, and even more specifically to meet with its co-founder, Liz McCartney who was recently awarded the CNN Hero of the Year for 2008. I was introduced to Ms. McCart-ney, like millions of viewers, via the CNN televised event hosted by Anderson Cooper back in November 2008. I vividly remember lying in bed, reading the paper, casually watching the program. Then came the video vignette on the St. Bernard Project. Simply stated, it was captivating—beyond compelling.

In February of 2006, Liz and her partner, Zack Rosenburg, were living comfort-ably in Washington, DC. She ran a community-based non-profit and is a former middle-school teacher; he served as a criminal defense attorney. Liz and Zack shared the emotion of millions of Americans, Canadians, and others from around the world who were shocked at

the aftermath of Katrina. Not just the damaging stories of FEMA, but the true needs of the people of New Orleans and other areas affected by Katrina. They decided to visit New Orleans and see what they could do. In a couple of weeks, Zack returned to DC; Liz stayed. Within a few months they both left their jobs and permanently relocated to New Orleans.

What they found was a Parish in critical condition. Immediately after the levees broke, the waters rose precipitously in St. Bernard Parish. In one industrial area of the Parish, Frank While, an older gentle-man, had decided to ride out the storm. The waters forced him to the second floor of the unit. A local fisherman res-cued Frank from his second floor window and transplanted him to a rooftop where he would be safe until responders could come. After three days, a group came to give him water. After five days he was finally rescued in earnest by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who were the first responders in the Parish, due in part because the Louisiana National Guard were busy in Iraq.

When Liz and Zack went to St. Bernard Parish, they met Frank. They learned of his story, learned about the Parish, and found a niche for their volunteer-ism. The Project originally was designed to provide a tool co-op to dwellers for rebuilding houses in the Parish. But they quickly found that the need was much more basic. The people of SBP not only needed the tools and resources, but needed help building the houses. So Liz and Zack started a construction company that relied exclusively, at least in the be-ginning, on volunteers, and they started rebuilding houses. To this day, the St. Bernard Project is still headquartered in Frank White’s old house.

Dr. Watson Scott Swail

Liz McCartney, Co-Director, St. Bernard Project & CNN Hero of the Year, 2008, shown here with wreckage in St. Bernard Parish from hurricane Katrina.

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Educational Policy Institute April 2009 5

Torontonian was installing electrical wire. Another person, Len Haim, came down from New Jersey with his son on Febru-ary 2nd is still working. Len and his son figured they could help. Len told me that the experience has already been “life changing” to him and his son. It’s easy to appreciate why. To date more than 10,000 volunteers have worked with the St. Bernard Project.

Some volunteers have made repeat trips to St. Bernard Parish, because, as sug-gested to me by “Boogie” the cab driver on my drive back to the posh Hilton Ho-tel, “the volunteers get more out of this than the Parishioners.” So they return to help out and inject themselves with another dose of “life.”

While inside the second house on my tour, there was not just a sense of pur-pose among the seven or eight people working, but perhaps more importantly, a sense of camaraderie. They were enjoying what they were doing, even 10 hours into the day. As Gretchen said,

tom right corner. This is the number of consecutive houses that have passed inspection on their first review. The vol-unteers figured it out.

Each house takes, on average, about 12 weeks to finish. It used to take about 15 weeks, and they hope to bring that down to about 10 weeks in short order. The private joke in New Orleans is that while Brad Pitt has made major news for his ‘green’ building project in the lower 9th ward, that effort has yielded only five houses thus far, compared to the 185 of St. Bernard Project.

A different group of volunteers come in weekly, and sometimes daily. The Project provides training to the many volunteers who have never seriously hammered studs or screwed drywall before. Twelve weeks start to finish… passing all inspec-tions. Fairly impressive.

They come from around the US, Can-ada, Australia, Europe, and places one wouldn’t expect. During my visit, a

Project work isn’t simply a matter of tear-ing down and putting up drywall. More accurately portrayed, it is akin to gutting a house, scrubbing all the studs and wood surfaces with a high-octane mold cleaner, running new electrical systems, including HVAC, installing drywall, taping, sanding, and painting walls, and installing all new woodwork and cabinets. That’s the abbreviated list. With the exception of exterior walls, they were gutting and rebuilding entire houses. With virtually no experience.

The short story is that since that time, the St. Bernard Project has rebuilt more than 185 homes. Next week it will finish two more. And in the next month, 10.

Gretchen Wieland, a 23-year old Ameri-Corps volunteer and University of Kansas grad from Illinois, gave me a tour of the Parish and of a few of the Project homes. The first was an almost-completed ranch where a 20-something volunteer was installing kitchen cabinets and putting finishing touches on the abode so it can deliver to the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Scuich. The house, itself, looked wonder-ful, and was probably a lot nicer in this condition than it had ever been before. The final cost: $12,000 in materials. Labor: $0. Sometime in the next couple of weeks, the St. Bernard Project will have a celebration party, as they have for almost all the 185 hours completed to date. Think Ty Pennington and the Extreme Makeover--Home Edition on steroids. That’s what the Project is doing.

The second house was a starter project that had recently been gutted. A Project crew of volunteers had finished scrub-bing the studs and was now putting on a coat of latex paint to seal in any residual mold. As Gretchen told me, mold is a tricky fungus to remove. Initially, only half of Project houses were passing mold inspection after they were scrubbed, so several of the volunteers conducted their own experiments to see what it would take to bring the success rate up by changing the mold strategies. On the whiteboard in the main Project office, the number ‘20’ looms near the bot-

Volunteers of the St. Bernard Project working hard during a home rebuilding.

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“We spend so much time together, we joke that we don’t have a life outside of the Project.” That’s because the Project, at least at this juncture, “is” their life.

The CNN Hero Award was a major news event, and one of the more remark-able and appropriate events I have seen a news agency conduct. All 10 of the Heroes selected were appropriately nominated. Note that these Heroes aren’t famous people. They are all indi-viduals who did something well beyond the usual call of duty. As I said to Liz, there are those who think, and those that do. These are people that “do.”

Liz will be the first to downplay her role. She is a pretty, smart (we share gradu-ate degrees from The Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University in DC, so she must be special), and mod-est to a fault. Before Liz arrived at the office, I was given a two-bit tour of the premises. It was all under construction to make way for the growth of the organiza-tion. Since Liz’s selection as Hero of the Year, donations, volunteerism, and the number of homes under rebuilding have increased. I was led into Liz’s small office, complete with a steel, mostly barren industrial shelving unit. On the middle shelf, facing upside down, was her dusty,

CNN Hero Award. Note that I had to turn it up so you could see what it was. The Award, which was presented in front of millions of people around the world and live in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood (where they hand out the Oscars), was not in the lobby; not in a glass unit to showcase the honor. It was gathering dust.

But this is Liz. She will be the last to sug-gest she is a Hero, because she knows it isn’t about her, nor about Zack, nor is it about all the volunteers. It is, first and foremost, about the people of St. Bernard Parish, who, after the Canadians came in to help, realized they had to make this work. They had to clean up. They had to rebuild their lives. It just so happened that Liz and Zack provided the conduit to help make it happen.

To me, that is exactly what makes Liz and Zack heroes. Because they chose to “do,” not just think. While I was visiting the SBP, Zack was busy in Washington, DC, speaking with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and others about creating a new federal funding program to sup-port returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan to build houses in New Orleans and other places in need around the US. And they are talking of expanding

to Galveston and other areas hard hit by Hurricane Ike.

While there is still plenty of work to do in New Orleans, Liz and Zack are looking beyond to see how their operation can benefit other communities. Heroic.

On May 27th, Liz McCartney, with a little help from her St. Bernard Project friends, will be our special guest at Retention 2009. While their work has little to do with high school graduation and post-secondary retention, I believe their work deserves special recognition and that conference participants will resonate to the Project’s focus on disenfranchised in-dividuals who are rising above great odds to put their lives back together.

In support of their work, we are design-ing a special fundraising event and will be asking participants to make dona-tions to the project. EPI will match the first $5,000 in donations to the project, and St. Bernard Project t-shirts will be available for purchase. We are trying to schedule a tour of their work for those interested in seeing what vision can do to a community.

Our work in education is important. The work of professionals around the US, Canada, and beyond is critical in help-ing improve the economy and improve lives. We are hosting Retention 2009 in New Orleans because it seemed like a simple contribution we could make to this special place. Even with budget cuts and freezes across the US, I hope you can support and attend our conference and let your colleagues know about it. I also hope you are as touched by the work of the St. Bernard Project and consider helping out in any way possible. Let’s support the Heroes all over New Orleans this May.

The old adage is still true: Life is short. Leave your mark.

To learn more about the St. Bernard Project, visit their website at: www.stbernardproject.org

The Maus Family enters thier home for the first time since the St. Bernard Project finished rebuilding their house.

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Educational Policy Institute April 2009 7

2009May 27-29, 2009, Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, Louisiana

May 27 - 29, 2009 , New Orleans, LA

HIGH SCHOOL • TWO-YEAR • FOUR-YEAR • PROPRIETARY

IN TOTAL, THERE WILL BE OVER 50 BREAKOUT AND PLENARY SESSIONS, PLUS TWO PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS:

Workshop 1: An Introduction to Student RetentionMay 27, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon; Dr. Watson Scott Swail, Educational Policy Institute; Dr. Peter Dietsche, University of Toronto

This workshop will introduce participants to important con-cepts related to improving student retention on college and university campuses.

Workshop 2: Building a Roadmap for Meeting Institutional Regional GoalsMay 27 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Jay Goff & Harvest Collier, Missouri Institute of Science & Technology

This session provides an opportunity for institutional leaders to discuss how coordination between offices in data collection can be useful in analyzing institution-specificretention issues.

Recently named CNN’s Hero of the Year, Liz Mc-Cartney is Co-Director of the St. Bernard Project (SBP), which has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families in St. Bernard Parish.

Prior to starting SBP, Liz was Executive Director of a nonprofit in Washington, DC that provided technology-based after school and summer

programs for young people attending DC public schools.

Liz McCartney will be our Keynote Speaker on May 27th.

The 2006 football drama, INVINCIBLE illuminates the life of Vince Papale who, at an open call, tried out for his beloved Eagles. Against all odds, he made the team and made history. Papale electrified the fans and helped the Eagles redis-cover their winning ways.

Papale credits the teachers and coaches of his youth with his incredible success. They believed in him when others did not. As a former football player, higher education expert, and cancer survivor, Papale’s speeches are balanced with a nice blend of humor and passion for life that is not to be missed!

Vince Papale will be our Keynote Speaker on May 28th.

F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S

Other speakers include: Antonio Flores,President, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, The Educational Policy Institute; Peter Dietsche, William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership at The University of Toronto;

Betsy Brand, Director, American Youth Policy Forum (For a complete listing visit: www.educationalpolicy.org)

The Educational Policy Institute cordially invites you to attend RETENTION 2009, our annual conference dedicated to exploring contemporary issues related to student success. Hosted by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, May 27 -29, 2009, this year’s event will bring together approximately 300 teachers, administrators, researchers and policymakers from around the world who are dedicated to promoting student persistence in secondary and postsecondary education.

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An Interview with Vince Papale

I N T E RV I E W

Some of Hollywood’s most inspirational movies were born from the world of sports. One in particular inspired not only sports fans but anyone who has dared to dream. In 2006, Walt Disney Pictures released INVINCIBLE, a stirring football drama starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who takes his shot at every fan’s fantasy of going from the grandstands to the playing field. In 1976, at the age of 30, Vince Papale tried out for his beloved Eagles and, against all odds, made the team – and made history. Instantly electrifying the fans and eventually winning over skeptical teammates with his gritty play, Papale helped the Eagles re discover their winning ways. From being voted Special Teams Captain by his teammates to earning Eagles “Man of the Year” in 1978 for his numerous charitable activities, Papale was an NFL sensation until a shoulder injury ended his playing career in 1979.

Papale credits the teachers and coaches of his youth with his incredible success. They were strong influences and pointed him in the right direction. Above all, they believed in him when others did not. Today, Vince Papale travels the country speaking to groups about the importance of education. As a former football player, higher education expert, and cancer survivor, Papale’s speeches are balanced with a nice blend of humor and passion for life that is not to be missed!

On May 28th, Vince Papale will be our Keynote Speaker at RETENTION 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information on RETENTION 2009, visit educationalpolicy.org.

As a boy growing up, what was it that you thought you wanted to do with your life? Did you always dream of being a profes-sional athlete?When I was I boy, what I did know is that I didn’t want to work in one of the plants [on the Delaware River]. Also, there was lot going on in my house that was not positive and my release was sports. I was awkward and introverted as a kid, but get me out in the field and it was an entirely different experience. I loved sports and whether it was football or basketball, I dreamed of being an athlete.

What was it that led you to pursue a career in teaching?When I was young, the scenario in my house was such that my father, being a first generation Italian, was the persona of tough love and was non-communicative. My mom — who was a tremendous athlete and played professional baseball in the 30s — developed a mental illness and, as a result, had physi-cal disabilities. With all of this going on at home, I turned to my

Elizabeth B. Watson

teachers and coaches for support. They made me feel special and gave me a sense of self work.

Mr. George Corner, a Jr. High teacher and my first male teacher, was a strong influence and pointed me in the right direction. If I was told I was too small to play sports, he con-vinced me to come out for football and track and I ended up getting a track scholarship in college. My track coach, Marty Stern, was a strong influence on me too.

After college, I wanted to honor those teachers that saved me. I especially wanted to emulate George Corner – what I wanted to do in my heart of hearts was become a coach. Teacher athletes were my role models and the only way to become a coach was to become a teacher, so that’s what I did.

After I graduated from St. Joseph’s college, now St. Joe’s, I went back to teach at my alma mater in Interboro, Dela-

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Educational Policy Institute April 2009 9

ware in Delaware County, which is 10 miles south of the Philadelphia border. George Corner was actually still teach-ing and coaching there. I was 22 and George gave coaching track over to me. I became head track coach and assistant football coach. I taught what was then called middle school in the 9th and 10th grade building.

I understand while you were teaching you were also pursuing a Master’s De-gree. What were you studying?I was persuing a Master’s Degree in counseling at Westchester State Teach-ers College. I figured it’s time now to expand. Because of my age I had a tremendous relationship with the kids where non-academic issues were con-cerned. They came to me with personal problems. They started confiding in me and I simply felt maybe it was important for me to get some training in a profes-sional sense.

I’ve read that it was during this time in your life that you decided to pursue football professionally. What was that made you try out for the Eagles?I was unfulfilled as an athlete and felt I still had more to do, but I wasn’t sure what that was. I decided to try to qualify for the 1972 Olympic trials in the decath-lon. I knew I had the marks to qualify, but had a difficult time getting into meets because I didn’t have the background. I was frustrated, so I started playing semi-pro football. I was seen by a scout for the World Football League’s Philadelphia Bell team and they asked me to try out. I was one of two who made it. I Took a leave from teaching and stopped school, but after only 1 ½ years the league fold-ed. I was planning to go back to school and resume teaching. In between I took work as a part-time bartender and a sub-stitute teacher. This is where the movie, INVINCIBLE, picks up. It was during this time that the tryout came for the Eagles and I was invited to the tryout. That was the end of teaching and of my pursuit of my master’s degree.

What were the greatest challenges in becoming and being a member of the

Philadelphia Eagles and how did you overcome these challenges? The biggest challenge to overcome was the perception that the other players had of me. I didn’t play football in college, so I was different. I overcame this by keep-ing my mouth shut. I was confident in my abilities and skills and I felt the best way to my talking was in my actions on the field. I thought, play hard and do the best you can do. This was my philoso-phy. The other big obstacle was learning, basically, how to become a professional football player. Getting prepared for the physicality of the game was so hard and very demanding. I just worked harder than anyone else and was continually getting the award from coach Vermeil as best conditioned out-of-season trainer.

Was there ever a time when you felt like the challenges were too much. What was it that kept you going? Yes, there was a time. Sometimes I thought, “this is too much can I really get through and endure tomorrow”. I was actually doing well – differently than the way it was perceived in the movie. I was leading the team in receptions. When I would go out to training camp my

father was always there to watch. At this point I was 30 and he’d been through a divorce. He had become my best friend and lent me money in tough times. I began to realize that he and his friends were living their lives vicariously through me and I felt I couldn’t let him down. It kept me going.

Can you tell me a little bit about the experience of making the movie INVINCIBLE? Were you very involved in making the movie and what did that experience mean to you?It was a tremendous experience in a lot of ways. As an athlete and a competi-tor, I was excited about the box office numbers and about the DVDs selling well. We actually had 53 percent of the DVD market share around the Christmas holiday. I was also excited because I un-derstand what kind of impact the movie could have. I have so many people I get wonderful letters, pictures and emails from about being an inspiration. That’s the best part is that they say to me, “if you can do it, I can do it”. I’ve even had solders tell me I’m a hero. The success of the movie gives me a platform where

Vince Papale meeting a fan in support of the Eagles Youth Partnership. © Tug McErlain

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I can speak and reach kids. I can give them hope. Then there’s the Hollywood side. Geese oh man, what a cast! [Mark] Wahlberg was a peach – love the guy, and Disney was great.

I’m aware that you’ve been involved in various charitable activities throughout your life. When did this become impor-tant to you and why?Well, it started when I was a teacher, because that was basically charity! When I played with the Eagles, I became involved with Eagles Fly for Leukemia and now I’m on their Board of Directors. I’ve just learned that I’m going to be honored for 30 years of working with them. I’m very proud of this award. My work with them started with a visit to the oncology

ward at children’s hospital. There I was complaining about how I felt about losing a game or something and then I’d see what these children had to overcome. It put things in perspective. Every Mon-day after the light post-game practices, Dennis Franks (#53), Ricky Osborn (#86), Ike Jones (#6) and I would go over to the children’s hospital or burn center. It be-came part of what was the right thing to do. It was at this time that I realized what an impact you can have as an athlete and I’ve never forgotten that.

Now, I’m a cancer survivor and I’m learning about what I can do to help the cancer society. I’m a spokesperson

for colorectal cancer. It’s what I do. I believe in doing the right thing.

After leaving professional football, you started working for Sallie Mae. How was it that you found your way back to the field of Education?It was sort of a natural fit. After I retired from football, I began working in radio in TV. Then, I went into the mortgage busi-ness. My wife is a realtor and we made a great team. My friend Tim Fitzpatrick became CEO of Sally Mae and I joined on to run territory in Delaware. With the success of the movie, we created a new position called Director of Special Projects. I would talk to kids about the importance of education and letting it be the key to your dream. My motto was the more you learn the more you earn. Our whole focus was retention. We ran this for 10 years. Then, Tim left and I moved into to speaking full time.

You now spend a good deal of your time traveling and speaking to large groups and you speak a good deal about motivation. What is it that you find most motivates people and do you find that this is the same regardless of what people are perusing in their personal lives?There’s a common thread for everyone. Hope. Enthusiasm. Passion. Energy. People can connect to my story. Either they connect with me, or they connect with the movie. I know I have a tremen-dous story to tell and I want to share it. What I speak about now it’s “how to be invincible in touch times” and I love giv-ing the presentation.

Vice Papale will be our Keynote Speaker at RETENTION 2009 on May 28, 2009 in New Orleans, LA. Register on the EPI Website to hear Vince Speak.

Vince Papale with his two children, Vinny and Gabby, at a Philadelphia Eagles Game. © Tug McErlain

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Educational Policy Institute APRIL 2009 11

Dr. Kristen Betts

Higher education in the United States is at a critical time in history. Shifting demographics coupled with severe cuts in state funding, increasing campus operational costs, declining endow-ments, decreases in fundraising, and a national economic crisis are providing extensive challenges to colleges/universi-ties and redefining the future of higher education. According to E. Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State University (2009), “Severe economic pressures have cre-ated a defining moment for colleges and universities, which must fundamentally reinvent themselves to survive” (Fain, 2009, ¶1). Survival for many colleges and universities will be dependent upon increasing revenue through new student enrollments while simultaneously work-ing with decreasing budgets.

Online education provides four-year and two-year colleges/universities with ex-tensive opportunities to increase student enrollments through quality academic programming and innovative delivery of curricula. Through online education, tuition-dependent institutions can reach out to new student markets to increase enrollments which provide additional revenue and expands an institution’s

alumni base and potential donors. All institutions of higher education have become more tuition dependent over the last decade, and this trend has been significantly intensified by the current economic recession. With the national banking crisis having a profound af-fect on financial aid and student loans, large and even moderate decreases in student enrollment can be devastating to colleges/universities that are tuition dependent. This is particularly true for small colleges like Elizabethtown Col-lege in Pennsylvania where 80 percent of Elizabethtown’s $52 million budget is comprised of tuition revenues (Pennino, 2008).

Online and blended education provide extensive opportunities for reaching out to the increasing number of non-traditional students who are returning to higher education as a result of the economic recession. For the 8.5 percent of the population who are unemployed (Goodman & Healy, 2009), the millions of displaced and dislocated workers, and those in fear of losing their jobs, online and blended programs provide viable education options while seeking or main-taining employment. For Traditionalists (1925 to 1946; 63 years old and older) and Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964; 45 to 63 years old) who are nearing retire-ment but cannot afford to retire, online and blended programs provide practical options for earning a degree while main-taining employment or transitioning to a new career. It is important to consider Generation X (1964 to 1982; 27 to 45 years old) and Generation Y-Millennials (1982 and the late 1990s; 27 years old and younger) who may not be able to enroll in traditional on-campus programs due to family and work obligations or simply cannot afford the additional ex-pense of room and board.

A rebound of the United States economy is not imminent. Over 5 million jobs have been lost as of March 2009 (Goodman & Healy, 2009) and unemployment could reach 10 percent by the end of the year (Aversa, 2009, ¶9). Other staggering national statistics include the increasing number of individuals forced to work part-time due to the economy rising to 9 million and the 663,000 jobs that were cut just in the month of March 2009 (Aversa, 2009). With the instabil-ity of employment and predictions for increasing unemployment, it is critical that colleges/universities begin to refine and re-position themselves for the grow-ing number of non-traditional students seeking flexible programs in an effort to increase employment security or for career transition and career re-entry.

ONLINE EDUCATIONAccording to the National Center for Edu-cation Statistics (2008), two-thirds (66 percent) of two-year and four-year Title IV degree granting higher education insti-tutions offer online, hybrid/blended, or other distance education courses. In fact, online student enrollment growth rates now exceed overall higher education enrollment growth rates in the United States. According to Allen and Seaman (2008, p. 1) the online enrollment growth rate increased 12.9 percent between fall 2006 and fall 2007 while overall higher education enrollment only increased 1.2 percent. In addition, over 20 percent of all U.S. higher education students re-ported taking at least one online course in fall 2007 (Allen & Seaman, 2008, p. 1).

The exact number of online degree programs offered through colleges/universities in the United States is dif-ficult to determine since new online programs are launched on an ongoing basis. According to Newsweek, “The sheer number of distance learning and

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Changing Higher Education Landscape: Increasing Demand for Online & Blended Education

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online degrees available is enormous and is growing daily. Similarly the number of schools and institutions that offer learning online is also expanding rapidly” (2008,¶1). Over the past two decades, online education has transitioned from an emerging sector to a multi-billion dol-lar market (USDLA, 2009; Kopf, 2007). It is evident that online and blended educa-tion is now an established part of higher education.

While online programs offer extensive opportunities for colleges/universities, transitioning on-campus programs to on-line or developing new online programs can be very time consuming, costly, and may require institutional, state, and accreditation review. Administrators must also consider program viability and sustainability prior to developing and launching new programs, particularly since there is extensive competition already within online education. Another consideration is that online student attrition rates are typically higher than on-campus attrition rates which can greatly affect a program’s operating bud-get and long-term sustainability.

ONLINE STUDENT SUCCESSAttrition rates in online education are often cited as ranging between 20 to 50 percent (Diaz, 2002; Frankola, 2001) or being 10 to 20 percent higher than tra-ditional on-campus programs (Angelino, Williams & Natvig, 2007; Carr, 2000). Challenges leading to attrition in online education include isolation and feeling disconnected (Angelino, Williams, & Nat-vig, 2007; Bathe, 2001; Stark & Warren, 1999) and a lack of personal interaction and support (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). A recent study by EducationDynamics re-ported the primary reasons for attrition in online education included financial challenges (41 percent), life events (32 percent) health issues (23 percent), lack of motivation (21 percent), and lack of faculty interaction (21 percent) (Schaffhauser, 2009). EducationDynam-ics further reported that 40 percent of online students who dropped out of their degree or certificate programs failed to seek any help or resources before aban-

donment” (Schaffhauser, 2009, ¶1). One critical fact in higher education is that students are not land-locked to a given geographical area. Today’s students are savvy consumers and if they are not satisfied in their current program, other accredited programs are just one click away.

Future demographic factors will also greatly affect higher education. By 2018-19, 68 percent of US states will face decreasing percentages of high school graduates (Almanac, 2009). Decreases between 10 and 23 percent will provide higher education enrollment challenges for many states. However, in states with projected high school graduate increases between 20 and 33 percent, providing eligible in-state students with enrollment slots will be challenging. Even today, colleges/universities in some states are struggling to accommodate surges in the number of students seeking enrollment. For many community colleges, there is not adequate space “at peak times and in high-demand programs” to accommo-date “what one president calls a tsunami of students”(Biemiller, 2009, ¶1). Many four-year institutions are also struggling to accommodate students. The Califor-nia State University (CSU) system may have to turn down thousands of eligible students for enrollment in fall 2009 due to enrollment caps. CSU-San Marcos alone will potentially turn away 7,000 students this fall (Moss, 2009, ¶1). For colleges/universities facing current and/or potential enrollment decreases, online education provides new opportunities to reach out and recruit the increasing number of eligible students who may be turned away from many colleges/univer-sities due to space limitations, budget cuts, and/or enrollment caps.

THE DREXEL APPROACHDrexel University has taken a proac-tive approach to student enrollment. To meet the diverse needs of traditional and non-traditional students, Drexel offers on-campus, blended, and online pro-grams providing extensive educational opportunities for students within the city of Philadelphia, across Pennsylvania, and

beyond. Drexel University’s School of Education, for example, has grown from no online degree programs in 2002-03 to 10 fully online degrees in 2007-08. Tuition revenue has increased from less than $2 million in FY03 to nearly $10 million in FY08 (Hartman & Betts, 2009). One of the fastest growing programs in the School of Education, also one of the first programs to be offered fully online, has been the Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) Program. The online MSHE Program was launched in fall 2005 with its first cohort of 26 students. In fall 2008, the MSHE Program enrolled 175 students with projections to matriculate approximately 200 students in spring 2009. MSHE students are located in over 30 states and five countries.

The three-year overall retention rate in

the MSHE program is 83 percent. Four percent of students who left the pro-gram enrolled in other Drexel University degree programs, leaving a still-enrolled rate of at least 87 percent. In Janu-ary 2009, a new blended format of the MSHE Program was launched at Drexel University’s new Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, Califor-nia. There were 12 students in this first cohort with enrollment projections of 25-30 new students for the fall 2009 cohort.

In an effort to increase student engage-ment, connectivity, and retention, the MSHE Program developed a conceptual framework for Online Human Touch (OHT) instruction and programming.

Drexel University

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The OHT concept asserts that students are more likely to persist in an online program if they are (a) engaged in and outside of their courses and if (b) the educational experience is personalized. The OHT concept is a holistic approach that begins with the first point of contact that a potential student has during the application process. OHT programming and instructional strategies cultivate a bond with students based on human interaction fostered through instruction, programming, and personalized engage-ment. The OHT concept builds upon five areas of research including student engagement, community development, personalized communication, work-integrated learning, and data driven decision-making (Betts, 2009).

OHT instruction and programming is particularly important for engaging and retaining the increasing number of Tradi-tionalists and older Baby Boomers who are enrolling in the MSHE Program. Many of these students, who can be described as “low tech/high support,” have not been enrolled in an academic program for more than 10 years and it is impor-tant they are engaged in their courses early in their matriculation so they gain confidence in using new technologies as well as working in a non-tradition course environment. The MSHE Program has also developed an online graduate first-year experience program to bring the Drexel campus to students worldwide. This proactive retention initiative intro-duces newly-matriculated students in the online and blended programs to Drexel student support services within the first two weeks of enrollment through “live” online classrooms. Throughout the year, quarterly events are hosted online through Horizon Wimba Classroom (fully-featured live, virtual classroom with audio, video, and content/applica-tion sharing) and Second Life (3D virtual world with voice and text chat), as well as on campus in Philadelphia and Sacra-mento to engage and connect students to their classmates, faculty, support staff, and the institution. Additionally, the MSHE Program actively integrates learning simulation (e.g., role-plays, so-

ciodramas, psychodramas, gaming, and reflection) into courses and assignments to engage students in real-life scenarios as they prepare for career placement, advancement, or transition (Betts, 2009).

Growth and sustainability for the MSHE Program is attributed to program design, innovative course development, faculty professional development, and per-sonalizing the educational experience. Recognizing that 96 percent of the MSHE students work full- or part-time, uniform templates are used for all MSHE courses in Blackboard and for syllabi. While course content differs, students can eas-ily navigate through their courses from quarter to quarter. MSHE students enroll in cohorts and must complete courses as outlined in the MSHE Program plan. Course sequence is critical to student success and retention since each course includes learning outcomes that prepare students for the next quarter. For course development and updates, a team ap-proach is utilized. Faculty are teamed with higher education administrators to ensure the materials reflect current/emerging issues and assignments are based on “real-life” scenarios. This en-ables students to apply new knowledge and skills to course assignments and to actualize them at work. All MSHE faculty must participate in a faculty orientation and ongoing professional development. Faculty must also follow MSHE Faculty Policies and Guidelines specifically devel-oped for teaching in an online program. Recognizing that most online students may never come to Drexel University’s campus, the MSHE Program continuously seeks innovative strategies for person-alizing the educational experience for students. Through OHT and retention initiatives, such as the Online Graduate First-Year Experience, the MSHE Program is connecting students to Drexel Univer-sity from first point of contact during recruitment through active participation as alumni.

CONCLUSIONOnline and blended education provide innovative opportunities for two- and four-year colleges/universities to reach

new student markets and increase enrollments. Program design, scalabil-ity, academic quality, engagement, and retention are critical to the long-term program sustainability. Additionally, extending student support services and personalizing the educational experience is essential to connecting online students to the institution and retaining students. With recent headlines in the Chronicle of Higher Education, it is clear that the higher education landscape is chang-ing: “Past Recessions Suggest Current Downturn Will Bring Permanent Cuts in State Funds;” “Market Collapse Weighs Heavily on College Endowments;” “How Does a President Shut Down a College?;” and “A Straight-Talk Survival Guide for Colleges.” The reality as indicated by Facione (2009), is that “times are tough, very tough….it is time for some straight talk, starting with the realization that or-ganizations that can’t or won’t adapt will fail.” Financial exigency and institutional mergers are realities for colleges and uni-versities that are not proactively reaching out to new markets to increase revenue. For an increasing number of colleges and universities, online and blended educa-tion is providing innovative opportunities for institutions to redefine and reposition themselves within the changing higher education landscape.

REFERENCESAversa, (2009). Unemployment soars to 8.5pct; 13 million jobless. WTOP.com. Re-trieved on April 3, 2009, from http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=111&sid=577993

Angelino, L. M., Williams, F. K., & Natvig, D. (2007). Strategies to engage online students and reduce attrition rates. The Journal of Educators Online, 4(2),1-14. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from www.thejeo.com/Volume4Number2/Angelino%20Final.pdf

Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the course: Online education in the United States 2008. The Sloan Consortium. Babson Survey Research Group. Retrieved December 25 2008, from

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http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/sur-vey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf

Almanac (2009). Projected change in the number of high-school graduates, 2008-9 to 2018-19. The Chronicle of Higher Edu-cation, 55(14), p. 4. Retrieved on April 5, 2009, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/almanac/2008/maps/0100401.htm

Bathe, J. (2001). Love it, hate it, or don’t care: Views on online learning. ERIC database. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED463805).

Betts, K. S. (2009). Online human touch (OHT) training and support: A concep-tual framework to increase faculty and adjunct faculty engagement, connectiv-ity, and retention in online education, Part 2. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 5(1), pp. 29-48. Retrieved on April 2, 2009, from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no1/betts_0309.htm

Betts, K. S. (2008). Online human touch (OHT) instruction and programming: A conceptual framework to increase online student engagement and retention in online education, Part 1. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 4(3), pp. 399-418. Retrieved on April 2, 2009, from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no3/betts_0908.htm

Betts, K., Lewis, M., Dressler, A., & Svens-son, L. (2009). Optimizing curricula and career development: A conceptual model building upon education, training, learn-ing simulation, work-integrated learning & career placement, advancement, and transition. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Biemiller, L. (2009, March 27). Bursting at the seams. The Chronicle of Higher Educa-tion, 55(29), p. B11. Retrieved on April 5, 2009, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i29/29b01101.htm

Carr, S. (2000). As distance education comes of age, the challenge is keeping the students. The Chronicle of Higher Educa-tion, 23, A39 . Retrieved May 20, 2008, from http://chronicle.com/free/v46/i23/23a00101.htm

Diaz, D. P. (2002). Online drop rates revisited. The Technology Source. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://technologysource.org/article/online_drop_rates_revisited/

Facione, P. (2009, March 20). A Straight-Talk Survival Guide for Colleges. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(28), p. A36. Retrieved on April 5, 2009, from http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i28/28a03601.htm

Fain, P. (2009). Gordon Gee says colleges face ‘reinvention or extinction.’ The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved on March 31, 2009, from http://chronicle.com/daily/2009/02/11131n.htm

Frankola, K. (2001). Why online learners drop out. Workforce, 80, 53-58.

Goodman, P., & Healy, J. (2009, April 3). 663,000 jobs lost in March; Total tops 5 million. The New York Times. Retrieved on April 5, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/business/economy/04jobs.html?bl&ex=1238904000&en=e70ffe2956e3a3c3&ei=5087%0A

Hartman, K., & Betts, K. (2009). Qual-ity and scaling: Oxymoron or reality in online degrees at non-profit colleges and universities. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Kopf, D. (2007). e-Learning market to hit $52.6B by 2010. The Journal. Retrieved April 2, 2009, from http://www.thejour-nal.com/articles/21046/

Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance education: A systems view. Bel-mont, CA: Wadsworth.

Moss, A. (2009, March 18). San Marcos: University may have to turn away 7,000 student this fall. North County Times. Retrieved on March 26, 2009, from http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/03/17/news/inland/san_marcos/zc5df1f-b60c5315c78825757c007b42f1.txt

National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). Distance education at degree granting postsecondary institutions:

2006-07. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

Newsweek (n.d.). Distance learning and online degrees. NewsweekShowcase.com. Retrieved on March 5, 2009 from, http://www.newsweekshowcase.com/distance-learning/

Pennino, M. (2008, July 26). Col-leges cope with rising energy costs. Lancaster Online.com. Retrieved De-cember 15, 2008, from http://www.universitybusiness.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=16390

Schaffhauser, D. (2009, January 9). Survey reports many online learners never seek help before dropping out. Campus Technology. Retrieved on March 14, 2009, from http://www.campustech-nology.com/Articles/2009/01/09/Survey-Reports-Many-Online-Learners-Never-Seek-Help-Before-Dropping-Out.aspx

Stark, S., & Warren, T. (1999). ‘Con-necting’ the distance: relational issues for participants in a distance learning program. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 23 (3). Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://www.voced.edu.au/td/int_60.118

United States Distance Learning (2009). United States Distance Learning Associa-tion and Elluminate, Inc. partner to launch new website, Retrieved on February 12, 2009, from http://archive.constant-contact.com/fs016/1011054872119/archive/1102411801568.html

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T H E R E V I E W

The sub-title of this book about student retention is ‘the role of teaching and learning’ and that

provides the context for the work of the editors. While providing this context allows the scope of the book to be kept within feasible limits, I found myself wondering if the book had missed an opportunity to encourage a more holistic consideration of what influences s tudent retention in higher education today. As I worked my way through the book, I kept thinking that the editors needed to place their work in the even broader con¬text of the ‘student experience’ and how that is being defined and explored.

Improving Student Retention in Higher Education: The Role of Teaching and Learning

EPI Rating (4/5)

My reaction stems, perhaps not surpris-ingly, from my background in tertiary education institutions. Much of my work in faculties and in student administration offices over the years was with students facing the types of engagement difficul-ties described in this book (although we didn’t call it that until recent times), but I saw it from a different perspective to that of the editors. It is now – or should be – recognised that the quality of the student experience is not determined solely by the teaching and learning expe-rience; rather, it is constructed through the totality of the interactions students have with staff across a range of areas – both academic and administrative. So, it is important to state up front that my worldview and my understanding of retention in higher education have influ-enced this review.

The book is well written and easy to read. It is clear in its intent:to stimulate readers’ thinking about their students and their learning in the current higher education setting, and to present a range of approaches and strategies as food for thought, and as models for the way forward. (p. 5)

This intent is underpinned by the belief of the editors that ‘if students are to continue with their studies, institu-tions need to recognise their needs and provide them with a reasonable chance of succeeding’ (p. 4). The editors explore student retention strategies by focusing on curriculum change and development in three areas – student diversity, modes of teaching and learning and disciplines – which also provide the structure of the book. Each area has an overview chapter written by one of the editors, followed by five international case studies (15 in

all), which broadly use an action research approach.

The overview chapters provide the context for the case studies, as well as highlighting the major issues and chal-lenges faced in each area. At the core of all the case studies is an orientation of the ‘teacher’ towards the ‘student’, and a recognition that one size does not fit all when it comes to curriculum design and teaching delivery. The case studies also demonstrate how being open to chang-ing the curriculum can be a rewarding, if sometimes frustrating and challenging, experience for staff.

The book is designed to be read by just about everybody except administrative staff (p. 6), although not mentioning this group specifically does not, of course, preclude them from reading the book. It is an example of how student reten-tion has been identified as an ‘academic’ issue by the editors, rather than as an issue of concern to everyone who works with students in higher education institu-tions.

There are a number of core assumptions that emerge and reinforce each other throughout the book, all of which reflect the context within which the book was written. The need to be student centred is omnipresent, as is structuring learning to incorporate the interests and experi-ences of all students (p. 17) and helping non-traditional students to cope with higher education (p. 21), and academic culture shock (p. 70).

That it is in group learning contexts ‘that students are most able to engage with the learning process’ (p. 72) may be an assumption worth testing, although it

by Glenda Crosling, Liz Thomas and Margaret Heagney (eds)

Book Review by Maree Conway

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would depend on how ‘group’ is defined, that is, whether online communities are regarded as learning groups. Each mode of delivery has advantages and dis advantages depending on the student cohort.

Another assumption seemed to be im-plicit in these statements:‘Students need to engage and identify on a personal level with their universities, and opportunities to develop friendships and networks with their fellow students assist in this process’ (p. 167)‘…students needed to move from a trans-missive to a transformative understand-ing of teaching and learning’ (p. 58)‘…how students from non-traditional backgrounds can be transformed into ac-tive and engaged learn¬ers’ (p. 168).

It may be semantics, but the terms ‘need’ and ‘transform’ suggest an assumption that teacher still knows best – we know what’s best for you, and you need to … engage on a personal level, move from transmissive to transformative, be trans-formed. In the future, when students are likely be the determiners of what they need, this assumption may well be chal-lenged.

I particularly like the discussion on dis-ciplines in the third section of the book – Facilitating Student Suc-cess, Disci-plines and Curriculum Development (pp. 119–125) and think that this description of how dis-ciplines create and maintain their own cultures and particular forms of teaching and learning practices would be very useful reading for administrative staff. It provides a clear description of what is perhaps one of the fundamental tenets of academic work, which is often not well understood or appreciated by those who have not been trained in the academic way of doing things.

In the concluding section, the editors note that they have ‘…presented and discussed curriculum based approaches as the optimum and most feasible way to improve retention of students in higher education’ (p. 166). Given that curricu-lum change is the focus of the book, this

is an accurate and not surprising state-ment. Curriculum based approaches may be the optimum and most feasible approach for academic staff, how¬ever, but not for administrative and other professional staff. Indeed, while the edi-tors themselves point out, ‘an integrated approach which benefits all students is required, and thus curriculum change is essential’ (p. 182), this integration refers to academic work, and not integration with activity in administrative areas.

One of the biggest issues I have with the book is that it is focused very much on the here and now. To be fair to the edi-tors, this is a book about things academic staff can do now to improve student retention, but it would have been useful to broaden out the context to take into account emerging trends in this area. The strategies identified are good, and they emphasise the imperative for change, but the focus is on change today, not on what will need to continue to change into the future – as the factors influenc-ing student retention shift and change.

There is much made of the need to understand the diversity of the student cohort to be able to provide flexible and responsive curriculum today, and the book acknowledges the impact of shift-ing and diverse student preferences and styles around how they learn, when they learn and what they learn, depending on their backgrounds. However, emerging and strengthening trends such as the shifting role of the academic from con-tent development to facilitation, modu-larisation of content, the decline of the qualification as we know it today and the subsequent emerging need for accredi-tation services, the rise of educational gaming, and the increasing convergence of delivery on the mobile phone and other personal digital devices, suggests a not too far distant future that may render obsolete some of the strategies discussed in the book.

I found myself thinking that if ‘teacher-centred and student-centred approaches place teachers and stu¬dents in radically different roles’ (p. 72) today, what comes

next? If we have moved, or are moving, from teacher centred (in the past), to student centred (today), what does the future hold? Student owned curricu-lum? Perhaps a question or two could be added to that excellent list of reflec-tive questions (p. 181) that provide an opportunity to focus thinking on what is coming over the horizon, to balance out the current focus of these questions on what is happening today.

As the editors suggest, being student-centred and engagement are keys to improving student retention, and this will hold true into the future. But, under-standing how these concepts will change over time, and how the needs and values of students will change is not something that can be done once.

Right now, the drivers of massification, increasing student diversity, and the focus on quality by governments and funding agencies has surfaced student retention as a critical issue for curricu-lum developers and deliverers and one to which staff are responding through curriculum change. But, these drivers will shift into the future, and staff will need to be ready to respond to those new drivers with equal gusto.

This is a good book – it takes the topical issue of student retention and explores it in an accessible yet detailed way through the use of real-world case studies. It would be a better book, in my view, if its premises and assumptions were tested beyond today. The editors rightly point out that the ‘traditional’ way of do-ing things is no longer relevant and we therefore need to change how we deliver teaching and learning. That same logic – what was effective in the past is not effective today – needs to be extended out, since what is effective today will not be effective in the future. So what then are the implications for student retention in the future? Perhaps the editors will consider that for their second edition.

Maree Conway runs Thinking Futures, a collaborative consulting practice.

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Educational Policy Institute APRIL 2009 17

RECENT EPI PUBLICATIONS

College Student Success for Latino StudentsApril 23, 2:00 – 3:30pm, EDTDr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute

The Stimulus & You: Positioning your Program for FundingApril 28, 10:00 – 11:30 AM, EDTDr. David Lopez, Senior Research Scientist, The Educational Policy Institute

An Introduction to Strategic Enrollment ManagementMay 6, 2:00 – 3:30 AM, EDTJay Goff, Dean of Enrollment, Missouri University of Science and Technology

ALSO IN MAY.... our GEAR UP series on evaluation, matching funds, parental involvement, and community engagement.

For a complete lising of our Webinars, visit: www.educationalpolicy.org

Check back often, as new webinars are continuously posted.

U P C O M I N G W E B I N A R S

EPIWebinarsEPI Webinars are an ongoing series of interactive on-line presentations focused on a variety of educational topics in the areas of early childhood, secondary and post-secondary education. Each webinar is hosted by an expert in their field and administered by EPI staff.

ON THE BRINK: HOW THE RECESSION OF 2009 WILL IMPACT POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Alex Usher & Ryan Dunn

ENGAGING FACULTY & STAFF: AN IMPERATIVE FOR FOSTERING RETENTION, ADVISING & SMART BORROWINGWatson Scott Swail with Rebecca Mullen, Hyniea Gardner, and Jeremy Reed

BEYOND THE STICKER SHOCK 2008: A CLOSER LOOK AT CANADIAN TUITION FEESEPI Canada

THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT & THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: A Progress ReportWatson Scott Swail & Betsy Brand

A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO INSTITUTIONAL & STUDENT SUCCESS: A Training Model for Embedding Student Loan Default Emersion Within Strategic Enrollment Management TG & EPI

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING HIGHER EDUCATION (November 2007) R.B. Wilkinson, James Taylor, Ange Peterson, and Maria de Lourdes Machado-Taylor

Visit educationalpolicy.org to download your EPI publication today.

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E P I AWA R D S

2008 Outstanding Student Retention Award Congratulations to Last Year’s Award Winners

“Both Oklahoma City University and Texas A&M University are leading the way for other institutions of higher education to focus on student success,” states Dr. Watson Scott Swail, president of the Educational Policy Institute. “We hope that acknowledging the excellence of these and other institutions at our Retention 2008 International Conference on Student Retention will provide an opportunity for higher education leaders and practitioners to learn via the experi-ence of others.”

Dr. Liz Donnelly and Mr. Eduardo Pri-eto, co-chairs of the “Retention and Graduation” initiative at Oklahoma City University, have adopted the strategies “Good to Great,” in order to produce a 13 percent freshman retention-rate increase. The four-stage “Good to Great” program offers guidelines to implement a research-based approach for improving an organization’s weak points. Oklahoma City University used an in-depth course of program evaluation, internal reviews, and external peer and benchmarking in order to move the institution toward a data-driven decision-making model. Uti-lizing strategic planning and assessment, Dr. Donnelly and Mr. Prieto have assisted the university in achieving healthy reten-tion rates, enrollment headcounts, and fiscal stability. Continuing to strive for improvement, Oklahoma City University,

a private, four-year institution of 3,600 students in Oklahoma City, has outlined specific goals for 2009 and hopes to reach their new target.

Ms. Myra Gonzalez, director of the “Century Scholars” scholarship and enrichment program at Texas A&M Uni-versity (TAMU), has chosen to focus on long-term success for students and has successfully produced a student body that brings cultural, geographic, ethnic, and economic diversity to TAMU. The Century Scholars (Scholars) program has the dual distinction of acting as a devel-opmental means for turning students into successful leaders and a recruitment tool that encourages student engage-ment at TAMU as it concentrates on re-tention through the students’ academic success. Since TAMU has many large, core-curriculum courses, the Scholars program targets students in these classes for the largest impact. The Century Scholars program also utilizes its scholars as ambassadors to their communities, who promote the ideals of academic excellence, leadership development, and professional growth to students at their former high schools through classroom visits. In addition, the Century Scholars Program has a partnership with 65 high schools from the Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas/Fort Worth area that have been underrepresented at TAMU in past years.

By honoring the excellent work being done by institutions today to create pro-grams that use innovative means to help students realize their goals, EPI hopes to further its mission of creating opportuni-ties for minority students at post second-ary institutions.

Oklahoma City University & Texas A&M UniversityTwo institutions that have shown excellence in the development and

implementation of their student retention program.