Three Models of Today’s Higher

Education Marie Singleton

Emerging Trends in EducationFall 2011

“For too long, colleges have stuck with the same

business model. They have hesitated to take courses

online, to cater to adult and part-time students, and to offer courses at any time other than on weekdays

between 9 and 5.” (Van Der Werf and Sabatier, 2009).

Student Concerns• A Vision of Today’s Students by the

students at Kansas State University and their professor, Michael Wesch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o• Rising tuition• Debt• Larger focus on athletics than academics• Unemployment post-graduation• Courses unrelated to majors• Lectures unrelated to the real-world• Strict, rigorous schedules

Solutions/Alternatives• Online education• Internships, Co-ops, field work• Freedom to design own major• Elimination of intercollegiate

athletics• More access to technology• Part time & accelerated programs• 3-year degree programs

Northeastern University

NEU Profile• Private• Total undergrads: 15,905• Graduate enrollment: 6,992

• 73-acre urban campus• 8 colleges with undergraduate majors in 65

departments• Tuition & fees: $38,252 annually• Housing: $13,220

• NCAA Division I level• 18 varsity teams

NEU Class SizesStudent-faculty ratio 13:1

Source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/northeastern-university-2199

Highlights• #62 on U.S. News & World Report National

University Rankings 2012• #1 for "Best Internships/Career Services“ by the

Princeton Review from 2008-2011• Undergraduates who participate in co-op: 90% • Co-op employers: 2,380 worldwide

• Typical Employers: Disney, Massachusetts General Hospital, Microsoft, the Geneva Center for Security Policy (Switzerland), etc

• Countries with Northeastern experiential opportunities: 69

• Classroom studies focused on experiential learning• Research university

“The big picture may be to big to cover in this space, but NU is a co-op school. It’s a school for

students who are looking for an urban experience, and who are looking forward to being

professionals. It's not the school to come to for parties, to get involved in Greek life, to involve

your life with collegiate sports. We do have all of the above, don't get me wrong, but if you're

looking for those things to be a central part of your college experience, look elsewhere. Our

strengths lie in co-op, in the city of Boston, and in the extra-curricular experiences available to

students.”-Alex, Northeastern Student

(Source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/northeastern-university-2199/reviews/3600)

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Umass Amherst Profile• Public • Total undergrads: 21,373

• Graduate enrollment: 6,196

• 86 bachelor's degree programs, six associate's, 72 master’s and 50 doctoral programs

• 1,450-acre suburban campus• NCAA Division I

• 21 varsity teams

• Massachusetts resident, full-time undergraduate • Tuition/Fees: $11,732• Housing/Meals: 8,610

• Non-resident, full-time undergraduate• Tuition/Fees: $23,628• Housing/Meals: $8,610

Umass Amherst Class SizesStudent-faculty ratio 19:1

Source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst-2221

Highlights• #94 on U.S. News & World Report National

University Rankings 2012• Research university• Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration

(BDIC): design yourown interdisciplinary major and curriculum under faculty guidance

• Internships offered• During the academic year or during breaks• Near UMass Amherst, in Boston, or in another part of

the country• Boston Globe, IBM, General Electric, etc

• One of the “Top Colleges and Universities Contributing to Teach For America’s 2010 Teaching Corps” during the 2009-2010 academic year

“UMass Amherst has an amazing atmosphere. Amherst serves as a true college town. So

many of the town's venues exist only to serve the college students. There numerous coffee shops, a mall, a movie theater, book stores,

bars, great places to eat, pretty much anything you'd need day to day. […] At first I thought the school was very big, but after a while you get used to the settings. After a month it all seemed perfect. You really get the feeling that it is its own community. For

example, city schools have so many distractions, because there’s so much going

on in metropolitan areas. However, when you're at UMass Amherst you feel immersed

in it.”-Ben, Senior Biology Major

Source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst-2221/reviews/9653

Southern New Hampshire University

SNHU Profile• Private• Total undergrads: 2,253

• Graduate enrollment: 1,434

• More than 100 undergraduate & 40 graduate degree programs

• Multiple locations: Manchester, Salem, Nashua, Portsmouth and Maine

• 300-acre suburban campus (Manchester, NH)• Tuition & fees: $27,240 annually

• Housing: $10,584

• NCAA Division II level• 16 varsity teams

SNHU Class SizesStudent-faculty ratio 15:1

Source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/southern-new-hampshire-university-2580

Highlights• #110 on U.S. News & World Report Regional

University North Rankings 2012• Option for online enrollment, on campus, or both for

majority of programs• SNHU Advantage Program

• $20,000 for 2 years to earn an associate’s degree• Pay only 40% of price for full time regular

associate’s program• New Hampshire Business Review 2009

• SNHU Online: Best Online Degree Program• School of Business: "Best of Business Award" winner in the

Best M.B.A. Program

• 3 year programs in business, creative writing, justice studies and integrated studies

• Dual Enrollment for high school students

Student Reviews of SNHU• “SNHU Online is flexible and fits my work schedule

and they made getting my degree the greatest decision I ever made”

-Daniel Naranjo '06

• “I like the flexibility of online education,” she says. “It has really helped me to retain my job, because I can arrange my class schedule around my work schedule. And since the courses are concentrated

and take less time to complete than classroom courses, I’ve been able to wrap up my

undergraduate education quicker.”-Kate McCaughey ’10

Source: http://www.snhu.edu/485.asp

Characteristics of a Successful University

• More academic-focused, not business driven

• Smaller, more personal class sizes• Interactive, hands-on experiences• Online classes• Using technology to enhance the

curriculum– Blackboard, mobile apps, electronic books,

• Flexible schedules (nights, weekends, hybrid)

• Professional experience, extra-curricular activities, volunteer opportunities

Preparing for the Future• Meeting the needs of ELL students and students with

disabilities• Dual enrollment to encourage all high school students

to attend college• Lower drop out rates

• Older student body• Preparing students for jobs that don’t even exist yet• Tossing out the traditional lecture-based classes• Assessing students with authentic experiments

• No more high-stakes standardized tests

• Affordable tuition, work-study programs • “If left unchecked, the cost of attendance each year at

the most expensive private colleges would easily exceed $70,000 by 2020” (Van Der Werf & Sabatier, 2009).

References• College Board. (2011). College search. Retrieved from

http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp• Christensen, C. M. & Eyring, H. J. (2011). The innovative university:

Changing the DNA of higher education from the inside out. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Northeastern University. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.northeastern.edu/

• Southern new hampshire university. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.snhu.edu/

• Teach for America. (2010, May). Top colleges and universities contributing to teach for america’s 2010 teaching corps. Retrieved from http://www.teachforamerica.org/assets/documents/Top.Contributors_2010.pdf

• University of Massachusetts Amherst. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.umass.edu/

• U.S. News and World Report. (2011). National university rankings . Retrieved from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/spp+50

• Van Der Werf, M., & Sabatier, (2009). The college of 2020: students. Washington DC: The Chronicle of Higher Education Inc. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/faculty/facsen/issues/college_2020.pdf

• Wesch, M. (2007). A vision of today’s students. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o