Category: Universities

Home › News & Research › Universities

Rewriting Her Future: Tasha’s Road Back to School

03 Dec

Returning to school as an adult is no small feat. It requires courage, resilience, and a belief in the power of education. Tasha, a current Bachelor's student, embodies all these qualities. Her journey from overcoming personal challenges to achieving her academic goals serves as an inspiration for anyone considering a return to school later in life.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Tasha’s educational journey was marked by sacrifices from the start. As a teenager, she dropped out of high school to care for her premature baby brother. But she never lost sight of her goals. When she was able to get back into class, she walked miles each day to earn her high school diploma and celebrated her achievement on her 18th birthday, calling it the best gift she ever gave herself.

This milestone set the tone for Tasha’s lifelong love for learning. She explored various career paths, including cosmetology and pharmacy school, always seeking to better herself despite life’s unpredictability.

Building a Support System

Tasha’s determination to become a forensic anthropologist led her to our Graduation Specialists who were able to connect her with the resources she needed to succeed. The support she received, from encouragement to practical guidance, became a game-changer.

Having an official support system gave me the confidence to be more independent and achieve what I once thought was out of reach," Tasha shared

Through this program, she completed her associate degree and transitioned seamlessly into her bachelor’s program. By transferring credits, she saved both time and money, reinforcing her decision to return to school.

Facing and Conquering Challenges

Tasha’s journey was not without its trials. During her associate degree program, she underwent major abdominal surgery and endured a lengthy recovery period. Despite these obstacles, she stayed committed to her studies.

“Schooling kept me motivated and gave me the structure I needed to align all aspects of my life,” she said.

Now excelling in her bachelor’s program with an impressive GPA, Tasha’s disciplined approach to her education is paving the way for her future success.

Lessons Learned and Words of Encouragement

Tasha’s story highlights the power of perseverance and the importance of having a strong support network. Her advice for others considering a return to school is clear:

  • Set Non-Negotiables: Define your priorities and stay disciplined.
  • Use Available Resources: Don’t hesitate to seek out and use the resources available to you.
  • Stay Focused: Keep your goals in sight and take it one step at a time.

For universities, Tasha’s journey underscores the importance of providing outreach and support for adult learners. Institutions that foster a sense of community and offer personalized guidance can empower students to overcome obstacles and succeed.

A Story of Transformation

Tasha’s determination, coupled with the right support, enabled her to overcome significant challenges and pursue her dreams.

Her story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to invest in yourself, embrace new opportunities, and rewrite your future.

Read More
Categories: News & Research, Students, Uncategorized, Universities

The Vital Role of Continuing and Online Education in Higher Ed

16 Jul

Presently, continuing and online learning has never been more crucial in higher education and professional settings. The demands of the current and future workforce, coupled with an increasingly digital economy, create a strong nexus with higher education. Additionally, declining state funding and significant enrollment drops due to demographic shifts, lingering Covid impacts, and growing skepticism of the value of a college degree highlight the urgent need for new revenue sources to ensure the viability of most colleges and universities– many of which lack robust endowments to help buffer these losses.

Opportunities for Engagement and Revenue

Despite these challenges, opportunities exist to engage and re-enroll adult learners and stopped-out students. Continuing and online education units are uniquely positioned to generate new enrollments and critical revenue streams. Their extensive outreach in the private sector and local communities plays a significant role in alumni engagement and institutional growth. As these units continue to gain importance, they are expected to achieve greater equality with other campus units, driving both enrollment and revenue.

Building Strong Relationships

To successfully navigate the pressures on traditional university and college enrollments, strong relationships between traditional enrollment departments and continuing education units are essential. Continuing education units have a long history of serving non-traditional learners who face barriers to full-time education, such as family obligations, work commitments, and financial constraints. Without a strong alliance with these units, enrollment departments risk further challenges. Proper collaboration can unlock opportunities for co-marketing programs, targeted recruiting events, and leveraging resources to attract new learners and reengage stopped-out students.

Adapting and Innovating

Continuing education units have consistently excelled, even with limited resources and suboptimal institutional support. Recent enrollment headwinds and state funding declines have, in many cases, bolstered continuing education units and forced university leadership to focus resources and tap into the entrepreneurial nature of these units. Moreover, the market has driven the continuing education space to develop and promote more unique and creative offerings to different audiences, and expand their reach through partnerships with local businesses, active duty military, veterans, and community organizations.

Leveraging Unique Strengths

These units are uniquely positioned to address the enrollment, access, and affordability challenges faced by higher education. This is an ideal time for colleges and universities to leverage continuing education units, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across their campuses. Listening to the needs of diverse audiences, being nimble, market-driven, and maintaining a strong entrepreneurial culture are key to meeting the needs of non-traditional learners. These units can quickly develop, market, and manage non-credit certificates, trainings, and events, adapting to the evolving needs of their audiences.

Looking ahead

Moving forward, as demographic impacts reduce traditional undergraduate enrollments, institutions must adapt to reach more diverse and nontraditional student populations who cannot attend full-time in-person. University leadership will need to foster stronger collaborations, develop integrated and targeted marketing strategies, and provide flexible online learning modalities. Policies and resources must be refined to minimize duplicate functions and adjust business models to accommodate the shift towards nontraditional enrollments. Furthermore, the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence offers new opportunities for innovation, complementing current tools like chatbots and predictive analytics in student enrollment strategies. Although many headwinds exist, the future holds bright prospects for continuing and online education units, as they continue to play a vital role in shaping the future of higher education.


Written by: Michael Huffman, Ph.D.


Read More
Categories: News & Research, Universities

It Takes New Enrollment Efforts To Get Results Today

07 May

It Takes New Enrollment Efforts To Get Results Today

Maybe there have been times as tumultuous as these, however, I do not remember them. We had real estate and economic crises a while ago. They negatively affected higher education enrollment, yet today’s publicly expressed anti-university sentiment seems new to me. It is true that some institutions cost more than a mortgage in a nice area, and that some do not see more than half of their incoming students graduate within six years. I am going to chalk that up to poor management.  However, with anecdotal evidence of having been an enrollment management leader for several decades, I will posit, based upon recent conversations, that most institutions really do care. And that many are trying really hard to find their north star. From what I have heard over the last year, there are a few challenges facing us – you’ll not be surprised.
  • We thought we’d be immune to the demographic cliff (we just need to work harder)
  • Our student success efforts have limited impact (we can’t afford to scale them)
  • The 6-year grad rates we have will go unnoticed (we have support systems in-place, it’s not us, it’s them)
OK, the truth is this – we are expensive, we are a huge opportunity cost and in many instances, we are irrelevant. 

Enrollment Challenges: An Urgent Call to Action

Let’s forget about the top-tier and flag-ships for a moment as they are not struggling as much as the rest of us today. We strive to offer something regionally or distinctively special, yet our traditional pool of candidates have so many options. 100+ academic majors, 200+ clubs, this and that, makes a lot of noise to prospects. At the end of the day the families ask the students -  will you get a good job, will you be safe and will you have a network?  We know that we must bring in a certain number of students and retain them to financially support the institution. Now, more potential students are choosing to forego higher education and there is about to be a significant shift in high school graduates. The answer is to begin recruiting those students whom we admitted yet who never finished. There are over 40 million adults with some college credit and no degree. There is no shortage of a pool here. There are enough potential readmits of our own stop-outs, who are already familiar with us and may retain an affinity. 

Supporting Non-Traditional Students

How did we get to a place where the average rate of completion is 60% and that is acceptable? Well, I think it is because there was no shortage of traditional new students to keep enrollment numbers at a prescribed level. Many of us do not have strong retention initiatives in place and have been expanding clubs and student activities in an effort to keep the students engaged and enrolled. Today, we need to focus upon our different types of students. Let’s look at our commuters and non-traditional students. They may prefer a quick convenient bite over an all you can eat dining plan. They may value parking near their classes over tickets to a game.  They may also desire to conduct transactions outside of traditional business hours and to be able to take classes in-person as well as remotely. It is important that we get to know how resilient our students are and to support those who most need it. 

A Collaborative Solution

 A few years ago I began serving as an advisor to myFootpath. My role was to provide feedback on a service designed to re-enroll stop-outs. I found great value in their work for a number of reasons. As an enrollment manager, my admissions teams were focused upon filling seats with freshmen and transfers. We did not have the luxury of increasing staff to meet future students while they were in ninth grade, nor to hunt down the many thousands of folk who left before graduating. Half of the current student contact information was bad and there was no way we would be able to clean-up contact data of those who had already left. Another reason was that a large fraction of those who left prior to graduating were from marginalized populations. If we believe education brings about equity, that means we need to improve both the access as well as the completion of studies. Finally, when institutions are able to recapture tuition revenue, those funds can be allocated in ways to best support students.

Celebrating Success: Over 27,000 Lives Changed and Counting

Today, I continue to serve as a senior advisor to myFootpath. We have incorporated additional measures to support students including a non-cognitive assessment that indicates who is more or less likely to persevere in the face of adversity, and returning to college can certainly be scary. Not only do we provide additional support to low-scoring students, but we also provide personal development workshops for them to be able to better manage areas where needed. Over 27,000 students have returned to their native institutions through myFootpath. That means over 27,000 lives have been changed for the better. It takes new enrollment efforts to get results today. Written by: Luke Schultheis, Ph.D.
Read More
Categories: News & Research, Uncategorized, Universities

Military Students: Tailoring Academic Support for Success

22 Apr

Military Students: Tailoring Academic

Support for Success

As educational institutions are considering the resources and associated costs for supporting adult students, they should also be considering the needs of specialized segments of the adult student market, such as military students. Military students, both active-duty service members and veterans, face unique challenges that go beyond those mentioned for adult learners in general. 

Here are some additional support needs specific to this population:

Personal

  • Transitioning to and from military service: support with academic reintegration after deployment or adjusting to civilian academic expectations after military training. This might include flexible deadlines, course materials accessibility during deployment, and support for catching up on missed work. 
  • Deployment disruptions: assistance with managing academic disruptions due to deployments, leaves of absence, or relocation.This might include flexible deadlines, course materials accessibility during deployment, and support for catching up on missed work.
  • Financial insecurity: support for veterans facing financial hardship due to service-related disabilities, unemployment, or housing instability.This could involve emergency grants, scholarships, and partnerships with veteran support organizations.

    • Career Development

  • Translation of military skills and experience: assistance with translating military skills and experience into civilian resumes and job applications.Universities can offer workshops on career development specifically for veterans, connecting them with relevant employer networks. 
  • Entrepreneurship and small business support: programs and resources to help veterans interested in starting their own businesses.This could include mentorship, training, and access to funding opportunities.

    • By addressing the specific needs and challenges of military students, universities can foster a more welcoming and inclusive environment, promoting their academic success and well-being. This commitment to tailored support not only aids in their transition but also contributes to their overall success, enriching the academic community as a whole.

    Written by: Dr. Sarah Steinberg

    Read More
    Categories: News & Research, Students, Universities

    Dispelling Myths: Understanding the True Needs of Adult Students in Higher Education

    03 Apr

    Dispelling Myths: Understanding the True Needs

    of Adult Students in Higher Education

    Inherent biases within institutions, despite all good intentions, play a significant role in shaping budget planning and strategic decisions aimed at re-engaging adult students. Here are some common myths and the realities behind them:

    Myth #1: Adult students are only interested in online learning.

    Reality: While online options are attractive due to flexibility, many adult students value classroom interaction and building peer relationships. They may seek hybrid formats or opportunities for in-person discussions and group work.

    Myth #2: Adult students prefer independent learning and minimal support.

    Reality: Adult learners often lack confidence in academic skills or navigating new systems. Although they may enter an institution believing that they have everything under control, they often realize that they need a variety of academic support services, from study skills workshops to writing resources and personalized advising.

    Myth #3: Adult students primarily need career advancement and practical skills.

    Reality: While career goals are important, adult learners also have diverse motivations for pursuing degrees later in life. They may seek intellectual stimulation, personal growth, or a change in direction. Universities should offer a range of academic programs and opportunities beyond strictly vocational training.

    Myth #4: Adult students are tech-savvy and comfortable with online tools.

    Reality: Technology access and digital literacy vary greatly among adult learners. Some may require training on online platforms, communication tools, and research resources to fully participate in digital learning environments. This is often an added burden for institutions typically more comfortable serving traditional age students.

    Myth #5: Adult students are financially independent and don't need aid.

    Reality: Many adult learners juggle work, family commitments, and educational expenses. They may require flexible payment plans, scholarships specifically for adult students, and guidance on navigating financial aid options.

    By debunking these myths and understanding the diverse needs and realities of adult learners, universities can create a more supportive learning environment, fostering their success and enriching their academic experience.  Supportive environments lead to strengthened metrics for retention and degree completion.    

    Written by: Dr. Sarah Steinberg

    Read More
    Categories: News & Research, Students, Universities

    Marketing Strategies for Engaging Stopped-Out Students

    13 Mar
    When considering the best time to reengage students who have paused their academic pursuits, many overlook October's potential. This timing, strategically placed before the reflective period of Thanksgiving, offers a unique opportunity to connect with stop-outs. The anticipation of family discussions about life progress can serve as a catalyst for individuals contemplating a return to their studies. Understanding the underlying reasons that led students to step away—whether for career advancement, personal fulfillment, or external pressures—is key to crafting messages that resonate. This approach emphasizes empathy and support, aiming to transform the stop-out's experience from one of temporary setback to a renewed journey towards educational and personal achievement. For a deeper dive into effective strategies for reengaging stop-out students and the importance of timing in these efforts, the full blog offers valuable insights and actionable tips.
    Read More
    Categories: News & Research, Universities

    Responding to the Unique Support Services Required by Adult Students in Higher Ed

    14 Feb
    The rise of adult learners in higher education is prompting universities to adapt their support services. These students bring unique challenges, necessitating tailored academic, financial, and personal support. Flexible scheduling, clear financial aid guidance, career counseling, and resources like childcare and mental health support are becoming essential. Higher education leaders must strategically allocate resources and possibly seek specialized training for staff to meet these diverse needs effectively, ensuring adult learners thrive in their academic pursuits.
    Read More
    Categories: News & Research, Students, Universities

    Leveraging Insights and Institutional Data to Identify and ReEngage Your Stop-Outs

    31 Jan
    Chief Admission and Enrollment Officers are navigating a landscape rich with student data, yet the challenge lies not just in access but in transforming this wealth of information into actionable strategies. Amidst the pressures of crafting sophisticated multi-year recruitment plans and grappling with demographic shifts, the crux of success hinges on not only attracting but also retaining and re-engaging students. As institutions face the stark realities of graduation rates and the growing SCNC (Some College, No Credential) demographic, the blog delves into the pivotal role of data-driven decisions and collaborative efforts in enhancing student retention and completion rates."
    Read More
    Categories: News & Research, Universities
    Back to Top