How long should it take for a working adult to finish college?
2008 May 8
Recently, Alan Contreras, the administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, spoke to college and university presidents and board members at the annual meeting of the North Central Association of Colleges and School’s Higher Learning Commission annual meeting. He stated that, in his view, there are three critical variables that higher education institutions must address, and that it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve more than two of the desired states at any one time. The three variables are:
• Ease of admissions requirements
• High quality instructional delivery
• High completion rates Read the rest of this entry »
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A call for lawmakers to focus on adult students
2008 May 5
I am pleased to see that others are concerned about the lack of focus on adult learners and look forward to seeing the data referenced in this article in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Thanks to CAEL and NCHEMS for teaming up to gather this data and draw attention to the needs of adult learners.
Mike
Share ThisWhat does the future hold for college accreditors?
2008 Apr 17
Response to comment by Janet Duke to the post “What is the risk in colleges and universities being more transparent / accountable”
First, thanks for posting the New York Times article. Second, I chose to wait to reply until after the annual meeting of the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago that took place over the past few days. I wanted to get a sense of what is happening at the largest of the regional accrediting agencies. The theme was “Finding Common Ground: Accreditation, Assessment and Accountability.”
There is no question that the regional accrediting agencies are searching for new ways to do their work. But, it is my impression that the expectations for accrediting agencies have changed dramatically. So, rather than assuming that they have failed, it is more accurate to recognize that what is expected of them is much more demanding now than it has been in the past. One speaker mentioned that, in the past, the accrediting agencies were expected to assess and recognize “adequacy” on the part of accredited institutions. That is adequacy to plan, deliver and assess quality at their institution. The current expectation is to set a common, high standard for quality. Those are very different things. There is no question that the current expectation is to assess outcomes rather than inputs. This is a good thing, but it is also challenging for institutions and accrediting agencies to make the change. Read the rest of this entry »
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We can do better at helping working adults continue their education
2008 Apr 11
This article by Nancy C. Rodriquez in University Business lays out the problems facing college transfer students in Kentucky. In an earlier posting, I referenced Kentucky’s desire to increase the number of college graduates in that state. Kudos to Kentucky for this, a desire that is shared by many other states. Read the rest of this entry »
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Obama, Clinton & McCain: What are they saying about higher education?
2008 Apr 8
The premise of The Other 85 Percent is that public opinion and public policy making regarding higher education still focus on what is now a distinct minority of higher education students. That minority is the student who goes directly from high school to study full-time on a traditional campus. Too little attention is given to adult students, students who work while attending college, and other student who don’t fit the traditional mold. Read the rest of this entry »
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What is the risk in colleges and universities being more transparent / accountable
2008 Mar 27
Judith Eaton offers an interesting projection about what the ultimate impact will be of the current call for greater higher education accountability. While her view may be a bit extreme, it captures the dilemma of what to do when the public presses for increased information and transparency from colleges and universities. If information is provided, can and will it be used for purposes that go beyond what was intended? There is always that risk. Read the rest of this entry »
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More on Transparency by Design and classifying America’s colleges and universities
2008 Mar 20
An earlier post to this blog dealt with Transparency by Design, an effort by a dozen higher education institutions – Capella University included - that serve adult students at a distance to publicly report on what those students will actually learn. Recently, Bob Morse of U.S. News & World Report, commented on Transparency by Design in his blog Morse Code. Read the rest of this entry »
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Is our military being overlooked by the higher education establishment?
2008 Mar 6
Here is another excellent article from Inside Higher Education. Author Cliff Adelman notes that some 700,000 to 840,000 military members and their families are enrolled in American higher education. This number accounts for roughly 5% of all American enrollments and these students are part of the other 85%. Adelman correctly points out that these enrollments are often overlooked because they are “relegated to consideration under ‘adult and continuing education’ and have not received much (if any) attention from the higher education research and policy community.” Read the rest of this entry »
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A review of an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education on the cost and quality of higher education
2008 Mar 4
In his article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Kevin Carey asserts that higher education must attend to the real value of education provided to students. And that value should drive how much tuition costs. He does not believe that value of education is used in setting prices. He states that “With a college degree now an unquestioned requirement for high-paying jobs, and few ways for new competitors to enter the traditional four-year market, there seems to be no practical limit to how much colleges can boost prices.” And he says that “the college-cost crisis is not about a lack of money—it’s about lack of information. And the Washington higher education lobby seems bound and determined to keep certain kinds of higher education information firmly under wraps.” His argument is that, since there is no information on matters such as learning outcomes, the value provided is missing. And, in its place, “price and quality in higher education are assumed to be the same.” He calls for breaking “the iron bond between price and perceived quality.” Read the rest of this entry »
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Why are some states making it difficult for adults to finish their college degrees?
2008 Feb 28
Here is yet another article that details the need to help more adults complete a college degree, the importance of having a better educated citizenry, and some of the challenges facing states in promoting this agenda.
However, the situation is complicated by the fact that states, including those seeking to get more adults to graduate, are facing very real budget reductions. It will be doubly challenging to overcome some of the barriers to serving adults if budgets are being reduced. Here is an Inside Higher Ed article that provides an example. Read the rest of this entry »
Share ThisWelcome to The Other 85 Percent. So what does "the other 85 percent" refer to? Research has shown that only about 15 percent of higher education students still fit the traditional definition of young adults age 18 to 22 who live on campus and go to school full time. more
