Return, Restart, FinishMinnesota Initiatives Targets Thousands for Degree Completion

Presenters

Carol LaceyProfessor of Individualized/Interdisciplinary StudiesMetropolitan State UniversitySt. Paul, MNcarol.lacey@metrostate.edu

Amanda RondeauDirector, Emerging Academic TechnologiesUniversity of Minnesotaamanda@umn.edu

Preview of RRF Roundtable

Meet adult degree completion needs amidst tight budgets Identify and connect with students likely to succeed and graduate Provide key student services to enhance student success Surmount process and bureaucratic challenges  Any other topics you would like to discuss?

Need for Adult Degree Completion (Nation)

60% of adults (8 million) nationwide have some credits, but no degree. Completing degree improves personal job prospects AND meets workforce needs.Target groups:• Adults 25+ who have completed almost all credits for degree• Subgroup: recent immigrants with credentials from their

home country.• Completed 45-90 credits to earn associate's or bachelor's

degree•     Subgroup: Military with possible acceleration of ACE and

portfolio evaluation for prior or experiential learning assessment

Dropping Out is Costly

New American Institutes for Research study: More than 1.1 million full-time students entered college in 2002 seeking bachelor's degrees. Nearly half (almost 500,000) did not graduate within 6 years. Financial impact in 2010 alone:

$3.8 billion in lost income $566 million in federal income tax revenue$164 million in state income tax revenue

Adult Degree Completion Efforts (MN)

Doubling of college required for MN job vacancies within past decade MN has 832,371 working age adults with some college but no degree (CAEL, 2010) Preliminary MNSCU student data identified at least 200,000 former MNSCU students no longer enrolled Anticipated: at least 20 percent (40,000) would respond to direct marketing and half of these (20,000) would reenroll.Targets:• Dislocated workers• Military (active or veterans)• Adult students with situational barriers   

RAPID + Graduate Minnesota

RAPID   Preliminary MNSCU student data identified at least 200,000 former MNSCU students no longer enrolledAnticipated:

At least 20 percent (40,000) would respond to direct marketingHalf of these (20,000) would reenroll

Graduate Minnesota (U of M)Started with two main questions:

Who were these students? Where are they now?

How could the University facilitate degree-completion?

 

Options that Enhance Degree CompletionAdult learner needs and preferences for educational programs: Relevance to their jobs or careers Available close to their homes or convenient at a distance Online or hybrid (mix of classroom and online) learning Accelerated or compressed (shorter time from start to finish) Credit options for experiential learning: Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) or Student-Designed Learning (SDL) Market visibility (so they know what's available)

Graduate Minnesota Starting Scope

MNSCU (Minnesota State Colleges/Universities) Pilot:  Two community colleges One comprehensive urban university in Twin Cities metropolitan area (Metro Alliance) Mailing to 500 former students from each campus beginning of fall semester

University of Minnesota Pilot: Three colleges Direct outreach (letter, email, & phone call) to 340 students Personalized letters with direct phone & email to their college adviser Information & contact info for adviser in online programs

Public education partnerships

Graduate Minnesota Partnership Brings together statewide-public higher ed Better serves students Uses resources efficiently (tight budgets) Technology allows us to work together & share resources more effectively

Let's talk . . . . .

What degree completion challenges or initiatives are happening on your campus or in your state?

Characteristics of students

University of Minnesota Past academic success; no academic suspension or probation Degree seeking Left over two years ago Earned at least 90 credits Earned at least 30 U of M credits  Did not complete a bachelor degree elsewhere

MNSCU  Minnesota residents Last attendance within past 10 years Students 20-30 credits short of completing 2 year or 4 year degree, but others considered (15 credit minimum) Good academic standing No developmental or remedial credits

Student success

Key message: "You are closer than you think." Returning students in revising degree plans at Metropolitan State are almost always surprised at how close they are.Some had already completed all work and didn't know it.Others were 2-3 classes from graduation.

Key message: “New options are available.”

Students find the mix of options available a relief; some can finish their degree by taking both online and on-campus courses. Many others choose the online degree completion option.  

Let's talk . . . . .

What do you consider to be characteristics of students who are most likely to succeed and graduate?

One-stop starting point

Minnesota Learning Commons hosts the central call center (with toll-free number) and web site Extensive expertise in key areas of student advising (readiness, financial aid, transfer, online learning) Expanded hours and follow-up with "warm transfer" to designated  staff at local colleges/universities who then connect with academic advisors, transfer specialists, veterans support Minnesota Transfer website  improves transfer process and decisions for students, faculty and staff.. 

 

Student services: Challenges

$$$: Adults seek financial help and support. For example, thousands responded to the initial MNSCU announcement about the Lumina grant supporting degree completion; the word "grant" triggered hope of tuition support, which is not part of the grant. A couple community colleges, however, are providing initial limited tuition for a back-to-college starting course.

Lag time: When adult students make the decision to return, they want to start, not wait months for admissions paperwork processing and registration eligibility. A free resource workshop available to all who have applied is among options that help them get going faster.

Let's talk . . . .

What student services or support do you consider essential to success of returning adult students?

Process

MNSCU: Adult degree completion has been the primary focus at Metropolitan State since it began in 1971.• Currently 95 percent of its students are transfers.• They bring an average of transcripts from 3 different institutions.• Enrollment growth sustained close to or above double digit levels

Two-year colleges in the system also experience steady or increasing enrollment. Interest in adult degree completion at four-year institutions outstate is accelerating to meet market and workplace challenges.

Process

University of Minnesota: Approached deans first to discuss outreach to students from their colleges and gain approval. Developed a custom process for working with advising staff in each college; local conditions and requirements vary. Maintained frequent communication with director of advising and dean’s office throughout outreach effort (usually 4 weeks). Initial report to the dean and advising director 6 weeks after effort began, second report 6 months later, final report 1 yr later.

Let's talk . . . . .

What institutional barriers or policies make it difficult for students to return and finish?

What policies facilitate their return/degree completion?