Adult Student Market Analysis
Transcript of Adult Student Market Analysis
Draft Final Report
Undergraduate and Graduate Adult Student Market Analysis
University of Southern Maine
August, 2011
5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 212, Hoboken, NJ 07030
T: 201.377.3332 ● F: 201.377.3096● E: [email protected]
http://adultstudents.educationdynamics.com
Draft Final Report
Undergraduate and Graduate
Adult Student Market Analysis
Conducted for:
University of Southern Maine
Conducted by:
Carol B. Aslanian, Project Executive
Scott Jeffe, Project Director
EducationDynamics
5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 212
Hoboken, NJ 07030
T: 201.377.3332
F: 201.377.3096
http://adultstudents.educationdynamics.com
August, 2011
About EducationDynamics
Find. Enroll. Retain.
EducationDynamics -- higher education's leading marketing company --
provides marketing and student affairs professionals the tools they need to meet
their critical objectives in attracting students and retaining them through
graduation. The organization has pulled together the best in content resources
and proprietary technology applications all managed by a team of professionals
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only organization that delivers products and services with a proven track record
for helping schools find, enroll and retain students.
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has a portfolio of proven tools to maximize the interaction with prospective and
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CONTENTS
Page
Executive Summary i
Study Methodology 1
Study Area Maps 3
Respondent Profiles
Recent Undergraduate Adult Students - 4
Recent Graduate Adult Students - 7
Study 1: Undergraduate Adult Student Demand
Degree and Nondegree Study - 10
Schedules of Courses - 17
Study Formats - 20
The Position and Image of the University of
Southern Maine
-
24
Promotion of the University of Southern Maine - 32
Media to Advertise - 37
Cost of Courses - 41
Study 2: Graduate Adult Student Demand
Degree and Nondegree Study - 44
Schedules of Courses - 52
Study Formats for Graduate Adult Students - 54
The Position and Image of the University of
Southern Maine
-
59
Promotion of the University of Southern Maine - 65
Media to Advertise - 70
Cost of Courses - 75
Study 3: Employer/Organization Demand - 78
Study 4: School District Demand - 100
Study 5: Competitor Analysis - 106
Undergraduate
Kaplan University-South Portland
Southern Maine Community College
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
University of Maine at Augusta
University of Phoenix
University of Southern Maine
Graduate Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
University of Maine
University of New England-Portland
University of Southern Maine
i
Executive Summary
The University of Southern Maine commissioned Aslanian Market Research to conduct a
comprehensive market analysis of demand for undergraduate and graduate adult student
education. The overall purpose of the analysis was to gather data that would allow the
University to ensure that institutional policies, practices, and programs that serve adult
students are responsive to changing needs and demands of prospective undergraduate and
graduate adult students who live, work, and study within the University’s service area.
For the purposes of this analysis, a study area based on a 50-mile radius around each of
the University’s campuses -- in Gorham, Lewiston-Auburn, and Portland – was used.
Conducted during the spring and summer of 2011, this market analysis had six core
components:
In studies 1 and 2, we assessed the demand for undergraduate adult and graduate
study among individuals who had engaged in such study in the past seven years,
and who reside in the aforementioned study area.
In studies 3 and 4, we assessed the demands of employers in the region by
conducting interviews with representatives of 50 businesses and other
organizations as well as 10 school districts.
In study 5, we analyzed the undergraduate adult and graduate offerings of a set of
institutions with which the University competes. These institutions were identified
by the University of Southern Maine staff as competitors and were rated as such
among the undergraduate and graduate adult students we surveyed.
Finally, we conducted a site visit during which we met with key stakeholders and
spoke in depth with both staff with specific responsibility for serving the needs of
adult students as well as staff who are engaged in the overall operations of the
University as they relate to increasing enrollment and retention. In a sense, all of
these people reflect current ―supply‖ offered by the University in a study that is
otherwise focused on demand.
This Executive Summary offers recommendations and highlights key findings based on
the extensive report that follows. We carefully reviewed the data from our investigations
and have drawn conclusions as appropriate.
It is important that the University of Southern Maine staff read the entire report to
understand fully the outcomes that underpin our recommendations and, equally
important, to develop additional conclusions based on the data and their own extensive
experience. Our recommendations and key findings follow a brief overview of the
University’s operations over recent years.
ii
Background
The University of Southern Maine mission statement begins by stating that the University
is ―dedicated to providing students with a high quality, accessible, affordable education.‖
To that end, Aslanian Market Research was asked to conduct an analysis of the demands
and preferences of individuals 25 years of age or older who have recently engaged in
undergraduate or graduate study, to identify where these demands and preferences may
diverge from current practices at the University.
Given declining high school graduation rates in the state of Maine shown below, in order
to expand enrollments in coming years, the University will have to consider a minimum
of three options: (1) lower admissions requirements for traditional aged students in order
―dig deeper in a shrinking pool‖, (2) engage in more costly out-of-state recruitment, or,
(3) configure programs and services in a way that will allow adult students to be able to
consider enrolling at USM while juggling home, work and other life responsibilities.
In a review of 2004 and 2008 IPEDS data for the state of Maine, we see that total
enrollment (at both the undergraduate and graduate levels) have grown slightly – adding
about 5,000 additional students in four years. This growth has been largely at the
undergraduate level – where there was 8.5 percent growth, and less so at the graduate
level – where there was 2 percent growth. Accurate comparisons by age (under 25 and
25+) are not possible due to the fact that in 2004 a large number of Maine’s colleges and
universities (including USM) did not report their enrollments to IPEDS by age, but rather
were submitted as ―age unknown).
The modest growth at the state level has not been mirrored in matriculated enrollments at
USM, where in the same time period (2004-2008) enrollments at both the undergraduate
(-5%) and graduate (-7%) levels declined slightly. The good news is that institutional data
provided to Aslanian Market Research (in the table below) indicate that degree
enrollments at both levels have increased in both of the years since 2008. The decline in
iii
nondegree study at USM between 2004 and 2008 (-23%) is important to note as it stands
in contrast to Aslanian Market Research national trend data that indicate that nondegree
study (certificates, licenses, and individual course study) is on the rise – comprising as
much as 40 percent of adult students in any given study we conduct.
USM Fall Enrollment 2004-2010
Adult student enrollment (age 25+) as a percentage of total enrollment at USM has fallen
significantly over the last decade, due, we assume, to a strategic plan that specifically
sought to focus on traditional age enrollment (particularly out-of-state students) rather
than adult students. USM was not alone in this decision-making. Colleges and
universities throughout the country who had long served the non-traditional/adult market
were advised to focus on the 18-22 year old market by consultants, faculty, and other
stakeholders. The results could not be clearer – while in 2000, 65 percent of all USM
enrollments were 25+ years of age, in 2010, just 35 percent were 25+ years of age. In
fact, the core adult student age group (25-40 years of age) dropped from 47 percent of all
USM enrollments in 2000 to 30 percent in 2010. The traditional age strategy also
extended to USM’s graduate programs where, in 2010, 40 percent of graduate students
are now between the ages of 21 and 25. This stands in contrast to national, and even state
of Maine data which indicate that approximately 80 percent of graduate students (in
2008) were over the age of 25.
In retrospect, given the declining number of high school graduates being produced in
Maine (and neighboring states from which USM might draw students), and the fact that
the educational needs of adults residing in the area have only increased in the last decade,
the strategy of moving away from meeting the needs of adult students may have
adversely impacted USM.
We believe that growth in the ever-tightening and competitive higher education market is
possible, particularly if the University pursues enrollment growth in the adult student
market. This will require not only offering programs that are in demand, but also offering
6797 6847 6718 6583 6483 6552 6582
13931414 1343 1463 1296 1322
1358
2573 24062126 2133 1961 1514 1431
Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Fall 2010
Undergraduate Graduate Non-Degree UG/Grad
iv
programs in a manner (schedules, formats and services) that the adult student can even
consider enrolling in given their competing priorities (work, family, education, etc).
According to a recent study by the Lumina Foundation, 37 percent of working
professionals aged 25-64 hold at least a two-year degree. This is almost precisely at
national average of 37.7 percent. If we consider those who have attained a four-year
degree, Maine lags a bit more behind the national average of 29.5 percent with just 26.6
percent of working-aged Mainers holding such a degree. Again according to the Lumina
Foundation, there are 157,000 individuals (22 percent of the state’s population) between
the ages of 25-64 who have earned some college credits but no degree. They will need
generous credit transfer policies, flexible schedules, convenient locations and programs to
advance their careers. Attracting even a small percent of these individuals through adult-
friendly, convenient and flexible programs would help the University reach aggressive
enrollment targets in a manner that is cost effective while also contributing to the long
term economic viability of the state.
Institutional Structure
The University of Southern Maine is organized in a ―centralized, decentralized‖ manner
that we see at many institutions – meaning that decision making and responsibility are
shared among many offices, units, departments, etc. This leads, in many cases, to no one
having ultimate authority or accountability for…just about anything. The Student Success
(enrollment management operation) office handles recruitment and admission of all
students – whether they be traditional age or adult. The University Outreach staff work
with (counsels, advises, etc) adult students once they are enrolled (they also manage
USM’s online and noncredit professional development offerings, which will be discussed
below). Both of these offices (that are required to recruit and manage adult students) have
little to no influence on what is being offered, how it is offered, and where it is being
offered. This is not to say that these offices should be making these decisions alone, but
the information they bring to the table about what it will take to make USM attractive to
adult students should be more than a minimal part of the process in deciding how, when
and where USM offers its programs. Otherwise, they can’t really be held to goals set for
them. This is indicative of a common maxim: ―you can’t sell what people don’t want.‖
Course scheduling and the determination of course formats during the fall and spring
semesters (an issue of outsized importance to the recruitment and advisement of adult
students as compared to their 18-22 year old counterparts) are in the hands of the various
schools and colleges at the University, and decisions are based on a number of variables:
pedagogy, availability and willingness of faculty to teach at a given time, place, etc,
resources available to hire adjuncts, and other collective bargaining strictures. The input
of Student Success and University Outreach regarding the times, places, formats and
subjects that are needed by adult students to even be able to consider enrolling at USM
have not been a driving forces in scheduling decisions.
v
Enrollment decisions for traditional age students are not predicated on course schedules
and formats (although we predict they will be more and more in the future). For the most
part, such students will take courses at the times, places, durations, and in the formats
they are told are available. The University’s decision in the last decade to focus on
traditional age students is reflected in the fact that while a decade ago several of USM’s
degrees could be completed exclusively through evening study, today staff report that
that is virtually impossible.
We were also concerned to learn that the University will be rolling out a new
undergraduate core curriculum in the coming year that was described to us as including
classes throughout the four years of study. In preliminary discussions with prospective
undergraduate adult students, admissions staff indicated to us that these requirements
present a challenge to the student, and thereby to USM. Given the number of adults in the
state of Maine with some college but no degree (see figures above, as cited by the
Lumina Foundation), the ability to be able to waive (or not waive) some of these
requirements are likely to impact both enrollment and retention of adult students.
The University Outreach office does manage the scheduling for the summer and winter
terms and in a review of course offerings, it is clear that they do so with the adult student
in mind. They also currently manage the University’s online offerings through USM
Online. We predict that as USM’s online offerings expand (as they must in order to meet
demand) there will be increasing pressure for the responsibility for such offerings to be
put in the hands of the various schools and colleges. We would caution the University to
ensure that regardless of who controls the offerings that they be sensitive to market
demands. The rise of several for-profit providers in Maine in recent years is ―proof
positive‖ that there is demand and adequate technological capability for online education
(as well as classroom study offering in a manner conducive to adult student needs).
Various constraints such as accreditation issues, a limited supply of faculty, and a small
number of ―practical experiences‖ have forced USM to cap enrollments in some high
demand programs (e.g.: Nurse Practitioner, Counseling). With regard to these ―supply‖
issues, it seems, again, that the University’s hands are tied by collective bargaining
agreements that may stifle growth. The University must seek solutions that allow it to
serve the demands of the people of the state of Maine.
While we find nationally, and in this study, that adult students at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels have no bias against being taught by adjunct/part-time faculty – in
fact, nationally there is a slight preference for it – there seems to be skepticism among the
University’s academic leadership about over-using them. Some we spoke with indicated
that their own research has found that adjunct faculty are ―easy graders‖ and that larger
proportions of their students earn disproportionally higher grades. We do not dispute
these findings, but think that it is unlikely that busy working adults seek out adjunct
faculty for ―easy grades.‖ More likely they select courses taught by adjunct faculty
because either (a) that course is all that is available to them at the time they can dedicate
to study, or (b) they prefer to enroll in courses taught by instructors who also work in the
vi
field in which they are teaching. However, it has also been true that adult students do, in
fact, excel in their courses as compared to younger students.
All in all, the current state of the ―process‖ and organization of USM make serving the
needs of adult students, and thereby the recruitment of, a significant challenge.
vii
RECOMMENDATIONS
Action recommendations for this study will be presented in a subsequent edition of this
report and will be based in a careful review of the market data surfaced in our analysis in
combination with input, observations and commentary provided by University of
Southern Maine. This will ensure that the action recommendations are directed in ways
most useful to successfully advancing the University’s service to adult students.
1
Study Methodology
During the spring and summer of 2011, EducationDynamics conducted a comprehensive
market analysis of demand for undergraduate and graduate adult student education on
behalf of the University of Southern Maine. The overall purpose of the analysis was to
identify policies and practices to enhance the University of Southern Maine’s market
share of undergraduate and graduate adult students living within a 50-mile radius of its
campuses in Gorham, Lewiston-Auburn, and Portland. Planned jointly by representatives
of the University of Southern Maine and EducationDynamics, the analysis consisted of
four studies, which are described below and reported in this document.
Study 1: Undergraduate Adult Student Demand
Random telephone calls were made to thousands of households in the study area (an area
within a 50-mile radius of each of the University of Southern Maine’s campuses in
Gorham, Lewiston-Auburn, and Portland) in order to find a sample of 150 undergraduate
adult students. Respondents were 25 years of age or older when they initially enrolled in
their most recent undergraduate study within the past seven years (about 80 percent of
respondents) or had firm plans to enroll in a undergraduate course in the next two years
(about 20 percent of respondents).
The patterns and preferences of these students are reflective of the students that the
University of Southern Maine can position itself to attract. This approach is based on the
belief that what and how students have actually studied in the recent past or have firm
plans to do so in the next year or so are the best predictors of what others will study in the
future. To put it a different way, we have found, as a result of many studies, that
examining demand is far more reliable than examining prospective interest.
Recent undergraduate adult students residing in the high or medium-high learning census
tracts in the designated area were interviewed (see the map that follows). The interviews
collected information directly related to a number of areas of interest among the
University of Southern Maine staff, including fields of study, schedules of study, study
formats, the position and image of the University of Southern Maine, promotion
strategies, use of media for advertising, and course costs. Each interview also included
questions about the personal characteristics and circumstances of the undergraduate adult
students at the time they took their most recent undergraduate course.
We interviewed a wide range of respondents, as shown in the respondent profile tables
that follow. In general, undergraduate adult students are typically:
Caucasian females 35 years of age. Most are not married and do not have children
under 18 years of age. They are employed full time, and typically have a total
family income of about $55,000. About 30 percent of undergraduate adult
students had already earned a bachelor’s degree or more before they had most
recently enrolled in undergraduate study. They are most often motivated to enroll
2
in college in order to change careers (28%), advance in their current career (26%),
or enter a first career (16%). They most often use personal funds to support their
education (57%), followed by student loans (40%), and grants (28%).
Study 2: Graduate Adult Student Demand
Random telephone calls were made to thousands of households in the study area (an area
within a 50-mile radius of each of the University of Southern Maine’s campuses in
Gorham, Lewiston-Auburn, and Portland) in order to find a sample of 150 graduate adult
students. Respondents were 25 years of age or older when they initially enrolled in their
most recent graduate study within the past seven years (75 percent of respondents) or had
firm plans to enroll in a graduate course in the next two years (25 percent of
respondents).
The patterns and preferences of these students are reflective of the students that the
University of Southern Maine can position itself to attract. This approach is based on the
belief that what and how students have actually studied in the recent past or have firm
plans to do so in the next year or so are the best predictors of what others will study in the
future. To put it a different way, we have found, as a result of many studies, that
examining demand is far more reliable than examining prospective interest.
Recent graduate adult students residing in the high or medium-high learning census tracts
in the designated area were interviewed (see the map that follows). The interviews
collected information directly related to a number of areas of interest among the
University of Southern Maine staff, including fields of study, schedules of study, study
formats, the position and image of the University of Southern Maine, promotion
strategies, use of media for advertising, and course costs. Each interview also included
questions about the personal characteristics and circumstances of the graduate adult
students at the time they took their most recent graduate course.
We interviewed a wide range of respondents, as shown in the respondent profile tables
that follow. We note here that finding graduate degree holders in the Maine portion of our
study area presented a greater challenge that it did in the neighboring states, indicating
less prevalence in Maine. In general, graduate adult students are typically:
Caucasian females 35 years of age. Slightly more than half are married and most
do not have children under 18 years of age. They are employed full time, and
typically have a total family income of about $75,000. About 30 percent of
graduate adult students had already earned a master’s degree or more before they
had most recently enrolled in graduate study. They are most often motivated to
enroll in college in order to advance in their current careers (54%), change careers
(16%), or keep up-to-date in their current career (15%). They most often use
personal funds to support their education (63%), followed by tuition
reimbursement (35%), student loans (29%), and grants (17%).
3
STUDY 3: Employer/Organization Demand
We interviewed representatives of 50 employers in the region all of which fell within a
50-mile radius of the University of Southern Maine’s Portland, Maine campus. The
interviews were designed to investigate their familiarity with the University of Southern
Maine, tuition assistance programs, prior arrangements with outside vendors for
education and training, unmet education and training needs, as well as other topics. In
addition, the conversations addressed employer interest in discussing education and
training needs with the University of Southern Maine representatives.
STUDY 4: School District Demand
We interviewed a representatives of 10 school districts in southern Maine. The interviews
were designed to investigate their familiarity with the University of Southern Maine,
prior use of colleges or universities as sources of education and training, their most
pressing needs in terms of the skills required of new employees and their possible interest
in working with the University in the future, and other topics.
Study 5: Competitor Analysis
Over several months, EducationDynamics examined undergraduate adult student and
graduate student programs offered at several individual institutions, including the
University of Southern Maine. The institutions analyzed were selected based on their
market share among the recent undergraduate and graduate adult students we surveyed
and the University of Southern Maine staff’s knowledge regarding the competitive
marketplace in the study area:
Undergraduate
Kaplan University-South Portland
Southern Maine Community College
Southern New Hampshire University-
Brunswick
University of Maine at Augusta
University of Phoenix
the University of Southern Maine
Graduate
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Southern New Hampshire University-
Brunswick
University of Maine
University of New England-Portland
the University of Southern Maine
2
Study Timetable and Reporting
Supported by technical assistance from Resolution Research and Marketing and Applied Education
Research, EducationDynamics carried out this undergraduate and graduate adult student market analysis
during the spring and summer of 2011. That work produced this report, which contains both findings from
the study and recommendations based on the study to guide the University of Southern Maine’s future
policies and practices.
Technical Notes
All percents in this report have been rounded; therefore, the total percent figure in a table may not add up to
exactly 100. Further, if the total percent figure is substantially more than 100, it is because some questions
allowed the respondents to choose more than one option.
Data are expressed in percentages except in instances where numbers express the data more precisely.
4
Respondent Profiles
Study 1: Undergraduate Adult Student Demand
Gender
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Female 77%
Male 23
Ethnicity
Caucasian 96%
Native American 2
African American 1
Hispanic 1
Age When Last Enrolled
25-29 34%
30-34 13
35-39 14
40-44 6
45-49 13
50-54 9
55-59 4
60-64 5
65 or older 2
Married
No 57%
Yes 41
Prefer not to answer 2
Children Under 18 Years of Age
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
No 70%
Yes 30
5
State of Residency
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Maine 55%
Massachusetts 25
New Hampshire 20
Zip codes of undergraduate adult students are available upon request.
Employment Status
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Employed full time 63%
Employed part time 17
Not employed and not seeking employment 9
Not employed, but seeking employment 9
Retired 2
Income
Under $25,000 15%
$25,000 - $39,999 19
$40,000 - $54,999 16
$55,000 - $69,999 8
$70,000 - $84,999 8
$85,000 - $99,999 5
$100,000 - $114,999 13
$115,000 - $129,000 10
$130,000 - $149,000 2
More than $150,000 3
Highest Level of Schooling Completed
High school diploma/GED 23%
One or two years of college, but no
associate’s degree 26
Associate’s degree 18
Three or four years of college, but no
bachelor’s degree 4
Bachelor’s degree 17
Some graduate courses but no master’s
degree 5
Master’s degree 6
Some graduate courses beyond a master’s
degree, but no doctorate --
Doctorate 1
6
Primary Motivation for Enrollment
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
To change careers 28%
To advance in your current career 26
To enter a first career 16
Personal reasons unrelated to job/career 13
Seeking a specific degree/level of schooling 10
To keep up-to-date in your current career 7
Method(s) of Course Payment
Personal funds 57%
Student loans 40
Grants (federal/state/local financial aid) 28
Tuition reimbursement 17
Personal loans 13
Private scholarships 13
Assistantships/Tuition waivers 6
Military/Veterans benefits 5
Other 3
7
Study 2: Graduate Adult Student Demand
Gender
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Female 76%
Male 24
Ethnicity
Caucasian 94%
Asian or Pacific Islander 3
African American 2
Hispanic 1
Age When Last Enrolled
25-29 31%
30-34 18
35-39 6
40-44 12
45-49 9
50-54 7
55-59 10
60-64 4
65 or older 3
Married
Yes 52%
No 47
Prefer not to answer 1
Children Under 18 Years of Age
No 69%
Yes 30
Prefer not 1
State of Residency
Massachusetts 36%
New Hampshire 14
Maine 50
Zip codes of graduate adult students are available upon request.
8
Employment Status
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Employed full time 73%
Employed part time 11
Not employed and not seeking employment 11
Not employed, but seeking employment 1
Retired 4
Income
Under $25,000 4%
$25,000 - $39,999 12
$40,000 - $54,999 14
$55,000 - $69,999 14
$70,000 - $84,999 18
$85,000 - $99,999 9
$100,000 - $114,999 11
$115,000 - $129,000 5
$130,000 - $149,000 6
More than $150,000 8
Highest Level of Schooling Completed
High school diploma/GED 3%
One or two years of college, but no
associate’s degree 1
Associate’s degree 5
Three or four years of college, but no
bachelor’s degree --
Bachelor’s degree 51
Some graduate courses but no master’s
degree 8
Master’s degree 21
Some graduate courses beyond a master’s
degree, but no doctorate 9
Doctorate 2
Primary Motivation for Enrollment
To advance in your current career 54%
To change careers 16
To keep up-to-date in your current career 15
Personal reasons unrelated to job/career 8
To enter a first career 7
Seeking a specific degree/level of schooling --
9
Method(s) of Course Payment
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Personal funds 63%
Tuition reimbursement 35
Student loans 29
Grants (federal/state/local financial aid) 17
Personal loans 10
Private scholarships 9
Assistantships/tuition waivers 8
Military/Veterans benefits 2
Other 1
10
Study 1: Undergraduate Adult Student Demand
Degree and Nondegree Study Among
Undergraduate Adult Students
Degree and Nondegree Study in the Market
Fifty-five percent of the undergraduate adult students we interviewed were studying for a
degree (33 percent of whom were enrolled in a degree program while 22 percent were taking
individual undergraduate courses for transfer to a bachelor’s degree program).
Among the 45 percent of undergraduate adult students who were not enrolled in a degree
program, 20 percent were taking individual courses, 15 percent were taking courses for an
occupational/career diploma or certificate (most often in business and health professions), and
ten percent were taking courses toward a license in a professional area (most often in health
professions):
Enrollment Status
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Enrolled in a degree program 33%
Taking individual undergraduate courses for
transfer to a bachelor’s degree program 22
Taking individual courses for other reasons 20
Taking courses for an occupational/career
diploma or certificate 15
Taking courses toward a license in a
professional area 10
Degree Level
Among students studying for a degree, about 95 percent are seeking bachelor’s degrees, while
about five percent are seeking associate’s degrees.
11
Degree Study
As previously mentioned, in our market studies we examine the most popular degrees
currently/recently taken by undergraduate adult students, because we believe that the degrees
that they have actually worked toward in the past are the best predictors of what others will study
in the future.
Subject Field of Degree Program
Therefore, we asked only those respondents directly in the degree market (55%) to name the
subject field in which they were majoring. Here is what they told us:
General Subject Field of Degree
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Business 33%
Social Sciences 20
Computer & Information Science 7
Health Professions 7
Law 5
Communications 4
Education 4
Language and Literature 4
Physical Sciences 4
Public Affairs/Social Work 4
Arts- Visual/Performing 2
Engineering 2
Foreign Languages 2
Other- Not Listed 4
Business commands the greatest share of the market, with 33 percent, followed by social
sciences with 20 percent. Together, these two areas comprise about 55 percent of the
undergraduate adult student degree market.
Following are the specific fields of the degrees respondents are studying, organized into topics
most frequently cited to those least frequently cited:
12
BUSINESS
Business Administration (7 citations)
Business Management (5 citations)
Accounting (3 citations)
Accounting & Finance
Administrative Assistant
Sports Management
Organizational Leadership
Business Management: Computer Applications
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Psychology (6 citations)
Sociology (2 citations)
Behavioral Sciences
Early American History
Government
Law Enforcement
History
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/SOCIAL WORK
Criminal Justice (4 citations)
Forensics
Human Services
COMPUTER & INFORMATION
SCIENCES
Computer Science (two citations)
Computer Applications
IT
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Nursing (3 citations)
Medical Assistant
Nutrition Science
COMMUNICATIONS
Communication degree in Hospitality
Journalism
EDUCATION
Elementary Education
Special Education-Behavioral
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
English Literature
Professional Writing
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Biology
Biology with a Marine concentration
ARTS: VISUAL/PERFORMING
Theatre Arts - Lighting Design
ENGINEERING
Electrical
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Interpreter Services
LAW
Law
OTHER
Liberal Arts (two citations)
13
Nondegree Study
Among the 45 percent of undergraduate adult students who were not enrolled in a degree
program, 20 percent were taking individual courses for other reasons, 15 percent were taking
courses for an occupational/career diploma or certificate (most often in business and health
professions), and ten percent were taking courses toward a license in a professional area (most
often in health professions). Below we present data on each of these nondegree options.
Subject Field of License The data that follow explain that 60 percent of respondents who are studying for a license studied
health professions, followed by 20 percent who study education, and ten percent who study
business:
General Subject Field of License
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Health Professions 60%
Education 20
Business 10
Other- Not Listed 10
Following are the specific fields of the licenses respondents are studying, organized into topics
most frequently cited to those least frequently cited:
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Nursing (three citations)
Medical Coding
Pharmacy Tech
RN Degree
EDUCATION
Early Childhood
K-12 Education
BUSINESS
Insurance
OTHER
Emergency Management
14
Subject Field of Certificate Thirty-three percent of respondents who are studying for a certificate study business, while 27
percent are studying for a certificate in health professions:
General Subject Field of Certificate
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Business 33%
Health Professions 27
Education 7
Technology 7
Engineering 7
Law 7
Physical Sciences 7
Social Sciences 7
Following are the specific fields of the certificates respondents are studying, organized into
topics most frequently cited to those least frequently cited:
BUSINESS
Business Management (four citations)
Sports & Recreation Management
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Coding
Medical Coding
Medical Coding and Billing
Medical Office Management
EDUCATION
Music Education
ENGINEERING
Auto Cad Technology- Mechanical Engineering
LAW
Law Enforcement
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Horticulture
SOCIAL SCIENCES
History
TECHNOLOGY
Electrical
15
Enrollment in Noncredit or Professional Development Study
We continued by asking respondents if they have enrolled in any noncredit or professional
development courses, seminars, webinars, or workshops related to their current career or in order
to change career in the last five years. About 35 percent have indeed.
Topic of Noncredit or Professional Development Study
Staying only with those who have enrolled in any noncredit or professional development courses,
seminars, webinars, or workshops, we then asked them to tell us the topic of that study. Business
was cited most frequently:
BUSINESS
Business Analyst
Business Development
Customer Service
Insurance - Benefits
Labor Relations
Leadership
Project Management
Project Management Applications
Real Estate
Sales
Supervising Difficult Employees
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Alzheimer's Disease with Down Syndrome
CRMA Certified Residential Medical Aid
Health Education
Health Enrollment Benefits
Nursing continuing education requirements
Presently working as an electrologist
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION
SCIENCES
c++ programming, algorithms and techniques
Database Management
Excel
Web Design, Programming
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Bullying
Early Child Development
Psychology
EDUCATION
Continuing Education unit
Creativity in the classroom
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/SOCIAL WORK
Emergency Management and Homeland
Security Preparedness
Social Work Ethics, Mental Health Disorders in
Children
LAW
Legal Continuing Education classes
OTHER
Construction
Dodd Frank Act
Instrumental
Job Search
Library Science
Logistics
NCCER accreditation
Skin Care
16
Type of Organization Providing Noncredit or Professional Development Study
Continuing with this pool of respondents, we then asked what type of organization
provided their noncredit or professional development course. The largest proportion—
about 45 percent—studied at a training company:
Type of Organization Providing Course
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Training company 46%
Professional Association 18
College or university 14
School district 8
Other* 14
Course Delivery of Noncredit or Professional Development Study
The majority—about 60 percent—took that noncredit or professional development course
in a classroom:
Course Delivery
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
In a classroom 62%
Online 24
Other 14
Course Payment of Noncredit or Professional Development Study The largest proportion of this pool—about 55 percent—took a noncredit or professional
development course that was paid for by their employer:
Course Payment
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Employer 54%
Self 19
Free 24
Other 3
Satisfaction with Noncredit or Professional Development Study Finally on this topic, we asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with their noncredit
or professional development course using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all satisfied to 5
extremely satisfied. Respondents gave a 3.8 average rating, with 65 percent giving 4 or 5
ratings.
17
Schedules of Courses for Undergraduate Adult Students
Patterns of Undergraduate Course Study
Number of Courses Taken
We began this section of our interview by asking all of the undergraduate adult students
how many courses they took the last time they were enrolled:
Number of Courses Taken When Last
Enrolled
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
1 course 28%
2 courses 30
3 courses 16
4 courses 9
5 or more courses 17
While about 75 percent of the undergraduate adult students were taking just one, two, or
three courses at a time (typically a part-time course load), the other approximately 25
percent were taking four or more courses (typically a full-time course load).
When we followed up with only the 55 percent of respondents pursing a degree, by
specifically asking them whether they were studying full or part time the last time they
were enrolled, the results revealed that about 65 percent of undergraduate adult students
enrolled in part-time study and about 35 percent enrolled in full-time study.
Times of Day for Course Meetings
Next, we asked all respondents who had enrolled in any classroom-based courses when
they had taken their classes and when they would prefer to take their classes:
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Time of Day Majority of Classroom
Courses Met
Actual
Preferred
Weekday early mornings
(finished by 9:00 a.m.)
6% 8%
Weekday mornings
(between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon)
15 17
Weekday afternoons
(between 12:00 noon and 4:30 p.m.)
11 6
Weekday evenings
(4:30 p.m. or later)
66 63
Weekends 2 6
18
About two-thirds took their classes on weekday evenings, while about one-third took
courses during the day.
But were these class times the preferences of the demanders or were they driven by the
suppliers? The data show that, for the most part, undergraduate adult students study when
they want to study.
Actual and Preferred Length of Course
Changing topics, we asked all undergraduate adult respondents who engaged in any
classroom-based courses (those who did not take all of their courses online) how many
weeks their most recent course lasted. We then asked all respondents to tell us how many
weeks they prefer a course last:
Number of Weeks of Most Recent Course
Actual
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Preferred
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
1 week -- --
2 weeks -- --
3 weeks 1% 2%
4 weeks 3 3
5 weeks -- 1
6 weeks 3 6
7 weeks -- 2
8 weeks 19 26
9 weeks -- 1
10 weeks 9 15
11 weeks 3 2
12 weeks 1 16
13 weeks -- --
14 weeks 6 5
15 weeks or more 56 21
The majority—about 60 percent—most recently enrolled in courses of 14 or more weeks
– respresting traditional semester length study, while 35 percent enrolled in courses of
between six and 12 weeks (representing moderately accelerated study.
In comparing what these respondents actually did with what they would prefer to do, it’s
apparent that there is a vast difference between what undergraduate adult students are
doing and what they would prefer to do – almost surely governed by what course
schedules are currently available to them. Just 26 percent prefer to enroll in courses of 14
or more weeks, while nearly 70 percent would prefer to enroll in moderately accelerated
courses of between six and twelve week. In fact, the median preference is 10 weeks.
19
Preferred Months of Study
While we did not query the respondents specifically about their preferred months of
study, based on numerous studies conducted nationwide, the pattern of responses has
shown that most undergraduate adult students prefer the fall months (September,
October, and November) and the winter months (January, February, and March). While
classes typically start for undergraduate adult students in late August, the University of
Southern Maine would do better to start them after Labor Day and in January after the
holiday season.
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to Travel to Attend Class
What is the maximum number of minutes respondents are willing to drive one way to an
institution to attend a class? The largest proportion, 55 percent, is willing to drive 16-30
minutes one way to attend class, while another 25 percent is willing to drive 31-45
minutes one way:
Maximum Number of Minutes Willing to
Drive to Attend Class
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Less than 15 minutes 11%
16-30 minutes 55
31-45 minutes 25
More than 45 minutes 9
Convenience of Location for Future Course
Finally on this topic, we asked respondents to rate the convenience of several locations as
a place for they themselves to take a course, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all
convenient to 5 very convenient. None of the locations were rated particularly highly, and
this is not surprising given the broad geography from which the respondents were drawn,
but the highest average rating (2.9) was given to both Portland, Maine:
Convenience of Location for Future
Course
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Portland, ME 3% 2.9
Portsmouth, NH 19 2.3
Saco, ME 14 1.8
Gorham, ME 13 1.8
Brunswick, ME 12 1.8
Augusta, ME 11 1.7
Lewiston, ME 11 1.7
20
Study Formats for Undergraduate Adult Students
Course Format in Which Enrolled
We asked respondents what types of courses they had been enrolled in during the last
term in which they were enrolled. The following data show that about 60 percent were
enrolled in semester-length courses in a classroom. Nearly 35 percent had enrolled in
fully online courses, another 23 percent each were enrolled in hybrid courses or
accelerated classroom courses of approximately eight weeks. It is important to note that
among these undergraduate adult students, nearly 40 percent have not recently engaged in
any traditional, semester length classroom study.
Course Format in Which Enrolled
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Semester length courses (about 15 weeks) in
a classroom 61%
Fully online 34
Accelerated classroom courses of
approximately 8 weeks 23
Hybrid (with some required instruction in a
classroom and some required instruction
online)
23
Satisfaction With Course Format in Which Enrolled
We continued with respondents by asking them to rate their satisfaction with the course
format in which they were most recently enrolled, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all
satisfied to 5 extremely satisfied. The data show that respondents were very satisfied with
all of the course formats, but they were most satisfied with hybrid courses:
Satisfaction of Course Format
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Hybrid (with some required instruction in a
classroom and some required instruction
online)
72%
4.2
Semester length courses (about 15 weeks) in
a classroom
80
4.1
Accelerated classroom courses of
approximately 8 weeks
78
4.1
Fully online 70 4.1
21
Preferred Future Course Format
We then asked respondents which format they prefer to enroll in next: entirely in a
classroom, partly online and partly in a classroom, or entirely online. Forty-two percent
prefer a fully online course, while 36 percent prefer a course conducted partly online.
Therefore, almost 80 percent of respondents would most likely enroll in a course that has
at least some online component:
Preferred Course Format
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Entirely online 42%
Hybrid (partly online/partly in the
classroom) 36
Entirely in the classroom 22
Preferred Frequency of Hybrid Course In-person Meetings
We continued with respondents who took at least one of their courses in hybrid format by
asking them when they would most prefer to visit the college’s campus if they were to
take another hybrid course. The largest proportion—about 55 percent—prefer to visit
campus once every other week:
Preferred Frequency of Hybrid Course In
Person Meetings
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Once every other week 56%
Once a week 28
2-3 times total during term 11
Once per term 6
Technology Used in Hybrid or Fully Online Courses
Next, we asked respondents who have enrolled in a hybrid and/or fully online course by
asking them if their course made significant use of any of the given technologies. The
largest proportion—about 35 percent—enrolled in a course that did not make use of any
of these technologies. But among those whose course did utilize the technologies, the
largest proportion—30 percent—took a course that used video streaming:
Technology Used in Hybrid or Fully
Online Courses
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Video streaming 30%
Social media/networks 21
Virtual worlds/avatars 4
Other 9
None of these 36
22
Preferred Online Course Delivery
We also asked respondents which kind of online course delivery they prefer:
asynchronous or synchronous. The large majority—about 85 percent—prefer
asynchronous.
Low Residency Programs
We continued by asking all respondents about their attraction to low residency programs
– programs that are largely completed online or through independent study, and only
require brief, periodic visits to campus for interaction with other students and faculty. We
explained that such visits are typically offered either once a year or once each
term/semester, and often occur on weekends or a full week in the summer. Respondents
gave a 3.4 average rating of attractiveness to such programs, with half giving 4 or 5
ratings.
Number of Times Per Year Able to Attend Residencies We then asked only those who gave a three or higher rating of attraction to such a
program how many times per year they could attend one of those residencies. The largest
proportions—43 and 41 percent respectively—could attend once or twice per semester:
Number of Times Per Year Able to
Attend Residencies
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Once per semester 43%
Twice per semester 41
Once per year 12
Once during the program 4
Number of Days Able to Dedicate to Visiting the Campus
And how many days could this pool of respondents dedicate to visiting the campus of an
institution that offered a low residency program?
Number of Days Able to Dedicate to the
Visit to the Campus
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
1 36%
2 30
3 12
4 8
5+ 13
23
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to Travel to a Residency
Finally among this pool, we asked them the maximum number of miles they are willing
to travel to get to such a residency if a program was set up to meet their needs. About
three-quarters would be willing to travel less than 50 miles from their home:
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to
Travel to a Residency
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Less than 50 miles from my home 76%
50-100 miles from my home 8
Within my home state 4
Within the region of the country I live 9
Anywhere in the country 3
24
The Position and Image of the University of Southern Maine
in the Undergraduate Adult Student Market
University Providing Current/Recent Course
To determine the current position of the University of Southern Maine in the
undergraduate adult student market in the area surveyed, we asked respondents we
interviewed in each study area where they were currently/recently studying and where
they would prefer to study in the future:
Institution
Actual
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Preferred
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
the University of Southern Maine 8% 13%
University of Maine at Augusta 6 4
Kaplan Career Institute 5 4
Salem State College 5 3
Southern New Hampshire University 4 8
North Shore Community College 4 4
Northern Essex Community College 4 3
Hesser College 4 1
Middlesex Community College 4 --
University of New Hampshire-Durham 3 6
Central Maine Community College 3 4
NHTI-Concord's Community College 3 4
University of Maine 3 2
Nashua Community College 3 1
Harvard University 1 3
Manchester Community College 1 3
Plymouth State University - Plymouth, NH 1 2
Suffolk University 1 2
University of Massachusetts-Boston 1 2
University of Massachusetts-Lowell 1 2
University of New Hampshire-Manchester 1 2
Boston College -- 3
Southern Maine Community College -- 3
Other college* 32 21
*No institution was named by more than one percent of the respondents.
There are many noteworthy points in the table above. Here are the most important points
based on the institutions cited by the undergraduate adult students:
25
Actual Enrollment Patterns
Respondents most often study at the University of Southern Maine (8%), followed
by University of Maine at Augusta (6%), Kaplan Career Institute (5%) and Salem
State College (5%).
Among the institutions that respondents have actually enrolled in for their most
recent study, public institutions dominate: about 65 percent study at public
institutions, while about 25 percent study at private institutions (about five percent
of which have religious affiliations), and about ten percent study at proprietary
institutions.
About 70 percent study at four-year institutions, while about 30 percent study at
two-year institutions.
Preferred Enrollment Patterns
Respondents most often prefer to study at the University of Southern Maine
(13%), followed by Southern New Hampshire University (8%), and University of
New Hampshire-Durham (6%).
Among the cited institutions that respondents prefer to enroll in, public
institutions also dominate: 60 percent prefer public institutions, while 30 percent
prefer private institutions (five percent of which have religious affiliations), and
ten percent prefer proprietary institutions.
About 75 percent prefer to study at four-year institutions, while about 25 percent
prefer to study at two-year institutions.
Comparison of Actual and Preferred Data
In comparing the actual and preferred data for respondents, a few notable disparities
exist between a specific institution’s actual share of the actual undergraduate adult
student market and its preferred share of this market. The largest discrepancy exists
for the University of Southern Maine, where eight percent of the undergraduate adult
students currently study, but 13 percent would prefer to (a five percent increase),
followed by Southern New Hampshire University, where four percent of the
undergraduate adult students currently study, but eight percent would prefer to (a four
percent increase), and Middlesex Community College, where four percent of the
undergraduate adult students currently study, but none of the market would prefer to
(a four percent decrease).
About the University of Southern Maine
the University of Southern Maine has eight percent of the undergraduate adult student
market and 13 percent of the preferred undergraduate adult student market—the
largest shares of both the actual and preferred undergraduate markets.
26
General Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Moving on, we asked all respondents how they would characterize their familiarity with
the University of Southern Maine. The largest proportion—almost 40 percent—has heard
of the University of Southern Maine, but didn’t know anything about it until we
interviewed them:
General Familiarity with the University
of Southern Maine
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
I have heard of it, but didn't know anything
about it until now 38%
I know of it and know some programs and
services they offer before today 28
I have never heard of it until today 19
I know it and the programs it offers well 15
Familiarity with Specific Programs at the University of Southern Maine
We then asked all respondents to describe how familiar they are with the specific
programs at the University of Southern Maine. The largest proportions—40 percent and
37 percent respectively—knew of it and some programs and services it offers before we
interviewed them or have heard of it, but didn’t know anything about it until we
interviewed them:
Familiarity with the Specific Programs at
the University of Southern Maine
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
I know of it and know some programs and
services it offers before today 40%
I have heard of it, but didn't know anything
about it until now 37
I have never heard of it until today 12
I know it and the programs it offers well 11
27
Consideration of Enrolling at the University of Southern Maine
Next, we asked only the respondents who did not attend the University of Southern
Maine if they considered enrolling at the University. About 40 percent did indeed.
Reason for Not Considering the University of Southern Maine
Why did approximately 60 percent not consider the University of Southern Maine? The
largest proportion of this pool, about 70 percent, told us the University of Southern Maine
is not conveniently located:
Reason For Not Considering the
University of Southern Maine
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Not a convenient location to my home or
work 72%
Lack of information 11
Didn't offer the program I wanted 6
Schedule of courses didn't fit my needs 3
Cost - It was not affordable 3
Length of time to complete the program --
Reputation of the institution or program I
wanted --
Other 6
Opinion of and Familiarity with Nominated Institutions
We then asked all respondents to rate six institutions (nominated by the University of
Southern Maine staff) as places for they themselves to study at the undergraduate level,
using a 5-point scale of 1 low to 5 high. Respondents who did not know an institution
well enough were asked not to rate it.
Institution
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Knew It Well
Enough to
Rate
the University of Southern Maine 46% 3.1 72%
University of New England 42 3.1 68
St. Joseph's College 29 2.6 67
Southern Maine Community College 23 2.3 67
Kaplan University 20 2.2 75
University of Phoenix 18 2.1 77
The best profile for an institution is to be both widely known and well regarded as a place
to study. The data show that the University of Southern Maine and University of New
England achieve the highest average rating, both with 3.1, but University of Phoenix
28
achieves the greatest visibility, 77 percent, followed by Kaplan University – two for-
profit institutions operating in the region and spending significantly to raise their
visibility in the region.
Note that although University of Phoenix has the greatest visibility at 77 percent, it has
the lowest average rating of 2.1. Such data prove that a high average rating does not
necessarily correspond with greater visibility—data confirmed in past studies as well.
Moreover, familiarity alone does not draw students to an institution. Institutions such as
the University of Southern Maine and University of New England—which have the
highest average ratings—have done more than the others to make a positive impression
on this market beyond just increasing its visibility.
Ideas/Associations About the University of Southern Maine
When respondents think of the University of Southern Maine, what comes to mind first?
The largest proportions, about 25 percent of respondents, could not think of anything.
Among those who could think of something, the largest proportion commented on
USM’s location, or the convenience (or lack there of) of its campuses:
LOCATION Local (two citations)
Local, affordable,
Local, convenient well known in the area
Local, inexpensive, easy to access via public transportation
Located not far from where I live and my son attends there
Convenience
Close to home, bigger university than the local community colleges
Close to home and affordable
Commuter, local, reasonable course difficulty, respectable enough
Availability, proximity, small town
Convenient location, good facilities, split campus, which I was not a fan of, but the Portland
campus was very good.
It is nearby.
Too far away (five citations)
Far away (four citations)
A long drive, I know I can attend classes closer.
It is far and not conveniently located for me.
Small and far
Not interested in traveling to Maine; nothing against this university
There would never be a reason for me to even research information on the University of Maine. It
is simply too far, and being from the north of Boston, there are a ton of excellent schools here for
me to choose from.
It offers campuses in Maine in Northern New Hampshire.
Portland
Urban setting
The coastline
Small town
Portland; it's kind of close by.
29
GOOD EDUCATION/REPUTATION Good community college
Good education, affordable
Good reputation
Good school with good athletic program
Good school, good reputation and good area
Good university
Great education
Great school, split campus can present tough travel logistics
It seems like they educate people well.
High standards
Success
Rigorous education, but classes are not always offered when it is convenient for me to take them.
COST Expensive, caters to traditional and non-traditional students
Pricey
Value: not priced competitively with other colleges/universities in the area that offer the same
programs, and not the same quality of education as other area opportunities
Probably too expensive
I actively considered attending. It seemed like a good university and I would have applied, except
that out of state tuition made it too expensive compared to my Massachusetts options.
SPECIFIC COURSES/PROGRAMS Teaching school
Diversity of classes
It seems to have a lot of students that go there. It has a broad spectrum of available degree
programs
They have a good criminal justice program and a good education program.
Maybe a college that teaches agriculture
ALUMNI OR KNOWS AN ALUMNI Alma mater; quality courses in k-12 education
Friend who went there right after high school
My friend went there for criminal justice.
BAD REPUTATION Party school, binge drinking, etc.
Confusing
Boring
SPORTS Baseball
Their mascots the Bears; I haven’t had that much exposure to Southern Maine.
OTHER Community college
I just want to get done.
It's old.
Sustainability
The Dr. John Wise lab
30
Type of Institutions Ever Attended
We closed this section of our interview by asking respondents to tell us at what types of
institutions have they ever studied? As the following table indicates, the largest
proportions, 36 percent and 35 percent respectively, studied at both two- and four-year
institutions or four-year institutions only. Note that a comparable 27 percent studied at
community colleges or other two-year institutions:
Types of Institutions Previously Attended
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Both two-year and four-year institutions 36%
Four-year institutions only 35
Community college or other two-year
institutions only 27
No college yet (future students only) 2
Time of Attendance at Two-year Institutions
We continued with just those respondents who indicated that they have attended both
two- and four-year institutions by asking them when they attended a two-year institution.
The largest proportion, about 55 percent, studied at a two-year institution before
attending a four-year institution:
Time of Two-Year College Attendance
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Before attending four-year institution 53%
After attending four-year institution 33
At the same time as attending four-year
institution 14
Number of Years Between Attendance at Two-year and Four-year University
Next, we asked only those respondents who had attended a two-year institution before
attending a four-year institution to tell us the number of years that elapsed between their
attendance at a two-year institution and their attendance at a four-year institution. About
55 percent enrolled at a four-year institution within one year of attending a two-year
institution:
Number of Years After Attending a Two-
Year College Before Attending a Four-
Year College
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
1 year 53%
2 years 33
3 years 14
31
Number of Credits Accumulated Prior to Enrolling In Most Recent Institution
Staying with just those respondents who attended a two-year institution before attending
a four-year institution, we then asked how many credits they accumulated at the two-year
institution before they attended the four-year institution. The data show that the largest
proportion, about 30 percent, accumulated between one and 30 credits, while 20 percent
accumulated 75 credits or more:
Number of Undergraduate Credits
Accumulated Prior to Enrolling at Recent
College
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
1-30 29%
31-45 7
46-59 6
60-74 8
75+ 27
Don’t know 23
32
Promotion of the University of Southern Maine
to Undergraduate Adult Students
Most Important Factor in Enrollment Decision
In order to find out how the University of Southern Maine should promote itself, we
began by asking respondents what factor was most important to them in their decision to
enroll at the college they most recently attended. The largest proportions, 23 percent and
22 percent respectively, told us the cost of tuition and fees or the proximity of college to
home or work were the most important factors:
Most Important Factor In Decision to
Enroll at the College Last Attended
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Cost of tuition and fees 23%
Proximity of college to home or work 22
Reputation of the college or program 12
Availability of online instruction 11
Accreditation of a specific program of
interest 10
Day and time courses meet 5
Transferability of previously earned credits 5
Length of time to complete my studies 4
Accreditation of the college 4
Other 5
Visibility of Courses and Programs at the University of Southern Maine
We finished this section of our interview by asking them to compare the visibility of the
University of Southern Maine to the visibility of other area institutions. The largest
proportion of respondents—45 percent—report that the University of Southern Maine’s
courses and programs are less visible than courses and programs at other area institutions:
Visibility of the the University of
Southern Maine in the Community as
Compared to Other Colleges
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Less visible 45%
About the same 36
More visible 19
33
The University of Southern Maine Features
Next, we asked respondents to tell us whether features of the University of Southern
Maine would increase, decrease, or have no effect on their interest in considering the
University as a place to study. Resulting data show that the largest proportion of
respondents would be more likely to consider the University of Southern Maine because
USM Online offers over 500 courses year-round that are fully online or a blend of online
and on-campus. Note that none of the features cause more than a few percent of
respondents to be less likely to consider the University of Southern Maine:
the University of Southern
Maine Feature
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Increase
Consideration
Make No
Difference
Decrease
Consideration
USM Online offers over 500
courses year-round that are
fully online or a blend of
online and on-campus.
67% 32% 1%
USM offers many methods to
award academic credit for prior
learning and life experience
including credit by exam,
portfolio assessment, and
profession
58 41 1
USM offers degree completion
programs for students who
have earned some college
credits but who haven't
finished their bachelor's
degree. These programs are
offered in alternative times and
formats to meet the needs of
busy adults.
53 46 1
USM offers four-week winter
session courses meeting in late
December-January that award
3 credits per class.
52 44 4
USM has the single largest set of
undergraduate and graduate
degree programs available in
the state of Maine.
34 64 2
USM has over 2,000 graduate
students enrolled in a wide
array of master's degree and
graduate certificate programs.
30 69 1
34
Likeliness of Considering the University of Southern Maine for Future Study
After respondents received this additional information about the University of Southern
Maine, we asked them how likely they would be to consider it for future study. Using a
5-point scale of 1 not at all likely to 5 very likely, respondents gave a 3.0 average rating,
with about 40 percent giving 4 or 5 ratings.
Statements About the University of Southern Maine
Respondents were then asked to rate their level of agreement with several statements
about the University of Southern Maine, using a 5-point scale of 1 do not agree to 5
strongly agree. Those who were not familiar with a statement were asked not to rate it.
Respondents rated highest, both at 4.0, that the University of Southern Maine offers
flexible formats of instruction and has a good overall reputation.
Notice also that significant proportions—between 42 and 53 percent—did not know
many of these statements about the University of Southern Maine, reflecting earlier data
showing undergraduate adult students’ lack of familiarity with the University:
The University of Southern Maine
Statement
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Didn’t Know
It offers flexible formats of instruction
(online and classroom).
71% 4.0 46%
USM has a good overall reputation. 70 4.0 44
It is known to offer quality education. 67 3.9 45
It costs are reasonable for the value of
education you receive.
55 3.7 53
Its programs prepare students well for their
careers.
54 3.7 52
It is highly visible throughout the
community.
52 3.3 42
Its campuses are conveniently located. 51 3.4 45
35
College Services That Should be Available
Next in the interview came a couple of questions related to college services. First, we
asked undergraduate adult students how often they used certain services the last time they
enrolled. The following data indicate that the largest proportion of respondents frequently
used Computer labs, academic advising and/or online library and research services.
However, the majority did not use many of the services at all:
Service Used
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Not At All Sometimes Frequently
Computer lab 46% 20% 33%
Academic advising 37 35 28
Online library & research services 32 42 27
24/7 technical help 61 12 27
Fitness center 66 8 26
Career placement services 64 12 26
Food services 53 22 25
Financial aid advising 50 26 24
Cultural events on campus 63 14 23
Writing assistance 71 8 21
Math assistance 71 8 21
Library facility 52 33 15
Student clubs/activities 76 7 13
Child care center 78 21 1
Preferred Access to Services
Moving on, we then asked only those who used the aforementioned college services
either sometimes or frequently how they would prefer these specific services be offered:
Service
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Preferred Method of Access
By Telephone In Person Online
24/7 technical help 46% -- 54%
Financial aid advising 24 41% 34
Academic advising 17 55 29
Writing assistance 13 75 13
Career placement services 7 80 13
Math assistance -- 88 13
36
College Characteristics
Next, we asked respondents to rate whether certain college characteristics of some
colleges that serve adult students would increase, decrease, or make no difference in
considering them as a place for they themselves to study. The largest proportion of
respondents—88 percent—would be more likely to consider a college if students are able
to take any mix of day, evening, weekend, accelerated, and online courses based on what
meets their scheduling needs:
College Characteristic
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Increase
Consideration
Make No
Difference
Decrease
Consideration
Students are able to take any mix
of day, evening, weekend,
accelerated and online courses
based on what meets their
scheduling needs
88% 11% 1%
Students can complete all courses
for their degree or certificate at
one location
77 22 1
Full degree/certificate programs
are offered online 67 29 4
Many faculty are practitioners in
their field who teach part-time 58 42 --
Most faculty teach full-time and
hold a PhD
29 70 1
Students, faculty and staff
represent a diversity of racial
and ethnic backgrounds
24 74 2
37
Media to Advertise to Undergraduate Adult Students
Advertising Methods Likely to Attract Attention
We began this section of our interview by asking respondents to rate various ways for
raising awareness about a college as very likely, somewhat likely, or not likely:
Advertising Method
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Very Likely
Somewhat
Likely
Not Likely
Internet search engines -
Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. 34% 54% 12%
Direct mail to you at home 31 58 11
Internet-based college search
sites 28
48 24
Television ads 11 52 37
Ads on websites 9 38 53
Radio ads 6 41 53
Newspaper ads 3 36 61
Billboards 3 27 70
Bus/train ads 2 21 77
According to the undergraduate adult students we spoke with, the best method to get
useful information to a prospective student is Internet search engines such as Google,
Yahoo, or Bing, revealing that it is important that the University of Southern Maine has a
strong, well-optimized presence online.
Direct mail to students at home is also very likely to attract their attention. Unlike many
of the other methods, direct mail is an effective way of reaching prospective students who
are not already predisposed to find out something about the University, and therefore
could play a key role in increasing the University of Southern Maine’s visibility among
this population.
Finally, Internet-based college search sites are very likely to attract them. We hypothesize
that undergraduate adult students find Internet-based college search sites effective
because they allow institutions to be compared easily.
Websites Visited Most Often
We continued only with respondents who rated ads on websites as somewhat likely or
very likely to attract their attention by asking them which three websites they visit most
often. The first website most often visited by the largest proportion is Google, which
about 90 percent visit daily, followed by Facebook, which about 85 percent visited daily:
38
Website Most Often Visited
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Google 29%
Facebook 21
Yahoo 17
Comcast 4
Gmail 4
Hotmail.com 4
Bitchypoo.com 2
Dartmouth.edu 2
Drudgereport.com 2
ESPN 2
Kjonline 2
Linkedin.com 2
MSN 2
Mymsn.com 2
New York Times 2
Portland press herald 2
The Onion 2
YCCC 2
Visited College Websites During College Search
Turning next to the Internet, we asked respondents if they used the Internet to gather
information about colleges and universities during their search for undergraduate course
providers and whether the Internet was their only source of information about the
institution. The largest proportion of the respondents, about 60 percent, used the Internet
in addition to other types of research, while 25 percent only used the Internet to research
providers. Therefore, about 85 percent of undergraduate adult students used the Internet
in some capacity during their most recent college search:
Visited College Websites During College
Search
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Yes, that was one of my sources of
information 61%
Yes, that was my ONLY source of
information 25
No 14
Other Methods of Information Gathering in College Search
We asked those respondents who had not relied entirely on the internet for information
what other methods they used to gather information about the colleges in which they
39
were interested. Data show they used various methods, but the largest proportion, 24
percent, visited the institution, while 19 percent read printed college materials:
Method of Information Gathering in
College Search
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Visited the institution 24%
Printed college materials 19
Phone calls to the institution 14
Book(s) about colleges 10
Someone I know provided information 10
I attended an open house 5
Other 19
Contact with College
About 70 percent of respondents made direct contact with the college they eventually
enrolled in prior to submitting their application.
Method of Contact with College
We stayed with this pool—those who made direct contact with the college they
eventually enrolled in prior to submitting their application—by asking them how they
made direct contact with the college. The largest proportion, 35 percent, called the
college, while other substantial proportions visited or emailed:
Method of Contact with College
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Telephone 35%
I visited the college 23
Email 21
I requested more information directly on its
website 12
I attended an open house or other event
hosted by the college on campus or
elsewhere
7
Other 3
Likeliness of Accessing or Participating in Media
Next, we asked respondents to tell us how likely they would be to participate in or access
each of the following media from a college in which they were considering enrolling.
Respondents are most likely to participate in or access open houses and faculty/student
chats/online open houses:
40
Media
Percent of Undergraduate
Adult Students
Likeliness of Using Media to Access
Information
Very Likely
Somewhat
Likely
Not Likely
Open house 15% 59% 26%
Faculty/student chats/online
open houses 13
48 39
Social media fan pages 9 31 60
Blogs 5 31 64
Podcasts 5 18 77
Acceptable Methods of Contacting Potential Students
We continued by asking respondents to tell us which method they deem acceptable for an
institution to use when following up with potential students who have inquired. Email to
students was deemed acceptable by the largest proportions of respondents (32%),
followed by mail to them at home (28%):
Acceptable Method of Contact From
College
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Email 32%
Mail to you at home 28
Phone calls to you at home 15
Phone calls to you on your mobile phone 11
Online social networks - Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter… 7
Text messages 3
Phone calls to you at work 3
Preferred Months for University Mailings
As to the timing of direct mail, although we did not ask respondents to tell us the best
months for receiving college advertising at home, generally over a number of studies
conducted nationwide, the pattern of responses has shown that undergraduate adult
students prefer the spring and summer months (April, May, June, July, and August) and
January for advertising. Since the fall months are usually more popular for undergraduate
adult students to study, it stands to reason that receiving advertising in April, May, June,
July, and August enables them to make their plans on a timely basis, get their lives in
order, and prepare for attending classes in September. Similarly, receiving University
mailings in January allows students time to prepare for the spring semester and perhaps
plan the entire year to come.
41
Social Network Profiles
We next asked respondents if they had any social networking profiles. The largest
proportion had a profile on Facebook:
Social Networking Profile
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Facebook 47%
LinkedIn 21
Twitter 15
MySpace 9
Other 1
No social networking profiles 7
Smart Phone Ownership
About 55 percent of respondents have a ―smart phone,‖ such as an iPhone or Blackberry.
Review of College Websites on Smart Phone
We continued only with those who have a smart phone by asking them to rate how likely
they would be to access the websites of the colleges that interest them on their smart
phone. Using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all likely to 5 very likely, respondents gave a 3.3
average rating, with about half giving 4 or 5 ratings.
42
Cost of Courses for Undergraduate Adult Students
Maximum Increased Tuition Willing to Pay for Online Course
We began our questions about cost of courses by asking respondents the maximum
amount of increased tuition they would be willing to pay for the convenience of enrolling
in an online course rather than a classroom-based course. The largest proportion by far—
about 70 percent—would not pay more:
Maximum Increased Tuition Willing to
Pay for Online Course
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Less than 10 percent 19%
10-20 percent 10
21-40 percent --
More than 40 percent --
I would not pay more 71
Importance of Price in Decision on Where to Enroll
We continued by asking respondents to rate the importance price had on their decision on
where to enroll, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all important to 5 extremely important.
Undergraduate adult students responded with an average rating of 3.7, with about 60
percent giving 4 or 5 ratings.
Importance of Availability of Financial Aid
How important was the availability of financial aid in respondents’ decision to enroll in a
given institution? Undergraduate adult students gave an average rating of 3.3, on a 5-
point scale of 1 not at all important to 5 extremely important, with about 55 percent
giving 4 or 5 ratings.
Three-credit Course Cost of $725 Compared to Cost of Most Recent Institution
How does $725 for a three-credit undergraduate course compare to the course costs of the
institution at which respondents most recently studied? Resulting data show respondents
are rather split on this topic:
Three Credit Course Cost of $725 as
Compared to Cost of Institution Most
Recently Attended
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult Students
Higher 36%
Lower 35
About the same 29
43
Viability of Current Course Cost
In order to determine just how sensitive the undergraduate adult student market is to cost,
we quoted undergraduate adult students three proposed prices for courses at the
University of Southern Maine. Using the results in the following table, the University of
Southern Maine can find out the relative total revenue that it would collect at each of the
different prices we quoted. This can be done by assuming an imaginary market of 100
undergraduate adult students. Based on such a market, an index of total revenue can be
determined at each price by multiplying that price by the number of people out of 100
who would be willing to pay it. For example, during the interviews, 69 percent of the
undergraduate adult students said they would be willing to pay $725 per course.
Multiplying a price of $725 per course by 69 (69 percent of an imaginary 100-person
market) creates an index of total revenue of $50,025. Doing the same with the other
prices quoted allows us to compare the three:
Willing to Pay
Percent of
Undergraduate
Adult
Students
Index of Total
Revenue
$725 per course 69% $50,025
$1,000 per course 36 $36,000
$2,000 per course 9 $18,000
As the tables show, the increase from $725 per course to $2,000 per course
simultaneously drives down prospective enrollment and revenue. The data show that the
optimum revenue-producing price is $725 per course—comparable to a three-credit
course at the University of Southern Maine’s current tuition of $253 per credit for
residents.
At the jump in tuition price from $1,000 per course to $2,000 per course, an additional 27
percent of the undergraduate adult student market would chose not to enroll at the
University of Southern Maine because they consider this cost too high. Keeping in mind
that the median undergraduate adult student has an income of about $55,000 and about 65
percent attend public institutions, these data appear reasonable.
Paid Full Price or Less than Full Price When Last Enrolled
Finally on the topic of cost, we asked respondents whether they paid the full ―sticker
price‖ of the cost of courses the last time they were enrolled or if they paid less through
the award of financial aid, a scholarship, work study, or some other reduction. Slightly
more than half—53 percent—paid the full price.
44
Study 2: Graduate Adult Student Demand
Degree and Nondegree Study Among
Graduate Adult Students
Degree and Nondegree Study in the Market
About 45 percent of the graduate adult students we interviewed were studying for a degree.
Among the approximately 55 percent of graduate adult students who were not enrolled in a
degree program, 21 percent were taking individual courses for other reasons, 17 percent were
taking courses toward a license in a professional area (most often in education), and 15 percent
were taking courses for an occupational/career diploma or certificate (also most often in
education):
Enrollment Status
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Enrolled in a degree program 47%
Taking individual courses for other reasons 21
Taking courses toward a license in a
professional area 17
Taking courses for an occupational/career
diploma or certificate 15
Degree Level
Among students studying for a degree, about 70 percent are seeking master’s degrees, while
about 30 percent are seeking doctorate degrees.
45
Degree Study
As previously mentioned, in our market studies we examine the most popular degrees
currently/recently taken by graduate adult students, because we believe that the degrees that they
have actually worked toward in the past are the best predictors of what others will study in the
future. To put it a different way, we have found, as a result of many studies, that examining
demand is far more reliable than examining a prospective interest.
Subject Field of Degree Program
Therefore, we asked only those respondents directly in the degree market (about 45%) to name
the subject field in which they were majoring. Here is what they told us:
General Subject Field of Degree
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Business 21%
Health Professions 15
Education 13
Computer & Information Science 11
Communications 9
Physical Sciences 7
Social Sciences 7
Law 6
Public Affairs/Social Work 6
Counseling 1
Language and Literature 1
Other- Not Listed 1
Business commands the greatest share of the market, with about 20 percent, followed by health
professions and education, each with about 15 percent. Together, these three areas comprise half
of the graduate adult student degree market. Following are the specific fields of the degrees
respondents are studying, organized into topics most frequently cited to those least frequently
cited:
46
BUSINESS
Accounting (3 citations)
Business Administration (3 citations)
Business Management (2 citations)
Marketing (2 citations)
MBA – Technology
HR
Organizational Leadership
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Health Care Administration (4 citations)
Nursing (2 citations)
Health Care Administration/Health Policy
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Public Health
EDUCATION
Higher Education Administration (2 citations)
Adult Education
Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy
Literacy Education
Literacy Specialist
Music Education
COMPUTER & INFORMATION
SCIENCES
Computer Information Technology
Computer Science
Instructional Technology and Distance
Education
Management Information Systems
Programming and Web Design
COMMUNICATIONS
Marketing Communications (two citations)
Integrated Marketing Communications
Interactive Communications (Web Design,
Social Media, Mobile Technologies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Counseling Psychology
Leadership Studies
M.S.E.D. Abilities and Disabilities
Psychology
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Condensed Matter Experimental Physics
Microbiology
Biology
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/SOCIAL WORK
Public Policy
Social and Community Development
Urban Education
LAW
Law (two citations)
Law and Policy
COUNSELING (one citation)
High School Counseling
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (one
citation)
English Language and Literature; Cinema
Studies
OTHER (one citation)
Catholic Systematic Theology
47
Nondegree Study
Among the approximately 55 percent of graduate adult students who were not enrolled in a
degree program, 21 percent were taking individual courses for other reasons, 17 percent were
taking courses toward a license in a professional area (most often in education), and 15 percent
were taking courses for an occupational/career diploma or certificate (also most often in
education). Below we present data on each of these nondegree options.
Subject Field of License The data that follow explain that 35 percent of respondents who are studying for a license studied
education, followed by 18 percent who study health professions, and proportions of 12 percent
each who study business or social sciences:
General Subject Field of License
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Education 35%
Health Professions 18
Business 12
Social Sciences 12
Computer & Information Science 6
Law 6
Mathematics/Statistics 6
Other- Not Listed 6
Following are the specific fields of the licenses respondents are studying, organized into topics
most frequently cited to those least frequently cited:
EDUCATION
Curriculum and Education K-12
Elementary Education
English - Secondary School
ESL Endorsement
Gifted and Talented Teacher in High School and
Middle School
Grades 6-12 Mathematics Teacher
HEALTH
CMC Medical Coding
Physician Assistant
Speech-Language Pathology
BUSINESS
Business Administration
Real Estate
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Psychology
Social Worker
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCE
Security
LAW
J. D., Attorney
MATHEMATICS/STATISTICS
Accounting
OTHER
Professional Status History License
48
Subject Field of Certificate Forty percent of respondents who are studying for a certificate study education, while 27 percent
are studying for a certificate in business and 20 percent are studying for a certificate in health
professions:
General Subject Field of Certificate
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Education 40
Business 27
Health Professions 20
Technology 7
Other- Not listed 7
Following are the specific fields of the certificates respondents are studying, organized into
topics most frequently cited to those least frequently cited:
EDUCATION
Behavioral Disabilities
Correctional Ministries
Developmental
Developmental Education
Elementary Education
Special Education
BUSINESS
Business
Business Administration
Insurance - CPCU
Telecommunications
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Medical Billing and Coding
Medical Coding
Pharmacy
TECHNOLOGY
Instructional Technology
OTHER
Occupational Safety
Patterns of Study
Number of Courses Taken
Moving on, we asked all of the graduate adult students we interviewed how many courses they
took the last time they were enrolled. While 65 percent of the graduate adult students were taking
just one or two courses (typically a part-time graduate level course load), 35 percent were taking
three or more course (typically a full time course load).
49
Number of Courses Taken When Last
Enrolled
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
1 course 42%
2 courses 23
3 courses 13
4 courses 10
5 courses 6
6 or more courses 6
When we followed up with only those respondents who were pursuing a degree by asking them
whether they were studying full or part time the last time they were enrolled, the results revealed
that about 65 percent of graduate adult students enrolled in part-time study and about 35 percent
enrolled in full-time study.
50
Noncredit or Professional Development Study
We continued by asking respondents if they have enrolled in any noncredit or professional
development courses, seminars, webinars, or workshops related to their current career or in order
to change career in the last five years. Slightly more than half—51 percent—have indeed.
Topic of Noncredit or Professional Development Study
Staying only with those who have enrolled in any noncredit or professional development courses,
seminars, webinars, or workshops, we then asked them to tell us the topic of that study. Business
and education were cited most frequently, followed by computer and information sciences:
BUSINESS
Real Estate (two citations)
Event Planning, Merchandising and Brand
Excelling as a Manager or a Supervisor
Human Resources Management and the
Analysis of Personality
Project Management PMP
Resource Management
Risk Management
Sales
Social Media and Business
Software Related to Business
Whether one should file a 51a
EDUCATION
Brain-Based Learning
Differentiating Instruction
Gifted Education
Education - Writing
Online Urban Education
Orff Education
Response to Intervention, Tier 3 Reading
Strategies
Schools in need of improvement
Special Education
Teaching Reading in Chemistry
Teaching Training
Using Technology in the Classroom
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION
SCIENCES
Advanced Use of Excel Spreadsheets
Computer System Administration
Data Collection
IT Forensics and Security
Linux OS
Online Copywriting
Search Engine Optimization, Insurance, OSHA
Training
Technical certifications (Oracle, IBM, NetApp,
etc.), Sales, Leadership
Upgrade computer programs at work
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Health Leadership development
Medical Coding
Neurological Emergencies
Wound Healing
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/SOCIAL WORK
Conflict Resolution
Correctional Ministry and Ex-Offender
Aftercare
Public Policy Development
Substance Abuse Counseling
COMMUNICATIONS
Interpersonal Communications
Telecommunications
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Human Growth and Development (Psychology)
Mindfulness and Anxiety Management
Strategies
ARTS: VISUAL AND PERFORMING
Digital Photography, Tour Directing
OTHER
ELL
HBDI certification
Mine-Hunting Techniques
Patristic Studies
Safety-related courses
51
Type of Organization Providing Noncredit or Professional Development Study
Continuing with this pool of respondents, we then asked what type of organization provided their
noncredit or professional development course. The largest proportion—about 45 percent—
studied at a training company:
Type of Organization Providing Course
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Training company 47%
College or university 22
School district 10
Union --
Other 22
Course Delivery of Noncredit or Professional Development Study
Nearly two-thirds took that noncredit or professional development course in a classroom:
Course Delivery
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
In a classroom setting 71%
Online 29
Course Payment of Noncredit or Professional Development Study The largest proportion of this pool—about 60 percent—took a noncredit or professional
development course that was paid for by their employer:
Course Payment
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Employer 61%
Self 27
Free 10
Other 2
Satisfaction with Noncredit or Professional Development Study Finally on this topic, we asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with their noncredit or
professional development course using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all satisfied to 5 extremely
satisfied. Respondents gave a 3.9 average rating, with 70 percent giving 4 or 5 ratings.
52
Schedules of Courses for Graduate Adult Students
Times of Day for Course Meetings
We began this section of our interview by asking respondents when they had taken their classes
and when they would prefer to take their classes:
Time of Day Majority of Classroom
Courses Met
Actual
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Preferred
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Weekday early mornings
(finished by 9:00 a.m.)
5% 5%
Weekday mornings
(between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon)
14 19
Weekday afternoons
(between 12:00 noon and 4:30 p.m.)
23 15
Weekday evenings
(4:30 p.m. or later)
47 51
Weekends 11 11
About 45 percent took their classes on weekday evenings, while about 42 percent took courses
during the day.
But were these class times the preferences of the demanders or were they driven by the
suppliers? The data show that, for the most part, graduate adult students study when they want to
study.
Actual and Preferred Length of Course
Changing topics, we asked all graduate adult respondents who engaged in any classroom-based
courses (those who did not take all of their courses online) how many weeks their most recent
course lasted. We then asked all respondents to tell us how many weeks they prefer a course last:
53
Number of Weeks of Most Recent Course
Actual
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Preferred
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
1 week 4% 4%
2 weeks -- --
3 weeks -- 1
4 weeks 3 4
5 weeks 7 3
6 weeks 7 9
7 weeks -- --
8 weeks 16 25
9 weeks 3 3
10 weeks 5 9
11 weeks 3 2
12 weeks 12 19
13 weeks 5 3
14 weeks 9 1
15 weeks or more 27 17
Nearly as many graduate students were recently enrolled in courses of 13 or more weeks –
representing traditional semester length, as were enrolled in moderately accelerated courses of
six to 12 weeks. This indicates a fairly large number of accelerated courses being available in the
region.
Just 20 percent of graduate students would prefer to enroll in traditional length courses of 13 or
more weeks, while nearly three times that many (67%) prefer to enroll in moderately accelerated
courses of six to 12 weeks. In fact, the median preference is 10 weeks.
Preferred Months of Study
While we did not query the respondents specifically about their preferred months of study, based
on numerous studies conducted nationwide, the pattern of responses has shown that most
graduate adult students prefer the fall months (September, October, and November) and the
winter months (January, February, and March). While classes typically start for graduate adult
students in late August, the University of Southern Maine would do better to start them after
Labor Day and in January after the holiday season.
54
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to Travel to Attend Class
What is the maximum number of minutes respondents are willing to drive one way to an
institution to attend a class? The largest proportion, 38 percent, is willing to drive 16-30 minutes
one way to attend class, while 35 percent is willing to drive 31-45 minutes one way:
Maximum Number of Minutes Willing to
Drive to Attend Class
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Less than 15 minutes 3%
16-30 minutes 38
31-45 minutes 35
More than 45 minutes 24
Convenience of Location for Future Course
Finally on this topic, we asked respondents to rate the convenience of several locations as a place
for they themselves to take a course, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all convenient to 5 very
convenient. None of the locations were rated particularly highly, and this is not surprising given
the large geography covered in our study area; but the highest average rating (2.7) was given to
Portland, Maine:
Convenience of Location for Future
Course
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Portland, ME 30% 2.7
Portsmouth, NH 20 2.1
Lewiston, ME 16 1.8
Saco, ME 13 1.9
Augusta, ME 12 1.6
Gorham, ME 9 1.7
Brunswick, ME 9 1.6
55
Study Formats for Graduate Adult Students
Course Format in Which Enrolled
We asked respondents if they were enrolled in certain types of courses during the last
term in which they were enrolled. The following data show that about half were enrolled
in semester-length courses in a classroom. However, proportions of 29 percent each were
enrolled in fully online courses or accelerated classroom courses of approximately eight
weeks, and another 24 percent were enrolled in hybrid courses. Such data show that
almost 55 percent were enrolled in a course that had at least some online component:
Course Format in Which Enrolled
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Semester length courses (about 15 weeks) in
a classroom 52%
Fully online 29
Accelerated classroom courses of
approximately 8 weeks 29
Hybrid (with some required instruction in a
classroom and some required instruction
online)
24
Satisfaction With Course Format in Which Enrolled
We continued with respondents by asking them to rate their satisfaction with the course
format in which they were most recently enrolled, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all
satisfied to 5 extremely satisfied. The data show that respondents were very satisfied with
all of the course formats, but they were most satisfied with hybrid courses:
Satisfaction of Course Format
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Hybrid (with some required instruction in a
classroom and some required instruction
online)
84
4.3
Semester length courses (about 15 weeks) in
a classroom 82
4.2
Fully online 82 4.2
Accelerated classroom courses of
approximately 8 weeks 69
4.2
56
Preferred Future Course Format
We then asked respondents which format they prefer to enroll in next: entirely in a
classroom with a professor present, partly online and partly in a classroom, or entirely
online. Equal proportions of 39 percent prefer either a fully online course or a course
conducted partly online. Therefore, almost 80 percent of respondents would most likely
enroll in a course that has at least some online component:
Preferred Course Format
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Entirely online 39%
Partly online/partly in the classroom
(hybrid) 39
Entirely in the classroom 22
Preferred Frequency of Hybrid Course In-person Meetings
We continued with respondents who took at least one of their courses in hybrid format by
asking them when they would most prefer to visit the college’s campus if they were to
take another hybrid course. The largest proportion—about 45 percent—prefer to visit
campus once every other week:
Preferred Frequency of Hybrid Course In
Person Meetings
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Once every other week 44%
2-3 times total during term 28
Once a week 22
Once per term 6
Technology Used in Hybrid or Fully Online Courses
Next, we asked respondents who have enrolled in a hybrid and/or fully online course by
asking them if their course made significant use of any of the given technologies. The
largest proportion—25 percent—took a course that used video streaming, while 22
percent took a course that used social media/networks. However, note that 24 percent
enrolled in a course that did not make use of any of these technologies:
Technology Used in Hybrid or Fully
Online Courses
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Video streaming 25%
Social media/networks 22
Virtual worlds/avatars 11
Other 18
None of these 24
57
Preferred Online Course Delivery
We also asked respondents which kind of online course delivery they prefer:
asynchronous or synchronous. The large majority—about 70 percent—prefer
asynchronous.
Low Residency Program
We continued by asking all respondents about their attraction to low residency programs.
First we explained that some colleges are offering programs that are largely completed
online or through independent study, and only require brief, periodic visits to campus for
interaction with other students and faculty, and that these visits are typically offered
either once a year or once each term/semester, and sometimes occur on a weekend and
sometimes a full week in the summer. Then we asked them to rate their attraction to such
a program, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all attractive to 5 very attractive.
Respondents gave a 3.4 average rating, with half giving 4 or 5 ratings.
Number of Times Per Year Able to Attend Residencies We then asked only those who gave a three or higher rating to their attraction to a low
residency program by asking them how many times per year they could attend one of
those residencies. The largest proportions—36 and 39 percent respectively—could attend
once or twice per semester:
Number of Times Per Year Able to
Attend Residencies
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Once per semester 36%
Twice per semester 39
Once per year 21
Once during the program 4
Number of Days Able to Dedicate to Visiting the Campus
And how many days could this pool of respondents dedicate to visiting the campus of an
institution that offered a low residency program? The largest proportion—37 percent—
could dedicate two days, while 22 percent could dedicate one day:
Number of Days Able to Dedicate to the
Visit to the Campus
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
1 22%
2 37
3 16
4 7
5+ 19
58
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to Travel to a Residency
Finally among this pool, we asked them the maximum number of miles they are willing
to travel to get to such a residency if a program was set up to meet their needs. About 60
percent would be willing to travel less than 50 miles from their home:
Maximum Number of Miles Willing to
Travel to a Residency
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Less than 50 miles from my home 62%
50-100 miles from my home 24
Within my home state 4
Within the region of the country I live 4
Anywhere in the country 7
59
The Position and Image of the University of Southern Maine
in the Graduate Adult Student Market
University Providing Current/Recent Course
To determine the current position of the University of Southern Maine in the graduate
adult student market in the area surveyed, we asked respondents we interviewed in each
study area where they were currently/recently studying and where they would prefer to
study in the future:
Institution
Actual
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Preferred
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
the University of Southern Maine 8% 8%
Harvard University 5 9
Northeastern University 4 4
Lesley University 4 2
Boston University 3 8
University of New Hampshire-Durham 3 8
Boston College 3 5
Salem State College 3 4
University of New Hampshire at Manchester 3 3
Rivier College 3 2
Southern New Hampshire University 3 2
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and
Health Sciences
3 1
Bentley University 1 2
Merrimack College 1 2
University of Phoenix- Online -- 4
Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- 3
University of Maine -- 3
Other college* 49 30
*No institution was named by more than one percent of the respondents.
There are many noteworthy points in the table above. Here are the most important points
based on the institutions cited by the graduate adult students:
60
Actual Enrollment Patterns
Respondents most often study at the University of Southern Maine (8%), followed
by Harvard University (5%), Northeastern University (4%) and Lesley University
(4%).
Among the institutions that respondents have actually enrolled in for their most
recent study, private institutions dominate: about 60 percent study at private
institutions (about 15 percent of which have religious affiliations), while 35
percent study at public institutions, and about five percent study at proprietary
institutions.
Preferred Enrollment Patterns
Respondents most often prefer to study at Harvard University (9%), followed by
the University of Southern Maine (8%), Boston University (8%), and University
of New Hampshire-Durham (8%).
Among the cited institutions that respondents prefer to enroll in, private
institutions also dominate: 60 percent prefer private institutions (ten percent of
which have religious affiliations), while 35 percent prefer public institutions, and
five percent prefer proprietary institutions.
Comparison of Actual and Preferred Data
In comparing the actual and preferred data for respondents, a few notable disparities exist
between a specific institution’s actual share of the actual graduate adult student market
and its preferred share of this market. The largest discrepancies exist for Boston
University and University of New Hampshire-Durham, where in both cases three percent
of the graduate adult students currently study, but eight percent would prefer to (a five
percent increase), followed by Harvard University, where five percent of the graduate
adult students currently study, but nine percent would prefer to (a four percent increase),
and University of Phoenix, where none of the graduate adult students currently study, but
four percent of the market would prefer to (a four percent increase).
About the University of Southern Maine
the University of Southern Maine has eight percent of the graduate adult student market
and eight percent of the preferred graduate adult student market—the largest share of the
actual graduate market and one of the largest shares of the preferred graduate market.
But, with changes, would not be in a position to increase its market share.
61
General Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Moving on, we asked all respondents how they would characterize their familiarity with
the University of Southern Maine. The largest proportion—about 45 percent—have heard
of the University of Southern Maine, but didn’t know anything about it until we
interviewed them:
General Familiarity with the University
of Southern Maine
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
I have heard of it, but didn't know anything
about it until now 47%
I know of it and know some programs and
services they offer before today 38
I have never heard of it until today 8
I know it and the programs it offers well 7
Familiarity with Specific Programs at the University of Southern Maine
We then asked all respondents to describe how familiar they are with the specific
programs at the University of Southern Maine. The largest proportion—about 45
percent—has heard of it, but didn’t know anything about it until we interviewed them:
Familiarity with the Specific Programs at
the the University of Southern Maine
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
I have heard of it, but didn't know anything
about it until now 46%
I know of it and know some programs and
services they offer before today 37
I have never heard of it until today 11
I know it and the programs it offers well 7
Consideration of Enrolling at the University of Southern Maine
Next, we asked only the respondents who did not attend the University of Southern
Maine if they considered enrolling at the University. About 20 percent did indeed.
62
Reason for Not Considering the University of Southern Maine
Why did approximately 80 percent not consider the University of Southern Maine? The
largest proportion of this pool, about 60 percent, told us the University of Southern Maine
is not conveniently located:
Reason For Not Considering the the
University of Southern Maine
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Not a convenient location to my home or
work 61%
Didn't offer the program I wanted 22
Lack of information 5
Reputation of the institution or program I
wanted 3
Schedule of courses didn't fit my needs 3
Length of time to complete the program 2
Cost - It was not affordable --
Other 3
Opinion of and Familiarity with Nominated Institutions
We then asked all respondents to rate six institutions (nominated by the University of
Southern Maine staff) as places for they themselves to study at the graduate level, using a
5-point scale of 1 low to 5 high. Respondents who did not know an institution well
enough were asked not to rate it.
Institution
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Knew It Well
Enough To
Rate
University of New Hampshire 50% 3.3 86%
University of New England 31 2.6 72
the University of Southern Maine 26 2.6 80
Southern New Hampshire University 22 2.5 81
St. Joseph's College 17 2.3 67
University of Maine-Orono 15 2.0 79
The best profile for an institution is to be both widely known and well regarded as a place
to study. The data show that University of New Hampshire achieves both the highest
average rating, 3.3, and the greatest visibility, 86 percent. the University of Southern
Maine achieves the next highest average rating (2.6, which it shares with University of
New England) and the third greatest visibility of 80 percent.
63
Note that although University of Maine-Orono has the fourth greatest visibility at 79
percent, it has the lowest average rating of 2.0. Such data prove that a high average rating
does not necessarily correspond with greater visibility—data confirmed in the
undergraduate analysis and in past studies as well. Moreover, familiarity alone does not
draw students to an institution. Institutions such as University of New Hampshire—which
has the highest average rating—has done more than the others to make a positive
impression on this market beyond just increasing its visibility.
Ideas/Associations About the University of Southern Maine
When respondents think of the University of Southern Maine, what comes to mind first?
The largest share (about 35 percent) could not think of anything. Among those that could,
the largest proportions commented on its location, followed by its quality:
Location
Near Portland
Near the coast
Near the ocean
It’s in Portland, Maine, smaller than UMO
Location, reputation
Location, popular
Down east
I think of Maine, so I think of the beach.
Somewhere around Portland? I do not know its offerings for programs.Far away (three citations)
Distance
Far away from Massachusetts; where is it exactly? Never heard of it
Not close by
Not near me
It is in a different state.
It sounds far away because it’s in Maine.
Pretty far from my house
That it’s too far from our house
Too far
Too far away, but good school
Too far away. Very rural
Decent school but far from me.
It's in Maine. I live in NH. It would be at least an hour drive to any location they might have.
Nice college, not convenient
Access and availability
Convenience is the first thing that comes to mind.
Convenient
Convenient, quality education
Ease of getting there and cost
Local, two distinct campuses, commuter school
Many programs and close to home
Near home
GOOD SCHOOL
A good developed school
Course working closely with practice, practice opportunities, beautiful university
Decent university
Fine
Good local college
64
Good place; lots of programs
Good quality school, primarily liberal arts, not offering any programs that I am interested in.
Good school, part of university system
Good school with focus on real world research and practical experiences, nationally known for
rural research
Good school. I am familiar mostly with the graduate program in education. The professors were
excellent.
Good state school but not many science degrees
It's a good school for jazz music.
Interesting.
I heard it was a great college. Unfortunately the job I am taking is in Malta, NY. I will be coming
home once or twice a month.
Professional staff, good reputation, good courses, and a convenient schedule
That it is a good school and relatively close by
CAMPUS SETTING
Beautiful campus setting
Beautiful location, but not convenient as I live in Massachusetts.
College in the woods
Trees
Very nice
Very pretty up on the hill
Wonderful campus! Diversity of subjects
ALUMNI OR KNOWS AN ALUMNI
I know someone who used to teach there.
Know people that go there
My undergraduate school
My summer nanny is a student there.
BAD REPUTATION
I went to some great parties there.
Lesser tier college
Party school
Unfairness of teacher
SMALL
Probably small, since it's in Maine; not sure of the quality of the faculty, may be limited in the
degrees they offer.
Small
Small Maine college
STATE/PUBLIC COLLEGE
Public college
State school, general education, nothing special
State university
OTHER
Regional interests
Accessibly and lower costs
Overpriced, stuck-up, inconvenient
Safe school
Split campus; part of a large system of public universities in Maine; wide variety of subjects to
study
65
Promotion of the University of Southern Maine
to Graduate Adult Students
Most Important Factor in Enrollment Decision
In order to find out how the University of Southern Maine should promote itself, we
began by asking respondents what factor was most important to them in their decision to
enroll at the college they most recently attended. The largest proportion, 20 percent, told
us the reputation of the college or program was the most important factor:
Most Important Factor In Decision to
Enroll at the College Last Attended
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Reputation of the college or program 20%
Accreditation of a specific program of
interest 16
Proximity of college to home or work 16
Cost of tuition and fees 15
Accreditation of the college 8
Availability of online instruction 7
Day and time courses meet 7
Length of time to complete my studies 5
Transferability of previously earned credits 2
Other 4
the University of Southern Maine Features
Next, we asked respondents to tell us whether features of the University of Southern
Maine would increase, decrease, or have no effect on their interest in considering the
University as a place to study. Resulting data show that the largest proportion of
respondents would be more likely to consider the University of Southern Maine because
USM Online offers over 500 courses year-round that are fully online or a blend of online
and on-campus. Note that none of the features cause more than a handful of respondents
to be less likely to consider the University of Southern Maine:
66
the University of Southern
Maine Feature
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Increase
Consideration
Make No
Difference
Decrease
Consideration
USM Online offers over 500
courses year-round that are
fully online or a blend of
online and on-campus.
57% 40% 3%
USM offers many methods to
award academic credit for prior
learning and life experience
including credit by exam,
portfolio assessment, and
profession
52 44 4
USM offers four-week winter
session courses meeting in late
December-January that award
3 credits per class.
41 57 2
USM has the single largest set of
undergraduate and graduate
degree programs available in
the state of Maine.
29 70 1
USM has over 2,000 graduate
students enrolled in a wide
array of Master's degree and
Graduate Certificate programs.
28 70 2
USM offers degree completion
programs for students who
have earned some college
credits but who haven't
finished their bachelor's
degree. These programs are
offered in alternative times and
formats to meet the needs of
busy adults.
21 71 8
Likeliness of Considering the University of Southern Maine for Future Study
After respondents received this additional information about the University of Southern
Maine, we asked them how likely they would be to consider it for future study. Using a
5-point scale of 1 not at all likely to 5 very likely, respondents gave a 2.7 average rating,
with about 25 percent giving 4 or 5 ratings.
67
Statements About the University of Southern Maine
Respondents were then asked to rate their level of agreement with several statements
about the University of Southern Maine, using a 5-point scale of 1 do not agree to 5
strongly agree. Those who were not familiar with a statement were asked not to rate it.
Respondents rated highest, at 3.9, that the University of Southern Maine has a god overall
reputation, followed by the statement that it offers flexible formats of instruction (online
and in the classroom).
Notice also that significant proportions—between 38 and 48 percent—did not know these
statements about the University of Southern Maine, reflecting earlier data showing
graduate adult students’ lack of familiarity with the University:
the University of Southern Maine
Statement
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Responding
4 or 5
Average
Rating
Didn’t Know
USM has a good overall reputation. 65% 3.9 40%
It offers flexible formats of instruction
(online and classroom).
60 3.8 40
It is known to offer quality education. 53 3.6 41
Its programs prepare students well for their
careers.
46 3.6 48
It costs are reasonable for the value of
education you receive.
43 3.5 44
Its campuses are conveniently located. 39 3.5 46
It is highly visible throughout the
community.
33 3.1 38
68
College Services
Next in the interview came a couple of questions related to college services. First, we
asked graduate adult students how often they used certain services the last time they
enrolled. The following data indicate that the largest proportion of respondents frequently
used online library and research services. However, the majority did not use many of the
services at all:
Service Used
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Not At All Sometimes Frequently
Online library & research services 15% 37% 48%
Library facility 52 32 16
Food services 71 20 9
Computer lab 63 29 8
Academic advising 51 43 7
Financial aid advising 72 21 7
Cultural events on campus 80 13 7
Student clubs/activities 84 11 5
Career placement services 80 16 4
Fitness center 88 8 4
Writing assistance 84 13 3
24/7 Technical help 59 40 1
Math assistance 95 4 1
Child care center 100
Preferred Access to Services
Moving on, we then asked only those who used the aforementioned college services
either sometimes or frequently how they would prefer these specific services be offered:
Service
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Preferred Method of Access
By Telephone In Person Online
24/7 technical help 32% 13% 55%
Financial aid advising 19 48 33
Writing assistance 17 42 42
Career placement services 13 73 13
Academic advising 11 54 35
Math assistance -- 50 50
69
College Characteristics
Next, we asked respondents to rate whether certain college characteristics of some
colleges that serve adult students would increase, decrease, or make no difference in
considering them as a place for they themselves to study. The largest proportion of
respondents—81 percent—would be more likely to consider a college if students are able
to take any mix of day, evening, weekend, accelerated, and online courses based on what
meets their scheduling needs:
College Characteristic
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Increase
Consideration
Make No
Difference
Decrease
Consideration
Students are able to take any mix
of day, evening, weekend,
accelerated and online courses
based on what meets their
scheduling needs
81% 14% 5%
Students can complete all courses
for their degree or certificate at
one location
73 25 2
Full degree/certificate programs
are offered online 68 28 4
Many faculty are practitioners in
their field who teach part-time 67 28 5
Most faculty teach full-time and
hold a PhD
45 55 --
Students, faculty and staff
represent a diversity of racial
and ethnic backgrounds
28 71 1
Visibility of Courses and Programs at the University of Southern Maine
We closed this section by asking them to compare the visibility of the University of
Southern Maine to the visibility of other area institutions. The largest proportion of
respondents—about half—report that the University of Southern Maine’s courses and
programs are about as visible as courses and programs at other area institutions, while
about 40 percent report they are less visible:
Visibility of the the University of
Southern Maine in the Community as
Compared to Other Colleges
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
About the same 48%
Less visible 38
More visible 14
70
Media to Advertise to Graduate Adult Students
Advertising Methods Likely to Attract Attention
What methods of advertising and promotion would be best for the University of Southern
Maine to increase its visibility? We continued our discussion by asking the respondents to
rate various ways for raising awareness about a college as very likely, somewhat likely, or
not likely:
Advertising Method
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Likeliness of Attracting Attention
Very Likely
Somewhat
Likely
Not Likely
Direct mail to you at home 36% 50% 14%
Internet search engines -
Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. 31 58 11
Internet-based college search
sites 28 58 14
Ads on websites 15 37 48
Television ads 11 48 41
Radio ads 6 45 49
Newspaper ads 2 40 58
Bus/Train ads 2 24 74
Billboards 2 23 75
According to the graduate adult students we spoke with, the best method to get useful
information to a prospective student is direct mail to them at home. Unlike many of the
other methods, direct mail is an effective way of reaching prospective students who are
not already predisposed to find out something about the University, and therefore could
play a key role in increasing the University of Southern Maine’s visibility among this
population.
Also very likely to get their attention is Internet search engines such as Google, Yahoo,
or Bing, revealing that it is important that the University of Southern Maine has a strong,
well-optimized presence online.
Finally, Internet-based college search sites are very likely to attract them. We hypothesize
that graduate adult students find Internet-based college search sites effective because they
allow institutions to be compared easily.
Websites Visited Most Often
We continued only with respondents who rated ads on websites as somewhat likely or
very likely to attract their attention by asking them which three websites they visit most
71
often. The first website most often visited by the largest proportion is Google, which
about 90 percent visit daily, followed by Facebook, which abourt 85 percent visit daily.
1st Website Most Often Visited
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Google 38%
Facebook 17
Yahoo 12
Aol.com 6
MSN 4
Bing 2
Bnet 2
Boston.com 2
Cnn.com 2
Fox business 2
Gmail 2
Googlefinance 2
Hotmail.com 2
Linkedin.com 2
Nhawlt.org 2
Usm.maine.edu 2
Visited College Websites During College Search
Turning next to the Internet, we asked respondents if they used the Internet to gather
information about colleges and universities during their search for graduate course
providers and whether the Internet was their only source of information about the
institution. The largest proportion of the respondents, 68 percent, used the Internet in
addition to other types of research, while 23 percent only used the Internet to research
providers. Therefore, about 90 percent of graduate adult students used the Internet in
some capacity during their most recent college search:
Visited College Websites During College
Search
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Yes, that was one of my sources of
information 68%
Yes, that was my ONLY source of
information 23
No 9
72
Other Methods of Information Gathering in College Search
We continued by asking all of the respondents who indicated that they did not rely
entirely on the internet to identify what other methods they used to gather information
about the colleges in which they were interested. Data show they used various methods,
but the largest proportion, about 35 percent, read printed college materials, while 20
percent got the information from someone they know:
Method of Information Gathering in
College Search
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Printed college materials 33%
Someone I know provided information 20
Book(s) about colleges 13
Visited the institution 7
Phone calls to the institution 7
I attended an open house 7
Other 13
Direct Contact with College
About 65 percent of respondents made direct contact with the college they eventually
enrolled in prior to submitting their application.
Method of Contact with College
We stayed with this pool—those who made direct contact with the college they
eventually enrolled in prior to submitting their application—by asking them how they
made direct contact with the college. The largest proportion, about 30 percent, called the
college, while other substantial proportions emailed or requested information directly on
its website:
Method of Contact with College
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Telephone 31%
Email 25
I requested more information directly on its
website 20
I visited the college 16
I attended an open house or other event
hosted by the college on campus or
elsewhere
8
73
Likeliness of Accessing or Participating in Media
Next, we asked respondents to tell us how likely they would be to participate in or access
each of the following media from a college in which they were considering enrolling.
Respondents are most likely to participate in or access faculty/student chats/online open
houses or traditional open houses:
Media
Percent of Graduate
Adult Students
Likeliness of Using Media to Access
Information
Very Likely
Somewhat
Likely
Not Likely
Faculty/student chats/online
open houses
20%
56%
24%
Open house 17 61 22
Social media fan pages 11 28 61
Blogs 8 33 59
Podcasts 6 28 66
Acceptable Methods of Contacting Potential Students
We continued by asking respondents to tell us which method they deem acceptable for an
institution to use when following up with potential students who have inquired. Email to
students was deemed acceptable by the largest proportions of respondents (34%),
followed by mail to them at home (29%):
Acceptable Method of Contact From
College
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Email 34%
Mail to you at home 29
Phone calls to you at home 14
Online social networks - Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter… 11
Phone calls to you on your mobile phone 9
Phone calls to you at work 2
Text messages 1
DIRECT MAIL
Preferred Months for University Mailings
As to the timing of direct mail, although we did not ask respondents to tell us the best
months for receiving college advertising at home, generally over a number of studies
conducted nationwide, the pattern of responses has shown that graduate adult students
prefer the spring and summer months (April, May, June, July, and August) and January
74
for advertising. Since the fall months are usually more popular for graduate adult students
to study, it stands to reason that receiving advertising in April, May, June, July, and
August enables them to make their plans on a timely basis, get their lives in order, and
prepare for attending classes in September. Similarly, receiving University mailings in
January allows students time to prepare for the spring semester and perhaps plan the
entire year to come.
Social Network Profiles
We next asked respondents if they had any social networking profiles. The largest
proportion—about half—had a profile on Facebook:
Social Networking Profile
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Facebook 49%
LinkedIn 24
Twitter 12
MySpace 6
Other --
No social Networking profiles 8
Smart Phone Ownership
Fifty-five percent of respondents have a ―smart phone,‖ such as an iPhone or Blackberry.
Review of College Websites on Smart Phone
We continued only with those who have a smart phone by asking them to rate how likely
they would be to access the websites of the colleges that interest them on their smart
phone. Using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all likely to 5 very likely, respondents gave a 3.0
average rating, with about 35 percent giving 4 or 5 ratings.
75
Cost of Courses for Graduate Adult Students
Maximum Increased Tuition Willing to Pay for Online Course
We began our questions about cost of courses by asking respondents the maximum
amount of increased tuition they would be willing to pay for the convenience of enrolling
in an online course rather than a classroom-based course. The largest proportion by far—
about 60 percent—would not pay more:
Maximum Increased Tuition Willing to
Pay for Online Course
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Less than 10 percent 21%
10-20 percent 8
21-40 percent 10
More than 40 percent --
I would not pay more 62
Importance of Price in Decision on Where to Enroll
We continued by asking respondents to rate the importance price had on their decision on
where to enroll, using a 5-point scale of 1 not at all important to 5 extremely important.
Graduate adult students responded with an average rating of 3.8, with about 65 percent
giving 4 or 5 ratings.
Importance of Availability of Financial Aid
How important was the availability of financial aid in respondents’ decision to enroll in a
given institution? Graduate adult students gave an average rating of 2.8, on a 5-point
scale of 1 not at all important to 5 extremely important, with about 40 percent giving 4 or
5 ratings.
Three-credit Course Cost of $1,100 Compared to Cost of Most Recent Institution
How does $1,100 for a three-credit graduate course compare to the course costs of the
institution at which respondents most recently studied? Resulting data show about half
thinks it is lower than the tuition at their most recent institution:
Three Credit Course Cost of $1,100 as
Compared to Cost of Institution Most
Recently Attended
Percent of
Graduate
Adult Students
Lower 48%
Higher 32
About the same 20
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Viability of Current Course Cost
In order to determine just how sensitive the graduate adult student market is to cost, we
quoted graduate adult students three proposed prices for courses at the University of
Southern Maine. Using the results in the following table, the University of Southern
Maine can find out the relative total revenue that it would collect at each of the different
prices we quoted. This can be done by assuming an imaginary market of 100 graduate
adult students. Based on such a market, an index of total revenue can be determined at
each price by multiplying that price by the number of people out of 100 who would be
willing to pay it. For example, during the interviews, 68 percent of the graduate adult
students said they would be willing to pay $1,100 per course. Multiplying a price of
$1,100 per course by 68 (68 percent of an imaginary 100-person market) creates an index
of total revenue of $74,800. Doing the same with the other prices quoted allows us to
compare the three:
Willing to Pay
Percent of
Graduate Adult
Students
Index of Total
Revenue
$1,100 per course 68% $74,800
$1,650 per course 41 $67,650
$3,300 per course 9 $29,700
As the tables show, the increase from $1,100 per course to $3,300 per course
simultaneously drives down prospective enrollment and revenue. The data show that the
optimum revenue-producing price is $1,100 per course—comparable to a three-credit
course at the University of Southern Maine’s current tuition of $380 per credit for
residents.
At the jump in tuition price from $1,650 per course to $3,300 per course, an additional 32
percent of the graduate adult student market would chose not to enroll at the University
of Southern Maine because they consider this cost too high.
Currently Paying Off Loans Incurred During Undergraduate Study
About 30 percent of respondents are currently paying off loans they incurred during their
undergraduate study.
Outstanding Undergraduate Debt Influenced Graduate Study Decisions
Among this approximately 30 percent who are currently paying off undergraduate bills,
35 percent said their remaining undergraduate student debt played a role in their decision-
making about their graduate studies. Here are their verbatim responses, which elaborate
on its influence:
Don't want more debt
Finances in general
Hard to pay off loans
I am hesitant to incur additional debt.
I cannot afford to add to my debt.
77
I can't afford to take out more loans until my current loans are paid down a bit
more.
I don’t want to add to my debt.
I want to clear out my debt first.
I worry about putting myself further in debt.
It limits the amount of money I can spend for graduate classes.
Needed a less expensive school
Paid Full Price or Less than Full Price When Last Enrolled
Finally on the topic of cost, we asked respondents whether they paid the full ―sticker
price‖ of the cost of courses the last time they were enrolled or if they paid less through
the award of financial aid, a scholarship, work study, or some other reduction. About 60
percent paid less than the full price.
78
Study 3: Employer/Organization Demand
A substantial proportion of individuals in both the undergraduate adult student market
and graduate adult student market are career oriented—shown by their prevalence of
career advancement and career change as motivations for study. Aforementioned data
also show that all but 20 percent of the undergraduate adult students and approximately
15 percent of the graduate students are employed.
Thus, our interviews with organizations focused on certain areas of opportunity for the
University of Southern Maine. First, data show that only about 15 percent of
undergraduate adult students and 35 of the graduate students use tuition reimbursement to
fund their education, the bulk of the balance using personal funds, loans, or grants instead
or as well. Therefore, we investigated the views and practices of area employers in regard
to tuition reimbursement so as to promote greater use among employees seeking further
education and credentials. Second, given the need among many organizations for outside
assistance for the delivery of education and training to their employees, possible
contractual arrangements between the University of Southern Maine and organizations
were pursued.
We interviewed a total of 50 officials responsible for employer education and training at
50 organizations residing within a 50-mile radius of the University of Southern Maine’s
Portland, Maine campus. Results from these interviews are presented below. The primary
objectives of this study are to investigate the following topics:
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Visibility and reputation of the University of Southern Maine
Importance of employees pursuing further education and training
Recent use of outside training providers
Tuition assistance programs
Maximum annual tuition assistance offered
Unmet needs of organizations
Consideration of the University of Southern Maine for education and training
Most important skills for new employees to possess
Changes employers foresee in industry
Interest in future contact
79
Following are the organizations that we interviewed:
Androscoggin HomeCare Hospice
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Arcadis Insurance Co.
Bancroft Contracting
Barber Foods
Barron Center
Bath Iron Works
Bath Savings
Bennoch
Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Central Maine Healthcare
Clover Health Care
Cumberland County Human Resources
Delorme
Diversified Communications
Down East Energy
D'Youville Pavillion
ES Boulos Co.
Fairchild Semiconductor
Funtown Splashtown USA
Geiger Bros.
General Dynamics Weapon Systems
Ground Round Independent
Owners Corp.
Harry C Crooker & Sons
Health Dialog Inc.
Healthreach Homecare & Hospice
(part of Maine General Health)
Iberdrola USA (Central Maine
Power Co.)
Kittery Trading Post
Lincoln County Health (St. Andrews
Hospital Home and Hospice)
Maine Medical Center
Maine Veterans’ Home
MEMIC
Miles Memorial Hospital - Lincoln
County Health Care
New Balance Athletic Shoe
Northeast Bancorp
Norway Savings Bank
Olympia Sports Inc.
Parker-Hannifin Watts Fluid
Parkview Adventist
Pionite Decorative Surfaces
Redlon & Jensen
Sisters of Charity Health Systems
South Portland Nursing Home
SPX (formerly Dielectric
Communications)
Stephens Memorial Hospital
Stonewall Kitchen
Tom's of Maine
Tri-County Mental Health
Tyler Technologies
Wright Express Corp.
80
Number of Employees and Locations
Number of Employees
The following table displays the size of the employers interviewed, with size defined as
the approximate number of employees across all locations:
Number of Employers
Percent of
Employers
51- 100 9%
101- 200 27
201- 300 20
301- 400 16
401- 500 11
501- 600 --
601- 700 2
701- 800 --
801- 900 2
901- 1,000 2
1,001-1,500 --
1,501-2,000 --
2,001-2,500 2
2,501-3,000 --
3,001-3,500 2
3,501-4,000 --
4,001-4,500 --
4,501-5,000 --
5,001-5,500 --
5,501-6,000 4
6,001-6,500 --
6,501-7,000 --
7,001-7,500 --
7,501-8,000 --
8,001-8,500 --
8,501-9,000 --
10,000+ --
Rather not disclose 2
As it turned out, we spoke with officials who had quite a range of employees—from 26-
50 to 5,501-6,000. However, about three quarters of the companies had between 101 and
500 employees across all locations. The median number of employees employed by the
companies we interviewed was 270.
81
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
To determine how familiar employers are with the University of Southern Maine and its
services and programs, we began by asking officials how familiar they are with the
University of Southern Maine in general. The largest proportion of these employers—
about 55 percent—knows the University of Southern Maine and some of its programs,
while about 30 percent knows the University of Southern Maine well and are very
familiar with its programs. All in all, about 85 percent of the employers we interviewed
are at least somewhat familiar with the University:
Familiarity with
the University of Southern Maine
Percent of
Employers
I know it well and are very familiar with its
programs 32%
I know it and know about some of the programs
it offers 54
I’ve heard of it, but didn’t know anything other
than its name until today 14
I’ve never heard of it --
Ideas/Associations About the University of Southern Maine
We next asked only the employers who are at least somewhat familiar with the University
of Southern Maine what comes to mind first when they think of the University. The
largest proportions think the University is local/convenient, but several other topics also
come to mind:
LOCAL/CONVENIENT
Local (three citations)
Campus is a stone’s throw away.
Close location
Convenience and availability of wonderful certificate programs right in our backyard
Home town education
I grew up here; good school in Maine
I live in the town; liberal arts
Local; many campuses
Local college
Local college; we have used the facilities there for meetings
Local college and good business courses
Local school, positive opinion
Location, convenient
Local campus
SPECIFIC COURSES/PROGRAMS
Business courses, continuing education classes
Continuing education program
Human Resources certificate
I drive through it; campus and law school where they have encore programs for business
professionals
Law school
82
Liberal arts
Social work and psychology
The business administration program and courses
The occupational therapy program; social work
Variety of degree programs offered as well as the variety of continuing education
Waste water treatment program; my husband took it years ago.
GOOD EDUCATION/REPUTATION
Good college; nothing else
Good local school
Good school
Good school; I’ve taken a weekend course there.
High quality of education
Improved
Kids went there; good school
Reputable
Worked there; great facility, quality
ALUMNI OR KNOWS AN ALUMNI
Classes I took there
I just got my Human Resources certificate there.
I am an alum.
I graduated from there/
I took a class there and liked it.
I went to school there and local education is important.
We have a lot of USM grads that work for us.
COST
Affordable
Reasonable expense
I've been here 40 years. We use the tuition reduction program and it is a good school.
OTHER
Accessible
Struggling to make the mark
It is a little far for us; online is great for us. Husband went there.
A lot of our people take classes there.
I did a job fair there.
Lewiston-Auburn campus
My mom works there.
We do a lot work with USM.
We have tried to have conversation about curriculum.
We recruit there and have summer interns here that have contributed nicely.
83
Visibility of the University of Southern Maine in the Area
We continued by asking employers to assess the level of visibility of the University of
Southern Maine in their area. The largest proportion—about half—said the University of
Southern Maine is somewhat visible, while about 40 percent said it is very visible:
Visibility of the University of Southern
Maine
Percent of
Employers
Very visible 42%
Somewhat visible 48
Not at all visible 8
Reputation of the University of Southern Maine in Preparing an Educated
Workforce
We also asked employers to rate the reputation of the University of Southern Maine in
preparing an educated workforce. The largest proportion by far—almost 65 percent—
deems the University of Southern Maine’s reputation very satisfactory:
Reputation of the University of Southern
Maine
Percent of
Employers
Very satisfactory 64%
Somewhat satisfactory 26
Not satisfactory --
Don’t know 10
the University of Southern Maine Statements
We then read a number of statements about the University of Southern Maine and asked
the officials to rate the statements, using a 5-point scale of 1 do not agree to 5 strongly
agree. Those who did not know a statement were asked not to rate it. The data follow:
Statements About the University of Southern
Maine
Percent
Responding
Strongly
Agree
Percent
Who Knew
Well
Enough to
Rate
Average
Rating
It serves well the needs of commuter students 54% 56% 4.61
Employers respect degrees earned there 80 88 4.34
It is well linked to area community colleges 46 50 4.32
Its costs are reasonable 38 48 4.25
the University of Southern Maine has a good
overall reputation 78 90 4.24
It offers a high quality education 76 88 4.20
It is responsive to the educational needs of the
community 50 60 4.20
84
All of the seven statements were very highly rated by employers. Rated highest, at 4.61,
is that the University of Southern Maine serves well the needs of commuter students.
However, note that about 45 percent of employers could not rate this most highly rated
statement and about half could not rate whether the University of Southern Maine’s costs
are reasonable or whether it us well linked to area community colleges. Such
unfamiliarity reveals areas where the University of Southern Maine could improve in its
outreach to area employers.
Employer Details
Importance of Employees Pursuing Further Education and Training
How important is it that employees working in their organization pursue further
education and training while they are employed? For the largest proportion by far—70
percent—it is very important:
Importance of Ongoing Education and
Training
Percent of
Employers
Very important 70%
Somewhat important 24
Not important at all 6
Important Educational Pursuits of Employees
Next, we asked employers to tell us how important each of the following skills are for
some or all of their employees to possess upon joining their organization or to acquire or
strengthen while employed with them. According to officials, customer service and
effective communication skills (written and oral) are very important to almost all of the
employers (89%). However, the majority also found the following skills very important:
proficiency in written and spoken English, specialized (industry-specific) technologies,
personal time management skills, managerial/supervisory, conflict resolution and
negotiation, complex problem-solving/critical thinking, ethical decision making, and
leading teams:
85
Importance of Skill Sets for
Employees
Percent of Employers
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not at all
Important
Not Sure
What This
Is
Customer service 89% 7% 4% --
Effective communication skills
(written and oral)
89 11 -- --
Proficiency in written and spoken
English
70 28 2 --
Specialized (industry-specific)
technologies
70 28 2 --
Personal time management skills 67 33 -- --
Managerial/supervisory 65 33 2 --
Conflict resolution and negotiation 65 35 -- --
Complex problem-solving/critical
thinking
63 37 -- --
Ethical decision-making 63 33 4 --
Leading teams 54 43 2 --
Math, computational, or
quantitative reasoning
37 61 2 --
Creativity and Innovation 37 59 4 --
Intermediate business/office
computing
35 54 9 2%
Information Literacy 22 46 4 28
Advanced computer systems
(programming, design or
management)
15 43 41 --
Inter-cultural knowledge (global
issues)
7 54 39 --
Languages other than English† -- 54 46 --
Other skills* 100 -- -- --
*Other skills:
Intergenerational skills (four citations)
Work ethics (four citations)
Generational skills (two citations)
Following work policy and rules
Interpersonal skills
Sales
Work decorum
† Languages other than English:
Spanish (five citations)
French (four citations)
Mandarin (two citations)
Cambodian
Somalian
Sudanese
86
Human Resources Role in Promoting Education or Training
Moving along, we asked employers what their human resources department is most likely
to do when employees are in need of further education or training. The largest
proportion—about 75 percent—is most likely to have the employee enroll in a course at a
local college, training company, or association and reimburse all or part of employees’
costs, while about 70 percent are most likely to take a different action—most often to
train employees in-house:
Human Resources Directive in Encouraging
Further Education or Training
Percent of
Employers
Have the employee enroll in a course at a local
college, training company, or association
and reimburse all or part of employees’
costs
77%
Contract with a local college, training company,
association, etc. to provide customized
training at your offices or some other
location selected by you
25
Encourage employees enroll in a program that
meets their needs, and have them pay for it
themselves
21
Have the employee enroll in a course at a local
college, training company or association and
pre-pay all or part of employees’ costs
2
Something else* 69
*Something else:
In-house training (31 citations)
Affiliated with Central Maine Community College and a nursing program onsite
Union provides training and we partner with National Electric Contractors
Association and they provide a lot of electrical and technology training.
Interest in Gerontology among Healthcare Employers
Workforce Care for Older Adults
We next asked only those employers within the healthcare sector a set of questions
relating to the study of gerontology – an area of particular interest to USM staff. We
began by asking if each employer’s workforce cares for older adults to some degree.
About 90 percent do indeed have a workforce that cares for older adults.
Need for Employees to Have Better Understanding of Working with Older Adults
Among the healthcare employers who have a workforce that cares for older adults, do
any find their employees need to have a better understanding of the
competencies/expertise (knowledge, attitudes, and skills) to work with older adults?
About 85 percent of this pool do indeed.
87
Encouragement of Employees to Register for Gerontology Certificate at USM
We next asked this pool if they would encourage their employees to enroll in a 15-credit
online post-baccalaureate gerontology certificate program in the next year if the
University of Southern Maine offered it. Sixty-five percent of respondents would indeed
encourage their employees to enroll, while about 25 percent said they might encourage
them to enroll, just 10 percent indicated they would not.
Desired Outcome of Gerontology Certificate
Among those who would or might encourage their employees to enroll in such a
gerontology certificate program at the University of Southern Maine, what would they
hope their employees would gain from the program? The resulting data show that the
majority hopes their employees would gain all of the given outcomes:
Desired Outcome of Gerontology Certificate
Percent of
Employers
Increased knowledge about aging 100%
Meet the needs of the consumers/clients/patients
better 100
Personal satisfaction and growth 100
Opportunity to fulfill licensure or certification
continuing education requirements 94
Networking opportunities with other
professionals 94
Professional status or recognition 94
Job security 88
Opportunities for job promotion/career
advancement 81
Reason for Lack of Interest in Gerontology Certificate
Among the three employers who would not encourage their employees to enroll in such a
post-baccalaureate gerontology certificate program at the University of Southern , why
wouldn’t they encourage such enrollment? Each of these respondents told us the
gerontology certificate is not helpful for the consumers/clients/patients they serve and
their employees do not need advanced training/education in gerontology/geriatrics.
88
Recent Use of Outside Training Providers
Contracting with Organizations in the Past Three Years
Now, returning to all respondents, we asked all organization officials if they have
contracted with any organization (association, training company, colleges or universities,
etc.) in the past three years to provide education and training programs to employees.
Forty-eight percent had indeed contracted with an organization in the past three years for
such needs.
Contracting with Colleges or Universities in the Past Three Years
We followed up with this pool by asking them if that organization was a college or
university. About 65 percent of this group did indeed contract with a college or university
in the past three years.
Education and/or Training Provided by Colleges or Universities
Who provided such training and what training did they provide? Education and/or
training through the University of Southern Maine was the institution contracted most
often by employers:
89
Institution
Education and/or Training Provided
the University of Southern Maine College courses
the University of Southern Maine Ethics
the University of Southern Maine Insurance and safety program
the University of Southern Maine Nursing degrees and courses
the University of Southern Maine Marine design
Central Maine Community College Nursing clinical rotation
Central Maine Community College Partner; nursing degree program
Central Maine Community College Quality training for welding inspectors; soft skills for
new hires; technical training for manufacturing
Central Maine Community College Supervisors training
Southern Maine Community College Business communication
Southern Maine Community College Work placement training, pathways; we did this with
five other businesses in Maine. It was a college
degree program for our associates to get a degree
while they work. Some classes were held here and
some at schools.
University of Maine Business courses, MBA program
University of Maine Partnered a grant for actual business development; we
are an engineering company
New England College Core classes, master’s program as well
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Customized program
University of New England Accelerated Master’s of Business Administration
Prefer not to say Master’s degree program in business
Prefer not to say Nursing
Don't know, each department sets ups
training
Physicians training, medical students, nurses
Satisfaction with Education and/or Training Provided
How satisfied were employers with the education and/or training the college or university
provided for their organization? The large majority was very satisfied:
Satisfaction with Training Provided
by College
Percent of Employers
Not
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Not Sure
Satisfaction 8% 8% 77% 8%
90
Change in Hiring Practices Due to General Economic Situation
We continued by asking the officials if their organization has experienced any significant
changes to its hiring practices due to recent changes in the general economic situation.
Twenty-five percent did indeed experience such changes; the largest proportion cited a
decrease in hiring:
Slowed down hiring
Reduction in workforce; slow down in work
Less hiring
Instead of hiring full time employees, we bring out part-time temps.
Layoffs
Cannot afford to hire new professionals
Right size staffing, dip in employment
Last year no recruiting; this year a lot of new hires.
Hiring again
Increase in applicants
Closely tied with construction; nothing
Doing more online interviewing and scheduling; using the computer more
Rather not disclose
Tuition Assistance Programs
Recruiting prospective students from organizations with tuition assistance programs is
one important way to put the University of Southern Maine’s costs within the reach of
many more students who might otherwise be unable to attend the University of Southern
Maine. Remember that only about 15 percent of undergraduate adult students and 35
percent of graduate students take advantage of their employer’s tuition assistance
program by using it to pay for courses (the largest proportions instead using personal
funds). By increasing ties with area employers, it’s likely that the number of students who
use tuition assistance would increase, thereby making study at the University of Southern
Maine less taxing on personal finances. Thus, we investigated the tuition assistance
programs of the organizations interviewed.
Tuition Assistance Offered
About 80 percent of the organizations we interviewed have tuition assistance programs.
Courses and Programs Covered by Tuition Assistance We followed up only with the employers that offer tuition assistance by asking them what
courses and/or programs are covered specifically. Here are the results:
Undergraduate Courses and Programs
All of the employers that have tuition assistance programs cover undergraduate
courses and programs, but for 85 percent of this population, those courses and/or
programs must be job-related.
91
Graduate Courses and Programs
Ninety-eight percent of the employers that have tuition assistance programs also
cover graduate courses and programs, but for 90 percent of this population, those
courses and/or programs must be job-related.
Noncredit Courses and Programs
Eighty-five percent of the employers that have tuition assistance programs cover
noncredit continuing education or training, but for 92 percent of this population,
those courses and/or programs must be job-related.
Education Programs Eligible for Tuition Assistance
Among employers who offer tuition assistance, the largest proportion—98 percent—offer it for
degree program study, but the large majority offer it for all types of study:
Education Programs Eligible for
Tuition Assistance
Percent of
Employers
Degree program 98%
Certificate or licensure program 95
Individual courses not part of any program 85
Online and Distance Learning Tuition Assistance
Ninety-five percent of employers offer tuition assistance for online and distance learning
courses.
Maximum Annual Tuition Assistance Offered to Each Employee We followed up with employers that offer tuition reimbursement by asking them to tell us
the maximum annual tuition assistance benefit offered to each employee for
undergraduate, graduate, and noncredit study. Their responses varied widely from $750
to an unlimited amount. The median maximum annual tuition for undergraduate and
graduate study is $3,000 and for noncredit study it is $875:
92
UNDERGRADUATE
Number
of
Employers
Maximum
Annual
Tuition
3 $750
1 $1,000
1 $1,500
4 $2,000
2 $2,500
2 $3,000
1 $3,300
3 $3,500
1 $5,000
4 $5,250
1 $5,725
Other:
18 credits per year
Two courses per year
As employees of the city of
Portland, they pay 50 percent of
tuition; we don’t pay the city
does.
Depends on need of department
and length of service
Discretionary, approved,
variable, no set amount
All case by case
Never formalized amount; case
by case
No maximum, all departments
have budgets
No written policy
Unlimited
USM rate; case by case
Varies with time employed
GRADUATE
Number of
Employers
Maximum Annual
Tuition
3 $750
1 $1,000
1 $1,500
3 $2,000
1 $2,500
1 $3,000
2 $3,500
2 $5,000
6 $5,250
1 $10,000
Other:
Two courses per year
All case by case
Discretionary, approved,
variable, no set amount
Never formalized amount; case
by case
No limit
No maximum; all departments
have budgets
Unlimited
Up to full tuition; case by case
USM rate; case by case
93
NONCREDIT
Number of
Employers
Maximum Annual
Tuition
3 $750
1 $1,000
1 $2,000
1 $3,000
Other:
Case by case basis (12 citations)
Managers’ discretion
(two citations)
All noncredit courses are case by
case; they are not covered by
tuition assistance but by
supervisors’ budgets.
Case by case; managers’ decision
to budget next year for tuition
reimbursement
Case by case at managers’
discretion
Case by case; managers’ budgets
Managers’ budget
Depends on department budgets
and discretion
Depends on length of service:
three to 12 months full time is
$1,000, part time is $500; one to
five years full time is $2,500 part
time is $1250; five or more years
full time is $3,500 part time is
$1,750
Discretionary, approved,
variable, no set amount
Never formalized amount; case
by case
USM rate; case by case
Restrictions/Qualification for Receiving Reimbursement
Staying with this same pool of respondents—those that offer tuition reimbursement—we
then asked what the restrictions or qualifications are for receiving reimbursement. The
largest proportion—82 percent—told us they only reimburse for tuition if the employee
achieves a certain grade on a course, while a comparable proportion—80 percent—said
the employee is eligible only after a specified length of time:
94
Restrictions to Tuition Assistance
Percent of
Employers
Employee must achieve above a certain grade
on course 82%
Employee is eligible only after a specified
length of employment 80
Employee must continue to work for the
organization for a specified time after
receiving the benefit, otherwise must return
funds
33
95
Unmet Needs of Organizations
Anticipation of Contracting with Educational Institutions in Near Future
Moving along, we next asked employers a series of questions about unmet needs at their
organization. We began by asking if their organization will contract with any educational
institutions (colleges or universities) in the next year or so to conduct education and
training programs for their employees. About five percent will indeed, while about 25
percent might:
Anticipation of Contracting with Education
Institution in the Next Year or So
Percent of
Employers
Yes 6%
Maybe 27
No 67
Types of Training Sought from Educational Institutions in Near Future
We followed up with this pool of employers by asking them for which types of programs
they are likely to seek a contract or partnership. All are likely to seek degree programs or
certificate or licensure programs, while two-thirds are likely to seek individual credit
courses and one-third are likely to seek noncredit courses:
Contracts for Training Types Sought
Percent of Employers
Credit
Noncredit
Degree program 100% n/a
Certificate or licensure program 100 --
Individual courses not part of any program 67 33%
Subject of Interest for Education and Training in the Near Future
Staying with this pool—those who will or might contract with educational institutions in
the next year or so—we next asked what three to five subjects they would most likely
choose for their contracted education and training. The following data show a large range
of needs for future college and university providers:
Communication (three citations)
Leadership (three citations)
Customer service (two citations)
Geriatrics (two citations)
Information technology (two citations)
Aging
Business acumen for technical skills
Business management
Computer
Cultural competency
Dementia
96
Finance
Geriatric nursing
Gerontology
Health care, advanced certificate
Health care education, master’s program
Supervisor (how to become one)
Interpersonal skills
Leadership for teams
Management
Marketing and customer service
Math skills
Nursing bachelor’s degree program
Nursing, skill training
Personal financial management
Supervisor 101
Technology training
Technology (basic)
Technical training for manufacturing
Therapies: physical and occupational and speech
We are engineering firm; we need very technical subjects and maybe for other less technical
subjects (nothing specific comes to mind)
Whole team approach
Consideration of the University of Southern Maine as Provider in the Near Future
Staying with this pool (those who will or might contract with educational institutions in
the next year), we next asked if they would consider using the University of Southern
Maine to provide courses or programs in the near future. All of this pool of respondents
would indeed.
Changes Employers Foresee in Industry
Moving along, we asked employers what changes they foresee in their industry that might
relate to the University of Southern Maine’s efforts to educate professionals working in
their industry, taking into account recent changes to the economic climate. The largest
proportion told us certain skills or courses are likely to be needed in the future, most
often those in health professions. Their responses follow, organized into topics most
frequently cited to topics least frequently cited:
SUBJECTS/COURSES NEEDED
Health Professions
Additional clinical rotations especially in a geriatric setting
More clinical onsite practical training
Teach people about case management and in nursing, MDS min data set
We are nursing facility; we can always use good nursing students.
We need better clinical preparation, better core skills, more concentration critical thinking skills.
We need more geriatric courses.
Health care is the place to work; wise for USM to do more training for specific programs
The nursing program needs to move away from task orientation to community prevention
orientation.
Patient satisfaction
Business (six citations)
More business courses, sales training
Advancement in business skills
97
We need general business skills.
The future needs business skills
Everything they provide is adequate for what we need. Maybe courses about economic change?
Love that they offer the risk management program
Computer and Information Science
More technical skills and knowledge
We could use more technical skills; practical computer courses and presentation skills
We need technical programs and USM doesn't have them. We need service technicians. Wouldn't
be worth it for USM to do any programs.
When we go to recruit, we need computer science degrees; there are not enough.
Technical and computer skills
Engineering
Offer more engineering courses
We are lacking depth of science, engineering, and math.
Engineering program; we need interns working here. We used to have a lot; this summer I think
we have one.
Social Work
The social workers needs to explore/expand care navigators and case management.
Other
We send our marketing executive to USM for certain courses. We need more hospitality classes.
What my employees need are craft specific training, on schedules that comply with our business
needs.
Have more offering for GED
In 2009 we were bought out. The newspaper industry is shifting from print to online; more classes
based on that.
I am in corporate office in Michigan. Our employees need discipline, work ethics, following rules,
and policy.
LOCATION
Another satellite campus closer
Bottom line is we need to find ways to connect students to local in-state companies so we don't
lose them to out of state.
Better accessibility; online is great but it’s much more work, need discipline
OTHER
York has offered us business courses and sends us catalogues and stuff all the time.
Offer more affordable online continuing education health care courses
Be more proactive in telling us what is offered. We have to call them; it’s important that we have
information.
Increased accountability
Instead of training in solos, train in teams
It is on the other side; the changes need to come from the employment; turnover problem
Need to reach out to smaller businesses (100 employees); that is why we are partnering with
business organizations.
We need friendly outgoing personable people, engaging personalities who can work with
strategies.
USM is respected.
98
Future Contact
Future Contact Desired to Discuss Education and Training for Their Employees
Toward the end of the interview, we asked the employers whether they would be
interested in having someone from the University of Southern Maine contact them to
discuss providing education and training for their employees. About 15 percent of the
organizations said, ―Yes,‖ they would like a representative from the University of
Southern Maine to contact them. Please see the last page of this section for their contact
information.
We suggest that the University of Southern Maine increase its outreach to organizations
in the surveyed area so that when opportunities do arise among these and other
employers, the University of Southern Maine will be approachable to those who arrange
such contracts and who seek stronger ties on behalf of their employees. Increasing the
University of Southern Maine’s visibility and building relationships with the area
organizations are key to its success in this market.
Discussion Topic of Interest in Contact from the University of Southern Maine
We followed up with just these officials by having them tell us their primary focus of
interest in contact from the University of Southern Maine. The largest proportions of
employers are interested in learning more about the University of Southern Maine in
general and in making arrangements to facilitate the use of tuition reimbursement to their
employees. Note that almost 15 percent is interested in contract or partnership
educational opportunities:
Discussion Topic of Interest
Percent of
Employers
General interest in learning more about the
University of Southern Maine 43%
Arrangements to facilitate the use of tuition
reimbursement to your employees 43
Contract or partnership educational
opportunities 14
99
Employers Desiring Contact with
the University of Southern Maine
Name Company Title Contact Information
Liz Bennoch Stephens Memorial
Hospital
Director of HR [email protected]
Julie Clement Arcadis Insurance
Co
HR Associate 207-772-4300
Keith Gamache Kittery Trading
Post
HR Director [email protected]
Susan LaChance Pionite Decorative
Surfaces
HR Manager [email protected]
Sandy Morrell Rooney Down East Energy VP [email protected]
Tory Ryden Parkview Adventist Director of
Marketing
Community
Relations &
Development
Michele Whidden SPX - formerly
Dielectric
Communications
HR Director [email protected]
Elizabeth Winslow Iberdrola USA
(Central Maine
Power Co.)
Associate -
Training
100
Study 4: School District Demand
We interviewed representatives of ten school districts residing within a 50-mile radius of
the University of Southern Maine’s Portland, Maine campus. Results from these
interviews are presented below. The primary objectives of this study are to investigate the
following topics:
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Recent use of outside training providers
Unmet needs of school districts
Consideration of the University of Southern Maine for education and training
Interest in future contact
Following are the school districts that we interviewed:
Berwick Academy
Cheverus High School
Falmouth High School
Jordan Small School
Lebanon Elementary School
Lewiston High School
Marshwood High School
Pond Cove Elementary School
Westbrook Middle School
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine
To determine how familiar school districts are with the University of Southern Maine, we
began by asking representatives how familiar they are with the University of Southern
Maine in general. The largest proportion of these school districts—half—is very familiar
with the University:
Familiarity with
the University of Southern Maine
Percent of
School
Districts
Very familiar 50%
Somewhat familiar 40
Not at all familiar 10
College of Education Programs with Which Most Familiar
We next asked only those who are at least somewhat familiar with the University of
Southern Maine to tell us which two programs they are most familiar with at the College
of Education. Respondents mentioned the Extended Teacher’s program and the regular
Education program most often:
101
Extended Teachers program (three citations)
Regular Education program (two citations)
Assist Principal certificate
Counseling
Education - Teaching Secondary Education
Music
College/University That Educates the Largest Number of Teachers
Then we asked all respondents what colleges or universities educated the largest number
of their teachers. the University of Southern Maine was cited most often:
the University of Southern Maine (six citations)
University of Maine (three citations)
University New Hampshire (two citations)
Do not know
the University of Southern Maine Statements
Next, we read a number of statements about the University of Southern Maine and asked
the representatives to rate the statements, using a 5-point scale of 1 do not agree to 5
strongly agree. Those who did not know a statement were asked not to rate it. The data
follow:
Statements About the University of Southern
Maine
Percent/Rating of Faculty
Strongly
Agree
Average
Rating
Knew Well
Enough to
Rate
It offers a high quality education 100% 4.60 100%
the University of Southern Maine has a good
overall reputation 90 4.60 100
Employers respect degrees earned there 90 4.50 100
It well serves the needs of commuter students 80 4.44 90
It costs are reasonable 70 4.43 70
It is responsive to the educational needs of the
community 90 4.30 100
All of the seven statements were very highly rated by school districts. Rated highest, at
4.60, are that the University of Southern Maine offers a high quality education and has a
good overall reputation. School districts are least familiar with the University of Southern
Maine’s costs.
102
Recent Use of Outside Training Providers
Contracting with Organizations in the Past Three Years
We asked all school district representatives if they have contracted with any organization
(association, training company, colleges or universities, etc.) in the past three years to
provide education and training programs to faculty or staff. Thirty percent had indeed
contracted with an organization in the past three years for such needs.
Contracting with Colleges or Universities in the Past Three Years
We followed up with this pool by asking them if that organization was a college or
university. None of this group contracted with a college or university in the past three
years.
Unmet Needs of Organizations
Anticipation of Contracting with Provider in the Next Year
Moving along, we next asked school districts a series of questions about unmet needs at
their organization. We began by asking if their organization will contract with any
college, training company, association, or other provider in the next year to conduct
education and training programs for their faculty or staff. Ten percent will indeed, while
another ten percent might:
Anticipation of Contracting with Provider in
Next Year
Percent of
School
Districts
Yes 10%
Maybe 10
No 80
Likelihood of Contracting with College or University in the Next Year
Among school districts that will or might contract with a provider in the next year, all of
them are likely to do so with a college or university.
Subject of Interest for Education and Training in the Next Year
Staying with this pool—those who will or might contract with educational institutions in
the next year—we next asked what subjects they would most likely need for their
education and training. The following data show a range of needs for future college and
university providers:
Reading
Outreach work
Strengthen our relationship with the university to offer us professional
development courses
103
Credit or Noncredit Needs for Education and Training in the Next Year
All of the representatives who will or might contract with educational institutions in the
next year are looking for credit study as opposed to noncredit study.
Consideration of the University of Southern Maine as Provider in the Next Year
Staying with this pool (those who will or might contract with educational institutions in
the next year), we next asked if they would consider using the University of Southern
Maine to provide courses or programs in the near future. Half of this pool of respondents
would indeed. The representative who would not consider the University of Southern
Maine told us it is because they feel ―Columbia University staff is more state of the art.‖
Future Contact
Methods of Contact with Faculty or Staff
Moving on, we asked all school district representatives to rate several ways for the
University of Southern Maine to let them know more about what it could offer their
faculty or staff using a 5-point scale of 1 not a good way to 5 an extremely good way.
Printed publications mailed to them or others at the school district received the highest
average rating, 3.60, followed by periodic emails to them or others directing them to
content on the College of Education’s web pages:
Methods of Contact with Faculty or Staff
Percent of
School
Districts
Responding
Very Good
Average
Rating
Printed publications mailed to you or others at
the district 50% 3.60
Periodic emails to you or others directing you to
content on the College of Education’s web
pages
60 3.50
Meetings on campus between people from your
district and staff at the College of Education 30 2.80
Visits by College of Education staff to the
district 30 2.70
Meetings hosted at USM for representatives
from many districts 10 2.20
Future Contact Desired to Discuss Education and Training for Their Faculty/Staff
Toward the end of the interview, we asked the school districts whether they would be
interested in having someone from the University of Southern Maine contact them to
discuss providing education and training for their faculty or staff. Four of the school
districts said, ―Yes,‖ they would like a representative from the University of Southern
Maine to contact them. Please see the last page of this section for their contact
information.
104
We suggest that the University of Southern Maine increase its outreach to organizations
in the surveyed area so that when opportunities do arise among these and other school
districts, the University of Southern Maine will be approachable to those who arrange
such contracts and who seek stronger ties on behalf of their faculty and staff. Increasing
the University of Southern Maine’s visibility and building relationships with the area
school districts are key to its success in this market.
Discussion Topic of Interest in Contact from the University of Southern Maine
Finally, we followed up with just these representatives by having them tell us their
primary focus of interest in contact from the University of Southern Maine. Half of the
school districts are interested in learning more about the University of Southern Maine in
general:
Discussion Topic of Interest
Number of
School
Districts
General interest in learning more about the
University of Southern Maine 1
Contract training opportunities (where the
University of Southern Maine would
provide onsite courses)
--
Arrangements to facilitate the use of tuition
reimbursement by your employees --
Other; Future for next year 1
105
School Districts Desiring Contact with
the University of Southern Maine
Name
School District
Preferred Method of Contact
Sandy Alexander Lebanon Elementary School 207-457-1126
Tom Eismeier Cheverus High School [email protected]
Jack Hardy Marshwood High School
or 207-781-7429
Peter Lancia Westbrook Middle School [email protected]
106
Study 5: Competitor Analysis
the University of Southern Maine officials commissioned EducationDynamics to conduct
a competitor analysis of other postsecondary institutions offering undergraduate and
graduate degree and certificate programs for students who study days, evenings,
weekends, and/or through distance learning. This is a report of that study, conducted in
June and July 2011.
Competitor College Analysis Procedures
EducationDynamics studied undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs
across several institutions, including the University of Southern Maine.
Undergraduate degree and certificate analysis was conducted for the following
institutions on the basis of their rating among the recent undergraduate adult students we
surveyed and the University of Southern Maine staff’s knowledge regarding the
competitive marketplace in its vicinity:
Kaplan University-South Portland
Southern Maine Community College
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
University of Maine at Augusta
University of Phoenix
the University of Southern Maine
Graduate student degree and certificate analysis was conducted for the following
institutions on the basis of their rating among the recent graduate adult students we
surveyed and the University of Southern Maine staff’s knowledge regarding the
competitive marketplace in its vicinity:
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
University of Maine
University of New England-Portland
the University of Southern Maine
In conducting the analysis, degree and certificate offerings for fall 2011 were reviewed.
For each institution in the study, we gathered information about what, where, when, and
how undergraduate and graduate degrees and/or certificates are offered. The data sources
included the institution’s website, as well as telephone contact and virtual chat when
necessary.
Specifically we emphasized in the review the following features for each institution
offering undergraduate and graduate degree and/or certificate programs:
107
Units administering study
Degrees and/or certificates offered
Type of institution
Course location(s)
Enrollment (NCES fall 2009)
Course schedules
Course fees
Programs offered through distance learning study
Transfer credit policy
Entrance testing requirements
Website analysis (from the perspective of prospective student)
Major Patterns: Undergraduate
Of the six competitor institutions analyzed, three are public institutions—University of
Maine at Augusta, the University of Southern Maine, and Southern Maine Community
College (the latter being the only two-year institution)—two are proprietary, four-year
institutions—University of Phoenix and Kaplan University-South Portland—and one is a
private, four-year institution—Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick.
Degree and Certificate Offerings: Undergraduate
Southern Maine Community College offers the greatest number of degree offerings for
undergraduate students—about 45—while the University of Southern Maine offers the
fewest—four. All institutions offer study at the bachelor- and associate-level except the
University of Southern Maine, which offers study at the bachelor-level only and Southern
Maine Community College, which offers study at the associate-level only.
All the institutions offer certificate study. Southern Maine Community College offers the
greatest quantity of certificates—ten.
Enrollment: Undergraduate
Based on NCES data for fall 2009 (the most recent year for which enrollment data are
available), enrollments of undergraduate adult student ages 25 years and above varied
from a total of 2,142 at Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick to a total of
3,240 at University of Maine at Augusta. (Note: Enrollment data for Kaplan University’s
South Portland campus were not available, and because University of Phoenix does not
have a campus in Maine, enrollment data for the institution was not retrieved.)
Schedules: Undergraduate
the University of Southern Maine, Southern Maine Community College, and Kaplan
University-South Portland offers undergraduate study days, evenings, and weekends,
while University of Maine at Augusta offers courses days and evenings, Southern New
Hampshire University-Brunswick offers courses evenings and weekends, and University
of Phoenix offers courses online only.
108
The schedules of study among the competitor institutions vary: University of Maine at
Augusta, Southern Maine Community College, and the University of Southern Maine
offer courses during approximately 15-week spring and fall terms, with accelerated study
during the summer; Kaplan University-South Portland offers study during ten-week year
round terms, Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offers study during seven-
week year round terms, and University of Phoenix offers study during five-to-nine-week
terms.
All of the institutions that offer distance learning study offer it on the same academic
calendar as classroom-based study.
Costs: Undergraduate
Putting aside non-resident tuition among the institutions, the course costs among the
competitor institutions range from $86 per credit for residents at Southern Maine
Community College to $365-$550 per credit at University of Phoenix.
All of the institutions that offer distance learning study charge the same rate as
classroom-based study, except for Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick,
which charges residents $311 per credit for distance learning (an additional $68 per credit
more than classroom-based study).
Distance Learning Programs: Undergraduate
All of the institutions offer distance learning study at the undergraduate level: the
University of Southern Maine, University of Phoenix, Kaplan University-South Portland,
and Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offer online courses, certificates,
and degrees; University of Maine at Augusta offers online, web streaming, and
interactive television courses, certificates, and degrees; and Southern Mine Community
College offers online courses.
Transfer Credit Policy: Undergraduate
Transfer credit policies vary among the competitor institutions: Kaplan University-South
Portland requires that a minimum of half the credits of a major be earned at the
institution; University of Maine at Augusta requires that a minimum of 30 credits in a
major be earned at the institution; University of Phoenix requires that a minimum of 30
credits toward core education be earned at the institution; the University of Southern
Maine requires that a minimum of 30 credits be earned at the institution; Southern Maine
Community College requires that a minimum of 15 credits be earned at the institution;
and Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick accepts a maximum of 30 credits
toward an associate’s degree and a maximum of 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree.
Entrance Testing Required: Undergraduate
None of the institutions require applicants to submit entrance testing for admission into
its undergraduate degree programs, except Southern Maine Community College, which
requires students to submit Accuplacer test scores if they have no previous college credit
or scored lower than a certain point on various standardized tests.
109
How the University of Southern Maine Compares: Undergraduate
The University of Southern Maine Degree and Certificate Offerings: Undergraduate
The University of Southern Maine offers four undergraduate degree programs, the least
among its competitors, and two certificate programs, also the least among its competitors.
The University of Southern Maine Enrollment: Undergraduate
With 2,338 undergraduate students ages 25 and above enrolled in fall 2009, the
University of Southern Maine’s enrollment was the second greatest among its
competitors.
The University of Southern Maine Costs: Undergraduate
At $253 per credit for residents, the University of Southern Maine’s course costs are in
the general range of all its competitors except Southern Maine Community College,
which charges residents $86 per credit, and University of Phoenix, which charges $365-
$550 per credit.
Major Patterns: Graduate
Of the five competitor institutions analyzed, three are private, four-year institutions—
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick, University of New England-Portland,
and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (the latter being religiously affiliated)—and two are
public, four-year institutions—University of Maine-Orono and the University of Southern
Maine.
Degree and Certificate Offerings: Graduate
University of Maine-Orono offers the greatest number of degree offerings for graduate
students by far—about 125—while Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers the fewest—
six. All institutions offer both master’s and doctoral programs except Saint Joseph’s
College of Maine and Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick, which offer
master’s programs only. the University of Southern Maine is the only institution to offer
joint degrees (two graduate degrees that can be earned simultaneously).
All the institutions offer certificate study. the University of Southern Maine offers the
greatest number of certificate programs—about 30.
Enrollment: Graduate
Based on NCES data for fall 2009 (the most recent year for which enrollment data are
available), enrollments of graduate students ages 25 and older varied from a total of 807
at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine to 1,975 at University of Maine-Orono.
Schedules: Graduate
All institutions offer study days, evenings, and weekends but Saint Joseph’s College of
Maine, which offers study online only. University of Maine-Orono, University of New
England-Portland, and the University of Southern Maine offer study during
approximately 15-week fall and spring terms, as well as accelerated study during the
110
summer. Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offers study during 11-week
year round terms, while Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers study (online only)
during 15-week year round, flexible terms.
All of the institutions that offer distance learning study offer it on the same academic
calendar as classroom-based study except for University of New England-Portland,
which offers distance learning study during two eight-week terms (within each 16-week
fall and spring term for classroom-based study), as well as accelerated summertime study,
and Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick, which offers distance learning
study during seven-week year round terms.
Costs: Graduate
Putting aside non-resident tuition among the institutions, course costs among the
competitor institutions range from $315-$600 per credit for at Saint Joseph’s College of
Maine to $440-$715 per credit at University of New England-Portland.
All of the institutions that offer distance learning study charge the same rate as
classroom-based study.
Distance Learning Programs: Graduate
All of the institutions offer distance learning study. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offer online courses, certificates, and
degrees; University of Maine-Orono offers interactive television, compressed video,
intranet, video streaming, and online courses, certificates, and degrees; University of
New England-Portland offers online courses, certificates, and degrees and hybrid
degrees; and the University of Southern Maine offers online courses and online and
hybrid degrees.
Transfer Credit Policy: Graduate
Transfer credits among the institutions vary: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, Southern
New Hampshire University-Brunswick, and University of Maine-Orono accept a
maximum of six credits from another institution; the University of Southern Maine
accepts a maximum of six to 12 credits, depending on the program; and University of
New England-Portland has a variety of policies, depending on the program, from
accepting no credits at all, accepting them on a case-by-case basis, accepting a maximum
of six credits, to requiring that a minimum of 32 credits be earned at the institution.
Entrance Testing Required: Graduate
University of Maine-Orono requires applicants to submit entrance testing for admission
into its graduate programs, while the University of Southern Maine requires it for most
programs and University of New England-Portland requires it for some programs. Saint
Joseph’s College of Maine and Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick do not
require entrance testing.
111
How the University of Southern Maine Compares: Graduate
The University of Southern Maine Degree and Certificate Offerings: Graduate
The University of Southern Maine offers about 35 graduate degree programs, the second
greatest quantity among its competitors, and about 30 certificates, the greatest quantity
among its competitors.
The University of Southern Maine Enrollment: Graduate
With 1,740 graduate students enrolled in fall 2009, the University of Southern Maine’s
enrollment is the third greatest among its competitors—with 807 enrolled at Saint
Joseph’s College of Maine and 1,975 enrolled at University of Maine.
The University of Southern Maine Costs: Graduate
At $380 per credit for residents, the University of Southern Maine’s course costs are in
the lesser expensive range among its competitors—the least expensive potentially being
$315-$600 per credit for at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and the most expensive
potentially being $440-$715 per credit at University of New England-Portland.
What Follows
In the following section, we begin with a summary profile for the individual competitor
institutions offering undergraduate and graduate education that highlights key
characteristics.
Following the summary profiles, each institution is profiled separately for undergraduate
and graduate degree and certificate programs. In these individual profiles, a description is
presented of what, where, when, and how these programs are offered.
In conducting this portion of the study, however, we want to point out the difficulty we
encountered in acquiring comprehensive, accurate, and clear information from each
institution. Information gathered online or via telephone were sometimes contradictory.
Most institutions prefer to direct you to their website rather than converse.
112
Summary Profile: Undergraduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
Kaplan University-
South Portland
http://portland.kaplanu
niversity.edu/Pages/Ho
mepage.aspx
Campus: South
Portland, ME
n/a
$230/quarter
credit
(equivalent to
$345/semester
credit)
Days, evenings, and
weekends
Ten-week year round
terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Minimum of half
of major
requirement must
be earned at the
University
No
Southern Maine
Community College
http://www.smccme.ed
u/
Campus: South
Portland, ME
Full-time:
635
Part-time:
1,690
TOTAL:
2,325
Residents:
$86/credit
Non-residents:
$172/credit
Days, evenings, and
weekends
15-week fall and spring
terms
One ten-week summer
term
Yes, online
courses
Minimum of 15
credits must be
earned at the
College
Yes
* Fall 2009 enrollment of undergraduate students ages 25 and above
113
Summary Profile: Undergraduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
Southern New
Hampshire
University-Brunswick
http://www.snhu.edu/in
dex.aspx
Campus: Brunswick,
ME
Full-time:
879
Part-time:
1,263
TOTAL:
2,142
(data for all
SNHU
campuses)
Classroom
$243/credit
Distance
Learning:
$311/credit
Evenings and weekends
Seven-week year round
terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Associate’s:
max. 30 credits
Bachelor’s:
max. 90 credits
No
University of Maine at
Augusta
http://www.uma.edu/
Campus: Augusta, ME
Full-time:
792
Part-time:
2,448
TOTAL:
3,240
Residents:
$208/credit
Non-residents:
$504/credit
Days and evenings
15-week fall and spring
terms
Two six-week and one
12-week summer terms
Yes, online, web
streaming, and
interactive
television
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Minimum of 30
credits in major
must be earned at
the University
No
* Fall 2009 enrollment of undergraduate students ages 25 and above
114
Summary Profile: Undergraduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
University of Phoenix
http://www.phoenix.ed
u/
Campus: Virtual
n/a Associate’s
$365-
$405/credit
Bachelor’s:
$385-
$550/credit
Online only
Between five- and nine-
week year round terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Minimum of 30
credits toward
core education
must be earned at
the University
No
the University of
Southern Maine
http://usm.maine.edu/
Campuses: Portland
and Lewiston-Auburn,
ME
Full-time:
842
Part-time:
1,496
TOTAL:
2,338
Residents:
$253/credit
Non-residents:
$665/credit
Days, evenings, and
weekends
15-week fall and spring
terms
One four-week and one
seven-week summer
terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Minimum of 30
credits must be
earned at the
University
No
* Fall 2009 enrollment of undergraduate students ages 25 and above
115
Summary Profile: Graduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
Saint Joseph’s College
of Maine
http://www.sjcme.edu/
Campus: Standish, ME
Full-time:
95
Part-time:
712
TOTAL:
807
$315-
$600/credit
Online only
15-week year round
terms (with flexible
scheduling)
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Maximum of six
credits
No
Southern New
Hampshire
University-Brunswick
http://www.snhu.edu/in
dex.aspx
Campuses: Brunswick,
ME
Full-time:
819
Part-time:
1,057
TOTAL:
1,876
(data for all
SNHU
campuses)
$375/credit Days, evenings, and
weekends
Classroom: 11-week
year round terms
Online: seven-week
year round terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Maximum of six
credits
No
* Fall 2009 enrollment of graduate students ages 25 and above
116
Summary Profile: Graduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
University of Maine-
Orono
http://www.umaine.edu
/
Campus: Orono, ME
Full-time:
882
Part-time:
1,093
TOTAL:
1,975
Residents:
$418/credit
Non-residents:
$1,202/credit
Days, evenings, and
weekends
15-week fall and spring
terms
Seven three-week, two
five-week, two six-
week, two seven-week,
and three eight-week
summer terms
Yes, interactive
television,
compressed
video, intranet,
video streaming,
and online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees
Maximum of six
credits
Yes
University of New
England-Portland
http://www.une.edu/
Campuses: Portland,
ME
Full-time:
1,359
Part-time:
250
TOTAL:
1,609
(data for all
UNE
campuses)
$440-
$715/credit Days, evenings, and
weekends
Classroom: 16-week
fall and spring terms
and a 12-week summer
term
Online: two eight-week
terms (within each 16-
week term) and two
six-week summer terms
Yes, online
courses,
certificates, and
degrees and
hybrid degrees
Dependent on
program: none
accepted, six
credits accepted,
accepted on case-
by-case basis, or a
minimum of 32
credits must be
earned at the
University
Yes, for some
of its programs
* Fall 2009 enrollment of graduate students ages 25 and above
117
Summary Profile: Graduate Programs All programs and course offerings appear in the individual college and university profiles that follow
College/University
Enrollment* Cost Scheduling Distance
Learning
Offerings
Transfer Credit
Policy
Entrance
Testing
Requirement
the University of
Southern Maine
http://usm.maine.edu/
Campuses: Gorham,
Portland, and
Lewiston-Auburn, ME
Full-time:
594
Part-time:
1,146
TOTAL:
1,740
Residents:
$380/credit
Non-residents:
$1,026/credit
Days, evenings, and
weekends
15-week fall and spring
terms
One four-week and one
seven-week summer
terms
Yes, online
courses and
online and
hybrid degrees
Maximum of six
to 12 credits,
depending on
program
Yes, for most
of its programs
* Fall 2009 enrollment of graduate students ages 25 and above
118
UNDERGRADUATE
Kaplan University-South Portland
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Kaplan University website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: Kaplan University-South Portland
OFFERINGS: Kaplan University-South Portland offers the following undergraduate
degree and certificate programs:
Degrees
Associate of Applied Science
Accounting C/O
Applied Science in Early Childhood
Development O
Business Administration C/O
Criminal Justice C/O
Educational Paraprofessional C/O
Fire Science O
Health Information Technology O
Human Services O
Information Technology O
Medical Assisting C/O
Medical Office Management O
Medical Transcription O
Paralegal Studies C/O
Public Administration O
Bachelor of Science
Accounting O
Business Administration*/C/O
Communication O
Criminal Justice*/C/O
Criminal Justice Administration and
Management O
Early Childhood Development*/C/O
Environmental Policy and
Management O
Fire and Emergency Management O
Fire Science O
Health and Wellness O
Health Care Administration O
Health Science O
Human Services O
Information Technology O
International and Comparative Criminal
Justice O
Legal Studies O
Liberal Studies O
Nursing O
Nutrition Science O
Paralegal Studies O
Political Science O
Psychology O
Public Health O
Public Administration and Policy O
Certificates
Adult Nurse Practitioner O
Corrections O
Crime Scene Technician O
Family Nurse Practitioner O
Legal Secretary O
Management and Supervision Certificate
in Criminal Justice O
Private Security O
* Also offered as a degree completion program
O Offered online
C/O Offered in the classroom as well as online
ABOUT: Kaplan University is a proprietary, four-year institution that is located in a
suburban setting.
119
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to Kaplan University’s South
Portland, Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: NCES enrollment data for Kaplan University in South Portland are not
available.
SCHEDULING: Courses at Kaplan University-South Portland are offered days, evenings,
weekends, and/or online during ten-week year round terms.
COST: Kaplan University-South Portland charges students $230 per quarter credit
(equivalent to $345 per semester credit). Distance learning courses cost the same as
classroom-based courses.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: Kaplan University-South Portland offers distance
learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: Kaplan University-South Portland requires that students
earn a minimum of half of the major requirement for their program at the University.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: Kaplan University-South Portland does not require
applicants to submit entrance testing scores for admission.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: Kaplan University-South Portland can be found at
http://portland.kaplanuniversity.edu/Pages/Homepage.aspx. When users input the words
Kaplan University South Portland into the search engine Google, this is the first web
address that results, giving Kaplan University-South Portland excellent visibility. The
institution’s tagline is: A different school of thought.
The homepage is simple and streamlined. It has one main image, as well as one main list
of links to choose from, in addition to general topics at the bottom of the homepage. The
homepage is mostly white and blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by topics specific to the Portland campus (about Portland
campus, academic programs, paying for school, admissions, and career services), as well
as by general topics pertaining to Kaplan University.
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about undergraduate courses and programs geared toward adult students is
by clicking on ―academic programs‖ on the homepage. See screen shot 2. Thus, users can
access information about undergraduate study in just one click.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is
available on Kaplan University’s website. We were able to complete this analysis without
having to contact University staff.
121
UNDERGRADUATE
Southern Maine Community College
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Southern Maine Community College website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: Southern Maine Community College
OFFERINGS: Southern Maine Community College offers the following undergraduate
degree and certificate programs:
Degrees
Associate of Applied Science
Architectural & Engineering Design
Automotive Technology
Behavioral Health and Human Services
Cardiovascular Technology
Communications and New Media
Composite Technology
Computer Technology
Construction Technology
Criminal Justice
Culinary Arts
Early Childhood Education
Electrical Engineering Technologies
Fire Science
Heating, Air Conditioning &
Refrigeration
Heating and Plumbing
Heavy Equipment Maintenance
Horticulture
Integrated Manufacturing Precision
Lodging and Restaurant Management
Medical Assisting
Paramedicine
Surgical Technology
Trade and Technical Occupations
Associate of Arts
Art
Biology
Business Administration
Elementary Education
English
History
Liberal Studies
Mathematics
Psychology
Science
Secondary Education
Social Work
Sociology
Associate of Science
Applied Marine Biology and
Oceanography
Biotechnology
Business Administration
Dietetic Technology
Nursing
Political Science
Pre-engineering
Radiation Therapy
Radiography
Respiratory Theory
Certificates
Advanced Certificate in Multi-axis
Machining
Early Childhood Education
Electrician Technology
Fire Science
Heating
Heavy Equipment Operations
Plumbing
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
Residential Framing
Welding Technology
ABOUT: Southern Maine Community College is a public, two-year institution that is
located in a suburban setting.
122
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to Southern Maine Community
College’s South Portland, Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, Southern Maine Community College enrolled a total of
2,325 undergraduate students ages 25 and above, 635 of which were enrolled full time
and 1,690 of which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Courses at Southern Maine Community College are offered days,
evenings, weekends, and/or online during 15-week fall and spring terms and a ten-week
summer term.
COST: Southern Maine Community College charges residents $86 per credit and non-
residents $172 per credit. Distance learning courses cost the same as classroom-based
courses.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: Southern Maine Community College offers distance
learning via online courses.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: Southern Maine Community College requires that students
earn a minimum of 15 credits at the College.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: Southern Maine Community College requires
applicants to submit entrance testing for admission if they have no previous college credit
or scored lower than a certain point on various standardized tests.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: Southern Maine Community College can be found at
http://www.smccme.edu/. When users input the words Southern Maine Community
College into the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving
Southern Maine Community College excellent visibility. The institution’s tagline is:
Envision a future.
The homepage is quite busy. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two main lists
of links to choose from, in addition to the latest news. The homepage is mostly white. See
screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by identity (future students, current students, alumni and
foundation, business and community, and faculty and staff), as well as by quick links and
general topics (about, campuses and locations, academics, admissions, student life,
athletics, bookstore, among others).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about undergraduate courses and programs geared toward adult students is
by clicking on ―academics‖ on the homepage and then either ―career and technical
programs‖ or ―liberal studies.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access information
about undergraduate study in two clicks.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is
available on Southern Maine Community College’s website. We were able to complete
this analysis without having to contact College staff.
124
UNDERGRADUATE
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Southern New Hampshire University website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: Southern New Hampshire University, Undergraduate
Division and SNHU Online
OFFERINGS: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offers the following
undergraduate degree and certificate programs:
Degrees
Associate of Arts
Liberal Arts C/O
Associate of Science
Accounting C/O
Business Administration C/O
Computer Information Technology O
Fashion Merchandising O
Justice Studies O
Marketing O
Bachelor of Arts
Communication O
Community Sociology C/O
Creative Writing O
English Language and Literature C/O
General Studies O
History O
Law and Politics O
Psychology C/O
Bachelor of Science
Accounting C/O
Accounting Finance O
Accounting Information Systems O
Advertising O
Business Administration C/O
Business Studies C/O
Computer Information Technology O
Finance Economics O
International Business O
Justice Studies O
Marketing O
Retail Management O
Technical Management C/O
Certificates
Accounting C/O
Business Information Systems O
Human Resource Management O
Justice Studies-Crime and Criminology O
Justice Studies-Law and Legal Process O
Justice Studies-Police and Law
Enforcement O
Justice Studies-Terrorism and Homeland
Security O
O Offered online
C/O Offered in the classroom as well as online
ABOUT: Southern New Hampshire University is a private, four-year institution that is
located in a suburban setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to Southern New Hampshire
University’s Brunswick, Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, Southern New Hampshire University enrolled a total of
2,142 undergraduate students ages 25 and above, 879 of which were enrolled full time
125
and 1,263 of which were enrolled part time. (Enrollment data for the Brunswick campus
are not available.)
SCHEDULING: Courses at Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick are offered
evenings, weekends, and/or online during seven-week year round terms.
COST: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick charges students $729 per course
or $243 per credit. Distance learning courses cost $933 per course or $311 per credit.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
offers distance learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick accepts a
maximum of 30 credits toward an associate’s degree and a maximum of 90 credits toward
a bachelor’s degree.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick does
not requires applicants to submit entrance testing for admission.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: Southern New Hampshire University can be found at
http://www.snhu.edu/index.aspx. When users input the words Southern New Hampshire
University into the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving
Southern New Hampshire University excellent visibility. The institution does not appear
to have a tagline.
The homepage is quite busy. It has one main image that rotates, as well as three main lists
of links to choose from, in addition to the latest news, featured programs, and ―Why
SNHU?‖. The homepage is white with yellow and blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by topic (information for…, admission, financial aid,
academics and programs, online education, student success, campus life, athletics and
recreation, and about SNHU), as well as by identity (adult learner, high school student,
transfer student, military student, and international student), and by method of learning
(online, on campus, or both, plus regional locations).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about undergraduate courses and programs geared toward adult students is
by clicking on ―adult learner‖ on the homepage and then ―Maine‖ under ―SNHU
locations.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access information about undergraduate
study in two clicks.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is
available on Southern New Hampshire University’s website. We were able to complete
this analysis without having to contact University staff.
127
UNDERGRADUATE
University of Maine at Augusta
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: University of Maine at Augusta website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: University of Maine at Augusta, University of Maine
Undergraduate Division
OFFERINGS: University of Maine at Augusta offers the following undergraduate degree
and certificate programs:
Degrees
Associate of Arts
Liberal Studies O
Associate of Science
Business Administration O
Computer Information Systems O
Information and Library Services O
Jazz and Contemporary Music
Justice Studies O
Medical Laboratory Technology O
Mental Health and Human Services O
Nursing
Public Administration
Bachelor of Arts
Architecture
Art
Biology
English
Liberal Studies O
Social Science
Bachelor of Music
Jazz and Contemporary Music
Bachelor of Science
Applied Science O
Business Administration O
Computer Information Systems O
Financial Services
Information and Library Services O
Interdisciplinary Studies
Justice Studies O
Mental Health and Human Services O
Nursing
Public Administration
Certificates
Dental Assisting
Information and Library Services O
Mental Health and Human Services O
Paralegal Studies O
O Offered online
ABOUT: University of Maine at Augusta is a public, four-year institution that is located in
a suburban setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to University of Maine’s Augusta,
Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, University of Maine at Augusta enrolled a total of 3,240
undergraduate students ages 25 and above, 792 of which were enrolled full time and
2,448 of which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Courses at University of Maine at Augusta are offered days, evenings,
and/or online during 15-week fall and spring terms and two six-week and one 12-week
128
summer terms.
COST: University of Maine at Augusta charges residents $208 per credit and non-
residents $504 per credit. Distance learning courses cost the same as classroom-based
courses and are according to residential status.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: University of Maine at Augusta offers distance
learning via online, web streaming, and interactive television courses, certificates, and
degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: University of Maine at Augusta requires that students earn a
minimum of 30 credits in their major at the University.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: University of Maine at Augusta does not require
applicants to submit entrance test scores for admission.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: University of Maine at Augusta can be found at
http://www.uma.edu/. When users input the words University of Maine at Augusta into
the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving University of
Maine at Augusta excellent visibility. The institution’s tagline is: Stay close. Go far.
The homepage is organized and simple. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from, in addition to the latest news and events, highlights,
and featured staff. The homepage is mostly white, with blue and green. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by topic (about UMA, academics, admission, student life,
campus and community, news and events, a-z directory), as well as by identity
(prospective students, alumni, senior college, friends and visitors).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about undergraduate courses and programs geared toward adult students is
by rolling over ―admission‖ on the homepage and clicking on ―adult students‖ and then
―programs and degrees‖ under ―related links.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access
information about undergraduate study in two clicks.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is
available on University of Maine at Augusta’s website. We were able to complete this
analysis without having to contact University staff.
130
UNDERGRADUATE
University of Phoenix
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: University of Phoenix website and virtual chat
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: University of Phoenix
OFFERINGS: University of Phoenix offers the following undergraduate degree and
certificate programs:
Degrees O
Associate of Arts
Accounting
Communications
Criminal Justice
Elementary Education
Foundations of Business
General Studies
Health Care Administration
Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism
Human Services Management
Information Technology
Psychology
Bachelor of Arts
English
Bachelor of Science
Accounting
Business
Communication
Criminal Justice Administration
Education
Environmental Science
Health Administration
Human Services
Information Technology
Liberal Studies
Management
Nursing
Organizational Security and
Management
Psychology
Certificates O
A+ Fundamentals
Human Resource Management
Information Systems Security
Network+ Technologies
Project Management
Visual Communication
O Offered online
ABOUT: University of Phoenix is a proprietary, four-year virtual institution.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to University of Phoenix’s virtual
campus (there are no campuses in the state of Maine).
ENROLLMENT: Because University of Phoenix does not have a campus in Maine, NCES
enrollment data were not gathered.
SCHEDULING: Courses at University of Phoenix are offered online during year round
terms ranging between five and nine weeks long.
COST: University of Phoenix charges students $365-$405 per credit for associate-level
online study and $385-$550 per credit for bachelor-level online study.
131
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: University of Phoenix offers distance learning via
online courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: University of Phoenix requires that a minimum of 30 credits
toward core education requirements be earned at the institution.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: University of Phoenix does not require applicants to
submit standardized test scores for admission into its undergraduate programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: University of Phoenix can be found at http://www.phoenix.edu/.
When users input the words University of Phoenix into the search engine Google, this is
the first web address that results, giving University of Phoenix excellent visibility. The
institution doesn’t appear to have a tagline.
The homepage is quite busy. It has one main image that rotates and four main lists of
links to choose from, as well as the University’s featured faculty, articles, and programs.
The homepage is primarily white. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website according to general topics (academics, how it works, about
us, and community), study area of interest (business, doctoral/PhD, education,
technology, nursing, and others), by other topics (research tuition and finance info, find a
campus near you, see how the university works, among others), as well as by more—
albeit sometimes redundant—topics (how it works, inside University of Phoenix, and
campus near you).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about online undergraduate courses and programs is by clicking ―explore
online program‖ under ―find a campus near you‖ on the homepage, and then clicking on
―view online programs.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access information about
online undergraduate study in two clicks.
Most of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is available on
University of Phoenix’s website, if one is willing to dig for it. We had to conduct a
virtual chat with the University to determine its transfer credit policy information, but
they were not terribly forthcoming with this information, preferring instead you talk to an
advisor on the telephone.
133
UNDERGRADUATE
The University of Southern Maine
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: the University of Southern Maine website and telephone
contact
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: the University of Southern Maine, Professional and
Continuing Education and USM Online
OFFERINGS: the University of Southern Maine offers the following undergraduate degree
and certificate programs:
Degrees
Bachelor of Arts
Communication*/O
Bachelor of Science
Applied Technical Leadership */†
Business Administration */†
Leadership and Organizational
Studies*/O
Certificates Creative Leadership and Global
Strategy O
Leadership Studies O
* Degree completion program
O Offered online
† Evening courses and some online courses
ABOUT: the University of Southern Maine is a public, four-year institution that is located
in suburban settings.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to the University of Southern
Maine’s Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, Maine campuses.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, the University of Southern Maine enrolled a total of 2,338
undergraduate students ages 25 and above, 842 of which were enrolled full time and
1,496 of which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Courses at the University of Southern Maine are offered days, evenings,
weekends, and/or online during 15-week fall and spring terms, as well as during a four-
week and seven-week summer terms.
COST: the University of Southern Maine charges residents $253 per credit and non-
residents $665 per credit. Distance learning courses cost the same as classroom-based
courses.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: the University of Southern Maine offers distance
learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees.
134
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: the University of Southern Maine requires that students earn
a minimum of 30 credits at the University.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: the University of Southern Maine does not require
applicants to submit entrance testing scores if their high school graduation date was three
or more years ago and/or they have earned 30 or more college credits.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: the University of Southern Maine can be found at
http://usm.maine.edu/. When users input the words the University of Southern Maine into
the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving the University
of Southern Maine excellent visibility. The institution’s tagline is: Connecting You With
Tomorrow.
The homepage is clean and streamlined. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from, in addition to campus news and events. The homepage
is mostly white and blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by general topic (academics, admission, campus life,
research, news and events, about USM, libraries and technology, give to USM), as well
as by ―quick links‖ (pioneers, MaineStreet, Blackboard, student email, academic
departments, administrative offices, current students, faculty and staff, alumni, and job
opportunities).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about undergraduate courses and programs geared toward adult students is
by rolling over ―academics‖ on the homepage, and clicking ―professional and continuing
education‖ followed by ―programs.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access
information about undergraduate study in two clicks.
Most of the information prospective undergraduate students search for is available on the
University of Southern Maine’s website. We had to contact the University only to
confirm its certificate programs offered by the Professional and Continuing Development
division comprise continuing education units.
136
GRADUATE
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine website and telephone
contact
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, Graduate &
Professional Studies Division
OFFERINGS: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers the following graduate degree and
certificate programs:
Degrees O
Master of Accountancy
Master of Arts
Pastoral Theology
Master of Business Administration
Master of Science
Education
Nursing
Master of Health Administration
Certificates O
Advanced Graduate Study
(post-graduate)
Catholic Health Care Leadership
Catholic School Leadership
Nursing & Health Care Education
Nursing Administration/Leadership
School Leadership
O Offered online
ABOUT: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is a private, four-year institution that is
religiously affiliated and located in a rural setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to Saint Joseph’s College of
Maine’s Standish, Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine enrolled a total of 807
graduate students ages 25 and above, 95 of which were enrolled full time and 712 of
which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Courses at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine are offered only through
distance learning during 15-week year round terms. However, these terms do not have set
dates. Students can enroll in a course at anytime throughout the year and can complete a
course in fewer than 15 weeks and immediately enroll in another course, if desired.
COST: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine charges $315-$600 per credit, depending on the
program.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers distance
learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine accepts a maximum of six
137
credits from another institution.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine does not require
applicants to submit standardized test scores for admission into its graduate programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine can be found at
http://www.sjcme.edu/. When users input the words Saint Joseph’s College of Maine into
the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving Saint Joseph’s
College of Maine excellent visibility. The institution does not appear to have a tagline.
The homepage is organized and simple. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from, in addition to the latest news. The homepage is mostly
white with blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by general topic (about SJC, admissions, academics, student
life, athletics, news and events, resources, departments, jobs at SJC), as well as by
identity (prospective students, current students, alumni and parents, guests, faculty and
staff).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about graduate courses and programs is by rolling over ―academics‖ on the
homepage and then clicking on ―online degrees.‖ However, this webpage shows
undergraduate degrees offered online as well. The College offers graduate study only
through distance learning, something users must gather while perusing the website,
making things less straightforward than is ideal. See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access
information about graduate study in just one click.
Most of the information prospective graduate students search for is available on Saint
Joseph’s College of Maine’s website. However, we had to contact College staff to
determine its academic calendar and to verify that graduate study is only offered online.
139
GRADUATE
Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Southern New Hampshire University website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: Southern New Hampshire University, Graduate Division
and SNHU Online
OFFERINGS: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick offers the following
graduate degree and certificate programs:
Degrees
Master of Business Administration
Accounting C/O
Athletic Administration O
Corporate Social Responsibility C/O
Entrepreneurship C/O
Finance C/O
Forensic Accounting C/O
Global O
Health Care Informatics O
Health Care Management O
Information Technology
Management C/O
International Hospitality
Management C/O
Justice Studies C/O
Marketing C/O
Operations & Supply Chain
Management C/O
Project Management C/O
Six Sigma O
Social Media Marketing C/O
Sport Management C/O
Sustainability & Environmental
Compliance C/O
Workplace Conflict Management C/O
Master of Education
Curriculum and Instruction O
Educational Leadership O
Finance O
International Business O
Justice Studies O
Marketing O
Master of Science
Accounting O
Community Economic Development O
Community Mental Health
Community Mental Health Counseling
Operations and Project Management O
Organizational Leadership C/O
Sport Management O
Certificates
Athletic Administration O
Community Mental Health
Finance
Leadership of Non-profit Organizations
O Offered online
C/O Offered in the classroom as well as online
ABOUT: Southern New Hampshire University is a private, four-year institution that is
located in a suburban setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to Southern New Hampshire
University’s Brunswick, Maine campus.
140
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, Southern New Hampshire University enrolled a total of
1,876 graduate students ages 25 and above, 819 of which were enrolled full time and
1,057 of which were enrolled part time. (Enrollment data for the Brunswick campus
specifically are not available.)
SCHEDULING: Classroom-based courses at Southern New Hampshire University-
Brunswick are offered days, evenings, weekends during 11-week year round terms;
distance learning courses are offered online during seven-week year round terms.
COST: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick charges students $1,125 per
course or $375 per credit for all programs but community mental health, which costs
$445 per credit. Distance learning courses cost $1,827 per course or $609 per credit.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick
offers distance learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick accepts a
maximum of six credits from another institution.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: Southern New Hampshire University-Brunswick does
not require applicants to submit standardized test scores for admission into its graduate
programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: Southern New Hampshire University can be found at
http://www.snhu.edu/index.aspx. When users input the words Southern New Hampshire
University into the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving
Southern New Hampshire University excellent visibility. The institution does not appear
to have a tagline.
The homepage is quite busy. It has one main image that rotates, as well as three main lists
of links to choose from, in addition to the latest news, featured programs, and ―Why
SNHU?‖. The homepage is white with yellow and blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by topic (information for…, admission, financial aid,
academics and programs, online education, student success, campus life, athletics and
recreation, and about SNHU), as well as by identity (adult learner, high school student,
transfer student, military student, and international student), and by method of learning
(online, on campus, or both, plus regional locations).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about graduate courses and programs is by rolling over ―academics and
programs‖ on the homepage, clicking on ―graduate programs,‖ and then clicking on
―graduate programs by location‖ to view the offerings in Brunswick. See screen shot 2.
Thus, users can access information about graduate study in two clicks.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective graduate students search for is available
on Southern New Hampshire University’s website. We were able to complete this
analysis without having to contact University staff.
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GRADUATE
University of Maine-Orono
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: University of Maine-Orono website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: University of Maine-Orono, Graduate School and
Continuing and Distance Education
OFFERINGS: University of Maine-Orono offers the following graduate degree and
certificate programs:
Degrees
Doctor of Education
Educational Leadership (pre K-12)
Higher Education
History
Literacy Education
Doctor of Philosophy
Anthropology and Environmental Policy
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Biological Sciences
Biomedical Sciences
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Communication & Mass
Communication
Computer Science
Clinical Psychology
Curriculum and Instruction
Developmental Psychology
Earth Sciences
Ecology & Environmental Sciences
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Food & Nutrition Sciences
Forest Resources
Functional Genomics
Higher Education
Interdisciplinary
Marine Biology
Marine Bio-resources
Microbiology
Mechanical Engineering
Ocean Engineering
Oceanography
Physics
Plant Science
Psychological Sciences
Spatial Information Science &
Engineering
Wildlife Ecology
Zoology
Master of Arts
Communication
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Counselor Education
Developmental Psychology
Economics
English
Financial Economics
French
Global Policy
Higher Education
History
Interdisciplinary O
Liberal Studies
Literacy Education
Mathematics
Psychological Sciences
Social Studies Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
Elementary Education
French C/O
Secondary Education
Spanish
Master of Business Administration C/O
Master of Education
Counselor Education
Educational Leadership (pre K-12)
Elementary Education O
Higher Education
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Individualized Program in Education
Instructional Technology
Kinesiology & Physical Education
Literacy Education
Science Education
Secondary Education O
Social Studies Education
Special Education
Master of Engineering
Biological Engineering
Engineering Physics
Master of Fine Arts
Intermedia
Master of Forestry
Forestry
Master of Music
Music Conducting
Music Education
Music Performance
Master of Professional Studies
Animal Sciences
Biochemistry
Microbiology
Master of Science
Animal Sciences
Biochemistry
Biological Engineering
Botany & Plant Pathology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Engineering O
Counselor Education
Earth Sciences
Ecology & Environmental Sciences
Education Data Specialist
Electrical Engineering O
Elementary Education
Engineering Physics
Entomology
Food Science & Human Nutrition
Forest Resources
Higher Education
Horticulture
Human Development
Information Systems
Kinesiology & Physical Education
Literacy Education
Marine Biology
Marine Bio-resources
Marine Policy
Mechanical Engineering
Microbiology
Nursing
Oceanography
Plant, Soil & Environmental Studies
Quaternary & Climate Studies
Resource Economics & Policy
Science Education
Secondary Education
Social Studies Education
Spatial Information Science &
Engineering
Sustainable Agriculture
Teaching
Wildlife Ecology
Zoology
Master of Public Administration C/O
Master of Social Work C/O
Master of Wildlife Conservation
Certificates
Advanced Engineered Wood
Composites
Advanced Study in Counselor Education
Advanced Study in Education Data
Specialist
Advanced Study in Educational
Leadership (pre K-12)
Advanced Study in Elementary
Education
Advanced Study in Individualized
Program in Education
Advanced Study in Kinesiology &
Physical Education
Advanced Study in Literacy Education
Advanced Study in Nursing
Advanced Study in Science Education
Advanced Study in Secondary Education
Advanced Study in Social Studies
Education
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Education Data Specialist
Foods and Nutrition C/O
Geographic Information Systems
Health Care Administration O
Information Systems O
O Offered online
C/O Offered in the classroom as well as online
ABOUT: University of Maine-Orono is a public, four-year institution that is located in a
rural setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to University of Maine’s Orono,
Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, University of Maine-Orono enrolled a total of 1,975
graduate students ages 25 and above, 882 of which were enrolled full time and 1,093 of
which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Classroom-based courses at University of Maine-Orono are offered days,
evenings, weekends and/or online during 15-week fall and spring terms, as well as during
seven three-week, two five-week, two six-week, two seven-week, and three eight-week
summer terms.
COST: University of Maine-Orono charges residents $418 per credit and non-residents
$1,202. Distance learning courses cost an additional $18 per credit.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: University of Maine-Orono offers distance learning
via interactive television, compressed video, intranet, video streaming, and online
courses, certificates, and degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: University of Maine-Orono accepts a maximum of six
credits from another institution.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: University of Maine-Orono requires applicants to
submit standardized test scores for admission into its graduate programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: University of Maine-Orono can be found at
http://www.umaine.edu/. When users input the words University of Maine into the search
engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving University of Maine
excellent visibility. The institution does not appear to have a tagline.
The homepage is organized and simple. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from. The homepage is primarily blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by topic (About UMaine, academics, admissions, campus
life, and news), as well as by more general topic (text only, home, a-z directory,
MaineStreet, campus map, calendar, apply to UMaine, give now, emergency).
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Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about graduate courses and programs is by clicking on ―graduate school‖ on
the homepage, followed by ―visit the graduate school website here,‖ and then ―graduate
and professional degree programs.‖ See screen shot 2. Thus, users can access information
about graduate study in three clicks.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective graduate students search for is available
on University of Maine-Orono’s website. We were able to complete this analysis without
having to contact University staff.
147
GRADUATE
University of New England-Portland
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: University of New England website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: University of New England, Graduate Division
OFFERINGS: University of New England-Portland offers the following graduate degree
and certificate programs:
Degrees
Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Master of Public Health
Master of Education
Curriculum & Instruction Strategies O
Educational Leadership O
Inclusion Education O
Literacy K-12 O
Medical Education Leadership O
Nurse Anesthesia
Occupational Therapy
Physician Assistant
Teaching Methodology H
Master of Social Work C/O
Certificates
Addictions Counseling
Advanced Study in Advanced
Educational Leadership
Advanced Study in Curriculum &
Instruction Strategies O
Advanced Study in Educational
Leadership O
Advanced Study in Inclusion
Education O
Advanced Study in Leadership, Ethics &
Change O
Advanced Study in Literacy (K-12) O
Gerontology
Leadership Development, Medical
Education Leadership O
Program Development, Medical
Education Leadership O
Project Management
Public Health
O Offered online
H Offered in hybrid format
C/O Offered in the classroom as well as online
ABOUT: University of New England is a private, four-year institution that is located in a
suburban setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to University of New England’s
Portland, Maine campus.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, University of New England enrolled a total of 1,609
graduate students ages 25 and above, 1,359 of which were enrolled full time and 250 of
which were enrolled part time. (Enrollment data for the Portland campus specifically are
not available.)
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SCHEDULING: Classroom-based courses at University of New England-Portland are
offered days, evenings, and/or weekends during 16-week fall and spring terms, as well as
during a 12-week summer term. Distance learning courses are offered during two eight-
week terms (within each classroom-based 16-week fall and spring term), as well as
during two six-week summer terms.
COST: University of New England charges students $440-$715 per credit, depending on
the program. Distance learning courses cost the same as classroom-based courses.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: University of New England-Portland offers distance
learning via online courses, certificates, and degrees and hybrid degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: University of New England-Portland graduate programs
have differing transfer credit policies: Master of Education programs do not accept any
transfer credits; Master of Social Work program requires a minimum of 32 credits be
earned at the institution; Master of Public Health program and all certificate programs
accept a maximum of six transfer credits from another institution; and Doctorate degrees
in Pharmacology and Physical Therapy accept transfer credits on a case-by-vase basis.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: University of New England-Portland requires
applicants to submit standardized test scores for admission into some of its graduate
programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: University of New England can be found at http://www.une.edu/.
When users input the words University of New England into the search engine Google,
this is the first web address that results, giving University of New England excellent
visibility. The institution does not appear to have a tagline.
The homepage is simple and organized. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from, in addition to campus news and events. The homepage
is mostly blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by general topic (admissions, academics, student life,
athletics, about UNE, research, alumni and friends), as well as by ―gateways‖
(prospective students, majors and programs, current students, parents and family, faculty
and staff, community resources, visitors and press, emergency preparedness, clinic
information, make a gift, and blogs) and colleges (arts and sciences, dental medicine,
health professions, osteopathic medicine, and pharmacy.
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about graduate courses and programs is by rolling over ―admissions‖ on the
homepage and then clicking on ―graduate and professional studies.‖ See screen shot 2.
Thus, users can access information about graduate study in just one click.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective graduate students search for is available
on University of New England’s website. We were able to complete this analysis without
having to contact University staff.
150
GRADUATE
The University of Southern Maine
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: the University of Southern Maine website
UNITS ADMINISTERING STUDY: the University of Southern Maine, Office of Graduate
Studies and USM Online
OFFERINGS: the University of Southern Maine offers the following graduate degree and
certificate programs:
Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy
Public Policy
Doctor of Psychology
School Psychology
Master of Arts
American and New England Studies
Leadership Studies H
Master of Business Administration
Master of Community Planning and
Development
Master of Fine Arts
Creative Writing
Master of Music
Composition
Conducting
Jazz Studies
Music Education
Performance
Master of Occupational Therapy
Master of Public Policy and
Management
Master of Science
Abilities and Disabilities Studies
Adult and Higher Education O
Applied Medical Sciences
Biology
Computer Science
Counseling
Educational Psychology
Health Policy and Management
School Psychology
Statistics
Master of Science in Education
Applied Literacy
Educational Leadership
Literacy Education
Professional Educator
Teacher Education O
Teaching and Learning
Master of Science in Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing (RN to
MSN)
Master of Social Work
Joint Degrees*
Master of Business
Administration/Master of Science in
Health Policy and Management
Master of Business
Administration/Master of Science in
Nursing
Certificates
Applied Research and Evaluation
Methods
Assistant Principal
Athletic Administration
Child and Family Policy and
Management
Community Planning and Development
Creative Leadership and Global
Strategy H
Culturally Responsive Practices in
Education and Human Development
Early Language and Literacy
English as a Second Language
Gifted and Talented
Health Policy and Management
Leadership Studies
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Literacy
Mental Health Rehabilitation
Technician/Community
Middle Level Education
Nonprofit Management
Nursing Education
Performance Management and
Measurement
Practice Management
Public Health
Response to Intervention
Statistics
Teaching ALL Students
Post-master’s in Adult Learning
Post-master’s in Applied Behavior
Analysis
Post-master’s in Counseling
Post-master’s in English as a Second
Language
Post-master’s in Literacy Education
* Two degrees that can be earned simultaneously O Offered online
H Offered in hybrid format
ABOUT: the University of Southern Maine is a public, four-year institution that is located
in a suburban setting.
LOCATION: Offerings analyzed in this report pertain to the University of Southern
Maine’s Gorham, Portland, and Lewiston-Auburn, Maine campuses.
ENROLLMENT: In fall 2009, the University of Southern Maine enrolled a total of 1,740
graduate students ages 25 and above, 594 of which were enrolled full time and 1,146 of
which were enrolled part time.
SCHEDULING: Courses at the University of Southern Maine are offered days, evenings,
weekends, and/or online during 15-week fall and spring terms, as well as during a four-
week and seven-week summer terms.
COST: the University of Southern Maine charges residents $380 per credit and non-
residents $1,026 per credit. Distance learning courses cost the same as classroom-based
courses.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: the University of Southern Maine offers distance
learning via online courses and online and hybrid degrees.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY: the University of Southern Maine graduate programs accept
a maximum of six to 12 credits from another institution, depending on the program.
ENTRANCE TESTING REQUIRED: the University of Southern Maine requires applicants to
submit standardized test scores for admission into most of its graduate programs.
WEBSITE ANALYSIS: the University of Southern Maine can be found at
http://usm.maine.edu/. When users input the words the University of Southern Maine into
the search engine Google, this is the first web address that results, giving the University
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of Southern Maine excellent visibility. The institution’s tagline is: Connecting You With
Tomorrow.
The homepage is clean and streamlined. It has one main image that rotates, as well as two
main lists of links to choose from, in addition to campus news and events. The homepage
is mostly white and blue. See screen shot 1.
Users can utilize the website by general topic (academics, admission, campus life,
research, news and events, about USM, libraries and technology, give to USM), as well
as by homepage ―quick links‖ (pioneers, MaineStreet, Blackboard, student email,
academic departments, administrative offices, current students, faculty and staff, alumni,
and job opportunities).
Based on our experience using the website, the most efficient way users can access
information about graduate courses and programs is by rolling over ―admissions‖ on the
homepage and then clicking on ―graduate studies‖ under ―graduate admissions.‖ See
screen shot 2. Thus, users can access information about graduate study in just one click.
Most, if not all, of the information prospective graduate students search for is available
on the University of Southern Maine’s website. We were able to complete this analysis
without having to contact University staff.