Serving West Virginia’s Adult Students
The Importance of Adult Students
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Increasing Demand for Educated Workers
Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Washington, D.C.
• Between 2008-2018, there will be 234,000 job vacancies (from new jobs and retirements)
• 49% (115,000) of these jobs will require postsecondary credentials
• 40% (95,000) will require a high school degree
• 19% (23,000) will require less than a high school degree
• By 2018, we will need an additional 20,000 people with postsecondary credentials
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
College-going Rate Among Recent High School Graduates
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Prop
orti
on
Year
United States
West Virginia
Source: Table 200, National Digest of Education Statistics, 2008; West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Public & Nonpublic High School Graduates as a Proportion of 1999 Graduates
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Source: Knocking at the College Door, 2008, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
133%
84%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%19
99
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Prop
orti
on
Year
Southern Region
West Virginia
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Adult (25 and Older) Undergraduate Enrollment as a Proportion of 1999 Enrollees
6
Source: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
A Snapshot of Adult Learners
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
8
Shifts in Adult Enrollment
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
9
Retention Rates--Four-Year Institutions (Fall 2002 First-time Entry Students)
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
10
Graduation Rates
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Average Years to Degree
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Adult Starters in West Virginia
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Adult Starters
Since 1995, 126,997 West Virginians over the age of 25 have started but not finished a postsecondary credential• Women constitute 54% of this group• 45% earned less than 30 credits, 25% earned 30-59,
22% earned 60-89, 12% earned 90-119
Sources: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Survey of Adult Starters
• More likely to be women, about 45 years old, and married with children.
• 35% last enrolled 1990 or earlier, 30% enrolled between 2006 and 2010.
• Reasons for dropping out: finances, lack of time, personal issues, and lack of institutional support.
• 45% planned on reenrolling with top two reasons being personal enrichment and to advance current career.
• Reenrollment preferences: attend class in evenings on weekdays, hybrid format, live at home, commute 35 minutes or less, likely part-time attendance with full-time
work.
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Serving Adult Students Effectively
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Principles of Effectiveness for Serving Adult Learners
• Outreach
• Life and Career Planning
• Financing
• Assessment of Learning Outcomes
• Teaching-Learning Process
• Student Support Systems
• Technology
• Strategic Partnerships
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
17
Outreach
The institution conducts its outreach to adult learners by
overcoming barriers of time, place, and tradition in order to
create lifelong access to educational opportunities.
Practices:
• Varied recruitment
• Address personal needs and concerns
• Help with barriers
• Assist in informed decisions
• Faculty who transcend traditional roleWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Life and Career Planning
The institution addresses adult learners' life and career
goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess
and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals.
Practices:
• Engage learner in education and career planning
• Partners in planning, delivery & evaluation of learning
• Help to use assessment for decision making
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Financing
Institution promotes choice using an array of payment
options to expand equity and financial flexibility.
Practices:
• Informs about convenient payment options
• Provides deferred payment options
• Makes aid available to part-time students
• Assesses charges incrementally; equitable refunds
• Helps with strategies to locate external funding
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Institution defines and assesses knowledge, skills and
competencies acquired by adult learners from the curriculum and
life/work experience to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor.
Practices:
• Design educational experiences with outcomes in mind
• Include range of stakeholders in defining learning outcomes
• Variety of assessment techniques
• Pathways to credit for learning from varied sources
• Use outcomes as foundation for pursuit of subsequent degrees West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Teaching-Learning Process
Faculty uses multiple methods of instruction (including
experiential and problem-based methods) in order to connect
curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills.
Practices:
• High degree of interaction
• Learners as co-creators of knowledge
• Multiple methods of delivery
• Integrated assessment
• Build on adult knowledge, interests, and life context West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
22
Student Support Systems
Institution employs comprehensive academic and student support
systems in order to develop self-directed, lifelong learners.
Practices:
• Activated by student’s initial inquiry
• Academic support systems work with other organizations
• Flexible time frames
• Individual attention
• Address adult needs
• Professional development on adult learningWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Technology
Institution uses information technology to provide relevant and
timely information and to enhance the learning experience.
Practices:
• To build community for geographically remote learners
• To provide flexible and timely education and admin services
• To empower management of learning process and expand
choices of learning modes
• To mirror technology driven workplace
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Strategic Partnerships
Institution engages in partnerships with employers and other
organizations to develop and improve educational opportunities.
Practices:
• As way to reach adult learners
• Inclusion of other organizations’ job opportunities and needs
• Help develop work mentoring and advising programs
• Support at times and places congruent with work
• Encourage education-related activities at worksite
• Collaborate to assess impact of ed. on org. goalsWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Overview of DegreeNow
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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The Program
Joint effort between the WVHEPC & CTCS, in partnership with NASPA-Student Affairs in Higher Education (formerly the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) and funded by Lumina.
Integrated statewide adult degree completion program:
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
BOG-AASRegents Transfer
Agreement
RBA
The Importance of Adult Students
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Target Population
• West Virginia adults (over 25) who have:– Completed some college since 1995;– Not yet earned a degree; and– Not been enrolled for at least three years.
DegreeNow Goals
By 2013: •3,000 adults complete an associate’s degree •4,600 adults complete a bachelor’s degree.
Each year, thereafter, our goal is to help an additional 2,500 adults complete a credential.
Sources: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Activities to Date
• Adult Learner Statewide Presentations• Advisory Board• Evaluation Efforts• Train-the-Trainers Workshop• Leveraging DegreeNow to Support Adult Learners (regional 8-
hr workshops)
Sources: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission1018 Kanawha Blvd E Ste 700
Charleston WV 25301-2800voice 304.558.2101
fax 304.558.5719
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Contact
Dr. Sarah Beasley ([email protected])
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
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Median Credit Hours Earned by WV Adult Starters, 2002-2008
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
West Liberty University 77 WV Northern CTC 50
Marshall University 73 Blue Ridge CTC 48
WVU Institute of Technology 70 WVU at Parkersburg 44
Bluefield State College 68 Southern WV CTC 42
Fairmont State University 65 Mountwest CTC 39
West Virginia University 60 New River CTC 33
Shepherd University 59 Potomac State College of WVU 32
West Virginia State University 53 Kanawha Valley CTC 31
Bridgemont CTC 52 Pierpont CTC 31
Concord University 51 Eastern WV CTC 16
Glenville State College 50
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Median Years Since Last Enrolled, WV Adult Starters 2002-2008
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
Glenville State College 7 WVU Institute of Technology 6
Bridgemont CTC 6 Blue Ridge CTC 5
Concord University 6 Bluefield State College 5
Marshall University 6 Eastern WV CTC 5
New River CTC 6 Fairmont State University 5
Pierpont CTC 6 Kanawha Valley CTC 5
Potomac State College of WVU 6 Mountwest CTC 5
Shepherd University 6 West Virginia State University 5
Southern WV CTC 6 WV Northern CTC 5
West Liberty University 6 WVU at Parkersburg 5
West Virginia University 6
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Age Distribution of WV Adult Starters, 1995-2008
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
24-34 35-44 45-64 65 and older
West Virginia University 83% 12% 5% 0%
Potomac State College of WVU 80% 11% 8% 0%
Concord University 76% 16% 8% 0%
West Liberty University 75% 14% 10% 1%
Bridgemont CTC 67% 18% 15% 0%
Shepherd University 66% 21% 13% 1%
Pierpont CTC 61% 21% 17% 1%
Marshall University 60% 22% 16% 2%
WVU Institute of Technology 60% 21% 17% 2%
Glenville State College 59% 21% 18% 2%
Fairmont State University 58% 24% 17% 1%
New River CTC 57% 25% 17% 1%
Kanawha Valley CTC 56% 23% 20% 1%
Bluefield State College 54% 27% 18% 1%
West Virginia State University 54% 25% 20% 1%
Southern WV CTC 53% 25% 21% 1%
WVU at Parkersburg 52% 26% 21% 1%
Mountwest CTC 49% 23% 27% 1%
Blue Ridge CTC 49% 25% 25% 1%
WV Northern CTC 44% 27% 27% 2%
Eastern WV CTC 39% 31% 29% 1%
Increasing Demand for Educated Workers
Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Washington, D.C.
• Between 2008-2018, there will be 234,000 job vacancies (from new jobs and retirements)
• 49% (115,000) of these jobs will require postsecondary credentials
• 40% (95,000) will require a high school degree
• 19% (23,000) will require less than a high school degree
• By 2018, we will need an additional 20,000 people with postsecondary credentials
34
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV
A Postsecondary Stall & the Postsecondary Completion Push
• Postsecondary completion rates have hovered around 50% for the past 40 years
• Proportion of US adults with two- or four-year degrees has hovered around 39% for 40 years
• Host of national completion goals• American Graduation Initiative has set an attainment goal of 55%
nationally by 2025• Lumina Foundation’s Big Goal, 60% by 2025
Sources: Table 187. Digest of Education Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics; Lumina Foundation for Education; National Center for Higher Education Management Systems
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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Community and Technical College System of WV