the great divide: the differences are great, but can traditional universities and for-profit...

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The Definitive Voice of the Career College Sector of Higher Education www.CareerCollegeCentral.com

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Fueling the entrepreneurial spirit in today’s college

students

InflAted dReAMs?

are the aspirations oF today’s students reachable through

education?

Semantics at the heart of latest attack on for-profits

studentsfIRstPolitics

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MARCH 2013 | 2

Politics FirstBy Kevin KuzmaIn his last term before retirement, Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has launched another damaging attack on the career college sector – the most threatening offensive since the Department of Education’s gainful employment rule. Editor Kevin Kuzma explains why his legislation to crack down on "bad actors” throughout all of education is not about students at all, but rather about the aims of legislators.

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Contributed Articles

News26 Paying Dues

By Jenni Valentino The ever-increasing student loan debt in America continues to take a backseat to current events and economic debates like the fiscal cliff. However, with the start of President Barack Obama’s second term, changes to regulate and simplify costs and financial aid for higher education may be looming in the near future.

66 ATA College By Jane Mahoney In order to combat low retention rates and encourage student success, ATA College has created a successful mentorship program and an administrative retention specialist position to keep at-risk students engaged and on the path to graduation.

20 Inflated Dreams? By Brjden Crewe With the famed successes of multibillionaire college dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg, young people are growing up with an increasingly unrealistic American dream. Contributing writer Brjden Crewe defends the importance of a higher education as a means to achieving one’s ballpark dreams.

24 Cash or Class? By Dr. Pietro (Pete) Savo The Thiel Foundation is giving $100K to students willing to forgo a college education and become entrepreneurs before higher education impedes their creative ideas. Dr. Pietro (Pete) Savo, Chief Financial Officer of a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, discusses the legitimacy of this idea and ways to combat such notions in the classroom.

60 The Great Divide By Robyn Shulman, M.Ed. It isn’t difficult to see the drastic differences between a career college and a traditional university, and chances are that everyone prefers one over the other. Robyn Shulman, Managing Editor of ED News Daily, explores what makes these higher ed institutions different and the room for improvement this could mean for both.

6 Who's Representing Your Best Interests? By John Assunto Having trouble finding a quality search firm? John Assunto, President and CEO of the Hudson Group, has some advice on how to find the firm that puts your interests ahead of its own.

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CASH ORCLASS?

FUELING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN TODAY’S COLLEGE

STUDENTS

INFLATED DREAMS?

ARE THE ASPIRATIONS OF TODAY’S STUDENTS REACHABLE THROUGH

EDUCATION?


StudentsFIRSTPolitics


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In Every Issue/Columns

5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

30 IMAGINE AMERICA FOUNDATION

43 THE LINK

50 BOOK REVIEW

64 LINK UP ON LINKEDIN

52 SCARAMUZZO

70 MOGHADAM

72 MAKING HEADLINES

76 WHY I CHOSE

38 A Model for Success By Erik Slagle The Queens campus of Lincoln Technical Institute has teamed up with the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association, placing students and potential employers in the same building. Erik Slagle of Lincoln Education Services discusses the model for success such a match has created.

16 Building a Better Externship By Dr. Susan F. Schulz Externships open career opportunities for students and solidify career school relationships with local businesses and employers. They also benefit enrollment and retention rates. Dr. Susan F. Schulz of Susan F. Schulz & Associates Inc. outlines successful externship strategies utilized by several career institutions.

54 History ... On Repeat By John Lee Despite a changing education sector, for-profit colleges have been facing the same criticisms challenges for more than 100 years. John Lee, Founder and President of JBL Associates Inc., discusses the reasons for these challenges and ways to change this repetitive history.

MARCH 2013 | 4


LetteRfRoM tHeeditoR

Dear readers,

Before I can commence with writing my letter this month, I first have to give praise to our printer who was gracious enough to stop the presses on this edition of the magazine though we were deep into the final stages of publication. Our original cover story for March was much different than what you see here, but that was before our sector once again became the focus of potentially unfair and overbearing legislation in Washington.

This month, Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, launched a new front in his battle against career education. In the guise of legislation that protects students from preying colleges, Harkin is seeking to provide the Department of Education more power to take measures against the “bad actors.” Our new cover story takes an insightful look at the act and explains why this latest effort could be more damaging to the sector than the original gainful employment rule.

Our elected officials in the Senate are running with an idea that is sound in principle and have positioned it as a positive for all of higher education. And yet, the Students First Act is really about putting undue pressure on all career colleges. Our sector has its naysayers in Washington, but we all know that entities that operate on a for-profit basis have negative stigmas attached to them. That makes them all somewhat suspicious to many in government.

Harkin’s act makes it clear: The day career colleges are finally appreciated by the masses and lauded by the general public and even by career politicians for the value they bring in delivering skilled labor to the U.S. workforce – the flexibility they offer older adults without the time or money for traditional education – is not likely to come in 2013. That day won’t arrive until we all agree that what should matter more than the profit status of an institution is whether or not that school leads students to a path to achieve their dreams.

Everyone has a different dream and a different idea of how to get there, as writers Breden Crewe and Dr. Pete Savo explore in this issue. Their articles shine a light on student aspirations. Are today’s students’ hopes inflated? Is a college education a requirement for achieving their dreams? These are relevant questions that help us come to a better understanding of the role education should or should not play in the lives of our next generation of Americans.

Legislators should not judge the paths these students choose or paint the colleges they attend as bad actors if the legislators don’t agree with or understand the students’ choices. The path should not be as important as the outcome.

Career colleges help students land jobs and take that important first step toward a brighter future. Those of us who care to set foot inside these schools know this. Our legislators do not. I would like to ask them to leave education to those who know and care something about it. We’ve been putting students first for decades. There is a difference between a cleverly titled act … and a mantra.

MARCH 2013 | 6

Who's REPREsENTING YoUR BEsT INTEREsTs?

john assunto

“i can get you an interview … ”

It always amazes me when either my staff or I speak to executives in our industry and they inform us that they received an email from a recruiter stating that their client wants to set up an interview with them – even though the executives never spoke with that recruiter or gave them their resumes. The level of misrepresentation from those situations puzzles me every time I hear it. Yes, we recognize the industry has had some corrections, and we’ve seen the activity increase in our offices. But, at the end of the day, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Quality search firms represent your

interests, not theirsBy John Assunto, Hudson Group


Now more than ever, if you find yourself exploring opportunities in the education space, you should take the time to administer your own litmus test. Ask questions to ensure that you are dealing with a quality search firm that has your best interests at heart. Here are some simple questions you can pose to test credibility.

• Before I forward my resume, do I have your commitment that you will not submit it to anyone unless I have the opportunity to learn about the position/company?

• Will my resume be forwarded to HR/internal recruiting, or will it be submitted to a hiring manager?

• Does your client have a defined interview process?

• Will I be contacted directly by your client? • What is your background in education outside of

recruiting? Is your firm managed by executives who are experienced in both executive search and education?

Take the time to ask those important questions and ask what the follow-up procedure would be after your resume has been submitted. Ask the search consultant for any assistance they may be able to provide to best prepare you for a potential interview. Also, ask the search consultant if they are open to informing you of other positions in the industry that they are aware of that fit your background.

A quality firm with a high level of integrity often has strong long-term professional relationships with executives and will assist you in your search, even if the firm might not immediately obtain a fee. A good firm will recognize that helping an executive in the present is an opportunity to build a trusting relationship into the future. Don’t underestimate the value of a partnership between you and a search consultant who is willing to look out for your interests – when others are only looking out for their own bottom lines.

There are firms that will be willing to help. Ask the right questions, and you’ll find the recruiters who will go above and beyond; hold onto your relationships with firms like this. Those firms will go the extra mile when you need to hire.

John Assunto is the President and CEO of the Hudson Group. He started the education division at the firm and has provided consulting to the top executives in proprietary education. He has been ranked in the top 1 percent of all recruiters worldwide by Management Recruiters International. His career includes work with both international schools and domestic colleges, universities, career schools and education service corporations. He can be contacted at 860.652.8660, ext. 103, or [email protected].

Now more than ever, if you find yourself exploring opportunities in the education space, you should take the time to administer your own litmus test.

MARCH 2013 | 8

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MARCH 2013 | 10


By Kevin Kuzma, Editor

StudentsfiRStPolitics

kevin kuzma


the title sounds noble: the Students First Act.

In those four words, you will find something you can stand behind – a cause we can all champion: protecting students from colleges and universities preying on the unsuspecting through flashy marketing pieces and aggressive phone calling. (Actually, make it two things we can stand behind: protecting students … and our dislike of intrusive marketers.)

Last week, U.S. Senators Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced the Students First Act to remedy the Department of Education’s oversight of higher education institutions that are taking advantage of students and taxpayers.

But pay no mind to the language they are using, specifically the broad claim that the act targets institutions of higher education. Harkin, in his final term before retirement, is dedicating a large portion of his time to for-profit bashing. The Students First Act is easily the biggest threat to all career schools since the advent of the Department of Education’s gainful employment rule in 2010.

The bill enhances the program review process, creating triggers that require the Department of Education to conduct program reviews of institutions most at risk of violating federal law. It also strengthens existing sanctions against colleges that knowingly and willfully violate requirements of federal student aid programs and holds executives of those institutions personally accountable.

Follow along with me, if you will, and read between the lines of the language used in the HELP Committee’s press release announcing the proposed legislation.

The language claims the act will help the Department of Education act against schools taking advantage of low- and middle-income students who rely upon federal student aid to help make college affordable. “Bad actors” are specifically made targets and are defined as institutions that “are aggressively marketing to vulnerable students in potentially illegal ways while often providing little or

no meaningful education, misusing taxpayer dollars, and sticking students with the bill.” The paragraph concludes with this statement: “A rising number of students at these institutions are being forced to drop out and default on their federal student loans.”

The "bad actors" label is cause for concern for all career colleges. And the last statement referring to “these institutions” perhaps should cause even greater anxiety. Why? Because Senator Harkin considers all for-profit schools bad actors. By his vague definition, all career colleges are overly aggressive in their marketing efforts, are not graduating students at high enough rates and are essentially flawed institutions because of what he sees as their motives.

The Students First Act is nothing more than Senator Harkin upping the ante against for-profit colleges by granting the Department of Education an expansion of power.

While we all agree students should come first – no matter what sector of higher education we might work in – we need to fight against this act. We need to take action before the Department of Education uses its power to unfairly target career colleges – career colleges where students are getting a quality education, a reality that occurs at the overwhelming majority of for-profit schools.

Something else we can all agree on: Lawmakers and their proposed solutions are not the answer for the betterment of higher education. Their threats create dissension, put the various sectors of higher education at odds and carelessly cause trouble for institutions that have done nothing wrong.

Students should definitely come first, but with this legislation, politics do.

Kevin Kuzma is Editor of Career College Central. His feature writing, essays and short stories have appeared in The Kansas City Star, Urban Times, Review, Ink Magazine and Present Magazine. He can be contacted at [email protected].

MARCH 2013 | 12

Behind theStudentS

fiRStACtEverything you need to know about

the legislation proposed by Senators Harkin and Lautenberg

By Tasha Cerny, Staff Writer

Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowawww.harkin.senate.gov

tasha cerny


u.S. Senators Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)

Committee, and Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced a new piece of legislation on March 1, titled the Students First Act, a proposal designed to reinforce and strengthen the Department of Education’s supervision of institutions of higher education and better hold accountable those institutions profiting illegally from students and taxpayers. Along with Senator Harkin and Senator Lautenberg, Senators Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.V., are supporting the bill as co-sponsors.

The bill was proposed as a way to target and prevent the actions of colleges and universities that take advantage of students who receive federal student aid in order to reduce their own costs and receive a higher profit. Senator Harkin and Senator Lautenberg were noted in a letter sent to Education Secretary Arne Duncan in December as having put a large emphasis of this fraud on manipulation of student loan default rates: “The for-profit sector consistently has the highest default rates among colleges and universities … For-profit colleges enroll only 13 percent of students, yet account for almost half (47 percent) of all defaulted borrowers.”*

In a quote published in a Senate newsroom press release, Senator Harkin said, “Plain and simple, students and taxpayers expect federal dollars to be spent at colleges and universities that provide a quality education. Unfortunately, there are too many institutions that put other priorities over students’ academic success. This important legislation will help focus the Department of Education’s efforts to effectively detect and stop the patterns of waste, fraud and abuse that leave students with mountains of debt and without degrees.”

The Students First Act adds to the program review process, making investigations into fraudulent cases more thorough and increasing the encompassing criteria that would require the Department of Education to conduct program reviews. The legislation also increases the current sanctions in place for those institutions in violation, or at risk of violation, of the requirements for federal student aid programs and holds executives of these institutions personally accountable.

The legislation seems to focus specifically on the for-profit sector of higher education, though the bill is worded to encompass all higher education institutions. In the letter from Senator Lautenberg and Senator Harkin sent to Secretary Duncan, Senator Lautenberg states that, “For-profit schools should not be able to use administrative smoke and mirrors to circumvent regulations that protect students and taxpayers, and the Department should take action to prevent these tactics.”*

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J.www.lautenberg.senate.gov

MARCH 2013 | 14

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Specifically, the Students First Act:

• Reinforces overview of violating institutions by requiring department reviews of institution programs engaged in risky behavior, such as serial forbearance, default rate manipulation, exceeding the 20 percent revenue spending limit on recruitment marketing, and receiving more than 85 percent of revenue from federal student aid sources

• Encourages the Department of Education to include proactive program reviews for institutions according to criteria related to default rate, total federal student aid revenue, spikes in enrollment, complaints, suspicious graduation rates, financial health and/or profit margins

• Requires institutions found in violation of these stipulations to notify prospective students when and why the institution is under review

• Further develops existing procedures by requiring that all reviews assess abuse of the aforementioned violations, as well as assess the institution’s financial and administrative capabilities and program integrity

• Specifies that all program review personnel be appropriately trained and that violating institutions share program review results with federal and state entities, including accrediting agencies and associations

• Increases the mandatory penalties for violating institutions by revoking eligibility for federal student aid and requires that the Department of Education specify mandated sanctions for other violations

• Enforces financial penalties for colleges and universities that lose their eligibility and raises the fines for breaching Title IV regulations

• Uses funds from these penalties to provide financial relief to students in attendance at violator schools

• Increases recordkeeping for data collection and complaint tracking and improves the current central database on institutional accreditation, eligibility and certification

* The letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan can be found here: http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/assets/default-manipulation.pdf

Sources:http://www.help.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=0cc7ef6b-40ce-49d8-b9be-35b12b2fdb46&groups=Chair

http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/assets/StudentFirst.pdfhttp://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=338110&&

Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowawww.harkin.senate.gov


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dr. susan schulz

BuiLding A BetteR exteRnSHip

How great externships can result in 100 percent placement ratesBy Dr. Susan F. Schulz, Susan F. Schulz & Associates Inc.


externships provide many benefits to career schools, students, employers and the community. When structured effectively, students have the opportunity to gain

valuable experience to add to their resumes, and employers can benefit from an extended interview with a potential new hire. Externships can be crafted for just about any program – even those with no clinical or internship/externship requirements. Planned effectively, externships can help career schools achieve high placement rates and enhance brand and image.

Externships are great tools to address gainful employment and other regulatory issues. One of the best ways to counter bad press and accusations is with facts. Successful externships can result in high job statistics, enhanced relationships with and testimonies from employers, and a greater understanding by the community of the value of the for-profit sector. Externships can impact all areas of the career school and result in increased enrollment, retention, placement and public relations opportunities.

The following provides an outline of successful externship strategies employed at several career schools and colleges.

Start the processTo be successful, new initiatives often start with an advisory board, either formal or informal. Stakeholders discuss parameters such as budget, staff, where externships are to be held and for which programs, and how to craft an externship unique to their institution. Additionally, regulatory requirements also need to be considered at this time. Depending on your programs, externship experiences may have regulatory guidelines dictating required clock hours, skills and learning objectives.

Initial steps include identifying current and prospective externship sites. You may already have relationships with companies that allow your students to extern

there. If not, there are many companies and community resources to locate potential externship hosts. These include chambers of commerce and professional organizations related to your training, associations, unions and trade publications.

A benefit of reaching out to the community is the increased contact with decision-makers. They can learn the benefits of your institution as a source for training and staffing. In addition, as you meet contacts in your community, you learn about new jobs and meet people who can tell you about these openings plus any new training needs.

A current trend is to offer externship opportunities for all training programs, whether externships are required or not. Since career colleges typically serve individuals with little or no relevant work experience, this means it is a challenge for them to develop effective resumes. When externships are properly structured and required for all training, graduates gain work skills. In addition, they learn business and work ethics as well as soft skills, such as critical thinking, communications and teamwork, which rarely get taught in class. They have an increased opportunity to land a great first job and jump-start job retention and promotion. This helps you to meet your placement commitment as a career training provider. In addition, you have an increased ability to stay in touch with your graduates when you have to report placement success and possibly salary. In addition, when prospective students consider whether to enroll in your school or a competitor’s, the school with the externships might win out!

formalize the externship program

Externships must be run in a highly organized way to achieve results. If you are starting out, this is the opportunity to set them up right. If you already offer externships, this is the time to formalize them. First, determine if the training you offer requires externships specified by your regulatory agencies. If yes, what are the specifics in terms of clock hours, skills requirements, evaluation and time frames? These requirements will become the underpinnings of your externship program.

MARCH 2013 | 18

Successful externships can result in high job statistics, enhanced relationships with and testimonies from employers, and a greater understanding by the community of the value of the for-profit sector.


Dr. Susan F. Schulz has been working in the adult education and career school sector for nearly 20 years. She is President of Susan F. Schulz & Associates Inc. and owner of Schools for Sale International Inc. She can be contacted at [email protected] or 561.483.9554.

When you begin the process, reach out to your community to locate externship sites. Once you have found some matches, the next step is to formalize these relationships. This requires signed agreements. Typically, externship sites have their own agreements prepared by their legal departments showing liability, responsibilities and more. Your institution’s externship agreement will outline what you expect: the number of hours your students will be at the site, the role of the on-site supervisor, the specific work to be performed, how often the student will get feedback and formal evaluations, and more.

For your students to be successful and ultimately offered full-time positions, they must be prepared. Preparation includes keeping the students' focus on placement and helping them to act as if they were taking part in an extended job interview. It means training them to believe they have the skills to successfully complete the externship. Most important, they need the mindset to assert themselves as valuable players so they can possibly be offered salaried positions!

Your externship advisory board can help determine how to train students to be successful externs. Requirements to consider include: completion of specific courses and required grades, demonstration of skills, employment readiness, self-confidence, ability to work with others, and more. Students typically benefit from having an externship mentor as their go-to person for immediate answers to questions and dilemmas.

When formalizing your externship program, documents outlining regulatory agency requirements, skills requirements, institution on-site and workplace coordinator responsibilities, and methods for tracking results can be helpful in making sure your externship program stays on track.

Evaluation for results and benefits

Routine check-in strategies must be built into any initiative. Surveys, questionnaires and other forms of feedback yield valuable information from students and externship supervisors. You need data to measure success and determine what changes are required. Most important, you have another way to stay connected to the community and workplace decision-makers. You have tools to continue to reach out to individuals and companies that can benefit from your institution as a source for training and employees.

Great externship programs can result in 100 percent placement, plus many more benefits. Your placement department may have a lot less work because of the work-ready training your graduates receive. Many careers require skills not always offered in the classroom, such as the use of new equipment or procedures, especially in middle- and high-skills jobs. This means that companies may have to spend weeks training new hires to meet their specific way of doing business. Much the way apprenticeships used to, externships can head off that problem and afford you the added benefit of being able to promote your graduates as being trained to meet employers’ specific needs.

Schools with outstanding externship programs attract an increased number of qualified enrollments. There are more referral students from happy graduates as well as an increased number of community contacts. Retention increases because students are motivated to get to the externship stage of their training. You have the opportunity to reach out to the community to build job listings as well as additional externship sites. Most important, you enhance the image of the for-profit sector and reach out to an increased number of individuals whose lives you can help change with training.

MARCH 2013 | 20

Inflated dreams?

brdjen crewe

By Brjden Crewe, Contributing Writer

Bypassing education for bigger dreams is quickly becoming one version of the American dream

it’s simple math, really. A theorem, if you will. The more education you receive, the more you increase your chances of becoming

anything you want professionally, thus controlling your financial future. OK, so it’s not exactly the most technical of mathematical equations, but it’s true.

Today, we witness the rise of businesspeople who have dropped out of school and wear Levi’s jeans to multimillion-dollar board meetings, a trend that lends the illusion of accessibility to our own dreams of success; success suddenly seems attainable and attractive without the necessity of a college degree. But no matter how many Mark Zuckerbergs or Jay-Zs defy conventional logic as seemingly overnight millionaire entrepreneurs, the path to professional success has been and always will be through education.

A firsthand look at being blindAs a tutor and junior high mentor for the Las Vegas Clark County school district, I’ve encountered the naivety of unfocused and unprepared optimism that comes with the dreams of assorted success sans education and planning. Many of the middle school students I interact with believe that a willingness to achieve their dreams is enough to influence the forces of destiny, allowing

them to somehow morph into the billionaire superstars that they look up to on television. And no matter how rare or isolated the success stories of their role models seem to be, these students never seriously take into account the probabilities of failure. Every one of them believes they are one in a million.

One of my professors once told me that “dreams are only for the unconscious.” He reminded me of this statement later when I told him that I would be volunteering as a mentor/tutor for at-risk children in the public school system four years after I first took his class. Because he wouldn’t expound on what exactly he meant by that statement as it pertained to my new venture, I was left to make my own assumptions. Though he commended me on my efforts, I believe he was trying to tell me that I was dreaming if I thought that I could change the world by going down this path, and I should wake up and do something more financially fulfilling and useful. I took those thoughts with me throughout my time volunteering, but something about what he was saying still felt weird.

As I performed my duties, the more students I listened to and gave advice to, the more I learned that their hopes and dreams were enormous, but their thirst for education didn’t match their ambition. Every child wants to be a famous professional and/or make lots of money doing something that they believe they were born to do. In


all the years I’ve been tutoring, I’ve never heard one teenager say that he or she would like to grow up and be a middle manager or a day laborer. Their professional ambitions are always of great importance and stature. Even to this day, on many occasions, I try to help them realize the importance of school and the benefits it will have on whatever they’d like to accomplish professionally, but only a few take in what I’m saying.

After a while, I began working with children from all environments – not just at-risk children in public schools. Working with independent charity organizations, I’ve been able to meet and listen to children of all ethnicities and backgrounds, and I’ve discovered that blindly ambitious optimism is consistent among children of vastly different economic and educational backgrounds. They all believe they are going to be who they want to be because of sheer independent will, and because life owes them a fulfillment of their date with destiny. And the more I experienced it among the children I was meeting, the more I began to understand what my professor was saying.

No one should ever take away a child’s dream (or an adult’s for that matter). Dreams give us a reason to live and provide us with the hope that one day life will finally reward and repay us for all of the torturous time we’ve spent fruitlessly longing for the fulfillment of our aspirations. Dreams matter. But what I now understand about my professor’s comment is that waking up is an essential part of the

process of making a dream a reality. And once you’re awake, it’s your goals that make your dreams come to life. I later texted my professor what I believed he was saying. He simply texted me back:

Work ethic + education = financial independenceI was told that "millionaires are made during a recession." Savvy, intelligent and motivated businesspeople driven enough to provide an in-demand product or service could make heavy waves in their bank accounts during the economic climate today. But even though the Internet, television and the invention of the Snuggie feed the perception that young businesspeople can easily make millions of dollars, the path to riches isn't as quick as it may seem. Today's entrepreneurs want it fast, want it now and, in most instances, want the success without expending the effort needed to be a successful businessperson in the long run.

For every Mark Zuckerberg, there are millions of other

high school and college dropouts who tried to

create their own megacorporations

but failed and were left without a college degree

to fall back on.

MARCH 2013 | 22

Brjden Crewe has been in radio for more than eight years and is a writer for a number of well-respected publications nationwide, including MTV.com, BET.com, SonicMusicMonkey.com and a number of local publications. He currently writes for Las Vegas Sun, Review-Journal, Las Vegas Weekly, The Daily Scene, VegasDeluxe.com, Las Vegas Magazine, Vegas Magazine, and Vegas Rated & Seven Magazine.

Once upon a time, the American dream was to be able to provide a better life for your family. Education for your children, a home of your own and three meals a day all came courtesy of a simple, financially stable job that dad (or mom) was proud to perform five or six days a week, eight to 12 hours a day. Sure, many people had the Ralph Kramden get-rich-quick dreams of financial independence, but keeping your day job and making sure that your initial dream stayed in focus was first and foremost. Today, thanks to the high-speed and lavish lifestyle images of the stockbrokers in the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop and music moguls, and the T-shirt-wearing millionaire Internet entrepreneurs of the past 10 years, the glamorized accessibility of how we define and view what we can achieve has shifted. “Why can’t I be the next Sean Parker? I wear T-shirts, too!”

The new American dream is to own your own company and provide others with jobs – a luxury once afforded only to those educated and privileged enough to have such a company handed to them. We no longer aspire to simply get by financially or to support our families while we spend two-thirds of our days working for a company that doesn’t appreciate us. Today's instant entrepreneur thinks big and dreams even bigger. But does this ambition have a foundation of strong educational roots and solid experience, or has the success of new, more relatable millionaire businesspeople today made it look a little too easy?

I often hear many young entrepreneurs note that Mark Zuckerberg, Co-Founder and CEO/President of Facebook, dropped out of Harvard and successfully created a multibillion dollar corporation when they speak in defense of the superfluity of a college degree in order to succeed in business today. Here are two things worth noting:

1 Mark Zuckerberg was intelligent and educated enough to actually get into Harvard

2 For every Mark Zuckerberg, there are millions of other high school and college dropouts who tried to create their own megacorporations but failed and were left without a college degree to fall back on. Many of the trials and difficulties that characterize the path of a Mark Zuckerberg at times go unseen and unnoticed, but his success at such a young age coupled with his lack of a college degree inspires the kind of dream that many promising (and oftentimes lazy) entrepreneurs hope to replicate with their own businesses and creations. They are pursuing the new American dream

What dreams may becomeOn the eve of what's sure to be marked as the 12-year anniversary of our war efforts in the Middle East, we're faced with a struggling economy, diminished middle class and one of the worst unemployment rates in 80 years. We have seen countries such as India, Japan and Finland continue their strides toward implementing innovative learning programs and placing a high priority on education while the United States continues to see its international rankings sink lower each year while it places higher priorities on voting issues and government spending. As we search for the answer to how we can climb out of an economic cesspool, the answer to bringing back the integrity of America as a "superpower" known throughout the world may be right under our illiterate noses: E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N. And guess what. I wrote that without the aid of spell-checker because of my own.

The moral of the story is that today's instant entrepreneurs need not give up on their dreams or chase those dreams without a plan. Education, stability and patience are essential in gaining financial success in your professional life. You may not be the next Diddy or Myspace founder, but who's to say that you won't be even bigger? The only sure way to ensure a bright future for yourself is to pursue higher education no matter what your journey. Following a dream can mean a number of things, but expecting success without the aid of education may be enough to wake you up to the cold, hard reality of what it truly means to survive without education.


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MARCH 2013 | 24

peter Thiel from the Thiel Foundation recently gave a new class of students $100,000 to forgo college. His monetary prizes were to encourage students to drop out of college and become entrepreneurs on their own,

before college ruined their entrepreneurial spirit. Thiel holds the perception that higher education impedes, rather than enhances, the development of creative ideas. Does this statement have merit? To find the answer, we first need to understand the issue.

Once young minds get to college at the undergraduate level, these students become trained to follow a standard principle of book learning. The lecture hall echoes rhetoric being force-fed to students by professors who oftentimes have been in academia all their careers and not directly contributing to developing successful practices in business. Many college and university students are refined out of being imaginative. Simply stated, students forget what it is like to encourage their imagination to voyage beyond book learning.

Rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit within the young at heartBy Dr. Pietro (Pete) SavoService Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

CASH oRCLASS?

dr. pete savo

The entrepreneurial gene goes dormant or is lost forever because open creative minds are soon focused on grades and earning an education. The priority of entrepreneurial creativity is lost, too. This is particularly troubling because humanity has risen to the top of the food chain thanks to the risk that comes from creative thinking. This writer feels it was creative thought and the entrepreneurial spirit that drove us out of caves to cross large landmasses to create a better life. It is no different from developing successful businesses today. The spirit to take flight, take risk and accomplish finishes second to caution and the fear of failure. What’s lost is the understanding that inventiveness and creativity are important stimulators for ensuring the learning process.

Entrepreneurship is a natural ability. We all have the entrepreneurship gene, although some people exercise it and some don't. Imagine if an even greater percentage of people found a way to thrive using entrepreneurial thinking? There are some very successful technology entrepreneurs, for example Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Mark Zuckerberg, who never graduated from college. J.R. Simplot, who died at the age of 99 with a net worth of $3.6 billion, created one of the largest privately held food and agribusiness companies in the nation – all without ever attending college.


Carl J. Schramm, a professor at Syracuse University and co-author of Better Capitalism, indicates that the rate of starting new firms has fallen off. Beginning in 2009, the average annual number of entrepreneurial-driven new start-up businesses has fallen from a steady state of roughly 700,000 to 500,000. This research also claims that the decline eliminated the growth potential for 200,000 to 1,000,000 new jobs that simply were not created.

Our nation’s defenders of job growth are the entrepreneurs building small businesses. According to the Census Bureau, in 2009 alone more than 552,000 companies with at least one employee were launched. Small firms accounted for 65 percent of the 15 million net new jobs created between 1993 and 2009, which equals a substantial 9.8 million positions (Ramachandran, 2012).

The results of the past are impressive, but we may have to reinvent the wheel a few times to find the secret for the future. Today's world is far different from yesterday's world, and the new traditional education is a different beast born out of necessity. In October 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 68.3 percent of 2011 high school graduates were currently enrolled in colleges or universities.

The effort is made to differentiate between education based on assumption, consumption of knowledge, and social experiences existing between educators and students. Our goal must be to bring back generations of creativeness as a proactive approach to entrepreneurial thinking. Entrepreneurial thinking becomes a consequence of shared learning between educator and student (Ageyev, 2012). It is safe to say the solutions for empowering entrepreneurial thinking rest in higher education. Since problems become less of a problem by collaborative, common-sense solutions, here are some academic solutions to bring about entrepreneurial thinking for those who did not win the Thiel Foundation $100,000 prizes.

• Recruit entrepreneurs to develop and create a class around their own successful entrepreneurial experiences. Then offer courses and experiences to prepare interested students to be successful entrepreneurs. In this way, a student will be better equipped to engage in taking the risk and experiencing the real world, including its challenges and disappointments

• Find out what motivates the individual, because one size does not fit all. Motivation becomes the central emotional drive that has the power to advance people. Such activities are fun, motivating and thought-provoking to take part in, and they encourage the students' natural crazy gene to float to the surface

• Incorporate a variety of innovative entrepreneurial strategies to prepare students to be successful in whichever career they choose

• With a young fearless mind, everything is possible; an experienced entrepreneurial mentor is perhaps what you need

• Don’t wait for college. Imagine if we could incorporate an innovative attitude into a middle school or high school setting

Perhaps the perception that higher education impedes rather than enhances the development of creative ideas is not entirely true. Obstructions of entrepreneurial ideas are more a result of not being prepared for the demands of every changing evolutionary obstacle that humanity must endure.

Entrepreneurship is born out of need, as much as creativity is a natural byproduct of being at the top of the food chain. As the planet becomes more crowded, entrepreneurship becomes more critical to humanity’s survivability. Survivability resulting in prosperity will become dependent not so much on obtaining a college or university degree, but more on inspiring as many serial entrepreneurs as possible. Make Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and J.R. Simplot the norm, not the exception to the rule.

Sources: Ageyev, V. (2012). "Psychological foundations of creative education." Creative Education, 3(1), 1+

Ramachandran, D. (2012). "The Government Doesn’t Create Jobs: Entrepreneurs Do." Secret Entourage, 2

Schramm, C., Litan, R., (2012). Better Capitalism, Yale University Press

Shane, S., (2010). The College Dropout Turned Billionaire Entrepreneur, Bloomberg BusinessWeek

our goal must be to bring back generations of creativeness as a proactive approach to entrepreneurial thinking.

Dr. Pete Savo is the Chief Financial Officer of a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), a higher education service business that provides qualified student candidates to military-friendly colleges and universities nationwide. Savo, a respected lecturer and published author, was employed 18 years with Sikorsky Aircraft and six years as a direct business operations and lean manufacturing consultant for the U.S. Air Force

Small Business Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP), Air Force Outreach Program Office and the Department of Defense (DOD) supply chain missions. He can be reached at [email protected] or 603.321.6224.

MARCH 2013 | 26

jenni valentino

By Jenni Valentino, Staff Writer

Obama, Congress attempt to get ahead of the nation’s struggles with

financial aid

PayingDuesthough the time between President Barack

Obama’s re-election and second-term inauguration was dominated by raucous debate over gun control and panic over the fiscal cliff,

millions of students around the country still wait to hear what will come of their quieter, looming struggle with student loans.

Skyrocketing tuition costs, a confusing and disjointed financial aid system, and a slow-going economic recovery

have combined to form the perfect storm of student loan debt. Even those who did everything “right” – attended public universities, graduated in four years and leaned on their solid support systems – are struggling with debt loads that outweigh their incomes.

Beth D. graduated from the University of Maine in 2010 with a B.A. in History. She owes $110,000 in student loans and is currently working retail part time after being laid off from her full-time job.


“A big part of my negative experience and tremendous sense of guilt is that my parents said they'd handle everything. I was brought up to never talk about money, so I stuck my head in the sand,” she said. “I was also taught it didn't matter what you studied in college. I thought that as long as I got a degree, I’d be able to get a job that paid well enough to cover my loans. When I graduated right in the middle of the recession, I was able to find a job, but it wasn't enough for me to live on my own, let alone pay my loans off by myself. My parents are left helping me pay them off at the expense of their own retirement.

“While no one could have seen the economy being this bad in 2005 when I was picking a college, I take responsibility for the fact that I should have made more of an effort to be informed about what I was signing and what it meant,” she said. “But how do you make a 17-year-old see beyond the dreams colleges are selling to the possibility of a future economic collapse?”

The student loan problem is important – even defining – to individual students, of course. But according to some policy analysts, it is also an area in which Obama and the 112th Congress can make great strides toward overall economic improvement.

Throughout his tenure, Obama has been a proponent of higher education accessibility and affordability. He supports Pell Grants, direct student loans, transparency and efforts to launch the United States back to the upper echelon of college-educated citizenries. He put American colleges and universities “on notice” in his State of the Union address in 2012. However, throughout his first term, this support seemed to be relegated to ideas and dreams. What American students need now from the President and his Congress is actionable strategy.

A survey led by Wonderlic of Imagine America Foundation scholarship and award applicants in 2012, found that 82 percent of respondents had to take out student loans for school. The alarming news, 55 percent of those students did not understand all aspects of the student loan process.

What specifically did students not understand? • 69 percent did not understand the difference between

federal loans and private loans • 45 percent did not understand the repayment options • 39 percent did not understand the interest accrued on

loans • 14 percent did not understand their monthly payment

amount

One approach to solving this financial illiteracy problem, that shows promise, is a short online resource developed and provided by the Imagine America Foundation called Financial Planning Made Simple (FPMS). After watching an 18-minute video on the basics of budgeting, borrowing and the repayment process, 49 percent of respondents said they decided to borrow less money for school.

How much less? • 37 percent borrowed $2,500 or less • 33 percent borrowed $2,501 to $5,000 less • 10 percent borrowed $5,001 to $7,500 less • 6 percent borrowed $7,501 to $10,000 less • 14 percent borrowed more than $10,000 less

The results suggest the magnitude of the potential savings based on just one year of borrowing. Reducing student debt by using the effective training and planning tools such as the one provided by the Imagine America Foundation could result in major savings to students and the federal government. According to an analysis done by JBL Associates, if half of the 10.4 million Stafford Loan borrowers reduced the amount borrowed by a third, as was estimated in this study, students would borrow $27.8 billion less in Stafford Loans annually. It is reasonable to assume that the smaller loan amounts would translate into lower default rates in the future.

Having more borrowers use the Financial Planning Made Simple tool could reduce dependence on loans by helping students be realistic about their immediate financial needs and anticipate the long-term repayment burden. Having each new borrower spend 20 minutes learning about student loans and developing a personal budget before taking out a loan could help eliminate unnecessary debt and reduce the longer-term risk of defaults.

MARCH 2013 | 28

“We’re at the early stages of a transformation – 10 years from now, higher education won’t look the same,” said Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor who directs the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, in a December 2012 Businessweek article. “There are millions of people feeling the pain of student debt. When that number gets big enough, it starts to permeate the public consciousness.”

In 2012, American student loan debt passed $1 trillion, raising the question: Why is that number not big enough already? The answer likely lies in the power of the university. For decades, the $500 billion-a-year higher education industry has been permitted to increase tuition prices at rates far outpacing inflation and average income levels. Through its $100 million-a-year lobbying efforts, it has been able to rail against a decade’s worth of cost-control measures enacted by the Bush and Obama administrations. And it has consistently confused students with the complexity of the student loan process.

“Too often, students receive financial aid award letters that are laden with jargon, use inconsistent terms and calculations, and make it unnecessarily difficult to compare different financial aid awards side by side,” said Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Renata S., a 2010 graduate of Rutgers University, still owes $15,000 for her B.A. in Biology. Her position in regulatory affairs at a large biopharmaceutical company does not pay enough to cover her loans. “Paying off my student loans would be impossible without my parents,” she said. “My husband and I don’t currently bring in enough to pay for our household bills and to also pay down the student loans. Fortunately, my parents have graciously offered to pay my monthly student loan payment until they are retired, which is about five years away. At that point, I’ll have to take them over. I hope our finances will be in order by then.”

Lauren P. graduated with a Master’s degree and coursework for her Ph.D. from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. She is currently an adjunct art history instructor at a four-year university and a community college. She owes $86,000 in government loans and $10,000 in GATE loans. “I do not make anywhere near enough money to make the traditional payment on my government loan, but at least they are working with me based on my income. My private loans do not work with me at all. The interest rate is alarming. I cannot defer nor can I arrange smaller payments or a longer payment schedule. I wish my parents would have explained it to me better, or I wish the student loan company would have laid out the terms more clearly. The payments are crippling, especially in the summer when I work less.”

More students’ struggles with student debt

pAyMent pLAnS

“ But how do you make a 17-year-old see beyond the dreams colleges are selling to the possibility of a future economic collapse?”

– Beth D.

University of Maine graduate


Jenni Valentino is a freelance writer and editor with years of involvement and experience in the career college sector. She can be reached at [email protected].

Sarah Q., a technical services chemist, graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in English from Case Western Reserve University in 2007. “I graduated with somewhere around $70K in student loans,” she said. “My university's financial aid office was terribly confusing. I was told to just sign on the dotted line, not to think about it. I literally had no concept of how my loans worked, how I would be repaying them, nothing. Asking questions to understand was actively discouraged. One financial aid representative actually made me cry while she was mocking my family not being able to help me.”

Recent bipartisan efforts have been focused on transparency in borrowing. Republicans and Democrats alike have joined together to encourage higher education institutions to use a standardized form that will explain to students how much their degree will cost, how much they will owe, and how much they can reasonably be expected to earn.

More than 500 colleges and universities have already adopted the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, a form backed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Shopping Sheet provides students with a standardized financial aid award letter that makes it easier to compare their options and make their

college selection by highlighting key information, including the cost of attendance, financial aid options and graduation rates.

It will take time to climb out of the hole dug by $1 trillion in student loan debt. But the agony of the system is finally beginning to permeate the public consciousness, as Vedder predicted. Through a unified effort between both political parties, private financial aid providers, and a unified network of public and private colleges and universities, students will continue to view higher education as a path to their dreams, not to their doom.

Since 1892, Brown Mackie College has believed education should evolve to meet the needs of students and employers. Back then, that meant delivering a quality, career-focused education via pencils and paper. Today, it means we’re embracing tablet technology in our classrooms and beyond.

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Career Colleges necessary to Meet America’s Skilled Worker GapEmployment is shifting away from goods-producing to service-producing industries, which are anticipated to create nearly 18 million new jobs. Jobs requiring an Associate degree or vocational award are projected to increase by 35% from 2010 to 2020. Currently, career colleges serve more than 3.9 million students: many who are considered non-traditional students. For the United States to remain competitive in the global economy, career colleges are a much needed part of higher education. The Imagine America Foundation is pleased to announce the release of its Fact Book 2013: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities. Prepared by leading industry analysts, the Fact Book contains research and analysis of important trends in the career college sector of higher education. The Fact Book presents a comprehensive look at the for-profit and career college sector of higher education, as well as a comparison of public and private two- and four-year institutions.

The 2013 edition presents an abundance of important facts about career colleges. For example, our research shows that career colleges are necessary to help meet America’s skilled working gap. Growth in the health services and business support fields will generate an increasing number of new jobs, most of which will require postsecondary training or an Associate degree. More than 5.7 million jobs, an increase of 33 percent between 2010 and 2020, are projected to emerge in the healthcare and social assistance fields alone.

How are career colleges meeting this need?

• Career colleges helped to populate and equip the workforce by awarding 49 percent of health degrees and certificates in 2010-11

• In the six fastest-growing occupations requiring an Associate degree, career colleges conferred:

o 71 percent of all cardiovascular technologist awards o 54 percent of all diagnostic medical sonographer awards o 53 percent of all veterinary technology awards

• In the six fastest-growing occupations requiring a certificate degree, career colleges conferred:

o 86 percent of all hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologist awards

o 77 percent of all heating, air conditioning mechanics awards

o 73 percent of all dental assistants awards

Throughout the Fact Book, you’ll find even more achievements that are quite different from what you may have heard or read about this sector of higher education. These facts, in our opinion, both justify and solidify the existence of these schools. This information is important to the future of this nation, and we are honored to present it to you.

For more information about the Fact Book 2013 or Imagine America Foundation award programs, contact Robert L. Martin, President and CEO of the Imagine America Foundation, at 571.267.3012 or [email protected].

Imagine America Foundation’s institutional Annual Report to the CommunityIn recent years, the value of private career-specific education providers has been called into question. These schools have come under fire in the media and on Capitol Hill. However, those who have attended career schools and work inside of them know a far different, more positive story – one that needs to be showcased!

Changing the public’s opinion of the sector and its more than 3.9 million students needs to start at the local level. To do this, the Imagine America Foundation is developing an Institutional Annual Report to the Community. Through data from our new IAF Civic Engagement Survey and the Fact Book 2013: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities, IAF hopes to create an effective community outreach plan for career schools.

This initiative will be piloted at three career schools to research how career colleges can best utilize the Annual Report. Digital templates will include national trends and data showcasing career colleges. Through this template, institutions can then input their institutional data and success stories, among other information. Additionally, a utilization plan will be available to guide career education institutions with community outreach. For more information, contact Robert L. Martin, President and CEO of the Imagine America Foundation, at 571.267.3012 or [email protected].

imagine America events at the 2013 APSCU Convention and ExpositionGiven the critical new challenges facing the career college sector, the Imagine America Foundation’s (IAF) mission is more important now than it has ever been. Serving career college students is who we are and what we do, but there is more we can do – with your help.

By sponsoring an IAF event at the 2013 APSCU Convention in Orlando, you will be helping career college students accomplish their dreams while simultaneously increasing your company’s visibility to the sector. IAF is a 501(c)(3) organization; as such, your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

It’s not too late to become an IAF sponsor! Sponsorship opportunities are as follows.

Concert sponsorship opportunities:

• Event Sponsorship – sold out (Champion College Services Inc.)• Entertainment Sponsor for the 2013 Concert o Platinum Level – 2 available o Gold Level – 2 available

Additional 2013 convention sponsorship opportunities:

• Lifetime Achievement Award Video/Presentation – 1 available• Event Sponsorship – IAF Golf Tournament – sold out (Gragg

Advertising Inc.)• LDRSHIP Award Video/Presentation – sold out (Ambassador

College Bookstores)

Every year, IAF grants more than 20,000 scholarships and awards to career college students. Our new Financial Planning Made Simple (FPMS) tool helps students make better financial aid decisions and borrow less.

Sponsoring sector research remains an integral component of IAF’s mission, including the upcoming 2013 Fact Book. The 2013 Fact Book contains research and analysis of important trends in the career college sector, and data from the Fact Book is often used within the sector when representatives visit Congress or speak with the media.

These are some of the exciting things IAF is able to do with the support of scores of career college executives and organizations. Take a look and consider joining us.

Additional benefits of sponsoring an IAF event can be found at imagine-america.org/specialevents. For sponsorship opportunities or additional information, contact Robert L. Martin, President and CEO of the Imagine America Foundation, at 571.267.3012 or [email protected].

Find out what band will be playing at the

convention by going to imagine-america.org/

specialevents.


The Imagine America Foundation is pleased to announce that Champion College Services Inc. will be the event sponsor at the Premier Sponsorship Level for the 2013 IAF concert at the APSCU Convention & Expo. IAF would like to thank Mary Lyn Hammer, President and CEO of Champion College Services Inc., for their support of IAF.

The Imagine America Foundation is pleased to announce that Gragg Advertising will be the event sponsor for the Annual IAF Golf Tournament for the second consecutive year. IAF would like to thank Darryl Mattox, President of Gragg Advertising, for their support of IAF.

Support from these events helps IAF underwrite scholarships and awards to students attending career colleges nationwide.

Imagine America Foundation Announces Champion College Services inc. as event Sponsor of 2013 iAf Concert at the ApSCu Convention & expo

Imagine America Foundation Announces Gragg Advertising as event Sponsor of 2013 iAf golf tournament

The Imagine America Foundation is pleased to announce ED MAP’s new Gold Level pledge to the 21st Century Workforce Fund. This contribution will be used to support the, Fact Book 2013: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities. Support of the Fact Book helps the Foundation continue its tradition of providing research to the career college sector!

IAF would like to thank Kerry S. Pigman, President and COO of ED MAP, for their support.

Ambassador College Bookstores Contributes to the imagine America LDRSHIP Award Program

ED MAP Pledges to Imagine America Foundation's 21st Century Workforce Fund

The Imagine America Foundation is pleased to announce that Ambassador College Bookstores has contributed $25,000 to the Imagine America LDRSHIP Award for the fourth consecutive year. Support of the LDRSHIP Award helps IAF continue its tradition of honoring U.S. military students attending career colleges.

IAF would like to thank Steven M. Blicht, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Ambassador College Bookstores, for their support of the IAF. A special video presentation focused on the 2013 LDRSHIP Award recipients will take place at the APSCU Convention and Expo.

Since 2004, IAF has annually honored military personnel with LDRSHIP Awards. Nearly $400,000 has been awarded to exceptional military students attending career colleges nationwide. In that time, the awards have provided financial assistance to young men and women returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as reservists, honorably discharged, retired and active-duty military personnel.

COLLEGE BOOKSTORES

MARCH 2013 | 34

Since its beginnings more than 150 years ago, the career education sector has focused its attention on fulfilling the needs of employers of the day. As you might imagine, those needs have changed dramatically over time – from teaching type-writing and horse-shoeing skills to the knowledge to operate and maintain the cutting-edge technology of the day.

As our nation evolves and modernizes, the demands of our employers and what we teach in our classrooms advances, too.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the last decade, 12 of the fastest-growing jobs in America have been technology and/or healthcare industry based, such as computer software engineers/support specialists and home health aides. With this, the number of jobs requiring unskilled workers has steadily decreased. In today’s economy, semi-skilled jobs are in demand, and it is predicted that within another decade, skilled jobs will be on the rise. This means the importance of having a college education is ever-increasing.

While the skills gap broadens, the amount of student loan debt continues to increase at exponential rates. State and federal governments are cutting back on funding for education, leaving

Encouraging student financial success while training for the future

schools to fend for themselves and rely heavily on student tuition to keep functioning. With tuition costs growing at a rate faster than inflation, it isn’t difficult to see why our country is struggling economically.

Imagine America Foundation is working toward changing this. We work with career colleges and students alike to provide financial opportunity and resources that not only prepare students to enter the workforce with as little debt as possible, but also encourage students to seek out training for those occupations most in need of workers. The Foundation works with colleges to provide scholarships and grants for students of all backgrounds seeking higher learning. Along with this, Imagine America also offers a user-friendly financial training program – Financial Planning Made Simple – to assist students in budgeting and preparing for their future.

With transforming economic needs, Imagine America Foundation is working toward a better future, helping students achieve their academic goals and promoting career-based educations that will prepare students to finally fill the ever-widening skills gap.

Our mission – inherently – is to help the schools that provide skilled labor to the workforce. Our nation’s employers are well-served by our colleges that provide pathways for graduates into the fastest-growing careers of the future. And we are honored to provide support to the schools that fulfill such a vital role for our nation and its economy.

Robert L. MartinPresident, Imagine America [email protected]

Imagine America Foundation’s Role in Filling the Skills Gap

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erik slagle

A ModeLfoR SuCCeSS

if you had to design the ideal campus for a career training institution, you’d want to start with a faculty and leadership team that’s committed to the academic

excellence of your students and the career success of your graduates. You’d want a student body held to a higher standard of achievement. You’d want the facilities to be state-of-the-art with the latest industry-specific equipment and technology. And, you’d want more than 600 potential employers in need of your graduates just down the hall to complete the picture.

If that all sounds too good to be true, then you haven’t been to the Queens, N.Y., campus of Lincoln Technical Institute (LTI). The campus resides in a building owned and cohabited by the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association (GNYADA), and the partnership between Lincoln and GNYADA has dramatically changed the way New York area auto dealers find and hire technicians to fill their open positions. It has changed the career search landscape for LTI students as well.

“Lincoln’s Queens campus has become a model institution on many levels,” said Shaun McAlmont, Lincoln Educational Services President and CEO. “It’s a model for outstanding student service and regularly has among the highest graduation and placement rates of all of our schools. It’s a model for how we can work with the government and educate them about what we do and why career training is such a vital piece of higher education in America. And it’s a model for how a training provider and a

Lincoln Technical Institute’s corporate partnerships create prime opportunities for students and graduatesBy Erik Slagle, Lincoln Educational Services

professional association can work together not only to best serve future technicians, not only further the success of the business partners, but to do both these things in tandem. This is how we can continue aiding the economic and jobs recovery in this country in the coming years.”

The unique success in the collaboration between the school and the association has turned the LTI – Queens campus into the standard-bearer for how this kind of partnership can not only function but also flourish. McAlmont describes it as a model that should be replicated throughout the Lincoln network as well as around the country.

The proximity of the campus to GNYADA isn’t accidental. When the association was looking to partner with a training institution for a new facility in 2006, they chose LTI over many other local and national schools. GNYADA operates its own training center in the building, and the relationship has produced great results for the dealers that work with LTI, according to GYNADA CEO Mark Schienberg.

“When we built the Center for Automotive Education and Training six years ago, our goal was to provide our area’s dealers with the most highly skilled technicians,” Schienberg said. “Thanks to our relationship with Lincoln, I’m proud to say that this goal has been achieved. The students who come through Lincoln Technical Institute are a new generation that has embraced the changes taking place in the industry. With the skills provided by Lincoln Tech, they can look forward to successful careers in the retail automotive industry in the years ahead.”

The Queens campus of Lincoln Technical Institute and GNYADA’s Center For Automotive Education and Training offer students career training and job opportunities in one state-of-the-art facility.


tHe pARtneRSHip BetWeen LinCoLn And tHe gReAteR neW yoRk Auto deALeRS ASSoCiAtion HAS dRAMAtiCALLy

CHAnged tHe WAy neW yoRk AReA Auto deALeRS find And HiRe teCHniCiAnS to fiLL tHeiR open poSitionS.

Success starts in the classroom“Your profession just started. It’s day one. Welcome.”

At LTI – Queens, nearly every incoming class of auto technicians hears that at their orientation. The word choice is intentional. It’s not “your education” or “your training” that just started – it’s “your profession.” It’s a way of addressing students that reinforces employment as the ultimate goal of their enrollment, and it sets the tone for a journey that will see them transformed from students who love cars to trained, skilled technicians with a professional mindset. Because close to 90 percent of Lincoln graduates are employed in the automotive industry after graduation, instilling the professional ethic early on is critical. And with access to more than 600 auto dealers just a short walk down the corridor, LTI has uniquely positioned its students for success.

“It’s a built-in motivator for our students, having that dealer presence right next door,” McAlmont said. “Knowing that their future employer could be walking through the doors at any time inspires our students to excel, and that partnership element helps students get jobs.”

Students are finding those jobs with leading brands such as Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen and at elite dealerships such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan. It’s a multidimensional partnership benefiting GNYADA, LTI and their students, and everyone has a part to play. Dealer representatives can reach out to the campus’ career services team to find candidates to fit their open roles, and the team also has regular contact with the GNYADA jobs bank manager to complete tasks including posting resumes in the bimonthly newsletter distributed to approximately 650 area dealerships.

LTI students train to not only perfect their technical skills, but to develop their personal brand and stand out in the job market. As LTI’s Executive Director James Morrissey explains, a Lincoln program opens doors to new opportunities – but each student has to walk through on their own.

“Dealers know the caliber of Lincoln students is a given,” Morrissey said. “The Lincoln name can get a student an interview, but then they’ve got to nail it. The students are their own product. We help them discover what they can do to differentiate themselves as job candidates. Having GNYADA here is a daily reminder that there are great careers in their futures – if they are ready to market themselves as the best candidate. Their successful job outcomes are what drive the success of Lincoln as a whole.”

Student successes such as 2012 graduate Shawn Mustapha are an example. Mustapha, who started his LTI training with a love for cars but no previous exposure to automotive technology, completed his program last year and almost immediately began his new career with Manhattan Motorcars. He now enjoys a career maintaining high-end European brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

“I loved having hands-on training from my instructor, a master certified technician,” Mustapha said. “I started with no prior knowledge of auto technology. Now, I’m an automotive technician trainee working toward my own master certification.”

James Morrissey, Executive Director of the Queens Lincoln Tech campus (suit, right of center) introduces New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (center) to a class of Automotive Technology trainees.

MARCH 2013 | 40

LTI’s Career Services Director Kate Clymer referred Mustapha for the job, and at his formal interview with Manhattan Motorcars, he was offered a position on the spot.

A working relationship that really worksThe GNYADA presence has boosted LTI in broader ways, too. The association’s political involvements bring a regular flow of guests through the facility – often government officials at both the local and national level.

“Mark Schienberg is very gracious,” Morrissey said. “Whenever GNYADA hosts a political figure – governors, mayors, councilmen – he makes sure the Lincoln relationship is not only included, but highlighted.”

For example, this past summer, Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., visited with Jay Williams, Executive Director of Automotive Recovery for the Obama administration. Better known in Washington, D.C., as the “Car Czar,” Williams remarked that the Lincoln campus was one of the most sophisticated training centers of its type that he had seen in his travels around the country.

Building on the relationship with GNYADA, Lincoln invites politicians to graduation ceremonies and campus events. Lincoln also supports GNYADA’s efforts through involvement in activities such as the annual New York International Auto Show, where the school hosts the event banquet and high school scholarship competition. Lincoln is a sponsor of the annual GNYADA golf outing, the Manufacturers Challenge Cup, which raises money for scholarships to support students looking ahead to automotive careers.

At the crux of these joint activities, however, are the Lincoln students training to become highly skilled automotive technicians and the dealerships that hire them. The selection process for acceptance to the Queens campus of LTI is rigorous and ensures only the most committed and dedicated students are admitted. Applicants must have a high school diploma or be near graduation to be considered. For students who are finishing or just out of high school, parents are required to be an active part of the application process by visiting the campus and attending orientation so they can better understand the value of the investment they are making.

Lincoln actively supports GNYADA’s annual New York International Auto Show.

Lincoln President and CEO Shaun McAlmont (right) listens as Washington ‘Car Czar’ Jay Williams (center) talks career training with a Lincoln Tech student on campus. New York Congressman Joseph Crowley looks on.


Erik Slagle is a Copywriter/Content Developer at Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, a leading national provider of career training and education. He has spent more than 15 years in the postsecondary education industry working with campuses to strengthen their messaging internally and externally. He can be reached at [email protected] or 973.736.9340.

Once admitted, students train with a faculty of instructors who are all master certified technicians. This selective admissions process, combined with an elite staff of instructors and proximity to one of the largest hiring bodies in the New York area auto industry, has made the Queens campus a model for how a postsecondary training institute like Lincoln can distinguish itself and drive remarkable student outcomes.

Training technicians, developing professionalsAs McAlmont puts it, “Better students, a better faculty, and better instructor-student ratios lead to better jobs. We aren’t just training our students to fix cars. We’re developing them into professional auto technicians right from day one.”

A key component of this development is the inclusion of soft skills in the LTI curriculum. Director of Education Herman Dawkins, who once hired Lincoln graduates in his management role at an auto supply chain, recognized an opportunity in those graduates to more fully develop critical-thinking, time management, communication and leadership skills.

“It’s a gradual transformation to turn students into professionals, and it can be a bit of a transition for them.” Dawkins said. “Gradually a student will start to see the value of what he or she can achieve when they start to change their behaviors. It’s about learning responsibility and focus.”

Dawkins and Morrissey were instrumental in creating and implementing a series of student contact points designed to ensure every student was receiving the individual attention and personal guidance they needed. These contact points formed a support system recognizing each student as an individual with their own set of strengths, challenges, life struggles and aspirations. By requiring that students keep regular check-ins with academic advisors, the career services team and campus executives, the LTI – Queens staff were shaping a philosophy that would soon be adopted by the larger Lincoln Educational Services corporation – a philosophy now known as The Lincoln Edge, which sets LES apart from other career training institutions around the country.

“Our end goal is to help our students get jobs, and these initiatives address that,” Morrissey said. “It’s bigger than just academics. A student isn’t admitted unless we’re confident that student is going to succeed, and then we make sure we support that student in every way possible. We make our student body an integral part of the campus fabric, right down to things like taking them on staff walk-throughs of the facility to give us a student’s perspective. It leads to a greater sense of pride in being a Lincoln student.”

Lincoln students take that pride with them when they go out into the working world as automotive technicians, in many cases into the auto bays of the very dealerships that make up GNYADA. As New York area auto dealers experience the quality, skills and professionalism of Lincoln graduates firsthand, they’re increasingly making LTI their go-to source for new technicians. It’s a partnership that can only succeed when Lincoln graduates succeed, and the pieces are firmly in place to ensure that success in the years ahead.

New York Congressman Joseph Crowley addresses students and the media in the auto bays of Lincoln’s Queens, NY campus.

MARCH 2013 | 42

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P O W E R E D B Y

P O W E R E D B Y

p r o u d s p o n s o r

By Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, APSCU

RetuRn on inVeStMent

At a time when college costs and student debt are rising, the issue of return on investment becomes a big one for individual students, their families and

even the government. Our sector has seen the reality of this challenge when simply looking at enrollment numbers. At the beginning of the recession, we witnessed double-digit enrollment increases as students recognized a need to increase their skills in order to pursue new job opportunities. With the lack of a jobs recovery, students have increasingly decided to delay any investment in education until they are more confident of a new job at the end of their studies.

Purdue University’s new President (and Indiana’s former Governor) Mitch Daniels, R, received national attention with his inaugural letter to the “People of Purdue” when he wrote, “College costs too much and delivers too little. Students are leaving, when they graduate at all, with loads of debt but without evidence that they grew much in either knowledge or critical thinking.”

MARCH 2013 | 44

We, as a sector, have always prided ourselves on a mission that invests private sector dollars to educate America’s students – especially those with multiple barriers to college success. In the midst of the debate over gainful employment in September 2010, Charles Rivers Associates produced a study showing that our schools produce graduates in our two-year programs that cost the taxpayers $25,000 less than at our colleague institutions.

I don’t know if such numbers are accurate or useful. My focus has been, and will continue to be, on the emerging skills gap in America, the capacity gap and the resulting opportunity gap. We know that America will likely need 55 million new workers by 2020 – 23 million in new jobs and 32 million in replacement jobs for retirees. We also know that 65 percent of all jobs and 85 percent of new jobs will require postsecondary education and skills. Furthermore, public funding, especially at the state level, remains significantly below the levels of five years ago, resulting in limitations on access to needed courses, skills and certificates/licensures that enable students to pursue these new job opportunities. So the skills gap and the capacity gap are real, and we don’t need to spend much time debating who among the different sectors of higher education is better or worse.

But, if we are serious about putting students first, we do need to focus on the opportunity gap. And it is here – with a focus on the students – that our return on investment is most compelling. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce’s report "The College Payoff" shows that lifetime earnings for a worker with an Associate degree average $1,727,000, compared to the lifetime earnings of a high school graduate at $1,304,000. This represents a monetary return on investment for the student of $423,000!

We can immediately calculate the benefits of this new professional to America’s competitive place in a global economy. We can immediately recognize the benefit of this family’s increased earnings in their community and in the education of their children. The multiplier impact of this increased education and income are all positive!

But in today’s era of limited public sector resources, there is an increasingly important return on investment to government. As part of the work in my book The New Middle Class: Creating Wages, Wealth, and Opportunity in the 21st Century, I did some quick math. According to the census data for 2011, a total of 20.6 million Americans hold an Associate degree – approximately 9 million occupational degrees and 11 million academic degrees. If you multiply the additional lifetime earnings of $63,000 by 20.6 million (at a 15 percent tax rate), the additional federal tax revenues equal $1.3 trillion. And this doesn’t count state, local and other taxes. Nor does it count society’s benefits from having successful professional families living their definition of the American dream.

Late last fall, I had the honor of giving the keynote address at the Maryland Association of Private Colleges and Career Schools annual meeting. Ed Gillespie, the association’s current president, gave his report during that same luncheon. He summed up their work with the philosophy he follows at his schools when he said, “In the end, we change lives.”

That is the greatest return on investment of all! And that is why each of us is so committed to this important work, even in difficult economic and/or regulatory environments. Thanks to you for who you are and all that you do in changing the lives of those we serve – our students.

RetuRn on inVeStMent

if it wasn’t for All-State Career School, I wouldn’t have found my way in life. I’d surely be struggling to find work and feed my family.

My decision to attend All-State was the best one I ever made, and the education I received has turned me into someone who can support my family, contribute to the local economy and give back to my community.

Most of the kids I grew up with knew they wanted to go to college. Not me. I didn’t see higher education as an option for me. In fact, like many kids, I didn’t really value education and got into my fair share of trouble as a youth.

A few years ago, I had a choice: I could continue on the destructive path I was on, or I could try to make something of myself. I chose an education over a dead-end job or simply drifting through life. I know a lot of people my age are struggling, especially in cities like Philadelphia where I live. The unemployment rate is too high, and a large number of young men are in situations that make it hard for them to ever get a good job.

For most traditional colleges, my background would have meant my admissions application would have gone straight in the trash. But All-State is different. It doesn’t care about what you did in the past – it cares about what you want to do in the future. This school took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to succeed. They motivated me to stick with it when I was discouraged and made sure that I had the support I needed to graduate and get a job. And I’ve made the most of this opportunity.

After receiving my education at All-State, Centerline Communications hired me as an HVAC technician. I service heating and air conditioning for cell tower site control rooms across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and even into West Virginia.

P O W E R E D B Y

CAReeR CoLLege WoRked foR Me

My starting salary was better than the starting salary of any of my college friends. In fact, some of them are still unemployed while I’m working 13 hours a day, sometimes seven days a week.

Being able to make this kind of income is important to me since I’m responsible for supporting my family. My wife and I see others struggling to pay their bills, and we’re thankful that my job lets us take care of our kids and contribute to society. I’m a consumer now, and the money I spend on my family is helping the local economy in Philadelphia.

Schools like All-State and other career colleges are a way out of this tough situation. They are able to give you an education that works on your terms. With classes at night or online, you can do the work on your schedule. They offer you training and education in subjects that will make you attractive to local employers. They don’t waste your time or money giving you instruction that you don’t need. They have a career focus that makes sense to people in my situation.

I worked hard to take full advantage of the opportunity that All-State gave me. That’s why I’ve stayed in touch with the school and participated in its apprenticeship program. I’m helping to train other All-State students so they can have the same opportunities that I did. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be a teacher, but All-State has even offered to hire me as an instructor. All-State gave me a great education and believed in me enough to ensure I’m successful in life.

I’m enthusiastic about my job and enthusiastic about career colleges. It’s important that these schools are given the chance to reach people like me, people who just wouldn’t fit in at traditional colleges. We deserve an education, too. We deserve the chance to improve our skills and get better jobs.

These career schools offer a way to help those in Philadelphia and around the nation who are trapped in poverty and who don’t have the skills to contribute to our economy. I was once one of those people, but now I’m a hard-working taxpayer who can take care of his family.

By Scott FairfieldGraduate of All-State Career School

MARCH 2013 | 46

A

well-educated workforce is good for our communities and our local businesses. That’s something everybody agrees on. That’s why it’s so important to recognize the work being

done by private sector colleges and universities in supplying an educated workforce. These schools are an important component in economies across the country, and they are poised to contribute even more to our communities – so long as policymakers let them.

Today’s jobs aren’t like the jobs our parents and grandparents had. In the 1950s through the 1980s, many people could make a good living with just a high school diploma. That just isn’t true any longer. In today’s economy, if you want to succeed, you need a higher education.

Many people get this education in public universities and colleges or private nonprofit colleges. That is a great way to get an education if you have the time and money for it. Many people, however, aren’t traditional college students. For whatever reason, a traditional college doesn’t work for them.

This is where the private sector colleges and universities come in.

pRiVAte SeCtoR CoLLegeS Benefit ouR CoMMunitieS

By Thomas Kosel, Director of Government Relations for Globe University

By providing an education that is focused on specific technical skills and delivered through non-traditional means, these schools can reach a far greater number of people than can be reached by other institutions of higher education. Private sector schools can educate people who work full-time jobs, single parents, veterans and others who would otherwise be unable to get the education that today’s jobs require. Hence, there is a double value on the investment by allowing people to continue being productive while contributing to the economy just as they are acquiring new skills.

Providing an education to these individuals certainly benefits them. They see higher earnings and better job prospects.

But what’s not talked about is that it benefits local businesses, as well. Many companies are desperately looking for workers who have certain skills. Too often, many job seekers just don’t have those skills.

That’s where private sector colleges and universities thrive. They work with local businesses to create classes and degree programs that meet the local demand for workers. By focusing on what jobs are needed in an area, these schools are building pools of talent that local businesses can rely on.


P O W E R E D B Y

In today’s rapidly changing world, there’s an even greater need for schools to innovate the way they deliver an education. While public universities and nonprofit colleges have often lagged behind when it comes to innovation, this is the only way that private sector schools can keep their doors open. They must be responsive to their customers, and that’s something that makes them work hard to satisfy both their students and local businesses.

Under this system, more than just the workers and business owners benefit. A prime factor in attracting or retaining a business is how well an area’s workforce is educated. More businesses in a location mean more economic growth, something that has positive spillover effects for an entire community.

We see many businesses located around public universities and colleges taking advantage of the graduates they produce. Yet, every town can’t have a big university or college. There are many areas that don’t even have a community college that can help grow an educated workforce. But with the proliferation of career colleges in higher education, businesses that would have otherwise struggled to produce workers for jobs requiring a higher education can find the employees they need.

With millions of private sector college graduates working across the nation in engineering, law enforcement, healthcare, cooking, art design and many other professions, the benefits of this education should be obvious. Unfortunately, some still fail to see it. That’s why we have to be vocal and very clear on what these schools do and why they are necessary.

If we don’t, we risk erecting barriers for students who want to attend private sector colleges and universities. Not only will this hurt the students, it will also hurt our businesses, communities and economy.

Without private sector colleges and universities, higher education would effectively be off-limits to a wide swath of people. Depriving non-traditional students of the means to better themselves will have a negative impact on our businesses and in our communities. We all benefit from the education provided by private sector schools, and that’s why it’s important that all of us support them.

MARCH 2013 | 48

in

January 2013, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU) launched its new website. The new site is not only a fresh digital reset for the organization, it is also part

of an ambitious effort to create a central information hub for our member schools and other individuals wanting to learn more about the sector’s activities.

APSCU is no stranger to educating the broader public about the benefits of career colleges in the 21st century. As our schools aggressively reshape the higher education landscape, it will be even more critical to create a central space where visitors can find essential information about the sector’s direction – and what it’s doing to brighten the futures of millions of Americans.

The new space, a dramatic and refreshing shift from the former site, does this and more. We listened to you, our members and colleagues in the sector, and created a simpler user interface that makes the site much more navigable. That way, information is now easier to find on the APSCU site, making it readily available to our members, our millions of students and the general public.

It is now an all-in-one, user-friendly digital experience that provides easily accessible content on the sector. Information is now sharply organized into five key areas:

• Membership – Information about joining APSCU, as well as a list of our members

• Policy and Issues – The latest in federal and state legislative issues, as well as regulatory information. This also includes a link to our grassroots site

• News and Media – The place to find APSCU’s latest press releases

• Events – Information about upcoming APSCU-sponsored events, including Hill Day and the convention

• Knowledge Center – The one-stop shop for facts and information on the sector

A fReSH neW WeBSite foR ApSCuBy APSCU Staff

We’re especially excited about the Knowledge Center. A key challenge for APSCU over the years has been our ability to seamlessly share crucial data on our sector’s progress and its impact on higher education. Before, that information appeared scattered and inaccessible. We’ve resolved this issue by creating the Knowledge Center, a complete data warehouse containing vital facts organized by state. In addition, we’ve also created a “School Finder,” a quick navigation search tool that can find specific schools according to their location or their industry of expertise. Also included is an archive of publications we contribute to and publish in (“Publications”), with the center complemented by our very own “Compliance Corner” offering the latest information on regulatory issues we need to know.

Our goal was to improve the availability and overall quality of the information we were providing to our members. Yet, we also saw this new digital launch as an opportunity to increase awareness about our mission, our goals and our tireless efforts in higher education. Too often, our sector is the target of misinformation, mischaracterizations and misconceptions. A cleaner, more organized and nimble source of detailed content and data provides our sector with a greater capacity and opportunity to cut through the noise.


P O W E R E D B Y

it

is important that our members have the best information about our sector. From knowing more about our students and the benefits of a private sector college education to setting the record straight on

how much APSCU institutions contribute to the larger economy, the need for facts on career colleges is essential. That’s why we’ve taken the extra step of creating an all new “Knowledge Center” on our recently launched website to help you spread the truth about our sector. We have already populated the center with fresh, new fact sheets and sector background documents at http://www.career.org/knowledge-center/facts/sector/ for your convenience and review. No longer will you have to scrounge about on the web in search of crucial facts and data points on private sector colleges. The purpose of the Knowledge Center is to provide you with an easy, one-stop-shop of critical material that you can easily access at any time. Among the documents available in the Knowledge Center: • A Leave Behind Document on Private Sector Colleges &

Universities: This three page document is designed to give all interested parties comprehensive background consisting of the “who, what, where and why” of the sector. More importantly, it outlines our sector’s contributions to higher education, job growth and a recovering economy. It’s a user-friendly and easy-to-print document that can be left with elected officials after an office visit, with newspaper staff after an editorial board meeting, or used as a quick reference piece whereby whole sections can be copied and pasted according to your needs.

• Fact Sheet: This two page document offers an overview of important private sector college and university facts. It can serve as a refresher for you or your spokespeople before meeting with a reporter, or it can be used as a reference guide when creating additional promotional materials.

ApSCu intRoduCeS neW“knoWLedge CenteR”By APSCU Staff

• The Elevator Speech: When someone asks you, “what is private sector education,” and you only have a few short moments to explain, these are your go-to talking points. For your convenience, we have developed both short and long form versions for quick and easy access.

Providing correct and accurate information to the public is absolutely essential to what we do as representatives of the private sector college sector. Our greatest challenge is fending off the misperceptions and misunderstandings about the fantastic work we do. What better way to succeed in our mission to raise awareness than by simply building an online space that gives you the ability to access needed information at your fingertips. We will be updating this section frequently over the coming weeks, so please check back regularly for new information!

MARCH 2013 | 50

tieS to tAttooS

Businesses today are facing a first: a unique workforce spanning four distinct generations, all with widely varying ideas about work ethic, commitment, values and personal priorities. Sherri Elliott-Yeary,

President and Owner of Optimance Workforce Strategies, LLC, discusses strategies for reaching across these generations in her book Ties to Tattoos: Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage. The book serves as a manual for recognizing generational differences, assessing and serving a generationally diverse workforce, and increasing harmony and productivity between employees’ various generational values.

With the more experienced traditionalists and baby boomers, and the tech-savvy Generation Xers and millennials, today’s workforce has never been more diverse. In her book, Elliott-Yeary points out the unique characteristics of each generation. She suggests the traditionalists believe in good work ethic and money management, the baby boomers are creative idealists, the Generation Xers are ambitious and entrepreneurial, and the millennials are confident and eager to learn. However, this diversity also brings its own challenges; along with a looming labor shortage and a decrease in employee productivity, the generational gap between employees brings problems of the language barrier, stereotyping and a transfer of knowledge from long-time employees to new hires.

Ties to Tattoos gives insight into these generational differences, giving employers the knowledge and advice to resolve problems in the workforce and boost employee productivity. Along with addressing conflict built on generational variances, Ties to Tattoos provides strategies for recruiting, training, managing and monitoring a multigenerational workforce, as well as motivating younger generations and looking past outside appearances in order to reward what Elliott-Yeary says “really matters.”

In an ever-changing job market, today’s complex workforce serves as the key to creating and preparing a successful business for the future. Through Elliott-Yeary’s insights, Ties to Tattoos provides the knowledge and strategies employers need in order to harness this complex and generationally diverse workforce and create productive, long-term employees.

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Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage


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MARCH 2013 | 52

vincent scaramuzzo

to tHAnk oR tHAnk not?By Vincent Scaramuzzo

the thought defies everything we have been told since first meeting with a career counselor in high school or college.

Traditionally, you were probably taught to send a written thank-you note to a hiring manager after completing an interview, but in today’s high-tech society, can this actually hurt your chances of getting the job?

Sometimes, yes – it can. It is really important to know your audience. Does the position you are interviewing for require a tech-savvy candidate? Does the company rely on the latest technology to drive their business, or does it conduct business at a more old-fashioned pace using written records, invoices, etc.? Accurately profiling your prospective employer in this way can make the difference between you landing the job or not.

During one interview I was present for, I saw a candidate and hiring manager get into some small talk about an old candy bar brand they both really enjoyed but found hard to come by. After the interview, the candidate purchased one of these candy bars and sent it with a handwritten thank-you note. The thought was sincere, and the gesture was pretty original, but though the hiring manager felt the same, the overall feeling was a bit creepy. The hiring manager wasn’t going to eat a candy bar sent by someone who was practically a stranger, so what seemed like a really creative approach unfortunately backfired.

I am not sure there is an absolute right or wrong way to approach thank-you notes, but I firmly believe email is now the accepted standard. I don’t think you can lose a job because your thank-you note wasn’t handwritten unless your audience is very old-fashioned.

Here is why:

• Most hiring processes now move too fast for a handwritten thank-you note. By the time you write it, mail it and the hiring manager actually opens it, the decision most likely has already been made regarding which candidates will move forward. I recommend emailing your thank-you note shortly after the interview – but not too quickly. If your interview is in the morning, I would advise sending it at the end of the business day. If your interview is in the afternoon, I suggest sending it first thing the next morning. This shows the hiring authority that you have taken some time to reflect on the interview and the opportunity. A thank-you email that arrives too quickly can be perceived as canned or pre-written and lacking sincerity

• Organizations are either very tech-savvy or on their way out. It is almost impossible for companies to successfully do business today if they are not embracing technology. I believe sending anything other than an email could lead the employer to perceive you as being behind the times


to tHAnk oR tHAnk not?

Vincent Scaramuzzo is the President of Ed-Exec Inc., one of the leading executive search firms in education. He has consistently been ranked in the top 2 percent of all recruiters worldwide by Management Recruiters International, the world’s largest executive search firm. As a specialist in the education field, Scaramuzzo works nationally with universities, colleges, online institutions

and career schools. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 860.781.7641.

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A well-timed thank-you email can really make a big difference. If a hiring manager was feeling good about your interview, that email can cement positive thoughts on your candidacy and raise his or her enthusiasm about you when reviewing your qualifications with colleagues. On the other hand, if you did just OK during the interview, a well-timed thank-you email can cause a hiring manager to re-evaluate your interview and conclude that your initial interview performance may be worth bringing you back for additional interviews.

The technology and mode of delivery have changed when it comes to thank-you notes, but timing, sincerity, professionalism and effectiveness have not. Writing a great thank-you email could ultimately help you land your next great position.

MARCH 2013 | 54

if you are on the front lines of the regulatory battles, it may help to know that this is not the first time these hostilities have taken place. Indeed, skirmishes between

for-profit education providers and the larger education policy community have been a recurring event for the last 100 years.

early historyProprietary education first appeared in the 1600s at about the same time institutions like Harvard were being created. The differences that distinguish for-profit education from traditional colleges and universities were present at inception. These early proprietary schools provided practical education to many students in contrast to traditional colleges that provided a liberal arts education to the elites. Another distinction that continues to this day is the fact that for-profit schools welcomed minorities and women at a time when only Caucasian men typically went to college.

The time following the Civil War was a period of growth for proprietary schools as they trained workers for a growing industrial sector. The first conflict between for-profit education and the larger education community came as public education developed the comprehensive public high school we know today and traditional colleges and universities began offering business and vocational curricula. By 1910, proprietary education was perceived as a competitor instead of an alternative to liberal arts education. The charges of misleading unsophisticated students to register and providing an inferior education that did not prepare graduates for jobs first appeared in the press of this time, mirroring the charges made today.

History …on repeatHistory of for-profit school regulationBy John Lee, JBL Associates Inc.

john lee

" if history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience?"

– George Bernard Shaw


Today, even with all of the changes made to assure compliance and quality education, the same criticisms that were made 100 years ago are still being made about

for-profit education. That leads one to wonder why all of

these improvements to quality in for-profit education have not

resulted in a greater acceptance of

the sector.

The response to these criticisms was to initiate an accreditation process for proprietary schools. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools was chartered in 1912 in an effort to affirm the quality of education provided by accredited schools. This was the first step in responding to public criticism of the sector.

First federal effortsThe next round of criticism came after World War II when the GI Bill provided millions of veterans with the funds to pursue postsecondary education. Just three years later, in 1948, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. Veterans also used the GI Bill to enroll in proprietary schools in record numbers. Due to this, the for-profit sector was accused of using aggressive advertising and making educational goals subordinate to making a profit, and scandals surrounding fraudulent accounting practices with regard to student aid tarnished the reputation of the for-profit sector. This added the charge of misusing federal funds to the list of suspicions held by traditional educators. The result was a requirement that proprietary schools had to be accredited and licensed by a state agency for vocational education – rules which still exist today. This was the second step in assuring quality and compliance of for-profit schools.

Title IV and the Department of EducationThe introduction of federal student aid set the table for the third conflict between traditional education and proprietary schools. The introduction of the Pell Grant in 1972 and the growth of the student loan program that took place over the 1970s and 1980s brought to light the issue of student loan defaults. With the first calculation of cohort default rates in 1987, proprietary schools dominated the list of schools with the highest default rates. At the same time, it became known that proprietary schools received 30 percent of the Pell Grants awarded in the previous year. The perfect trifecta was realized as Dr. William Bennett, the Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan, had been critical of the student aid programs. This put the traditional education lobby on high alert as they saw what they thought was an illegitimate claimant take too much of the federal student aid pie and graduate students with high default rates.

The high default rates of proprietary schools were the perfect hammer to attack the for-profit sector. Defaults were claimed as evidence of inadequate education, poor job placement and putting profitability ahead of education. The events culminated in the 1992 amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 that imposed a series of limitations on the for-profit sector, such as expulsion from Title IV programs due to high default rates and limits on the percent of income coming from federal student aid, as well as other financial and operational standards. This was the third step-up in quality assurance for schools in the sector.

MARCH 2013 | 56

The same issues continue todayToday, even with all of the changes made to assure compliance and quality education, the same criticisms that were made 100 years ago are still being made about for-profit education. That leads one to wonder why all of these improvements to quality in for-profit education have not resulted in a greater acceptance of the sector.

The best way to think about the continuation of the criticism is as an expression of prejudice. As Gordon Allport wrote in The Nature of Prejudice, "Prejudice is an antipathy based on faulty and inflexible generalization." These stereotypes simplify things by allowing us to infer that an individual has the characteristics that we assume are common to all members of that group.

Stereotypes lead to social categorization, which is one of the reasons for the prejudiced attitudes that result in out-groups and in-groups. Oftentimes, the result is acceptance of observations that support the prejudicial view and rejection of information that is counter to the prejudice. The logic of prejudice also means that those in your own group are not judged by the same standards as those outside your group.

Reports of high default rates among proprietary schools support the stereotype, but reports of high defaults in other public and not-for-profit colleges are not criticized with the same vigor.

High graduation rates of high-risk students in for-profit schools are ignored, as are low graduation rates of the same type of students in many community colleges.

This history and analysis leads to the gloomy conclusion that, in the competition for dollars and students, traditional educators will always be willing to cast the for-profit sector as the outsider and judge them by the worst examples in the sector.

What can be done?The answer is tried and true: Bring educators from other sectors to see what is being done on the campus and share best practices with those other educators. It is hard to hold a stereotypical prejudice about the sector in the face of students having a positive educational experience. The more nuanced and detailed the observation, the more difficult it will be for critics to hold simple beliefs. This will not solve all the problems, but it may allow debates among competing education sectors to take place with more balance and consideration for what is best for students.

John Lee is Founder and President of JBL Associates Inc., a national consulting firm specializing in postsecondary education policy research. His areas of expertise include designing programs to help college

students succeed, faculty working conditions, higher education finance and for-profit education. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology from California State University at Sacramento and received an Ed.D. in Postsecondary Education from the University of California, Berkeley. He can be contacted at [email protected].


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robyn shulman

The differences are great, but can traditional universities and for-profit colleges learn from each other?By Robyn Shulman, M.Ed.

there are significant differences between for-profit career colleges and traditional universities. However, as higher education changes rapidly from day to day, it is safe to assume both types

of institutions are driving into uncharted territory without a roadmap.

The rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs), demand for online courses and financial expectations from students have caused quite a buzz over the past few years. The changes in higher education do not appear to be slowing down any time soon. Therefore, as society moves along with these changes, it is important to pause and take a look at how career colleges and traditional universities differ and, if possible, how they can learn from each other. Whether one believes one form of education is better than the other, the outcome should be the same: providing students with the highest level of knowledge, skills and opportunities for employment while stimulating growth, expanding knowledge, and creating a stable and strong economy. Education is truly going global, and in order for the United States to stay on the playing field, collaboration may be the next logical step.

What are the benefits of and key differences between career colleges and traditional universities?

Career colleges are run on a business model. According to this model, education is a business, and students are paying customers. Therefore, data, assessment and analytics are a very important piece in deciphering the needs of the students. Decisions and changes are made quickly based on assessments and measurable outcomes to assure the education being delivered matches the market in demand and meets the needs of employers.

Career colleges tend to focus on specific vocational programs, such as nursing, information technology and/or education. The programs are designed with a specific curriculum in mind, with little room for free academic holistic teaching. Career colleges also place a great emphasis on specific skills and embrace technology and change. In fact, they evolve in sync with industries, keeping up with the fast pace of changing practices while bringing in the most modern and technological advances in higher education.

MARCH 2013 | 62

Schedules for students are flexible and are designed to meet the demands of the non-traditional student. Most programs are offered online, which provides great convenience to many students. Career colleges also tend to offer various distance learning programs and certificates. Students can work at any time of the day or night from almost anywhere. Although these modern conveniences are generally positive and beneficial to students, they may also create some feelings of disconnect. Since many career colleges offer online programs, students may feel a lack of community and miss out on social events; live interaction among peers, students and teachers can also suffer as a result.

According to Frank B. McCluskey in an article appearing on E-mentor, the faculty of a career college typically consists of many adjunct professors who are specialists in their fields or skill areas, leaving only a handful of full-time professors. Most professors are adjuncts and work contract-to-contract without the possibility of tenure. Large decisions are made by administration, rather than with fully shared governance that involves faculty. As a result, McCluskey states, the state of academia may suffer.

Curriculum is typically prepared by professors in a short time, and tends to change as needed. The process to change and develop a course is usually a quick and easy one.

Traditional colleges are run differently than career colleges in a number of ways, both through historical traditions and varying deliverables. Traditional institutions are mostly nonprofit and do not run on a corporate business model. Students may be viewed simply as students rather than as paying customers. The emphasis on and importance of data, numbers and assessment tend to be less rooted in the dynamics of enrollment, motivation, pace and change. Change tends to come a bit more slowly to the traditional university due to the layering structure of shared governance.

Curricula and program offerings vary; while some may be defined, most are holistic in nature at the beginning. Professors typically develop the curriculum, and there is room for flexibility, interpretation and change. Getting a new course approved quickly is rare in a traditional university. There is a protocol to follow, and it can take some time to get a new course approved via committees, meetings and rungs of approval.

Governance is shared among faculty and administration. Therefore, when change is quickly moving outside the bubble of academia, change may occur slowly at a traditional university. One example of a slower change would be the use of technology. Traditional universities offer a mix of brick and mortar, hybrid, and online offerings. Most universities are now catching up with the new advances in technology; however these technological changes happen at a much slower pace than at career colleges.


Traditional institutions offer tenure. Tenured professors are the bones of the university. Professors who have tenure have more academic freedom to develop curriculum and teach without severe restrictions, and typically they have greater job security (although this is not always the case).

A traditional university also has a history and a culture rooted in beliefs, reason and research. These universities tend to have a greater degree of community activity, more person-to-person interaction and more social events than career colleges. Traditional universities can provide an undergraduate student with experiences for growing into adulthood, dealing with real-life circumstances, facing new situations and taking on responsibility. These opportunities are due to the nature of the typical brick and mortar campus and, more specifically, are often most accessible to those who live on campus during their undergraduate years.

Traditional universities are also the leaders in research, knowledge and new developments. Research is highly valued and well regarded among the faculty; writing and publishing are greatly encouraged or required; and debate, discussions and high-level thinking are staples of a traditional university.

With all of these differences, can career colleges and traditional universities learn something of value from each other? After years of academic advising and seeing and hearing the needs of non-traditional students at a nonprofit institution, I believe there are a few things of great value that each kind of institution can learn from the other as sources for improvement.

Career colleges: • Can provide more opportunities for the faculty to have a

significant influence on the curriculum. Since many of the professors tend to work in the areas they teach, they have the life skills and experience to teach their students outside of the written curriculum. There is opportunity here to expand academic growth

• Can provide more opportunities in regard to community, sports, social events, etc., giving the traditional college feeling that many crave (Grand Canyon University is a prime example of this effect)

• Can treat college students as both students and customers. They need to be assured they are getting what they pay for while garnering the respect afforded to students in higher education

Traditional colleges: • Need to understand that a student (especially a non-traditional

student) is both a paying customer and a student. These students deserve great service: phone calls returned, clean campuses, accurate information and modern resources

• Need to provide flexible schedules for the non-traditional student. Courses should be offered online, on weekends and at night

• Can offer more programs that are geared toward specific vocations and skills

• Should use data and analytics to observe and keep track of what is working and what is not working. If data are tracked and analyzed, the school may not be forced into closing classes and programs so abruptly. Using this information will also provide the faculty with the ability to move around (if possible) and change courses as needed; it may also result in fewer layoffs

• Should not be afraid of technology. Technology is here to stay, and there is simply no way around it. Traditional colleges should also train the faculty to be prepared for these rapid changes, thereby increasing chances of survival

As I’ve always said, there is no university without students, and students must always be put first. Universities should strive to treat them with the respect they deserve as students, customers and human beings.

Whether one believes one form of education is better than the other, the outcome should be the same: providing students with the highest level

of knowledge, skills and opportunities for employment while stimulating growth, expanding knowledge, and creating a stable and strong economy.

Robyn Schulman is a certified teacher in Illinois who has taught 4th – 6th grade and ESL to both children and adults. She specializes in writing, academic/career advising and higher education. Robyn is a professional adviser for the state of Illinois, the Managing Editor of ED News Daily and a blogger for Chicago Now. She can be reached at [email protected].

MARCH 2013 | 64

Michael Platt: "Students shocked by school's abrupt closing” (from WWLP.com): Two closed in 30 days. While other schools rise up to clean up these messes, I am just thankful that operators like this are GONE!!!!

Don Arnoldy: This is not good! With the downturn in enrollment, I think we're going to see more of these. I also expect that the other schools in their respective regions already have a good idea who they will be.

This kind of closing is a disaster for the students. (It’s not that great for the employees either.)

Can't we, collectively, come up with a plan to identify these schools and take action before everybody shows up to find a locked door?

Michael Platt: No. These are private businesses and the collective “we” only exists conceptually. The owner of this school, Sawyer, would have likely been considered part of the “we” a couple of weeks ago. The best any school can do is to pursue teach-out relationships. The problem is that low-integrity operators like this simply close the school without trying to figure out a path forward for the students. Schools can still contact the state to offer teach-outs, but the damage to the sector is done.

Shame.

John Assunto: Living in New England, I had a great deal of opportunity to see this coming – and not just since the regulatory environment has changed. Our firm has been receiving a plethora of calls from staff for the past few years regarding simple challenges that were not being met. It's disappointing that steps were not taken to address issues a long time ago. This should be a viable operation.

Martin Lind: The good news is that the accreditation agency will now prevent the owners (and their relatives, I think) from EVER opening a school again. These are the bad apples that are dragging down the public's perception of the industry.

Don Arnoldy: ACI had eight campuses; Sawyer had five. That's hundreds of employees, thousands of students and millions of dollars of tuition invested in incomplete educations. As Martin says, "These are the bad apples that are dragging down the public's perception of the industry."

Michael says, "the collective 'we' only exists conceptually." This may be true, but there are some tangible expressions of that concept of "we-ness": APSCU, ACICS, ACCSC, CAPPS, NWCCF and others. How many millions of dollars more will “we” spend trying to overcome the damage these schools have done to our collective reputation?

One idea that occurred to me is for regional associations to work with accrediting bodies and government regulators to create "soft fall" management teams that could step in, pick up the pieces from the failed operators, and keep the campuses running long enough for an orderly teach-out. I don't think they would have to be large teams, but they would need to be experienced and prepared.

When individual schools go in and recruit the displaced students (as well-meaning as I know that it is), it can appear vulture-like. It would be much better to keep the learning community together. We have to find a way to "make it right" – as Mike Holmes (somebody else who works in an industry that has public perception issues) would say.

I know that I don't have all the answers – maybe not even any of them – but if "we" (however conceptual that may be) are not seen to be actively looking for them, then government agencies will do the looking. We may not like the answers they find.

Valerie Kindall: How do you manage enrollments without asking for numbers? Ideas? Best practices?

I am not in admissions but am just curious: how on earth can you manage people without clearly defined goals/metrics/ANYTHING? I have heard of "managing the behaviors" that lead to enrollments among a few other things. What has worked for you? Any DOA's out there blowing it out of the water right now? What's your secret?

the Career College Central LinkedIn group is a forum full of invoking questions, thoughtful responses and animated discussion. If you haven’t joined our LinkedIn page yet, then you’re missing out. Come join us and make your voice heard!


Michael Platt: You don't. Numbers are one way to measure the efficacy of your admissions reps. I think the best measure is comparing them to one another and historical data. Believe me, a rep who pushes too hard will be revealed in the numbers, like the percentage who show for their FA appointment and even orientation.

Our sector must stop apologizing for the great work we do. Better performing reps change more lives and help more people. Period. Over the years, I have heard so many grads say things like, “I am so appreciative Greg pushed me. I needed it.”

Jim Tussing: Valerie, I appreciate you referring to managing enrollments, not the reps. I am a big believer that we manage things and coach people. One thing I have learned over the years is that good representatives are not good accountants normally. Dazzle them with too many numbers and you lose them. Instead, give them the information about what can change

the numbers. If they are good, they will take the information and make things happen. Feedback is critical.

I also agree with Mr. Platt. I rank my team from top to bottom in activity and results daily. I also suggest what we as a team can be doing to correct the numbers.

Anthony Martin: I agree with all the comments above. Personally, I believe it all starts with inspiring and motivating your employees through articulating your mission in a way that connects with them intrinsically. We do this by working one-on-one with each of our employees to understand what motivates them (extrinsic/intrinsic) and partner with our employees to accomplish their goals and align them to our organizational goals. I believe once you understand the goals of each employee and how they align with your goals, you start to use data, empower them to make decisions, give targets and reward positive momentum.

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MARCH 2013 | 66

jane mahoney

AtACoLLege

Taking new steps toward student success

By Jane Mahoney, Staff Writer


Like many other career colleges, ATA College of Louisville, Ky., offers plenty of services to their students. They offer career services to those who have completed their certificate programs, along with

academic tutoring for those currently enrolled in courses.

Community service projects such as blood drives and health fairs provide an opportunity for students to engage with their surrounding community, while honing in on lessons learned in the classroom.

Along with these benefits, ATA College is offering two new services that go above and beyond their call to keep students engaged. First, the college has created a program called the Success Coach Program designed to pair each new student with their own personal mentor. ATA College administrative staff created this service in spring 2012 after taking the time to look at their retention numbers.

“We found that students who were dropping for one or more semesters had lower success rates,” said Brett Weber, Chief Operations Officer at ATA College. “Many of these students dropped for personal life reasons.”

The Success Coach Program was created to keep retention rates up. Statistics showed that a majority of the withdrawals ATA saw were during a student’s first semester. Now, all new students are assigned a full-time staff member as their personal success coach. These mentors are generally a person involved in administration, rather than an instructor. Because instructors are able to interact with students in the classroom, ATA College felt that another connection at school could be helpful.

Throughout a student’s first semester, they meet with their success coach to talk to them about any issue in their lives.

“A mentor is like a cheerleader for their success. I don’t try to answer every question. I allow them to ask questions, and I correspond and connect with them on a personal level,” Weber said. “It is entirely for motivational purposes.”

The second strategy ATA College implemented to combat student withdrawal rates was to create the administrative position of retention specialist, a position that works solely with individuals at risk of withdrawing. The retention specialist position works full time to make students’ transitions back into a school environment more comfortable and aids current students with personal life issues or distractions.

Lauren Breslin, ATA College Retention Specialist, works to make sure students have what they need with the help of a community resource binder she has created that has information for community groups students may need to utilize. Breslin has created relationships with these groups and acts as a liaison for students if they are in need of contacting a community resource.

“A mentor is like a cheerleader for their

success. I don’t try to answer every question. I

allow them to ask questions, and I correspond and

connect with them on a personal level.”

– Brett Weber, Chief Operations Officer at ATA College

MARCH 2013 | 68

As retention specialist, Breslin also tracks attendance of all students at ATA College. When she finds that a student did not make it to class on a given day, she will reach out to them to find out what caused them to miss class. For example, if a student was unable to make it to class due to car issues, Breslin will provide them with contacts that may be able to help them fix the problem. She will also pass on assignments from a student’s teacher to help them stay on track, regardless of absence. Her role in tracking students’ absences is not disciplinary.

“If absences happen frequently, I will meet with the student one-on-one to find out what is going on,” Breslin said.

In these meetings, Breslin and ATA attendees figure out what is necessary for success.

Students who re-enroll in classes at ATA College after taking a quarter or more off from classes are required to attend a success seminar. This seminar is like a new student orientation, designed to help students to get reacquainted with the college.


Jane Mahoney is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in Strategic Communication from the William Allen White School of Journalism. She can be reached at [email protected].

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“We found that only 20 percent of students that have a withdraw action actually graduate,” Weber said. “We spend a lot of money and time on them to help them, but they often do not graduate.”

Weber said the success seminar is a motivational event. “We remind students of their goals, and they sign a goal agreement with us.”

These programs have created a sense of companionship at ATA College, which has already seen benefits from these efforts.

“We went from seeing about a 70 percent retention rate of students in their first semester, to around 90 percent,” Weber said.

MARCH 2013 | 70

Academic leaders in the career college sector realize that their student retention initiatives must improve student outcomes and gainful employment, while also producing a positive return on investment (ROI) for

the institution. The benefits of any sustainable student retention initiative must outweigh its development and implementation costs.

At MaxKnowledge, we have the pleasure of collaborating with the chief academic officers from some of the leading institutions in the career college sector. We are clearly seeing that student retention initiatives have increased in our sector in response to the decrease in new student enrollments. However, institutional leaders are challenged to allocate additional resources to improve academic quality and student performance at a time when organizational budgets are significantly reduced. Academic leaders have a heightened awareness that they must carefully spend investment dollars on initiatives with proven ROI potential to ensure the continued success of the institution from both the academic and operational perspectives.

At the recent Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) Centennial Conference, Jim Tolbert, CEO of Education Futures Group (Vista College) and past Chairman of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, gave a dynamic presentation on “The Evolving Science of Management: Human Resources in the 21st Century.” The session focused on the evolution of management and how a collaborative relationship

amir moghadam

By Amir MoghadamFounder and CEO, MaxKnowledge

The benefits of linking employee development and student retention

between employer and employees is the key to success. The presentation took an analytical approach to identifying the impact of best practices in human resources on operational excellence and how employee satisfaction drives outstanding performance. Gilbert examined the critical aspects of the HR process, including the importance of effective employee training and development. Gilbert’s research-based presentation clearly indicated the positive effect of employee performance and satisfaction on student retention and outcomes.

Gilbert’s research at Vista College further supports the results of a doctoral study conducted by Dr. Michale McComis, ACCSC Executive Director, who examined the relationship between leadership characteristics and student achievement in career colleges. McComis found that strong leadership has a significant impact on student success and concluded that leadership development should be recognized as a requisite part of institutional development and operations.

Another study that supports Gilbert’s findings is a research report by the ROI Institute® that shows the positive impact of effective faculty development on student retention. Commissioned by the Imagine America Foundation, this independent case study measured and documented the ROI of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) Faculty Development Program at Universal Technical Institute (UTI).

tHe eVoLution

of Roi


These studies indicate a fundamental precept: Employee development is a key component of student retention initiatives. Furthermore, institutions must clearly link employee learning to performance goals to achieve a positive ROI from their training programs. As career educators, we identify and work toward student learning outcomes that lead to increased student performance. We must use the same learning theories and principles to create a comprehensive training and support system for our employees. With the increased focus on ROI in today’s educational landscape, employee training programs must be competency-based and lead to measurable performance results.

Dr. Amir Moghadam is the Founder and CEO of MaxKnowledge, the leading employee training company for the career college sector of higher education. He has more than 25 years of experience in career education, serving in many capacities, including Professor, Director of Education, Academic Dean, Director of Student Affairs, Campus Director, and

College President and Owner. Moghadam earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Cambridge at the age of 22. He is a recognized leader in career education and has been selected as a Top Innovator by Career College Central. Moghadam can be reached at [email protected].

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MARCH 2013 | 72

MAking HeAdLineSPlattForm Advertising sells to private equity firm

PlattForm Advertising has been sold to private equity firm Sterling Partners. Lenexa, Kan.-based PlattForm is an industry leader in higher education marketing, particularly in the for-profit college sector. The company ranks No. 1 on the Kansas City Business Journal listing of Top Area Advertising Agencies, based on net income of $133.7 million generated locally in 2011.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sterling is buying out PlattForm’s previous main investor, Maryland-based Arlington Capital Partners.

Synopsis of: “PlattForm Advertising Sells To Private Equity Firm”Source: CareerCollegeCentral.comDate: Jan. 10, 2013

Industry leader’s decline marks turn in for-profit college sector

For-profit education investors continue to respond negatively as industry leader Apollo Group Inc. sees new problems arise in light of the imminent turnabout in the fading sector.

The University of Phoenix chain of for-profit colleges, owned by Apollo, may face a withdrawal of its accreditation endorsement if it does not solve certain issues. Without its accreditation, University of Phoenix essentially will lose its revenue stream, and students needing Title IV loans through the Department of Education will not be able to receive them.

Most analysts believe that Apollo’s University of Phoenix ultimately will not lose its accreditation. However, the prospect only adds to the darkening atmosphere faced by the for-profit sector.

With federal funding being potentially withdrawn and enrollment numbers down, the for-profit education industry is facing an upset. Instead of retreating to previous norms, companies in the for-profit education sector must look toward adapting to the new settling environment. Apollo looks to adapt by reaching into global markets where the for-profit education industry is milder.

Synopsis of: “Apollo’s Slide Heralds the For-Profit College Industry Shakeout”Source: The Wall Street JournalDate: Jan. 9, 2013

Online learning continues to expand

Despite massive open online courses, or MOOCs, taking the spotlight, credit-based online courses are continuing to see success in higher learning institutions, as shown by the 2012 iteration of the Babson Survey Research Group’s annual Survey of Online Learning.

While 2011 saw a decline in enrollment for American colleges and universities, the number of postsecondary students enrolled in online courses continues to grow, though enrollment is at its lowest growth rate in the last decade. More than 70 percent of public and for-profit colleges currently provide complete academic programs online, and the number of private nonprofit colleges doing so has doubled since 2002.

MOOCs are also experiencing increasing popularity; 2.6 percent of about 2,500 colleges surveyed offer such courses, with another 9.4 percent reporting that MOOCs are in the near future. However, concern with the sustainability of MOOCs is still widely split.

Other insights from the Babson Survey show that online learning is becoming increasingly incorporated into many academic institutions and gaining positive repute with chief academic officers, though the number of faculty members who agree has decreased since 2004.

Synopsis of: “Growth for Online Learning”Source: Inside Higher EdDate: Jan. 8, 2013

College degree increasingly vital to millennial generation

Due to an increasing emphasis on higher education in the professional sphere, the millennial generation – individuals aged 18 to 34 – face a scarce job market without a college degree. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, in 2007, nearly 60 percent of American jobs listed some form of college experience as a requirement for job-seeking candidates. Analysts project that by 2018 the number of jobs requiring this of their employees will rise to 62 percent.

In a tough job market, lower wages and unemployment are more likely for those without some form of college education. In 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average income for someone with a Bachelor’s degree was $1,053 per week. Those with an Associate degree earned roughly $768 per week, and those without a college degree made an average of only $638 per week.


With scarcer job prospects and a significantly smaller salary, high school graduates tend to struggle with the circular socioeconomic problem of finding a job with a salary that can support their families, leaving their children to struggle in the same way later.

Synopsis of: “Millennials Face Bleak Future Without College Degree”Source: U.S. News & World ReportDate: Jan. 9, 2013

Controversy with iowa university institute honoring senator

Ruth Harkin, an Iowa Board of Regents member, pressed for the approval of a university institute named after her husband, Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, prior to the leave of two fellow Board of Regent members.

The plans for the Harkin Institute of Public Policy were kept quiet until brought before the board, where the approval passed on a vote of 6-2 just days before Michael Gartner’s and Bonnie Campbell’s terms on the board ended. Gartner assisted in the fundraising for the institute, and Campbell was backed by Senator Harkin for a position as a federal appeals court judge. Both were replaced by Republican Governor Terry Branstad’s appointees.

The controversial institute has been proposed as a place for scholars to research issues on agriculture, education and other interests of Harkin’s, as well as study papers written during Harkin's 40 years in Congress. The institute’s plan to research agriculture is currently under dispute with university leaders who wish to prevent duplication and give the university’s esteemed Center for Agricultural and Rural Development complete control over the study.

Along with these disputes, questions have arisen regarding the sources of the funds raised for the institution, despite stated attempts by Harkin to remain clear about funding sources, after a scandal with a similar institute named after Charlie Rangel caused concern.

Synopsis of: “Harkin's wife pressed Iowa university for institute honoring senator”Source: Washington GuardianDate: Jan. 5, 2013

Senator Harkin of Iowa to Retire

Democratic U.S. senator Tom Harkin, from Iowa, announced on January 26 that he won’t be seeking re-election in 2014.

The news comes as a surprise to many Democrats, who were under the impression that Senator Harkin would run for another term. Harkin’s retirement opens up a competitive seat for both Democrats and Republicans seeking to regain majority in the senate.

Harkin is known for being vocal on social issues and having large influence on party leader decisions. He is chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, and is best known for his work on equality rights for persons with disabilities and his supportive influence over the Affordable Care Act. Harkin also serves on committees for agriculture, appropriations and small business.

Currently, 20 Democratic seats and 14 Republican seats will need to be defended in the 2014 election. Harkin has said the time was right for his leaving, and will allow other Democratic congressmen advancement in their careers.

Synopsis of: “Iowa Sen. Harkin will Not Seek Re-election”Source: USA TodayDate: Jan. 26, 2013

Compiled by Tasha Cerny, Staff Writer

MARCH 2013 | 74

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A

manda Howell Vires has a job that she loves, working as a staffing consultant for Manpower employment agency, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to move up in the company without a degree. She

enrolled in the Business Administration – Management program at National College's Lexington campus at the advice of her mother, Cheryl Howell, a National College graduate who currently works as the campus’ career center director. Amanda was inspired by her mother’s success at National College, and she continues to be inspired by the great success that other National graduates achieve every day, as her mother assists them in finding the job of their dreams.

Before coming to National, Amanda attended a large university for four years, but she wasn’t able to complete her program. “Life happened – I had to work,” recalled Amanda, who found that the university’s class schedule wouldn’t sync with her work schedule. National’s night classes and convenient location made it possible for her to work full time while going to school. She was able to transfer many of her credits from the university to National, which helped her complete her program as quickly as possible.

Once she began attending classes, Amanda found instructors at National who shared examples of real-life situations from their own business experience in class. “I would highly recommend National,” she said. “The teachers there are either currently working in the field or (they are) very recently from those fields. They’re extremely knowledgeable,” she said.

Amanda uses the knowledge from classes such as human resources, management, marketing and accounting in her work every day as she interviews candidates, places them in jobs, assists with payroll and builds relationships with clients.

To nominate a student for Why I Chose, contact [email protected].

student stories

WHy i CHoSeAmanda Howell Vires

National College

“I hope to stay right here and hopefully progress within the company,” shared Amanda, who aspires to move up into an account management position at Manpower. She will complete her Associate degree in February and plans to return to National soon thereafter to earn her Bachelor’s degree.

Republished with the permission of National College.

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