Serving West Virginia’s Adult Students. The Importance of Adult Students 2 West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Community and Technical College.

Serving West Virginia’s Adult Students

The Importance of Adult Students

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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

Community and Technical College System of WV

Increasing Demand for Educated Workers

Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Washington, D.C.

• Between 2008-2018, there will be 234,000 job vacancies (from new jobs and retirements)

• 49% (115,000) of these jobs will require postsecondary credentials

• 40% (95,000) will require a high school degree

• 19% (23,000) will require less than a high school degree

• By 2018, we will need an additional 20,000 people with postsecondary credentials

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College-going Rate Among Recent High School Graduates

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Prop

orti

on

Year

United States

West Virginia

Source: Table 200, National Digest of Education Statistics, 2008; West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission



Public & Nonpublic High School Graduates as a Proportion of 1999 Graduates

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Source: Knocking at the College Door, 2008, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

133%

84%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%19

99

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Prop

orti

on

Year

Southern Region

West Virginia



Adult (25 and Older) Undergraduate Enrollment as a Proportion of 1999 Enrollees

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Source: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission



A Snapshot of Adult Learners

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Shifts in Adult Enrollment



9

Retention Rates--Four-Year Institutions (Fall 2002 First-time Entry Students)



10

Graduation Rates



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Average Years to Degree



Adult Starters in West Virginia

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Adult Starters

Since 1995, 126,997 West Virginians over the age of 25 have started but not finished a postsecondary credential• Women constitute 54% of this group• 45% earned less than 30 credits, 25% earned 30-59,

22% earned 60-89, 12% earned 90-119

Sources: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission



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Survey of Adult Starters

• More likely to be women, about 45 years old, and married with children.

• 35% last enrolled 1990 or earlier, 30% enrolled between 2006 and 2010.

• Reasons for dropping out: finances, lack of time, personal issues, and lack of institutional support.

• 45% planned on reenrolling with top two reasons being personal enrichment and to advance current career.

• Reenrollment preferences: attend class in evenings on weekdays, hybrid format, live at home, commute 35 minutes or less, likely part-time attendance with full-time

work.



Serving Adult Students Effectively

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Principles of Effectiveness for Serving Adult Learners

• Outreach

• Life and Career Planning

• Financing

• Assessment of Learning Outcomes

• Teaching-Learning Process

• Student Support Systems

• Technology

• Strategic Partnerships



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Outreach

The institution conducts its outreach to adult learners by

overcoming barriers of time, place, and tradition in order to

create lifelong access to educational opportunities.

Practices:

• Varied recruitment

• Address personal needs and concerns

• Help with barriers

• Assist in informed decisions

• Faculty who transcend traditional roleWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission


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Life and Career Planning

The institution addresses adult learners' life and career

goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess

and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals.

Practices:

• Engage learner in education and career planning

• Partners in planning, delivery & evaluation of learning

• Help to use assessment for decision making



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Financing

Institution promotes choice using an array of payment

options to expand equity and financial flexibility.

Practices:

• Informs about convenient payment options

• Provides deferred payment options

• Makes aid available to part-time students

• Assesses charges incrementally; equitable refunds

• Helps with strategies to locate external funding



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Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Institution defines and assesses knowledge, skills and

competencies acquired by adult learners from the curriculum and

life/work experience to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor.

Practices:

• Design educational experiences with outcomes in mind

• Include range of stakeholders in defining learning outcomes

• Variety of assessment techniques

• Pathways to credit for learning from varied sources

• Use outcomes as foundation for pursuit of subsequent degrees West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission


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Teaching-Learning Process

Faculty uses multiple methods of instruction (including

experiential and problem-based methods) in order to connect

curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills.

Practices:

• High degree of interaction

• Learners as co-creators of knowledge

• Multiple methods of delivery

• Integrated assessment

• Build on adult knowledge, interests, and life context West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission


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Student Support Systems

Institution employs comprehensive academic and student support

systems in order to develop self-directed, lifelong learners.

Practices:

• Activated by student’s initial inquiry

• Academic support systems work with other organizations

• Flexible time frames

• Individual attention

• Address adult needs

• Professional development on adult learningWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission


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Technology

Institution uses information technology to provide relevant and

timely information and to enhance the learning experience.

Practices:

• To build community for geographically remote learners

• To provide flexible and timely education and admin services

• To empower management of learning process and expand

choices of learning modes

• To mirror technology driven workplace



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Strategic Partnerships

Institution engages in partnerships with employers and other

organizations to develop and improve educational opportunities.

Practices:

• As way to reach adult learners

• Inclusion of other organizations’ job opportunities and needs

• Help develop work mentoring and advising programs

• Support at times and places congruent with work

• Encourage education-related activities at worksite

• Collaborate to assess impact of ed. on org. goalsWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission


Overview of DegreeNow

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The Program

Joint effort between the WVHEPC & CTCS, in partnership with NASPA-Student Affairs in Higher Education (formerly the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) and funded by Lumina.

Integrated statewide adult degree completion program:



BOG-AASRegents Transfer

Agreement

RBA

The Importance of Adult Students

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Target Population

• West Virginia adults (over 25) who have:– Completed some college since 1995;– Not yet earned a degree; and– Not been enrolled for at least three years.

DegreeNow Goals

By 2013: •3,000 adults complete an associate’s degree •4,600 adults complete a bachelor’s degree.

Each year, thereafter, our goal is to help an additional 2,500 adults complete a credential.




Activities to Date

• Adult Learner Statewide Presentations• Advisory Board• Evaluation Efforts• Train-the-Trainers Workshop• Leveraging DegreeNow to Support Adult Learners (regional 8-

hr workshops)




West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission1018 Kanawha Blvd E Ste 700

Charleston WV 25301-2800voice 304.558.2101

fax 304.558.5719

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Contact

Dr. Sarah Beasley ([email protected])



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Median Credit Hours Earned by WV Adult Starters, 2002-2008



West Liberty University 77 WV Northern CTC 50

Marshall University 73 Blue Ridge CTC 48

WVU Institute of Technology 70 WVU at Parkersburg 44

Bluefield State College 68 Southern WV CTC 42

Fairmont State University 65 Mountwest CTC 39

West Virginia University 60 New River CTC 33

Shepherd University 59 Potomac State College of WVU 32

West Virginia State University 53 Kanawha Valley CTC 31

Bridgemont CTC 52 Pierpont CTC 31

Concord University 51 Eastern WV CTC 16

Glenville State College 50

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Median Years Since Last Enrolled, WV Adult Starters 2002-2008



Glenville State College 7 WVU Institute of Technology 6

Bridgemont CTC 6 Blue Ridge CTC 5

Concord University 6 Bluefield State College 5

Marshall University 6 Eastern WV CTC 5

New River CTC 6 Fairmont State University 5

Pierpont CTC 6 Kanawha Valley CTC 5

Potomac State College of WVU 6 Mountwest CTC 5

Shepherd University 6 West Virginia State University 5

Southern WV CTC 6 WV Northern CTC 5

West Liberty University 6 WVU at Parkersburg 5

West Virginia University 6

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Age Distribution of WV Adult Starters, 1995-2008



24-34 35-44 45-64 65 and older

West Virginia University 83% 12% 5% 0%

Potomac State College of WVU 80% 11% 8% 0%

Concord University 76% 16% 8% 0%

West Liberty University 75% 14% 10% 1%

Bridgemont CTC 67% 18% 15% 0%

Shepherd University 66% 21% 13% 1%

Pierpont CTC 61% 21% 17% 1%

Marshall University 60% 22% 16% 2%

WVU Institute of Technology 60% 21% 17% 2%

Glenville State College 59% 21% 18% 2%

Fairmont State University 58% 24% 17% 1%

New River CTC 57% 25% 17% 1%

Kanawha Valley CTC 56% 23% 20% 1%

Bluefield State College 54% 27% 18% 1%

West Virginia State University 54% 25% 20% 1%

Southern WV CTC 53% 25% 21% 1%

WVU at Parkersburg 52% 26% 21% 1%

Mountwest CTC 49% 23% 27% 1%

Blue Ridge CTC 49% 25% 25% 1%

WV Northern CTC 44% 27% 27% 2%

Eastern WV CTC 39% 31% 29% 1%

Increasing Demand for Educated Workers

Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Washington, D.C.

• Between 2008-2018, there will be 234,000 job vacancies (from new jobs and retirements)

• 49% (115,000) of these jobs will require postsecondary credentials

• 40% (95,000) will require a high school degree

• 19% (23,000) will require less than a high school degree

• By 2018, we will need an additional 20,000 people with postsecondary credentials

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A Postsecondary Stall & the Postsecondary Completion Push

• Postsecondary completion rates have hovered around 50% for the past 40 years

• Proportion of US adults with two- or four-year degrees has hovered around 39% for 40 years

• Host of national completion goals• American Graduation Initiative has set an attainment goal of 55%

nationally by 2025• Lumina Foundation’s Big Goal, 60% by 2025

Sources: Table 187. Digest of Education Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics; Lumina Foundation for Education; National Center for Higher Education Management Systems

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Serving West Virginia’s Adult Students. The Importance of Adult Students 2 West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Community and Technical College.

Documents

education requirements

west virginians

west virginias adult

college door

western interstate commission

adult learners life

snapshot of adult learners

adult learners outreach