Breakthrough Models in College Completion
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The document describes 8 new postsecondary degree programs that were funded by the Next Generation Learning Challenges. The programs have several common attributes including competency-based learning, disaggregated faculty roles, tuition models that reward persistence, using data to target student supports, and self-paced instruction. They include programs at public and private universities and colleges that offer new associate's and bachelor's degrees focused on increasing college completion.
Breakthrough Models in College Completion
- 1. Breakthrough Models for College Completion 8 New Postsecondary Degree Programs Common attributes across the portfolio of NGLC-funded postsecondary degree program models include: •Competency-based learning •Disaggregated faculty roles •Tuition models that reward persistence •Data to target supports •Self-paced instruction. More: ow.ly/MWdt0 AT A GLANCE Programs: 8 Students Served in First Year: 3,169 State Systems: 2 Public, Four-Year Universities: 4 Public, Two-Year Colleges: 3 Private, Non-Profit Universities: 1 For-Profit Universities: 1 Focused on New AA Degrees: 5 Focused on New BA Degrees: 6
- 2. Board of Regents of The University System of Georgia The University System of Georgia and one of its institutions, Columbus State University, are designing a new Bachelor of Arts degree program in Communication with a Civic Leadership concentration to begin Fall 2013. The program is delivered 90% online and punctuated at key risk points with in- person credit-bearing service-learning experiences. Students earn a certificate credential within the first year, an associate’s degree before the end of year two, and a bachelor’s degree upon completion.
- 3. College for America Focused on “unconfident learners”—those who are familiar with educational failures, unsure of their abilities, or balancing the demands of work and family—the College for America program of Southern New Hampshire University is a self- paced online associate’s degree program with no courses, no credit hours, no traditional faculty, and no grades, offered at a low student cost. The program encourages mentors in the workplace or the local community and uses a set of key competencies defined, in part, by employers.
- 4. Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University launched a Personalized Learning program in spring 2013 to offer bachelor’s degrees that are more accessible, flexible, and efficient. Each degree program has a clear set of modules and learning outcomes defined by NAU faculty, but the route from start to finish is completely flexible, letting students choose which modules to tackle first. Along the way, mentor faculty work with students to provide feedback, suggest specific resources, or simply provide support if a student is struggling with an academic concept or with balancing their studies with their work.
- 5. Kentucky Technical and Community College System With Direct2Degree, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System is transforming an existing online program by using linear, competency-based course modules to increase student success, degree completion, and affordability. Students move swiftly and sequentially from one course module to the next without breaks between semesters. They move forward at their own pace once they master the content of a module. The revamped tuition model rewards progress and early completion.
- 6. Rio Salado College Rio Salado College created new processes to make college completion more attainable for Pell Grant-eligible students. This includes online student services ranging from a completion portal and real time analytics reports to dedicated advisors and peer mentors. Students also benefit from the college’s early alert system and guided evaluation assessment and response (GEAR) system.
- 7. New Charter University New Charter University delivers relevant, outcomes-driven learning and college degrees where the university’s courses and content are freely available on the Internet to any learner, whether or not they are enrolled. Tuition is based on a monthly subscription model that includes textbooks. Although the goal is to increase access, quality and support are also important. New Charter partnered with a traditional community college to study its model’s effectiveness in online and blended learning environments, especially for an adult learner population.
- 8. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board The Texas Affordable Baccalaureate program uses a competency-based, year-round model with flat-rate tuition such that students can work through as many courses within a seven-week period as their schedules allow. Students advance based on showing competency in the subject area rather than hours in class. Full-time faculty and industry experts develop courses; individual coaches support students in lower- division online courses; and faculty offer upper-division courses online and face-to- face.
- 9. The University of Washington This flagship institution in the state of Washington is offering a low-cost online bachelor’s degree completion program, designed to serve current early childhood educators who have earned some college credits and want to complete an undergraduate degree. The degree completion program is offered at a reduced cost, and versions of the courses will be offered at no cost via MOOCs. The MOOC versions offer students the opportunity to sample a course before enrolling.
- 10. Learn More Download the publication “Breakthrough Models for College Completion” nextgenlearning.org ow.ly/MWdt0