Enhancing student retention for distance learners

Presentation to University of London Centre for Distance EducationDr. Jon Bellum, Provost & Senior Vice President

Live Locally, Learn Globally

Located in Denver, Colorado - the “Mile High” city

Colorado State University-Global Campus

• The first and only statutorily-defined 100% online, public university in the U.S. with independent, regional accreditation

• A public institution that does not receive public funds• Created in 2007 - enrolled first students in 2008 to help

the Colorado Paradox• Adult-student focused; learning outcomes focus on theory,

knowledge, and skills to secure employment and improve job performance.

• Fixed, low tuition rate throughout a student’s degree program with no student fees - $350 undergrad; $500 grad

CSU-Global Academic Excellence

• 8 week accelerated courses• Courses start every month; every course offered every

term• Fully online, asynchronous, faculty led• 85% of faculty have terminal degree• The university provides 24x7 live tutoring, tech support,

and library access• Bachelor degree graduates score in the top 76% on

national assessments for writing, critical thinking, and math

Colorado State University-Global Campus

• At the undergraduate level – currently focused on degree completion (41 million Americans with some college and no degree)

• Ranked #16 for Best Online Bachelor Degree Programs by U.S. World & News Report in January 2014

• Twenty-seven degree programs – bachelor’s and master’s– 15 undergraduate– 12 graduate

• Asynchronous – anytime, anywhere– Recorded live lectures

• Over 500 part-time faculty• 85% of faculty have terminal degrees

Student Demographics

• Adult, non-traditional students• Currently 12,000 active students• 50/50 male/female• Average student age – 35 years (92% are > 25)

– Standard Deviation = 7 years

• 25 percent are the first in their family to attend a higher education institution (first generation)

• 24 percent are from under represented minorities• Students from all 50 states and 16 foreign countries• 70% Undergraduate; 30% Graduate

CSU-Global P-3 Instructional Model

• Purposeful– Program learning outcomes aligned with industry needs– All course content aligned with course and program outcomes– Systemic learning environment

• Participatory– Recorded live lectures– Interactive content– Rich weekly discussion

• Project Based– All assignments are based on real-world issues– Students can choose between two assignments– We want students to solve their own workplace challenges

Assessment of Student Learning

• Starts with program learning outcomes• Every course assignment is linked to at least one program

learning outcome• Data are collected through assessment rubrics in every

class using Waypoint Outcomes • Assessment data are analyzed and reviewed by faculty

every six months with a program review at the end of the academic year

• Students receive marked up feedback and a row-by-row rubric review

CSU-Global Strategy

Nontraditional education provider for nontraditional, workplace-focused students

• Provide all types of education to meet the needs of nontraditional students around the world.

• Provide students with maximum flexibility and learning options that produce tangible workplace outcomes.

• Ensure the highest academic quality to optimize the brand’s marketability.

• Leverage CSU-Global abilities and alliances for highly collaborative partnerships that produce multiple win-win scenarios.

Other Operations

• Corporate training– Off the shelf– Customized– Credit/Non-credit

• Outsourcing– Curriculum– Faculty– Platform– Services

Retention Strategies at CSU-Global

Understanding Retention – Official Data

Official U.S. Department of Education measures of retention are limited and only focus on first-time freshman cohorts:• U.S. Data - First to second year retention (2005 cohort)

– Two year public institutions: 59%– Four year public institutions: 62%

• U.S. Data Six-year graduation rate (2005 cohort)– Two year public institutions: 20%– Four year public institutions: 57%

www.collegenavigator.gov

Why CSU-Global students “stop out”

• Not cognitively prepared for the program of study– Not all students can meet performance requirements

• Not enough time or poor time management– Family, work, external commitments

• Not enough money or poor financial management– Not eligible for loans, underestimate cost, employer stops paying,

unexpected crisis

• Lack of motivation or interest– Not returning to school for the right reasons– Education can be a long road, difficulty in persistence

Six-Year Graduation – 2005 Cohort

Measuring Retention at CSU-Global

CSU-Global does not admit first-time freshman, therefore we do not have ‘official’ retention data• Two key measures of retention at CSU-Global

– Initial retention – First-to-Third Term– Longitudinal – Cohort retention by year

• The majority (15-20%) of students stop out within the first three terms (24 weeks)

• After the third term, attrition is 1-2 percent a year

First to Third Term Retention

• Students who have taken courses in at least two terms within 24 weeks of beginning courses (updated every four weeks)

• Data are front and center on the staff portal

Level Students Retention RateUndergraduate 8,235 79%Graduate 2,885 83%Total 11,710 80%

Four Year Cohort Retention – 2009 & 2010

• Percent of students who have graduate or are still enrolled.

Year Graduated Still Enrolled Total2010 46% 27% 73%2009 28% 37% 65%

The Retention Process - Team Work

• Starts with the mission – one focus, to help adult, non-traditional students complete their degrees – very liberal admission policies

• Enrollment• Transcript Evaluation• Orientation• Tuition Planning• Student and Financial Advising• Academic Support

Enrollment – Finding the right match

• Currently adding 600+ new students each month• Highly structure process for determining match and

admitting students• Purpose of enrollment process is to determine MAPS

– Motivation– Admissibility– Payment– Start Date

• CSU-Global has very liberal admission policies

Transcript Evaluation

• Currently, all undergraduate students come to CSU-Global in transfer

• Average number of transfer credits is 55 (degree program is 120 semester credits)

• Students transfer credit from community colleges, four-year institutions, and trade schools

• Also will transfer Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) including American Council on Education reviewed credit – military, corporate, CLEP, DSST, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate

• Limited transfer at the graduate

Orientation

Students are required to complete an orientation and assessment• Orientation is self-paced• Student Support Advisor confirms the student has

completed the Orientation via the final assessment• First course in the undergraduate and graduate

programs include onboarding content that covers the learning environment and writing expectations

• General education courses include additional support for writing and mathematics

Orientation

Student Support & Tuition Planning

Helping students manage the financial cost of their education• Degree plan with full cost of their education• Review of payment options and maximum loan

eligibility• Support for alternative credit

Student and Financial Advising

Proactive and reactive advising• Students will have a specific advisor throughout their

course of study• Advisors reach out to students if they haven’t been

active in class for 7 days; students receive periodic emails

• Advisors are accessible 12 hours a day via phone, chat, and email

• Faculty Career Coaches are available to meet with students and applicants to discuss deeper academic questions

Academic Support for Students at Risk

• Meet with a success advisor to complete an academic plan– Identify issues that contributed to poor performance– Develop strategies to overcome issues

• Currently Approximately 30% of at risk students move back to active status

• Prior to the creation of the academic success department there was a 15% movement to active status

Retention is about People

Success after Graduation

• 96% Percentage of students who say their program contributed to their professional goals.

• 35% Percentage of students who • secured a better job. • 27% Percentage of students who • secured a job in a new field • 87% Percentage of students who would • encourage a friend or family member to attend CSU-Global. • 38% Percentage of students who • received a promotion. • 20% pay increase reported 12 months after graduation. (Fall

2013)

Questions?

Enhancing student retention for distance learners

Dr. Jon Bellum, Provost & Senior Vice President

Jon.Bellum@csuglobal.edu`