Higher Education

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Report: For-profit institutions source of most student loan debt

According to a new report by the Brookings Institute, a good chunk of student loan debt is held by students who attend for-profit institutions.

“The so-called student loan crisis in the U.S. is largely concentrated among non-traditional borrowers attending for-profit schools and other non-selective institutions, who have relatively weak educational outcomes and difficulty finding jobs after starting to repay their loans.”

That’s a fairly significant finding, I would say.

Students who attend non-profit private schools or public universities do not face the same debt issue because their job prospects are much higher upon graduation.

Borrowers at for-profit institutions have a harder time finding gainful employment, and when they do, their average earnings barely creep over $20,000.

[T]the median borrower from a for-profit institution who left school in 2011 and found a job in 2013 earned about $20,900—but over one in five (21 percent) were not employed; comparable community college borrowers earned $23,900 and almost one in six (17 percent) were not employed.”

The report also finds that students who attend the University of Phoenix hold the most debt. In 2014, students there held over $35 billion dollars in student loan debt.

If anything, this report shows that the government has to inflict tougher regulations on for-profit institutions in the higher education sector. College students work hard to make a better life for themselves and their families — but student loans can have the opposite effect, at least in the immediate. Tuition at these private schools is astronomical, and if students cannot find jobs to pay their loans back, attaining a degree from these schools is pointless.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Best Resources and Tools for a College Freshman

This guest post is written by Robert Morris, an educator from New York. He is passionate about edtech, education and literature. His articles appeared on Lifehack, Edudemic and Bigthink. Circle Robert on Google+!

So you enrolled in college and your first term began successfully? Congratulations! You have a lot to celebrate since the following four years will probably be the most memorable ones in your life. However, college also brings many responsibilities.

You will face unexpected changes that can shake the foundation of your self-esteem. To help you go through this revolutionary year of your life like a champ, we have created a list of essential resources that every college freshman should know.

27 Money Tips for College Students – Before you apply for a college credit card, you need to learn how to take care of your finances by yourself. Budget planning may not be your idea of college fun, but you have to tackle the new responsibilities as a grownup. This article featured at GetRichSlowly.org provides valuable tips on money management for students.

Ninja Essays – If you thought academic writing was difficult when you were in high school, wait until you start college! You will need to write essays, term papers, case studies, research papers, and dozens of other types of content for all classes you take. A freshman can easily get frantic when there is so much work to be done. Bookmark essay writing help site NinjaEssays.com, since you will definitely need its assistance during college. At this website, you can hire professional writers to help you with any academic project you get stuck with.

Investing 101 Course – If you want to save money and be financially stable, you need to learn a thing or two about investing. If your college doesn’t offer an investing course, then you should definitely consider gaining such knowledge through an online course. Investing 101 is an easy program provided at TheCollegeInvestor.com. It will help you understand the principles of investing and start getting into the market through safe steps.

Discover it Card – This is one of the best credit cards for students in terms of beneficial fees, rates, and cash back incentives. You will get 5%-20% cashback bonus through the company’s online shopping mall, as well as other bonuses that will inspire you to use the card responsibly. You will get through the entire application procedure within minutes.

Dorm Room Checklist – Moving into a dorm room is more difficult than you can imagine. You will have to create an entirely new living space from scratch, and many things you were used to will be missing. This checklist provided by DormSmart.com will help you prepare all essentials for campus and get your baggage ready on time.

The College Crush – How to Actually Date In College – Your love life will drastically change as soon as you start college. TheCollegeCrush.com is a valuable website that will teach you how college dating works. There are plenty of useful articles you can read before the first semester starts, but you should start with How to Actually Date In College.

How Much Do The Top Income Earners Make – Even if you are not motivated by money, you surely want to choose a rewarding career that will ensure a bright future for you and your family. This article featured at FinancialSamurai.com will help you determine whether your interests are worth fighting for or you should consider going for a more promising major.

The most important tip is: Don’t forget to have fun!

Being a college freshman can be a frightening experience if your expectations are too great. You will have to study a lot and write endless pages of academic content before the end of the term. However, that shouldn’t prevent you from meeting new friends and having fun as every other freshman should. You don’t want to remember the best years of your life by spending the entire time with your computer and piles of books. There are many adventures waiting to be experienced, so don’t forget that you need to have fun along the way.

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education, Matthew Lynch

Diverse Conversations: You Can Go Back Home

“You can never go back home.”

These famous words by Henry David Thoreau began to ruminate in my mind as I prepared to conduct an interview with President Francis L. Hendricks. You see, President Hendricks is a 1979 graduate of Mansfield University and he recently returned to the university as it’s 28th president. Apparently, “you can go back home” and to much fanfare and excitement. I recently sat down with him  to see what life is like for a former student returning home to run his alma mater. Without further ado, let’s begin the interview.

Q: What are your impressions of Mansfield University since your return to campus?

A: This is a magical place; it was when I attended here and it certainly is today! Students have always come here to learn, delve into interests and discover unknown passions. With a strong Liberal Arts base, in a beautiful rural setting, Mansfield University is able to offer professional programs in fields in which students are interested. Mansfield University has remained true to its commitment of outstanding instruction in an intimate classroom setting, where you are taught by professors who know you personally and care about your preparation for your life’s journey. The pride and commitment of our campus community is as strong now as it was when I was a student in the 1970s. From our grounds keepers who want a parent’s first view of campus to be one of beauty, to our faculty and staff who realize we are our students’ family away from family, their dedication is to our students. One of our employees just celebrated her 64th year as a dining services staff member and is valued by all.

Q: It must be exciting to come back as President. How did you react when you were offered the job?

A: I was ecstatic! I care so deeply about Mansfield University and welcomed the opportunity to come back and “pay forward” all the university has done for me. As a non-traditional candidate for University president, I truly had no expectations of being offered the position. I did however know that Mansfield University prepared me well for my future and gave me the foundation needed to be successful. At Mansfield, I was able to build relationships with professors, staff and even the President, all of whom mentored me and provided me sound advice when needed. I wanted to be able to do the same; to connect with students and serve them as those before served me. I am a product of Mansfield University and truly humbled to have been chosen its 19th President.

Q: What made you want to apply?

A: It met the criteria of what my wife and I wanted to do after I retired from the military. We wanted a position where we knew we could make a difference in the lives of others. We wanted to, once again, be part of something that was bigger than both of us; and we wanted to use our experiences and contribute to the success of the team we would join. There was never any doubt that returning to Mansfield University would be the right step for us. It also would enable me to return to the region in which I was raised. In every way, it was coming home for me and my family.

Q: Have you spent time on some goal-setting or strategic planning?

A: Yes. From day one, I have been setting the tone for how we will build upon the university’s strengths, while simultaneously addressing the challenges we face. I work closely with the university’s strategic planning committee on our next Strategic Plan. The plan, which goes into effect in 2014, sets the foundation for where the university will be in 2020. In order to remain relevant to students’ needs and thrive in the “new normal” of public higher education, Mansfield University will take the appropriate steps to ensure our students’ success. We will embrace ownership of our University’s destiny. We will broadcast our excellence and we will strengthen and build partnerships within and outside of our immediate community.

Q: What’s your impression of the community and its interaction with the college?

A: The strong connection between the university and community dates back to 1857 when both the borough and the university came into being. Community business leaders serve on our council of trustees and other committees. Faculty and staff serve in leadership positions on local and county boards. The Mansfield community embraces ours students as their own and the University works hard to partner in community and economic development, events, and assistance. After all, Mansfield and its surrounding towns are where we live and raise our children. We are neighbors, friends and partners both in and outside of the work place. That connection led me to coin the phrase, “you can’t spell community without MU!”

Q: How do you imagine continuing the momentum that Mansfield University has achieved during the past decade?

A: We will continue to assess everything we do, from the programs we offer to the services we provide our students and their families. We will make adjustments based on those assessments which is the key to remaining relevant for current and future students and our alumni. We are key producers of leader-ready individuals in their chosen fields of study. Mansfield University greatly impacts the local community, region, Pennsylvania and beyond with its graduates and its presence. We must constantly look at how we can improve upon our delivery of education and services.

Preparing students for their life’s journey, must remain our primary focus.

Well, that concludes my interview with President Hendricks. I would like to thank him for consenting to this interview. Good Luck!

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Matthew Lynch

College Football Obsession: Sending the Wrong Academic Message?

This past weekend was the kickoff for the college football season. It seemed that every social media newsfeed was full of people cheering on their alma maters or sending shout outs to their favorite college mascots. The start of football season on the professional level and every tier below it has become an iconic fall tradition of American culture. This glorification of a sport, particularly in the case of college athletes, put priorities in the wrong spot though.

Does our collective obsession with college football and other collegiate sports give K-12 kids the wrong idea about the purpose of higher education?

Let’s face it; athleticism is at least partially genetic. People love to mention the story of Michael Jordan being cut from his high school basketball team as an example of motivation for anyone who faces adversity. No disrespect to Mike, but his raw athletic ability had to be apparent during his high school years. The fact that he was cut from the varsity team was likely more a result of relying on that talent, and not putting in the effort to hone it. Once he realized what a lot of practice and persistence, paired with unmatched talent, could mean in his life he was able to excel at what he was already good at doing.

Call me cynical, but not every kid who is cut from a sports team has the ability to be like Mike by just putting his nose to the grindstone.

The same goes for college athletes, many of whom are put on a pedestal by peers, coaches and parents. Yes the feats of the human body are admirable but should a young adult with athletic ability be treated better by an institution of higher learning than one whose strengths are in engineering or the life sciences? The promise of fame and fortune (achieved after a college career if NCAA rules are followed) make a “career” as a college athlete look glamorous. But what is lost from an academic standpoint?

Colleges and universities do not elevate athletes in principle, of course. There is no bylaw that mandates the best athletes be given advantages or treated better than everyone else on campus. But money talks. The highest grossing college football program is at the University of Texas and it brings in an astonishing $90 million annually to the school. You can add the Ohio State University, the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame to the short list of college football programs that consistently bring in revenue in the tens of millions to their schools.

The direct financial impact is not the only way football, and other popular athletic programs, aid in a school’s bottom line. A strong athletic program brings in more future students and rallies boosters under a common cause. To call college football a cash cow is an understatement; these programs are more like the blue whales of university revenue outside of actual tuition.

So students athletes like Aaron Hernandez are allowed to act suspiciously, getting into violent bar fights, as long as they are part of an epic college team headlined by Tim Tebow. Years later when Hernandez is accused of involvement in multiple murders, and no longer a college football player, people claim that there was always something “odd” about him. So why did he get a pass?

Of course most college athletes walk the line. They hone their athletic abilities while showing respect to academics and the reputation of their schools. They should be applauded for their accomplishments but not to the point that academics take on a role of secondary importance on campus. It’s not the fault of the athletes, most of whom are just young adults. It is the fault of the school officials and supporters that send the message from grade school that sports culture is greater than academics.

What do you say? Does the cultural obsession with college sports send younger students the wrong message about the purpose of higher education?

 

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Matthew Lynch published in HBCU's, Higher Education, list, Matthew Lynch

3 Quick Facts about College Dropout Rates

There are a lot of metrics in place that gauge the effectiveness of P-12 schooling in the U.S. and shine a particularly bright light on public schools, particularly when they are failing students. Dropout rates are just one of the factors taken into account when these numbers are calculated and tend to weigh heavily on the schools and districts who have low percentages.

The same does not seem to be true once the high school years pass though. Compared to P-12 institutions, colleges and universities seemingly get a pass when it comes to dropout rates – perhaps because in the past, higher education was considered more of a privilege and less of a right. A college dropout was simply walking away from the assumed higher quality of life that came with the degree, but still had opportunity to excel without it.

That’s not the case anymore. As of 2013, 17.5 million students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.  More than ever, colleges and universities have a responsibility to not simply admit students, but ensure they are guided properly to graduation. In other words, institutions of higher education should not be able to just take their student’s money and say “good luck.” They should provide the tools necessary for students to successfully achieve a college education and anticipate the issues that could prevent that.

Authors Ben Miller and Phuong Ly discussed the issue of the U.S. colleges with the worst graduation rates in their book College Dropout Factories. Here is some information about those schools—it may shock you.

  1. Some colleges have graduation rates as low as 8 percent. Washington Monthly that ranked the U.S. schools with the lowest six-year graduation rates among colleges and universities, including public ones like the University of the District of Columbia (8%), Haskell Indian Nations University (9%), Oglala Lakota College (11%), Texas Southern University (13%) and Chicago State University (13%).
  2. Several of these schools have high percentages of underrepresented minorities attending. A quick scan of the University of the District Columbia’s official page shows graduation rate numbers through the end of the 2003 – 2004 school year (the past nine years, strangely, are nowhere to be found). The school boasts 51.2 percent underrepresented minorities in the study body, including 47 percent that are Black.

In the case of Chicago State University, the latest statistics show some improvement from the 2010 ones. The six-year graduation rate is up to 21 percent – but the transfer-out rate is nearly 30 percent. The school has 92 percent underrepresented minorities that attend – 86 percent who are black and 70 percent who are female.

But good are those numbers if these students are not actually benefitting from their time in college because they receive no degree?

  1. P-12 schools rigorously track and hold themselves accountable for dropout rates. Colleges do not.

In all cases of college dropout factories, the P-12 institutions chalk up a victory on their end. They graduated the students and also saw them accepted into a college. What happens after that is between the students and their higher education choices.

This, to me, is a problem. The accountability for student success extends beyond the years that they are in P-12 classrooms. Graduation from high school, and acceptance into college, should never be the final goal of P-12 educators. That is not a victory. That is only halftime.

As far as the colleges and universities are concerned, higher accountability should be demanded from educators, students, parents and really any Americans that want the best economy and highest-educated population. Public institutions, in particular, should be subject to restructuring or take over if dropout rates are too high. The lack of delivery on the college degree dream at many of these schools is appalling, frankly, and has gone on long enough.

What do you think—should colleges be more accountable for the graduation rates of their students, especially given the necessity of a college education today?

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

What higher ed can learn from healthcare

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest column by Edgar Wilson

Healthcare is undergoing reform in order to hold care providers more accountable for the quality of the care they provide. This is the emerging standard to replace volume-based service, whereby hospitals and doctors are compensated for how many tests and treatments they order, without any consideration of the patient outcomes that result from treatment.

Education needs to similarly move toward tracking academic outcomes to prove that it is actually worth the expense. Recent graduates offer a bleak review of the value they feel they are currently getting. Institutions should be held accountable for what academic and professional accomplishments their students are able to achieve. Whether it is proficiency at the next level of education, or employment in a career relevant to the student’s area of study, there needs to be a clearer link between outcomes and educational inputs. This may fall short of holding individual teachers and professors accountable for student performance, but it can certainly serve to better enable students and their families to evaluate prospective schools, programs, and balanced the associated costs against the opportunities.

 

Break Down Legacy Instruction

Doctors and nurses need more leadership training, better preparation to lead and participate in health teams. Technological disruption, breakthrough research, and a tenuous regulatory atmosphere mean clinicians are challenged to be nimble and adaptive.

Teachers, likewise, need better instruction and empowerment to not just cope, but to drive cultural change and innovation in the classroom. The world doesn’t just need more expert individuals in the classroom and ER, it needs collaborative leadership and creativity to ensure the delivery of these critical services continues to advance alongside the rest of society. Continuing Education standards for both classes of professionals emphasize the need to keep up with a dynamic, ever-changing field; leadership training would empower them to be proactive innovators, rather than reacting to the external forces at play around them.

 

Embrace Technology – Join or Die

The legacy systems and individual approaches to records technology in healthcare has made the mandatory shift to digital currently underway a long headache. While patients are enthusiastic and receptive to the new norms, many clinicians are still resistant to the change, and the gap is a significant obstacle to improving engagement. Patient health depends on their engagement with clinicians, and technology can help bridge the divide between clinical expert and patient.

Modern students are similarly more receptive toward emerging technology, from mobile to virtual platforms and tools. Teachers need more than instruction in the latest methods and tools—they need a combination of incentives and some amount of external pressure to become more proactive in integrating technology into the classroom, and leading student engagement with digital tools.

Students require the same sort of engagement to ensure comprehension, retention, and learning are all actually taking place. What is more, both doctors and teachers need to learn to get as comfortable with technology as their patients and students are, and use them to maximize engagement to reach the full population they serve.

This isn’t just a matter of rewarding the individuals who are proactive about learning, understanding, and communicating, but ensuring everyone who is access both education and healthcare is receiving the full value of that exposure. Learning and health maintenance alike continue well after such encounters, and telemedicine and distance learning platforms show a lot of promise to increase exposure, if not engagement.

 

Books are Drugs

Drug companies have too long a history of raising medicine prices without account or controls, and the doctors prescribing them to patients with no alternative are all captive to the choices of their care providers.

In academia, cadres of textbook publishers have a similarly captive market with no recourse and no obvious alternative. Not only should instructors be enabled and rewarded for taking advantage of lower cost digital, open source, or otherwise liberated resources through greater technology integration, but the schools and university systems that guarantee demand for books should exert greater pressure on publishers to stop taking advantage of the system. Students, like patients, are not positioned to be their own best advocates to control prices; the systems they patronize out of necessity must take up the role on their behalf, and challenge the status quo that has gone on unaccountable for far too long.

 

Maintenance is Key

In spite of the pace of change in the 21st century, the standard model for education starts in childhood, climaxes with impossibly-expensive universities, and then is relegated to the individual to acquire “on-the-job” training and mentorship. Resources are limited to the classroom, and after commencement, remain exclusive. That is like a diabetic seeing a doctor once and being counted on to successfully manage the condition indefinitely, and catch up with changes in science and medical technology independently.

In a perfect world, emergency medical interventions would be displaced by the tendency for people to take better care of themselves, prevent the escalation of minor ailments and conditions, and only visit their doctors for routine services, instead of reactive treatment. Instead, patients habitually neglect their health, postpone visits to the doctor as long as possible, and seek emergency care for conditions that started out as casual lifestyle choices.

Education, like health, is cumulative. Eating one healthy meal does not lead to weight loss, until it becomes a regular habit. Lifelong learning—or continuing education—is often relegated to a specific class of professional (doctors and nurses, as well as teachers, are all expected to keep abreast of best practices and emerging knowledge in their fields), rather than embraced across the spectrum of professionals. Given the intrusion of technology, communications networks, and globalization in virtually every field, few can claim that knowledge and skills in their profession has remained static, immune from these disruptive influences. Continuing education deserves the resources and public-private support to become standard for all skilled professions.

__________

Edgar Wilson is an Oregon native with a passion for cooking, trivia, and politics. He studied conflict resolution and international relations and has worked in industries ranging from international marketing to broadcast journalism. He is currently working as an independent analytical consultant. He can be reached via email here or on Twitter @EdgarTwilson.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Tips on getting middle schoolers interested in college

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Carol Miller

I went into our 7th grade Family and Consumer Science classes both yesterday and today.  The kids had just finished a research project on a career they were interested in.  It was great to be able to go into classes and talk with them as they have just finished their research.

I started by asking them several questions:

  • Who has ever been on a college campus?
  • How many of them have researched a career that requires some sort of training or college?
  • Can everyone attend college?  (Many “No” answers were given.)

I ended my questioning with:

  • What are some reasons you think people don’t go to college?

The answers they gave me included:

  • people can’t afford it
  • maybe they aren’t smart enough
  • they have disabilities
  • they don’t want to go

I then talked to them about how college can be affordable.  Even Cornell University (which is in our backyard) has a program where if your parents make under a certain amount, has a no loan program.  This makes it truly affordable for everyone.We also crossed off the list “not smart enough.”  Community colleges will accept everyone from the counties they serve.  You may not be able to get into a particular major right away, but you can take the classes that will help you to get there.”Disabilities.”  Some colleges have special programs for students with even significant disabilities.  Maybe students won’t earn a degree, but they will learn independent living skills and job training skills to help them find a job.”Don’t want to go.”  Really this is the only reason for people not to attend college.  My hope for them, however, is that they want to, and will help them get there.

From there we played College Prep BINGO.

I also had them fill out the I Have A Plan worksheet, which I have hanging in the hallway outside my office.

Just before it was time to leave I talked to them about this month’s College Spotlight (Marist College) and I asked them to write on a post it note one thing that they learned with me today.  I had them post it on an easel located by the classroom door.

These are my favorite responses:
  • You can go to college even if you don’t have enough $.
  • College is complicated
  • College isn’t a dream, it’s a plan.
  • That it is never too early to think about college.

How do you promote early college awareness?

This post originally appeared on The Middle School Counselor, and was republished with permission.
___________________
Carol has organized School Counseling Conferences for several years in Central New York through TACA and has presented at these conferences on College Admissions, Best School Counseling Programs, and Sharing Counseling Resources. She is a member and past President of the Tompkins Area Counselor Association, and  a member of NYSSCA and NACAC, and NYSACAC. Carol is a mom to three sons, a crafter at heart, and a soccer and basketball coach in her free time.
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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education

Study: Nearly 90 percent of full-time professors are white

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, just 16 percent of full-time professors at post-secondary institutions are minorities. That means that 84 percent of those in full-time professorships are white, 60 percent are men and 25 percent are white women.

Those numbers decrease slightly with faculty. 79 percent of the “instructional faculty“ within this nation’s colleges and universities are white and just six percent are black.

Considering the hiring boom that many schools have experienced since the start of the 1990’s, it’s mildly surprising that not many minorities were included in that growth.

“The Condition of Education: Characteristics of Post-secondary Faculty“ shows that there was a 42 percent increase in the number of instructional faculty hired from 1991-2011. During that 20 year period, not many institutions hired minorities to fill their vacant positions.

Outside of ethnicity and growth, the study also found that the wage gender gap between men and women professors was well north of $16,000. Less than half of America’s private and non-private post-secondary institutions had tenure systems, faculty at for-profit colleges and universities make far less than those at non-profit schools, and less than 10 percent of all faculty within higher education are employed at for-profit institutions.

What’s striking is the gross under-representation of minority professors at America’s higher education schools. While many may be concentrated within Historically Black Colleges and Universities or schools who have a high number of black students, that percentage makes barely a dent in the overall number of black, Asian, Hispanic, American indigenous who may teach at America’s best schools of higher learning.

While the government is rightly focused on the rising cost of education, we should slightly turn our attention towards why many colleges and universities fail to hire minorities for faculty and professorship positions.

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, HBCU's, Higher Education

Diverse Conversations: The Crucial Role of Student Life

In this installment of “Diverse Conversations,” I sat down with Dr. Marcus Chanay, Vice President of the Division of Student Life at Jackson State University. Dr. Chanay is a expert in the area of student life, having spent a decade helping to shape and mold his department. In this interview, he discusses the crucial role that student life plays within the modern university. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Q: What role does student life play at a medium-sized urban HBCU?

A: Student Life plays a vital role in the holistic development of students especially at HBCU’s. At Jackson State University we meet the students where they are and ensure they are competitive in this global world and are successful citizens. We believe in developing their mind, body and spirit as they are engaging in their academic pursuant. We work with our students in becoming civic minded professionals. All students are required to have a minimum of 120 hours of community service and or service learning hours to graduate from Jackson State University. For our student engaging in the community the University has received the Carnegie Foundation Award for the Advancement of Teaching for our Community Engagement Classification through 2014 and the 2010 President’s High Honor Roll for Commitment to service. As a medium sized HBCU we are engage our students in leadership through our Center for Student Leadership and Inclusion which our 120 Student Organizations are housed and our Student Leadership Institute. As a medium sized HBCU we are preparing our students for graduate and professional school and careers through our Career Services Center. Our students participate in our Tigers2Work which alerts them of employees on campus, graduate professional day, Military Day, Federal Works Forum, Internships and Career Fair. Our goal is to ensure we provide as many opportunities to ensure students success.

Q: What is the relationship between student life and the academic program?

A: The relationship between student life and academics is seamless. Our Service Learning offering is a great example for the past 10 years Student Life and Academic Affairs have had a great relationship in developing service learning courses and ensuring all students enrolled in these courses have off-campus sites to ensure their success. We established a Service Learning Fellows program which Deans and Chairs make faculty recommendations. Through this year long process faculty were coached in learning how to develop their courses to involve a service learning component. We now have course offerings for all five academic colleges.

Q: Please talk more about student life in the context of Jackson State University’s Strategic Plan. What excites you and what possibilities do you see?

A: The Division of Student Life was very much a part of the University’s Strategic Plan. The University believes every student has an opportunity to be a leader and every student should be engaged in the community through civic engagement. This is a very exciting time at the University where we believe there is only “One JSU.” From the moment our students step on campus to when they walk across the stage at commencement, we as a University believe students are our priority. Engaging our students in community service gives them an opportunity to give back. These students are our future so we want to ensure our preparation ensures their success. We want our students to believe they are future leaders of tomorrow in their perspective disciplines. Our President Dr. Carolyn Meyers fully understands this and fully believes in the “One”. In her vision it’s all about the students, without our students, where would we be.

Q: How do you, as Vice President for the Division of Student Life, interact with students?

A: As Vice President I totally enjoy the interaction with students. I make myself assessable and support students and student organizations in their endeavors. I believe in walking the campus, hanging out with students in the Student Center. Involvement with students keeps the pulse going. I have an open door policy for all students and will go all the way with students to help them achieve their goals. I am a mentor to many current and former students, something that I do not take lightly.

Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing college students today?

A: There are many challenges I thing that students are facing today, trying for find the ability to afford college tuition. Many of our students struggle each semester with trying to pay for school. The sad part about many students is they have debt from undergraduate and they have not even stepped into a graduate program and they are unsure of what they want to do. Students come to college with dreams of what they want to do or what mom, dad, grandparents want them to do but are underprepared. Students are also faced with trying to find themselves. They are not sure who they are or really what they really want out of life. Social media has taken over our students. They tend to be more engaged in twitter, instagram, facebook, etc., instead of books

Q: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve witnessed during your time at Jackson State University?

A: The biggest changes at Jackson State are the combination of facilities, academic offerings and support services being offered. I have been at the University since 2001. In that time I have seen the construction of our Walter Payton Recreational & Wellness Center, Student Center, College of Liberal Arts, College of Business, Campbell College Suites, Engineering Building, Johnson Hall, One Jackson Place and the renovation of Dixon Residence Hall and the Reddix Office Complex. I have seen and experienced academic offerings increase which includes our engineering program, Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education and the establishment of the School of Lifelong Learning, to name a few. These past 12 years I have seen the development of many support services for our students which include Center for Service and Community Engaged Learning, Center for Student Leadership and Inclusion, JSU Veteran Center, University Commuter Program, Parents Program and the Latasha Norman Center for Counseling and Disability Services.

Q: What’s your proudest accomplishment in your time here?

A: I have many proud accomplishments at the University. The one that rally stands out is when this student from New Orleans, LA came to the University as a freshman in the Fall Semester of 2005, the same fall that Hurricane Katrina hit. The hurricane hit during the first week of the semester beginning. This student was one that was hanging with the wrong crowd and found himself getting into trouble during freshmen orientation. When the Hurricane hit his family was displaced. This actually increased his acting out. In his first semester, he was in trouble at least three times and was on the verge of being suspended from school, at that time I was the Dean of Students. I and two other co-workers decided to take this student under our wings. As we begin to learn more about him, he begins to trust us and slowly began to pull away from his crew that he was hanging with. The trust led him to improve in grades which lead to a summer intern, which led to him graduating with honors participating in several student organizations and going on to pursue a M.B.A and is now successful and working for a fortune 500 company.

Well, that concludes my interview with Dr. Marcus Chanay. I would like to thank him for consenting to this interview and for his contributions to the field of higher education.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Reducing MOOC dropout rates

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Chakradhar Munjuluri

The Massive open online course (MOOC) providers have witnessed a rapid growth in the total number of students. The top providers namely Coursera, EdX and Udacity have a combined strength of approximately 15M1 students.

Varying intentions for enrollments induces a difficulty in measuring the success of a course. The popular intentions like gaining certificate, auditing, browsing etc. suggest a different value proposition from the student’s point of view. Ensuring an alignment of the course with the student’s expectations is key to improving MOOC business model.

Although the total number of students is increasing the dropout rates for free online course providers is extremely high with estimates ranging from 85% – 95%. Researchers have varying opinions on the relevance of current dropout rates in MOOC context, measurement methodologies etc.

However drop rate is a key indicator which enables the provider and instructors to understand the student’s needs and hence improve the value of the course.

In order to reduce drop rate a two-step strategy needs to be employed by the MOOC.

  1. Eliminate zero enrollment barrier
  2. Redefine course success measurement criteria
  3. Eliminate zero enrollment barrier:

Currently any student can enroll for a particular course freely with no “investment”. Since enrollment as a first step is allowed, many students who find the course irrelevant also are enrolled.

Below process when enforced prior to enrollment would ensure students having a basic idea on the course offering would proceed to enrollment

  1. Forcing the student to go through the course details, timelines, expected time investment, pre requisites and passing criteria
  2. Expose the student to a short duration introductory course video
  3. A basic quiz to ensure the student knows / understands about the course
  4. Allow enrollment only after successful completion of the quiz

The above process will filter a majority of students who “Enroll with no clear expectation” and ensure an “investment” prior to enrollment.

  1. Redefine course success measurement criteria:

Currently meeting the minimum pass criteria as defined by the instructor is the only success measure.

However this might not be the only success criteria from the wide spectrum of enrolled student’s point of view. Other reasons for  students enrolling like a ) Student is interested only in gaining knowledge but not the certificate b) Student is interested only in a particular section of course are not accounted for in this method of measurement.

The quiz in step c during enrollment should include responses to determine the success criteria from each individual student’s point of view. This ensures students expectation from the course is properly captured prior to enrollment.

The success measurement in accordance to the student’s expectation should be employed as the metric for course improvement process.

1 https://www.class-central.com/report/moocs-stats-and-trends-2014/

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Chakradhar Munjuluri is a business consultant working with Cognizant Business Consulting – Education Practice . As a product manager he has successfully designed and implemented digital products for education clients  . He holds a MBA from Indian Institute of Management and has more than 7 years experience in Consulting and IT .

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