Member Matters June 2021

Linking Learning and Work

Lorain County Community College is introducing a degree dedicated to providing unemployed workers with the skills needed in regional openings employers are desperate to fill. The microelectronics manufacturing bachelor's degree spares students the rigors of complex math and science while directly meeting workforce needs. In fact, local companies helped design it, and the program includes paid on-the-job training opportunities (WEWS).

OneTen, 'a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black Americans over the next 10 years who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement,' has endorsed Purdue University Global as a talent developer (WBIW).

To mark National Skills Trades Day, MSN mentioned the hands-on experience students gain at South Central College programs and the college's engagement with local employers to boost post-completion hiring (MSN).

Speaking of hands-on learning, a full 100 percent of Colorado State University Pueblo's degree programs offer experiential learning that delivers both work-related experience and college credit, according to the university (press release).

Hands-on learning at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing recently took the form of COVID-19 vaccinations. Participating nursing and pharmacy students can earn a $500 tuition credit while gaining valuable front-line experience in the industry (UW Oshkosh).

To address a pressing workforce shortage in nursing, Chamberlain University is partnering with LCMC Health to cover up to three years of tuition for students who complete the program and commit to a period of employment at LCMC (press release).

While some workforce shortages, such as that of the aforementioned nursing profession, are widespread, others may have a more regional impact. Although growth in electrical engineering is projected to be robust throughout the country, its workforce need is acute in Wisconsin, especially the Near North, where electrical engineers are 'imported from other states.' To address this, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is launching an electrical engineering program to produce more 'home grown' talent (press release).

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration has designated the Community College of Baltimore County as a 2021 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. The designation 'recognizes community colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in our nation's maritime industry' (press release).

Pierce College's bachelor of applied science in fire services leadership and management program focuses on upskilling firefighters so they can move into management and other leadership positions. Although it was just launched last year, the program, which leverages individual students' real-world learning to help them learn from each other, has already been recognized as one of the country's best online bachelor programs in fire sciences (The Suburban Times).

Inflexible educational options can stall advancement at any point of a career, from entry-level workers to seasoned leaders. A Ph.D. program at Florida International University is aimed at helping the latter climb even further on the corporate ladder. The 'doctor of business' degree combines weeknight remote classes and one weekend per month of in-person learning to help students balance coursework with their other obligations (FIU Magazine).

Florida Gulf Coast University is rolling out hundreds of courses to help business owners and employees grow professional skills. The courses form certificate programs offered through partnerships with online curriculum providers (Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce).

A certificate program also is among the latest ways DeVry University is helping students succeed in an evolving workplace. Its business essentials certificate covers a series of core business topics online in as little as eight months. The credential can stack toward associate and bachelor's programs as well (DeVry).

Pandemic lockdowns threw a wrench in internships. But George Mason University didn't want to let the reduction of in-person working arrangements prevent students from gaining on-the-job learning experiences. So it approached local businesses about setting up remote 'researchships' (GMU).

Meeting Adult Learners Where They Are

Miami Dade College wanted to use the online environment to make it more convenient for STEM students to engage with advisers and fellow classmates, access campus resources, and remain apprised of the latest information. It is applying a federal Hispanic-Serving Institution STEM and Articulation grant to create a digital community accessible from its School of Science's website (Campus Technology).

Limited access to child care is an all-too-common obstacle for adult learners striving to advance their education or careers. Eligible student parents of children 12 or younger can now apply for funding and other support at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Phoenix Childcare Support Program, which is available via federal grant funding and financial support from Segregated Student Fees (UW-Green Bay).

New scholarships at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) are available through KC Scholars to offer further support for the program and its work to increase postsecondary education attainment in the greater Kansas City metropolitan region. The new scholarships include one for traditional students and one for adult learners (Warrensburg Star-Journal).

What's in a name? Sometimes, a lot, as in the title of Purdue University Global's newly created leadership position: vice provost for adult teaching and learning. Filling the inaugural role is Judith Lewandowski, a longtime teacher and curriculum designer with a 'passion for adult learner success and deep background in educational research and practice' (press release).

In Service of Veterans

A $250,000 grant from the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) will help expand Grand Valley State University's Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur-Lab (MVE-Lab). MVE-Lab is an accelerator program that helps veteran entrepreneurs realize their business plans. That, notes the director of the MVTF, leads to the hiring of more veterans (GVSU).

University of Maryland Global Campus is partnering with Easterseals DC MD VA to provide employment, housing, healthcare, and other programs to the university's military-affiliated students as they pursue civilian careers (Easterseals). 

In Their Own Words

Sticking with the military theme, a Troy University admissions counselor talks about how the university's distance-learning programs serve service members around the world (Columbus CEO).

Learning that didn't center on face-to-face interaction came to the forefront during pandemic shutdowns. In response, Indiana State University (ISU) created the PATH School Partnership, a 'university-school virtual field experience.' An ISU assistant professor and cofounder of the program, who presented at the Pandemic Pedagogy Research Symposium, discusses the program (Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education).

Enrollment diversity is growing at HBCUs. Amid this trend, Hispanic and Latino enrollment has increased by more than 120 percent since 1980. HBCU Morris Brown College's president joined the chair of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in a discussion about a partnership they've formed (WABE).

For the past two years, Rowan University has been the country's fourth-fastest-growing university. The university's president discusses that rapid growth and some of the strategies behind it (University Business), while one of its graduates and current Burlington County commissioner shares why, in her opinion, it is the country's best (Daily Record).

Excelsior College's dean of the School of Graduate Studies talks about his role at the college and some of its initiatives, including how it uses advisory committees to ensure curricula are aligned with workplace needs (Intelligenthq).

In an article for Forbes, Pace University's president shares his concerns about the impact the pandemic has had on student mental health (Forbes).

Champions of Completion

40-year-old Hyoyoung Wells, who immigrated to the U.S., has earned her B.S. from Rockhurst University some 20 years later and is headed to graduate school (KSHB). And two Kean University parent-child graduating pairs recently caught the attention of a New York City-area television station (WABC).

The Art of Articulation

With northwest Wisconsin's attainment rate trailing the state's by 15 percentage points, an online university transfer degree between the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UW-Superior) and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC) is aiming to help close the gap. 'The option to complete general education classes online will make college a possibility for more people throughout the WITC District and beyond,' said WITC's dean of academic programs, noting that many students have family or work obligations (press release).

The College of Lake County (CLC) is partnering with DePaul University so CLC associate degree students can complete a DePaul B.A. in professional studies with a major in business administration while remaining onsite at CLC's Grayslake campus (press release).

Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) are working together to accelerate student progress through computer science pathways. The arrangement allows AACC students to transfer 81 credits to UMGC by remaining an extra year at AACC, earning a master's degree in computer science in the '3+1+1' process (The Business Monthly). UMGC also recently announced an alliance with the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS), enhancing accessibility of UMGC's 90 online academic programs among the 100,000 students enrolled at KCTCS' 16 community colleges (UMGC).

Houston Community College (HCC) is joining Arizona State University's MyPath2ASU program, which offers a seamless transfer experience to students who have completed credits or an associate degree (HCC).

Miami Dade College (MDC) students can save on tuition at the University of Miami (UM) thanks to a new transfer agreement between the institutions. It allows qualifying MDC students who have completed a bachelor's degree in data analytics to seamlessly continue their education at UM pursuing a master's degree in data science (press release).

Under a new partnership, Post University will be welcoming transfer students from North Shore Community College into bachelor's degree programs in equine, child studies, legal, and psychology (Post University). The university also announced an agreement with Berkshire Community College, allowing its students to transfer into 10 programs, including business, accounting, marketing and gaming, and e-sports management (Post University).

A partnership between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's (SIUE) School of Nursing and McHenry County College (MCC) will offer students a route to a B.S.N. beginning with general education courses at MCC that build toward online baccalaureate completion at SIUE (Northwest Herald).

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) has reached an articulation agreement with Bowie State University (BSU) that creates a new path to graduate school for BSU psychology students. Under the agreement, qualifying BSU psychology students can take graduate-level courses at TCSPP's Washington, D.C. campus while working toward their BSU bachelor's degree. The courses will apply toward both the bachelor's and graduate degree and help students '' pursue career positions that have become integral to our nation's health care system' (press release).

Finally, another partnership focusing on the health care sector involves South Central College and Minnesota State University, Mankato. They are collaborating on the 'Maverick (Nursing) Advance (Transfer) Plan' (MAP), which links SCC's associate of science in nursing degree with Minnesota State Mankato's 100 percent-online registered nurse baccalaureate completion degree (KDOG).