Converge 2014: The Next Generation - By Dr. BRENDA HARMS The future of adult and graduate serving institutions may look very different than the past. From the types of education offered, the delivery mode, marketing strategies, and recruitment practices, everything seems to be up for discussion. The key question is where is your institutions opportunity and how will you capitalize on it? Are you doing enough now to build your success for the future? In this session, Converge Consulting will lay a foundation that outlines the opportunity that exists for schools that are willing to push outside of their own comfort and truly engage in what’s next. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Clear understanding of the enrollment opportunity that exists for those schools willing to make a bold step Insight into intentional discussions that must be had if your institution is planning to advance in serving this population Key elements to consider in relation to marketing and recruitment in this highly competitive market

1. The Next Generation
October, 2014
Brenda Harms Ph.D. – Senior Vice-President

2. The Next Generation…
?

3. The Next Generation…
• 20 years ago the idea of online education was looked
down upon by the majority of schools sitting in this
room
• 15 years ago social media was not part of your life
• 10 years ago the idea of competency based education
was absurd
• 8 years ago your website didn’t need to fit on your
phone

4. The Next Generation…
?

5. The Next Generation…
• Will increasingly push higher education outside of
it’s historical comfort zone
• Will challenge us to think about the work we do in
relation to marketing and recruitment far differently
than we are right now
• Will cause our institutions (and perhaps leadership) to
push back, not out of ignorance but out of fear
• Will push us all to consider ideas a few years ago we
couldn’t have even imagine

6. The Importance of This Work…

7. The Importance of This Work…
At this time…

8. Our Challenge…..
• Work in nimble and progressive ways within an
organization that is not particularly nimble or
progressive
• Navigate the politics of an internal system that is
change resistant
• Continue to push the limits of the institutions we
work for while continuing to push ourselves to be
progressive within our area of expertise
• Do more with less – in relation to both human and
financial resources

9. GROW!
Our Charge…..

10. National Research Trends in the
Adult Student Market

11. Higher Education Attainment

12. High School Attainment of Younger and
Older Adults –2005
Source: Education at a Glance, 2007, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): prepared
by National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).
* Japan data is from 2004.

13. Educational Attainment in the U.S.
US now ranks 12th among 36 developed nations for percentage of
post-secondary degree holders.
--The College Board
In the US, by 2018 63% of all jobs will require post-secondary
education.
--Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

14. The Levels of Education for the U.S.
Population
• More than 22 percent (over 37
million Americans) have
attended college but not
completed a degree
Levels of education for the U.S. population, aged
Less than
high school
13%
High school
27%
Some
college, no
degree
22%
Bachelor's
degree
19%
Associate
degree
8%
Graduate or
professional
degree
12%
25-64
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008

15. Tennessee
3,415,752 – Tennessee residents ages 25-64
• In 2012 - 33.3% of Tennessee’s working-age adults (25-
64) have two or four-year degree
(national average – 39.4%)
• 1,110,300 – High school diploma
• 759,104 – Some college no degree
• 250,219 – Associate degree
• 585,335 – Bachelor’s degree

16. Projected Change in H.S. Graduates to
2018–19 by State
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2008

17. Degree-attainment Rates by Race/Ethnicity
• 2008 Degree-attainment rates for Americans ages 25-64
22.5%
59.2%
18.6%
26.2%
42.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Native American
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey

18. NCES Projected Increases 2007- 2018
4%
26%
38%
29%
32%
14%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian or Pacific Islander
American Indian or Alaska
Native
Nonresident Aliens

19. Fall Enrollment by Ethnicity
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,

20. Population Ages 15 - 34
• 1980
– 78% - White
– 13% - Black
– 7% - Hispanic
– 2% - Asian/Pacific Islander
• 2012
– 58% - White
– 14% Black
– 21% Hispanic
– 6% Asian/Pacific Islander

21. Degree-attainment Rates by Income Levels
• Four out of five 24-year-olds in the upper income quartile hold four-year
college degrees
• One out of ten in the lowest income quartile hold four-year college
degrees
• Low-income students are more likely to attend institutions with
lower graduation rates and attend part-time.

22. Rising…But
• Some evidence of a rise in formal education participation
– Nearly half of the adult population is now participating in formal
education, or work related training and the trend is rising.
• However
– About 40 million adults function at the lowest levels of literacy;
only 3 million of these are receiving instruction.

23. TODAY’S UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENT

24. Students Today…

25. The Emergence of Non-Traditional Students
The “Traditional” Undergraduate
A student who earns a high school diploma, enrolls full time
immediately after finishing high school, depends on parents for
financial support, and either does not work during the school year
or works part time.

26. The Emergence of Non-Traditional Students
Traditional
Undergraduate
27 %
Non-Traditional
Undergraduate
73%
vs.
Traditional
Undergraduate
16 %
• In 1999–2000, just 27
percent of undergraduates
are traditional
undergraduate students,
those who earns a high
school diploma, enrolls full
time immediately after
finishing high school,
depends on parents for
financial support, and
either does not work during
the school year or works
part time—is the exception
rather than the rule.
• Non-traditional students
are creating a new majority
among undergraduates at
college campuses across
the country
vs.
Non-Traditional
Undergraduate
84%
*1999-2000
*2008-2009, Peter
Stoakes

27. The Emergence of Non-Traditional Students
• According to the National Center for Education Statistics - of
undergraduate students
– The share of all students over age 25 is projected to increase
another 23 percent by 2019.
– Nearly a quarter of postsecondary students in the United States (3.9
million) are parents.
– 43 percent of all undergraduates attend community colleges.
– Adult learners make up as much as 60 percent of all community
college students
– Almost 40 percent of all undergraduates and about 60 percent of
those attending public two-year colleges are enrolled part-time.

28. Ask Yourself…
• Do trends at our institution follow these national trends?
– Serving more minority students
– Seeing the “tipping point” in the adult/graduate population
compared to the traditional undergrad
• Does our institution have (and use) data on who our
current student population is? How segmented is it?
– Have we developed student personas for the populations we serve?
• Have we begun to shift our attention or efforts at our
institution?
– Has a representative from the “nontraditional” side of the house
recently acquired a seat at the senior leadership table?

29. Labor Market Needs
The Benefit of Being Educated

30. Why Is Higher Education Attainment Needed?
• Higher education is the best insurance against unemployment.
– While overall unemployment rates are hovering around 10 percent,
percent, only 4.5 percent of college graduates were unemployed.
• Education is essential for economic prosperity and career
advancement.
– Workers with a bachelor’s degree enjoy an annual income nearly
$20,000 higher than workers who only have completed high school.
• The economic recovery is being hindered by a lack of workers with the
advanced skills and knowledge demanded in this economy.

31. Demands for Higher Education
• Need to produce an additional 3 million workers with associate
degrees or higher and 5 million workers with technical certificates
and credentials by 2018 to promote economic competitiveness and
economic mobility.
• Employers are seeking individuals with both technical knowledge
in their field and also practical experience solving workplace
problem.
• The type of integrated postsecondary education that yields this
knowledge and skills mix is not commonplace in higher education.

32. Labor Layout
• During the Great Recession of 2008-2010, four out of
five jobs that were lost were held by Americans with a
high school education or less.
• By comparison, Americans with a bachelor’s degree or
above steadily gained jobs during the recession and
have seen an increase of more than 2 million jobs
during the recovery that began in 2010.
• Perhaps the clearest evidence of that comes from the
fact that many employers say they cannot find people
with the skills they need to fill current job openings.

33. At your company, what workplace skills are considered
most important for employees to have when they join?
(select top 4) (% respondents)
Critical thinking and problem solving 72%
Collaboration/teamwork 63%
Communication 54%
Technical skills associated with the job 54%
Adaptability/managing multiple priorities 48%
Professionalism 32%
Planning/organization 21%
Reading for information 10%
Locating information 6%
Networking 6%
Applied mathematics 5%
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, March 2014

34. The Cost of Not Being Educated

41. Ask Yourself…
• How is my institution responding to local labor
demands?
• How are my recruiters leveraging this type of
information when communicating with prospective
students?

42. Public Opinion of Higher education

43. 2012 Lumina Foundation Study – Public
Opinion of Higher Education
• Nearly all Americans (97%) say having a degree or certificate
beyond high school is at least somewhat important to a
person’s financial security
• More than two-thirds (67%) say getting a good job is a very
important reason for getting education beyond high school.
Nearly as many, 65%, say earning more money is a very
important reason to get education beyond high school
• Of Americans who do not have a postsecondary degree or
certificate, the majority agree or strongly agree that they
would feel more secure in their job and their financial future
if they did have one

44. 2012 Lumina Foundation Study – Public
Opinion of Higher Education
• About four in 10 (41%) Americans without a
postsecondary degree or certificate say they
have thought about going back to school within
the last 12 months

45. 2012 Lumina Foundation Study – Public
Opinion of Higher Education
Issues of Cost and Quality
• 76% of those interviewed believe a U.S. education was
better or the same as education in other countries
• 76% agree or strongly agree that traditional colleges
and universities offer high-quality education
• 54% agree or strongly agree that community colleges
offer high- quality education
• 33% agree or strongly agree that online colleges and
universities offer high-quality education

46. 2012 Lumina Foundation Study – Public
Opinion of Higher Education
BUT only 26% of those interviewed believe
higher education is affordable for everyone
who needs it

47. College Costs Surge 500% in U.S. Since 1985

48. 2012 Lumina Foundation Study – Public
Opinion of Higher Education
Earning College Credit
• 87% of those interviewed believe students should be able to
earn college credit for knowledge and skills they have learned
outside the classroom
• 75% would be more likely to enroll in a program where they
could be evaluated and receive credits for what they already
know
• 70% believe that if they have mastered the material being
taught in a course, they should be able to receive credit
without completing the 16-week course

49. The Growth of Online Enrollment
• Online enrollments have continued to grow at
rates far in excess of the total higher education
student population
• As of 2012 - 6.7 million students had taken at
least one online course.
• The portion of students taking at least one
online course is at an all time high of 32% of
those consuming education in the U.S.

50. Reality of Online Education
• The proportion of chief academic leaders that
say online learning is critical to their long-term
strategy is now at 69.1 percent
• Of academic leaders 77% surveyed reported
online learning outcomes to be the same,
somewhat superior or superior to face-to-face in
2012.
• From 2002 to 2012 academic leaders have
reported little change in faculty acceptance of
the value and legitimacy of online education.

51. Desires of Adult Students
Easier transfer of credit from institution to institution
– Credit transfer policies must become more rational to support working
adults at ALL levels
More flexible course, certificate, and degree programs
– Increased access to online learning, hybrid learning, competency based
learning, and education at the workplace
More flexible financial aid policies
– More than 22 percent of prospective adult learners who choose not to
enroll cite cost as an obstacle
– Increase grant aid rather than student loan programs or tax credits
Lower-cost alternatives to attending college
– Online courses
– Hybrid courses
– Competency based alternatives

52. Ask Yourself…
• Has my institution even considered doing something
bold about the cost of higher education?
• If 40% of adults without a degree have at least
considered the idea of coming back to school in the
last 12 months what have we done to talk with them
about that?
• Where are we in relation to online courses?
– Do we charge more for online?
– Do we offer what faculty want or what students want online?
– How do we monitor what is being done online and what accountabilities
are in place for those who are teaching in this delivery mode?

53. Higher Education Responses
To Training Needs

54. Higher Education Must Become More Responsive to
the Training Needs of Industry
• American corporations spent more than $51 billion on training in
2004
• More than $13 billion was devoted to purchasing services from
third-party providers such as professional associations,
consultancies, commercial training companies, colleges and
universities, government agencies, and others.
• Colleges and universities had only a 5 percent share of these
expenditures for outsourced services in 2004 – amounting to about
$670 million.

55. Higher Education Must Become More Responsive to
the Training Needs of Industry
• Universities are not designed to respond rapidly to the
changing education and training needs of industry
– The top capabilities employers reported seeking third-party providers of
education and training for were “customization” and “applied learning.”
– The top two areas where universities could improve to better meet their
education and training needs were “applied learning” and
“customization.”
– Otherwise, industry will continue to do what it has done for the past two
decades: work around higher education by creating its own system for
training and development.

56. Ask Yourself…
• How does my institution team with employers in
the region?
– Community outreach
– Employer partnerships
– Tuition reimbursement
• In that relational dynamic who has the upper
hand?

57. Policy Response

58. We Can Not Wait
While the national focus on Higher Education is
encouraging we can not stand back and wait for
someone else to lead in relation to financial aid,
cost, definitions of credit hours, competency
based learning, etc…..

59. Our Response

60. Needs of Post-Traditional Learners
• New demand
– Modular, easy-to-access instruction
– Blended academic and occupational curricula
– Progressive credentialing of knowledge and skills
– Financial, academic, and career advising
– Public policy (or at least institutional policy) that reflects the
complex task of balancing life, work, and education.

61. The Typical College Experience
• Most institutions are not designed around the needs of working adults
• Students must adjust to institution (place, time, pace)
• Traditional learning model (classes, grades, tests); sometimes too little
feedback, too late
• Price can be high, especially with extra fees, books, etc.
• Financial aid runs out quickly, intimidating and sometimes overcomplicated
process
• Failure/withdraw rates are high, especially in developmental courses
• Can be impersonal, doesn’t offer needed one-one coaching or peer support

62. Re-imagining Higher Education
Traditional Higher Education
• Faculty at heart of learning
model
• High cost content
• 3 credit course as defining unit
“big chunk learning”
• Time fixed, learning variable
• “Expert” teaching model
• Learners come to institution
New Model for Higher
Education
• Individual student at heart of
learning model
• Low cost and free content
• Competencies as defining units
“small chunk learning”
• Time variable, learning fixed
• Mentor, peer to peer, community
learning support model
• Learning comes to students where
they live and work

63. New Models for Higher Education
• Students can enroll anytime, work anywhere, and set their own pace
• Primarily online or hybrid programs
• Aggressive partnerships with alternative credit pathways (LearningCounts,
Straighterline, Coursera, ACE, etc.)
• Programs aimed at adults with complicated lives
• Programs that intentionally partner with business and industry
• Solid student support services - support and coaching, a true partnering
• Competency based learning model - values prior learning and experience
• Low cost

64. Specific Considerations in Serving the Adult Population
Proximity to work or home
After 5:00 p.m. and/or weekend course
schedule
Alternative modes of delivery Minimum barriers to admission
Transfer and prior learning credit Flexible tuition payments
Supplemental academic support Professional practitioners as instructors
Small classes Use of practicum, portfolios, and capstones
No “frills” or extra fees Monitor retention
Responsiveness to students between classes “Customer Service” model
One stop shopping / self-serve / 24-7 Product

65. Specific Considerations in Serving the Adult Population
• Marketing
– Strategies from even 5 years ago are horribly outdated
– Maximize your use of digital media to reach prospective
students when they are ready
– Put your most relevant foot forward (you have better things to
promote than small class size)
– Know your audience - market to those you serve (based on data
driven personas)
– Stop placating your faculty, college president, or academic dean
with messaging that doesn’t matter
– Segmented messaging – “what’s in it for me” messaging
– Identify 3 data points and monitor them (obsessively)

66. Specific Considerations in Serving the Adult Population
• Recruiting
– Admissions or Recruitment?
– The majority of private and public institutions in the country are
using outdated recruitment methods
– Look at your main competitors (places you actually loose students
to) they will almost always be out-recruiting you
– Critically examine your internal processes
– Get honest about your people – people recruit students (marketing,
shiny objects, gimmicks, and wild promotions do not)
– Develop a process – you are not as good as you believe you are
– Identify 3 data points and monitor them (obsessively)

67. Specific Considerations in Serving the Adult Population
• Retention
– Cradle to grave approach
– Professional advising
– Student success team (coaches)
– Hand-holding is the norm
– Re-recruit your own students at least twice a year
– There are no drop-outs, only stop-outs
– Achieving their goals – understand their intentions from the
start
– Develop a clear process for re-engagement
– Identify 3 data points and monitor them (obsessively)

68. Specific Considerations in Serving the Adult Population
• Academics
– The future of higher education will not be without change
– Higher education is more in need of gifted teachers today than
it ever has been before
– Great classes will not be enough – delivery will matter
– Those we MOST need to educate will also be the MOST
challenging
– Courses that “even the playing field” may become the norm
– Higher education is desperate for creative content delivery
– Faculty are needed to lead the “hard conversations”

69. Creating Your Institution’s Success
Measureable Marketing
Established Recruitment Process
Degree Completion is the Goal
Willingness to Have the Hard Conversations

70. My Challenge to You…. At This Event…
– Identify one thing “old” that you are willing
to cut ties with and allocate that budget
(both financial and human) on something
“new”
– Identify ONE data point that you are not
currently monitoring in your area and BY
NEXT WEEK, start monitoring it
– Be open to What’s New and What’s Next!

71. Do Some Reading…
– Closing the Skills Gap - Economist Intelligence Unit Survey –
2014
– Changing Course – 10 Years of Tracking Online Education in
the U.S. – Sloan C - 2012
– The Differentiated University – The Parthenon Group
– Great Jobs Great Lives –Gallup/Purdue - 2014
– Recovery – Job Growth and Education Requirements Through
2020 - Georgetown University - 2013
– The Students of the Future – Presidential Innovation Lab
– 15 Economic Facts About Millennials – The Council of
Economic Advisors – Oct. 2014

72. Thank you!

73. References
“Strategic Plan 2013-2016 Executive Summary,” Lumina Foundation
Voorhees, Richard A. and Paul E. Lingenfelter, “Adult Learners and State Policy,” CAEL
Choy, Susan, "Nontraditional Undergraduates, Findings from the condition of education 2002," National Center For Education
Statistics
Stokes, Peter J. "Hidden in Plain Sight: Adult Learners Forge a New Tradition in Higher Education, Eleventh in a series of Issue
Papers released at the request of Chairman Charles Miller to inform the work of the Commission
Knapp, Laura G., Janice E. Kelly-Reid, Scott A. Ginder (2010), "Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2008; Graduation
Rates, 2002 and 2005 Cohorts; and Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2008, RTI International
" A Strong Nation Through Higher Education" (2010) Special Report From Lumina Foundation for Education
Van Der Werf, Martin and Grant Sabatier(2009), "The College of 2020: STUDENTS" Chronicle Research Service
Allen, I. Elaine and Jeff Seaman (2010), "Learning on Demand Online Education in the United States, 2009, BABSON Survey
Research Group
Auguste, Byron G., Adam Cota, Kartik Jayaram, Martha C. A. Laboissière (2010 November), Winning by degrees: the strategies of
highly productive higher education institutions, McKinsey&Company
“Speak Up 2008,” Project Tomorrow, March 2009
Allen, I. Elaine and Jeff Seaman (2005), "Growing by Degrees Online Education in the United States, 2005", The Sloan Consortium
Soares, Louis, "Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders,"
American Council on Education
Pusser, B., et al. (2007). Returning to learning: Adults’ success in college is key to America’s future. Lumina Foundation for
Education.
Soares, L. (2011). Delivering innovation skills while wisely using public funds. Center for American Progress; Osterman, P. (2008).
College for all. Center for American Progress
Levy, F., & Murnane, R.J. (2005). The new division of labor: How computers are creating the next job market. Princeton University
Press; and Alic, J.A. (2008, July). Technical knowledge and experiential learning: What people know and can do, Technology
Analysis and Strategic Management, vol. 20, no. 4, 427–442.
Kiley, Kevin, "Nowhere to Turn." Inside in Higher Ed, retrieved from: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/17/moodys-report-
calls-question-all-traditional-university-revenue-sources