Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | aug. 26, 2021
Nationwide, about 80 percent of students enrolling in community college say they intend to move on to a four-year institution and earn a bachelor’s degree. But only 15 percent achieve that goal within six years.
Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University have come together to shrink barriers — and help students connect with a field of study, a completed degree, and a career. Here’s some advice from program leaders:
Bring faculty together — from both institutions — to build a seamless curriculum. This step seems obvious. It sounds simple. And yet, says one program administrator, it is “probably one of the most difficult things that any institution is able to do.”
Offer an individual success coach. The NOVA/George Mason program, called ADVANCE, enhances traditional advising by pairing a student with one advisor who works with them at both the two-year school and the four-year one, and broadening the kind of problems addressed through campus advising.
Invite community college students to be part of the four-year university’s culture. NOVA and George Mason have stepped back from the word “transfer.” From students’ first day in the program, ADVANCE students have access to the programming and services available at the four-year school they aspire to attend.
Engage with local and regional employers so the seamless pathways you build don’t end with the curriculum. ADVANCE pulled together employers to discuss the skills they expect from students — and how those skills relate to college degrees. The idea is to create more transparency for students, faculty, and employers about how lessons learned in the classroom relate to real-world industry needs.
LAST DAY FOR SXSW PANEL VOTING Today is the final day to vote on proposed sessions at SXSW EDU 2022 — the conference with a reputation for mind-bending insights for the education community. The conference will take place in March 2022 both in person in Austin, Texas, and virtually. Strada has proposed three sessions for your consideration:
“Pathways to Impact: New Approaches for Funders,” where Interim CEO Tom Dawson and leaders of other social impact organizations will explore the approaches of mission-oriented funders.
In “Pandemic Perspectives: Student Views on Higher Ed,” Strada’s Dave Clayton, Excelencia’s Deborah Santiago, and Western Governors University’s Michael Morris will unpack what the data say about the promises and perils of higher education in a post-COVID world as seen through the eyes of students.
CAEL and the Energy Providers Coalition for Education will team up in “Energy Workforce: The Future Power Source” to discuss how partnerships between educators and employers develop future-ready employees. Energy employers will describe how a 20-year partnership with postsecondary education providers creates access to quality online education, helps manage internal talent pipelines, and retains employees who respond to changes in the industry.
STRADA AT ASU+GSV SUMMIT
The coming together of entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and education leaders — all driven to shape a better future — filled us with energy at the ASU+GSV Summit, which took place in early August in San Diego and virtually. For those who missed the sessions, a roundup of recordings from Strada's appearances at ASU+GSV is available. Among the highlights: Tom Dawson, interim Strada CEO, Ruth Watkins, president of Strada Impact; Jessica Hinkle, senior vice president of strategic investments; and Strada affiliate presidents Jaime Nunez of Education at Work, Mike Marriner of Roadtrip Nation, and Ruth Bauer White of InsideTrack.
FEEDBACK FROM ADULT LEARNERS
CAEL Director of Initiatives Barry Nickerson demonstrates how CAEL's Adult Learner 360 diagnostic process helped Lorain County Community College assess how it meets adult learner needs as it prepared to pursue a U.S. Department of Education grant directed at this group of students. The college won the grant — and, armed with feedback from adult learners about what they need in their education experience, the institution can prioritize future programming. Among the needs identified by learners: more career and labor market information, including salary forecasts; information about financial aid and scholarship opportunities; and flexible program delivery.
TIPS FOR HELPING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
For incoming students already experiencing the anxiety that comes from leaving home and beginning a new chapter, the uncertainty of the ever-changing COVID-19 dynamic adds to the stress. And when they're stressed, the professors, staff members, and administrators working to help them feel the pressure, too. Strada affiliate InsideTrack, a pioneer in student coaching, offers advice for helping new college students. When they hit the wall – whether it’s a financial problem, a coursework issue, or even something related to the pandemic – that barrier can cause their grades to suffer or make them drop out. The CLEAR Framework (Confirm, Legitimize, Evaluate and Respond) provides a way to work through student frustrations and shift their perspective, enabling them to explore options to resolve their barriers and move forward.
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help individuals navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
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