Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale —

student
success
The Educational Policy Institute’s
April 2009
The Newsletter for Higher Education Professionals
Meet the “Invincible” Vince Papale —
Hear Vince Speak at RETENTION 2009!
An EPI Interview by Elizabeth B. Watson
An Unforgettable Visit to Post-Katrina New Orleans
Special Comentary by EPI President & CEO, Dr. Watson Scott Swail
Online Education and Student Success
An Essay by Dr. Kristen Betts
www.educationalpolicy.org
student
success
April 2009
Student Success is an occasional publication published by the Educational
Policy Institute. Student Success may be downloaded from the EPI website
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©2009 Educational Policy Institute, Inc.
In This Issue...
THE EDUCATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE
Opening Shots...................................... 3
Special Commentary
A Special Letter from EPI President &
CEO: An Unforgettable Visit to the St.
Bernard Parish in New Orleans............4
Interview
Vince Papale...................................... 8
Submitted Article
Changing Higher Education Landscape:
Increasing Demand for Online & Blended
Education by Dr. Kristen Betts............11
The Re­view
Improving Student Retention in Higher
Education: The Role of Teaching and
Learing by Glenda Crosling, Liz Thomas
and Margaret Heagney.................... 15
EPI Webinars...................................... 17
EPI Awards
2009 Outstanding Student Retention
Award............................................18
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The Educational Policy Institute
(EPI) is a non-profit, non-partisan,
and non-governmental organization
dedicated to policy-based research
on educational opportunity for all
students. EPI is a collective association
of researchers and policy analysts
from around the world dedicated
to the mission of enhancing our
knowledge of critical barriers facing
students and families throughout the
educational pipeline.
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Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757.430.2200
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61.0.419.514.232
EPI STAFF
MS. KATE DALEY, Research Associate
kdaley@educationalpolicy.org
DR. IAN DOBSON, Director, EPI Australasia
idobson@educationalpolicy.org
MR. RYAN DUNN, Research Associate
rdunn@educationalpolicy.org
MS. LINDA GREEN, Research/Policy Analyst
lgreen@educationalpolicy.org
MS. SARAH JAESCHKE, Research Associate
sjaeschke@educationalpolicy.org
MS. MIRIAM KRAMER, Policy Analyst
mkramer@educationalpolicy.org
DR. DAVID LOPEZ, Senior Research
Scientist
dlopez@educationalpolicy.org
DR. LORI MCELROY, Senior Scientist
lmcelroy@educationalpolicy.org
MR. JONATHAN MEDOW, Research
Associate
jmedoweducationalpolicy.org
MS. PARIS MEILLEUR, Research Associate
pmeilleur@educationalpolicy.org
MS. PATRICIA MOORE SHAFFER, Vice
President, Research & Development
pshaffer@educationalpolicy.org
DR. DEBORAH STONE, Senior Scientist
dstone@educationalpolicy.org
DR. WATSON SCOTT SWAIL, President & CEO
wswail@educationalpolicy.org
MR. ALEX USHER, Vice President
ausher@educationalpolicy.org
MS. ELIZABETH WATSON, Director,
Marketing & Special Projects
lwatson@educationalpolicy.org
www.educationalpolicy.org
Opening Shots
April 14, 2009
Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D.
President & CEO
Educational Policy Institute
This May, EPI hosts it’s fourth annual
International Conference on Student
Retention in New Orleans, Louisiana. The
conference has become a meeting place
for professionals from around the world
interested in learning more about how to
best serve students in higher education.
of his situation; to focus on what is important and make the most of life as we
know it. A former teacher, coach, higher
education professional with Sallie Mae,
and cancer surviver, Vince will talk to the
Retention 2009 audience about what it
takes to succeed in life, and how to value
what we have. Read Elizabeth Watson’s
interview with Vince on Page 8.
This issue of Student Success previews
two of our showcase events at Retention
2009: Liz McCartney and Vince Papale.
While the names may not immediately
resonate with you, they probably will after reading this month’s Student Success.
This year’s conference will also bring
our most international contituency ever,
featuring our own Ian Dobson from Australia (Ian is the Director of EPI Australasia), Dominic Orr of Germany, and many
others.
Liz McCartney is the 2008 CNN Hero
of the Year, based on her contributions
to New Orleans and St. Bernard’s Parish – the hardest hit area of Hurricane
Katrina. To date, Liz and her volunteer
colleagues have rebuilt over 200 houses
in the ninth ward. The St. Bernard’s
Project has effectively rebuilt lives. But
the challenge in New Orleans is still very
real for thousands of locals. Retention
2009 participants will get the chance to
hear from a real-life hero what can be
done when people put ideas into action.
Read my essay on the St. Bernard Project
on Page 4.
And, for the first year, we will be awarding three higher education institutions
our prestigious Outstanding Retention
Award, to be presented on May 29th.
Past winner’s have included the University of Connecticut, Youngstown State
University, Oklahoma City University, and
Texas A&M University. The one surprise is that this is also the first year we
will make an award outside the United
States.
During Retention 2009, EPI will be asking participants to contribute to Liz’ St.
Bernard Project, matching donations up
to $5,000.
Vince Papale is a similar hero. Perhaps a
working-class hero. So much so that Disney made a movie about his life in 2006
starring Mark Wahlberg, documenting
Vince’s walk-on tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles. “Invincible” showcases
Vince’s determination to make the most
Educational Policy Institute
This edition of Student Success also
features insight into online education
and student success from our friend and
colleague, and former Virginia Beacher,
Kristen Betts of Drexel University in
Philadelphia (a theme, it seems...).
Our next edition of Student Success,
due out in June 2009, will provide more
information on the conference and also a
review of one of our award winners.
In the meantime, enjoy this month’s edition. I hope to see you in the Big Easy.
APRIL 2009
3
S P E C I A L C O M M E N TA RY
A Special Letter from EPI President & CEO:
An unforgettable visit to the St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans
Dr. Watson Scott Swail
the aftermath of Katrina. Not just the
damaging stories of FEMA, but the true
needs of the people of New Orleans and
other areas affected by Katrina. They
decided to visit New Orleans and see
what they could do. In a couple of weeks,
Zack returned to DC; Liz stayed. Within a
few months they both left their jobs and
permanently relocated to New Orleans.
Liz McCartney, Co-Director, St. Bernard Project & CNN Hero of the Year, 2008, shown here with wreckage in St.
Bernard Parish from hurricane Katrina.
Recently, while attending the GEAR
UP workshop in New Orleans, I decided
to take a detour to check out St. Bernard Parish, the hardest hit area of New
Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Down in
the French Quarter, no one would know
of the devastation left by the hurricane.
Everything looks as it always did.
But a few short miles away, a different
reality is painfully evident to even the
most casual observer. Vacant houses
with X’s spray painted on the outside.
Concrete slabs denoting where houses
once stood--where families once lived.
Katrina may have happened more than
three years ago, but the effects of that
powerful storm are still being felt by the
people of St. Bernard Parish. Over 1,500
families live in FEMA trailers, waiting and
hoping that their homes may be re-conditioned. But they still wait.
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My trip was specially hinged around
visiting the St. Bernard Project, and even
more specifically to meet with its cofounder, Liz McCartney who was recently
awarded the CNN Hero of the Year for
2008. I was introduced to Ms. McCartney, like millions of viewers, via the CNN
televised event hosted by Anderson
Cooper back in November 2008. I vividly
remember lying in bed, reading the
paper, casually watching the program.
Then came the video vignette on the St.
Bernard Project. Simply stated, it was
captivating—beyond compelling.
In February of 2006, Liz and her partner,
Zack Rosenburg, were living comfortably in Washington, DC. She ran a
community-based non-profit and is a
former middle-school teacher; he served
as a criminal defense attorney. Liz and
Zack shared the emotion of millions of
Americans, Canadians, and others from
around the world who were shocked at
What they found was a Parish in critical
condition. Immediately after the levees
broke, the waters rose precipitously in St.
Bernard Parish. In one industrial area of
the Parish, Frank While, an older gentleman, had decided to ride out the storm.
The waters forced him to the second
floor of the unit. A local fisherman rescued Frank from his second floor window
and transplanted him to a rooftop where
he would be safe until responders could
come. After three days, a group came to
give him water. After five days he was
finally rescued in earnest by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, who were the
first responders in the Parish, due in part
because the Louisiana National Guard
were busy in Iraq.
When Liz and Zack went to St. Bernard
Parish, they met Frank. They learned
of his story, learned about the Parish,
and found a niche for their volunteerism. The Project originally was designed
to provide a tool co-op to dwellers for
rebuilding houses in the Parish. But they
quickly found that the need was much
more basic. The people of SBP not only
needed the tools and resources, but
needed help building the houses. So Liz
and Zack started a construction company
that relied exclusively, at least in the beginning, on volunteers, and they started
rebuilding houses. To this day, the St.
Bernard Project is still headquartered in
Frank White’s old house.
www.educationalpolicy.org
Project work isn’t simply a matter of tearing down and putting up drywall. More
accurately portrayed, it is akin to gutting
a house, scrubbing all the studs and
wood surfaces with a high-octane mold
cleaner, running new electrical systems,
including HVAC, installing drywall, taping,
sanding, and painting walls, and installing
all new woodwork and cabinets. That’s
the abbreviated list. With the exception
of exterior walls, they were gutting and
rebuilding entire houses. With virtually
no experience.
The short story is that since that time,
the St. Bernard Project has rebuilt more
than 185 homes. Next week it will finish
two more. And in the next month, 10.
Gretchen Wieland, a 23-year old AmeriCorps volunteer and University of Kansas
grad from Illinois, gave me a tour of the
Parish and of a few of the Project homes.
The first was an almost-completed ranch
where a 20-something volunteer was
installing kitchen cabinets and putting
finishing touches on the abode so it
can deliver to the owners, Mr. and Mrs.
Scuich. The house, itself, looked wonderful, and was probably a lot nicer in this
condition than it had ever been before.
The final cost: $12,000 in materials.
Labor: $0. Sometime in the next couple
of weeks, the St. Bernard Project will
have a celebration party, as they have
for almost all the 185 hours completed
to date. Think Ty Pennington and the
Extreme Makeover--Home Edition on
steroids. That’s what the Project is doing.
The second house was a starter project
that had recently been gutted. A Project
crew of volunteers had finished scrubbing the studs and was now putting on a
coat of latex paint to seal in any residual
mold. As Gretchen told me, mold is a
tricky fungus to remove. Initially, only
half of Project houses were passing mold
inspection after they were scrubbed,
so several of the volunteers conducted
their own experiments to see what it
would take to bring the success rate up
by changing the mold strategies. On the
whiteboard in the main Project office,
the number ‘20’ looms near the botEducational Policy Institute
tom right corner. This is the number of
consecutive houses that have passed
inspection on their first review. The volunteers figured it out.
Each house takes, on average, about 12
weeks to finish. It used to take about 15
weeks, and they hope to bring that down
to about 10 weeks in short order. The
private joke in New Orleans is that while
Brad Pitt has made major news for his
‘green’ building project in the lower 9th
ward, that effort has yielded only five
houses thus far, compared to the 185 of
St. Bernard Project.
A different group of volunteers come in
weekly, and sometimes daily. The Project
provides training to the many volunteers
who have never seriously hammered
studs or screwed drywall before. Twelve
weeks start to finish… passing all inspections. Fairly impressive.
They come from around the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and places one
wouldn’t expect. During my visit, a
Torontonian was installing electrical wire.
Another person, Len Haim, came down
from New Jersey with his son on February 2nd is still working. Len and his son
figured they could help. Len told me that
the experience has already been “life
changing” to him and his son. It’s easy
to appreciate why. To date more than
10,000 volunteers have worked with the
St. Bernard Project.
Some volunteers have made repeat trips
to St. Bernard Parish, because, as suggested to me by “Boogie” the cab driver
on my drive back to the posh Hilton Hotel, “the volunteers get more out of this
than the Parishioners.” So they return
to help out and inject themselves with
another dose of “life.”
While inside the second house on my
tour, there was not just a sense of purpose among the seven or eight people
working, but perhaps more importantly,
a sense of camaraderie. They were
enjoying what they were doing, even
10 hours into the day. As Gretchen said,
Volunteers of the St. Bernard Project working hard during a home rebuilding.
April 2009
5
to Galveston and other areas hard hit by
Hurricane Ike.
While there is still plenty of work to do
in New Orleans, Liz and Zack are looking
beyond to see how their operation can
benefit other communities. Heroic.
The Maus Family enters thier home for the first time since the St. Bernard Project finished
rebuilding their house.
“We spend so much time together, we
joke that we don’t have a life outside of
the Project.” That’s because the Project,
at least at this juncture, “is” their life.
The CNN Hero Award was a major news
event, and one of the more remarkable and appropriate events I have seen
a news agency conduct. All 10 of the
Heroes selected were appropriately
nominated. Note that these Heroes
aren’t famous people. They are all individuals who did something well beyond
the usual call of duty. As I said to Liz,
there are those who think, and those
that do. These are people that “do.”
Liz will be the first to downplay her role.
She is a pretty, smart (we share graduate degrees from The Graduate School
of Education and Human Development
at The George Washington University in
DC, so she must be special), and modest to a fault. Before Liz arrived at the
office, I was given a two-bit tour of the
premises. It was all under construction to
make way for the growth of the organization. Since Liz’s selection as Hero of the
Year, donations, volunteerism, and the
number of homes under rebuilding have
increased. I was led into Liz’s small office,
complete with a steel, mostly barren
industrial shelving unit. On the middle
shelf, facing upside down, was her dusty,
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CNN Hero Award. Note that I had to turn
it up so you could see what it was. The
Award, which was presented in front of
millions of people around the world and
live in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood
(where they hand out the Oscars), was
not in the lobby; not in a glass unit to
showcase the honor. It was gathering
dust.
But this is Liz. She will be the last to suggest she is a Hero, because she knows
it isn’t about her, nor about Zack, nor
is it about all the volunteers. It is, first
and foremost, about the people of St.
Bernard Parish, who, after the Canadians
came in to help, realized they had to
make this work. They had to clean up.
They had to rebuild their lives. It just so
happened that Liz and Zack provided the
conduit to help make it happen.
To me, that is exactly what makes Liz
and Zack heroes. Because they chose to
“do,” not just think. While I was visiting
the SBP, Zack was busy in Washington,
DC, speaking with Senator Mary Landrieu
(D-LA) and others about creating a
new federal funding program to support returning veterans from Iraq and
Afghanistan to build houses in New
Orleans and other places in need around
the US. And they are talking of expanding
On May 27th, Liz McCartney, with a little
help from her St. Bernard Project friends,
will be our special guest at Retention
2009. While their work has little to do
with high school graduation and postsecondary retention, I believe their work
deserves special recognition and that
conference participants will resonate to
the Project’s focus on disenfranchised individuals who are rising above great odds
to put their lives back together.
In support of their work, we are designing a special fundraising event and will
be asking participants to make donations to the project. EPI will match the
first $5,000 in donations to the project,
and St. Bernard Project t-shirts will be
available for purchase. We are trying to
schedule a tour of their work for those
interested in seeing what vision can do to
a community.
Our work in education is important. The
work of professionals around the US,
Canada, and beyond is critical in helping improve the economy and improve
lives. We are hosting Retention 2009 in
New Orleans because it seemed like a
simple contribution we could make to
this special place. Even with budget cuts
and freezes across the US, I hope you can
support and attend our conference and
let your colleagues know about it. I also
hope you are as touched by the work
of the St. Bernard Project and consider
helping out in any way possible. Let’s
support the Heroes all over New Orleans
this May.
The old adage is still true: Life is short.
Leave your mark.
To learn more about the St.
Bernard Project, visit their website at:
www.stbernardproject.org
www.educationalpolicy.org
2009
May 27-29, 2009, Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, Louisiana
May 27 - 29, 2009 , New Orleans, LA
The Educational Policy Institute cordially invites you to attend RETENTION 2009, our annual
conference dedicated to exploring contemporary issues related to student success. Hosted
by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, May 27 -29, 2009, this year’s event will bring together approximately
300 teachers, administrators, researchers and policymakers from around the world who
are dedicated to promoting student persistence in secondary and postsecondary education.
IN TOTAL, THERE WILL BE OVER 50 BREAKOUT AND PLENARY SESSIONS, PLUS TWO PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS:
Workshop 1: An Introduction to Student Retention
May 27, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon; Dr. Watson Scott Swail,
Educational Policy Institute; Dr. Peter Dietsche, University of
Toronto
Workshop 2: Building a Roadmap for Meeting Institutional Regional Goals
May 27 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Jay Goff & Harvest Collier, Missouri
Institute of Science & Technology
This workshop will introduce participants to important concepts related to improving student retention on college and
university campuses.
This session provides an opportunity for institutional leaders
to discuss how coordination between offices in data collection
can be useful in analyzing institution-specificretention issues.
F E A T U R E D
Recently named CNN’s Hero of the Year, Liz McCartney is Co-Director of the St. Bernard Project
(SBP), which has rebuilt the homes of more than
120 families in St. Bernard Parish.
Prior to starting SBP, Liz was Executive Director
of a nonprofit in Washington, DC that provided
technology-based after school and summer
programs for young people attending DC public schools.
Liz McCartney will be our Keynote Speaker on May 27th.
S P E A K E R S
The 2006 football drama, INVINCIBLE illuminates
the life of Vince Papale who, at an open call, tried
out for his beloved Eagles. Against all odds, he
made the team and made history. Papale
electrified the fans and helped the Eagles rediscover their winning ways.
Papale credits the teachers and coaches of his
youth with his incredible success. They believed in him when others did
not. As a former football player, higher education expert, and cancer
survivor, Papale’s speeches are balanced with a nice blend of humor and
passion for life that is not to be missed!
Vince Papale will be our Keynote Speaker on May 28th.
Other speakers include: Antonio Flores,President, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO,
The Educational Policy Institute; Peter Dietsche, William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership at The University of Toronto;
Betsy Brand, Director, American Youth Policy Forum (For a complete listing visit: www.educationalpolicy.org)
HIGH SCHOOL • TWO-YEAR • FOUR-YEAR • PROPRIETARY
April 2009
Educational Policy Institute
7
INTERVIEW
Elizabeth B. Watson
An Interview with Vince Papale
Some of Hollywood’s most inspirational movies were born
from the world of sports. One in particular inspired not only
sports fans but anyone who has dared to dream. In 2006,
Walt Disney Pictures released INVINCIBLE, a stirring football
drama starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, an ordinary
guy who takes his shot at every fan’s fantasy of going from
the grandstands to the playing field. In 1976, at the age of 30,
Vince Papale tried out for his beloved Eagles and, against all
odds, made the team – and made history. Instantly electrifying
the fans and eventually winning over skeptical teammates
with his gritty play, Papale helped the Eagles re discover their
winning ways. From being voted Special Teams Captain by his
teammates to earning Eagles “Man of the Year” in 1978 for his
numerous charitable activities, Papale was an NFL sensation
until a shoulder injury ended his playing career in 1979.
Papale credits the teachers and coaches of his youth with his
incredible success. They were strong influences and pointed
him in the right direction. Above all, they believed in him
when others did not. Today, Vince Papale travels the country
speaking to groups about the importance of education. As a
former football player, higher education expert, and cancer
survivor, Papale’s speeches are balanced with a nice blend of
humor and passion for life that is not to be missed!
On May 28th, Vince Papale will be our Keynote Speaker
at RETENTION 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more
information on RETENTION 2009, visit educationalpolicy.org.
As a boy growing up, what was it that you thought you wanted
to do with your life? Did you always dream of being a professional athlete?
When I was I boy, what I did know is that I didn’t want to work
in one of the plants [on the Delaware River]. Also, there was lot
going on in my house that was not positive and my release was
sports. I was awkward and introverted as a kid, but get me out
in the field and it was an entirely different experience. I loved
sports and whether it was football or basketball, I dreamed of
being an athlete.
What was it that led you to pursue a career in teaching?
When I was young, the scenario in my house was such that
my father, being a first generation Italian, was the persona of
tough love and was non-communicative. My mom — who was
a tremendous athlete and played professional baseball in the
30s — developed a mental illness and, as a result, had physical disabilities. With all of this going on at home, I turned to my
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teachers and coaches for support. They made me feel special
and gave me a sense of self work.
Mr. George Corner, a Jr. High teacher and my first male
teacher, was a strong influence and pointed me in the right
direction. If I was told I was too small to play sports, he convinced me to come out for football and track and I ended up
getting a track scholarship in college. My track coach, Marty
Stern, was a strong influence on me too.
After college, I wanted to honor those teachers that saved me.
I especially wanted to emulate George Corner – what I wanted
to do in my heart of hearts was become a coach. Teacher
athletes were my role models and the only way to become a
coach was to become a teacher, so that’s what I did.
After I graduated from St. Joseph’s college, now St. Joe’s,
I went back to teach at my alma mater in Interboro, Delawww.educationalpolicy.org
ware in Delaware County, which is 10
miles south of the Philadelphia border.
George Corner was actually still teaching and coaching there. I was 22 and
George gave coaching track over to me.
I became head track coach and assistant
football coach. I taught what was then
called middle school in the 9th and 10th
grade building.
I understand while you were teaching
you were also pursuing a Master’s Degree. What were you studying?
I was persuing a Master’s Degree in
counseling at Westchester State Teachers College. I figured it’s time now to
expand. Because of my age I had a
tremendous relationship with the kids
where non-academic issues were concerned. They came to me with personal
problems. They started confiding in me
and I simply felt maybe it was important
for me to get some training in a professional sense.
I’ve read that it was during this time
in your life that you decided to pursue
football professionally. What was that
made you try out for the Eagles?
I was unfulfilled as an athlete and felt
I still had more to do, but I wasn’t sure
what that was. I decided to try to qualify
for the 1972 Olympic trials in the decathlon. I knew I had the marks to qualify,
but had a difficult time getting into meets
because I didn’t have the background. I
was frustrated, so I started playing semipro football. I was seen by a scout for
the World Football League’s Philadelphia
Bell team and they asked me to try out.
I was one of two who made it. I Took a
leave from teaching and stopped school,
but after only 1 ½ years the league folded. I was planning to go back to school
and resume teaching. In between I took
work as a part-time bartender and a substitute teacher. This is where the movie,
INVINCIBLE, picks up. It was during this
time that the tryout came for the Eagles
and I was invited to the tryout. That was
the end of teaching and of my pursuit of
my master’s degree.
What were the greatest challenges in
becoming and being a member of the
Educational Policy Institute
Vince Papale meeting a fan in support of the Eagles Youth Partnership. © Tug McErlain
Philadelphia Eagles and how did you
overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenge to overcome was
the perception that the other players had
of me. I didn’t play football in college, so
I was different. I overcame this by keeping my mouth shut. I was confident in
my abilities and skills and I felt the best
way to my talking was in my actions on
the field. I thought, play hard and do the
best you can do. This was my philosophy. The other big obstacle was learning,
basically, how to become a professional
football player. Getting prepared for the
physicality of the game was so hard and
very demanding. I just worked harder
than anyone else and was continually
getting the award from coach Vermeil as
best conditioned out-of-season trainer.
Was there ever a time when you felt like
the challenges were too much. What
was it that kept you going?
Yes, there was a time. Sometimes I
thought, “this is too much can I really
get through and endure tomorrow”. I
was actually doing well – differently than
the way it was perceived in the movie.
I was leading the team in receptions.
When I would go out to training camp my
father was always there to watch. At this
point I was 30 and he’d been through a
divorce. He had become my best friend
and lent me money in tough times. I
began to realize that he and his friends
were living their lives vicariously through
me and I felt I couldn’t let him down. It
kept me going.
Can you tell me a little bit about the
experience of making the movie
INVINCIBLE? Were you very involved
in making the movie and what did that
experience mean to you?
It was a tremendous experience in a lot
of ways. As an athlete and a competitor, I was excited about the box office
numbers and about the DVDs selling
well. We actually had 53 percent of the
DVD market share around the Christmas
holiday. I was also excited because I understand what kind of impact the movie
could have. I have so many people I get
wonderful letters, pictures and emails
from about being an inspiration. That’s
the best part is that they say to me, “if
you can do it, I can do it”. I’ve even had
solders tell me I’m a hero. The success
of the movie gives me a platform where
April 2009
9
I can speak and reach kids. I can give
them hope. Then there’s the Hollywood
side. Geese oh man, what a cast! [Mark]
Wahlberg was a peach – love the guy,
and Disney was great.
I’m aware that you’ve been involved in
various charitable activities throughout
your life. When did this become important to you and why?
Well, it started when I was a teacher,
because that was basically charity!
When I played with the Eagles, I became
involved with Eagles Fly for Leukemia and
now I’m on their Board of Directors. I’ve
just learned that I’m going to be honored
for 30 years of working with them. I’m
very proud of this award. My work with
them started with a visit to the oncology
ward at children’s hospital. There I was
complaining about how I felt about losing
a game or something and then I’d see
what these children had to overcome. It
put things in perspective. Every Monday after the light post-game practices,
Dennis Franks (#53), Ricky Osborn (#86),
Ike Jones (#6) and I would go over to the
children’s hospital or burn center. It became part of what was the right thing to
do. It was at this time that I realized what
an impact you can have as an athlete and
I’ve never forgotten that.
Now, I’m a cancer survivor and I’m
learning about what I can do to help
the cancer society. I’m a spokesperson
for colorectal cancer. It’s what I do. I
believe in doing the right thing.
After leaving professional football, you
started working for Sallie Mae. How
was it that you found your way back to
the field of Education?
It was sort of a natural fit. After I retired
from football, I began working in radio in
TV. Then, I went into the mortgage business. My wife is a realtor and we made
a great team. My friend Tim Fitzpatrick
became CEO of Sally Mae and I joined
on to run territory in Delaware. With
the success of the movie, we created a
new position called Director of Special
Projects. I would talk to kids about the
importance of education and letting it be
the key to your dream. My motto was
the more you learn the more you earn.
Our whole focus was retention. We ran
this for 10 years. Then, Tim left and I
moved into to speaking full time.
You now spend a good deal of your
time traveling and speaking to large
groups and you speak a good deal about
motivation. What is it that you find
most motivates people and do you find
that this is the same regardless of what
people are perusing in their personal
lives?
There’s a common thread for everyone.
Hope. Enthusiasm. Passion. Energy.
People can connect to my story. Either
they connect with me, or they connect
with the movie. I know I have a tremendous story to tell and I want to share it.
What I speak about now it’s “how to be
invincible in touch times” and I love giving the presentation.
Vice Papale will be our Keynote Speaker
at RETENTION 2009 on May 28, 2009
in New Orleans, LA. Register on the EPI
Website to hear Vince Speak.
Vince Papale with his two children, Vinny and Gabby, at a Philadelphia Eagles Game. © Tug McErlain
10
Student Success
www.educationalpolicy.org
S U B M I T T E D A RT I C L E
Changing Higher Education Landscape:
Increasing Demand for Online & Blended Education
Dr. Kristen Betts
Higher education in the United States
is at a critical time in history. Shifting
demographics coupled with severe cuts
in state funding, increasing campus
operational costs, declining endowments, decreases in fundraising, and a
national economic crisis are providing
extensive challenges to colleges/universities and redefining the future of higher
education. According to E. Gordon Gee,
president of Ohio State University (2009),
“Severe economic pressures have created a defining moment for colleges and
universities, which must fundamentally
reinvent themselves to survive” (Fain,
2009, ¶1). Survival for many colleges
and universities will be dependent upon
increasing revenue through new student
enrollments while simultaneously working with decreasing budgets.
Online education provides four-year and
two-year colleges/universities with extensive opportunities to increase student
enrollments through quality academic
programming and innovative delivery
of curricula. Through online education,
tuition-dependent institutions can reach
out to new student markets to increase
enrollments which provide additional
revenue and expands an institution’s
Educational Policy Institute
alumni base and potential donors. All
institutions of higher education have
become more tuition dependent over
the last decade, and this trend has been
significantly intensified by the current
economic recession. With the national
banking crisis having a profound affect on financial aid and student loans,
large and even moderate decreases in
student enrollment can be devastating
to colleges/universities that are tuition
dependent. This is particularly true for
small colleges like Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania where 80 percent
of Elizabethtown’s $52 million budget is
comprised of tuition revenues (Pennino,
2008).
Online and blended education provide
extensive opportunities for reaching
out to the increasing number of nontraditional students who are returning
to higher education as a result of the
economic recession. For the 8.5 percent
of the population who are unemployed
(Goodman & Healy, 2009), the millions
of displaced and dislocated workers, and
those in fear of losing their jobs, online
and blended programs provide viable
education options while seeking or maintaining employment. For Traditionalists
(1925 to 1946; 63 years old and older)
and Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964; 45
to 63 years old) who are nearing retirement but cannot afford to retire, online
and blended programs provide practical
options for earning a degree while maintaining employment or transitioning to
a new career. It is important to consider
Generation X (1964 to 1982; 27 to 45
years old) and Generation Y-Millennials
(1982 and the late 1990s; 27 years old
and younger) who may not be able to
enroll in traditional on-campus programs
due to family and work obligations or
simply cannot afford the additional expense of room and board.
A rebound of the United States economy
is not imminent. Over 5 million jobs have
been lost as of March 2009 (Goodman &
Healy, 2009) and unemployment could
reach 10 percent by the end of the year
(Aversa, 2009, ¶9). Other staggering
national statistics include the increasing
number of individuals forced to work
part-time due to the economy rising
to 9 million and the 663,000 jobs that
were cut just in the month of March
2009 (Aversa, 2009). With the instability of employment and predictions for
increasing unemployment, it is critical
that colleges/universities begin to refine
and re-position themselves for the growing number of non-traditional students
seeking flexible programs in an effort
to increase employment security or for
career transition and career re-entry.
ONLINE EDUCATION
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2008), two-thirds (66
percent) of two-year and four-year Title
IV degree granting higher education institutions offer online, hybrid/blended, or
other distance education courses. In fact,
online student enrollment growth rates
now exceed overall higher education
enrollment growth rates in the United
States. According to Allen and Seaman
(2008, p. 1) the online enrollment growth
rate increased 12.9 percent between fall
2006 and fall 2007 while overall higher
education enrollment only increased 1.2
percent. In addition, over 20 percent of
all U.S. higher education students reported taking at least one online course
in fall 2007 (Allen & Seaman, 2008, p. 1).
The exact number of online degree
programs offered through colleges/
universities in the United States is difficult to determine since new online
programs are launched on an ongoing
basis. According to Newsweek, “The
sheer number of distance learning and
APRIL 2009
11
online degrees available is enormous and
is growing daily. Similarly the number
of schools and institutions that offer
learning online is also expanding rapidly”
(2008,¶1). Over the past two decades,
online education has transitioned from
an emerging sector to a multi-billion dollar market (USDLA, 2009; Kopf, 2007). It
is evident that online and blended education is now an established part of higher
education.
While online programs offer extensive
opportunities for colleges/universities,
transitioning on-campus programs to online or developing new online programs
can be very time consuming, costly, and
may require institutional, state, and
accreditation review. Administrators
must also consider program viability and
sustainability prior to developing and
launching new programs, particularly
since there is extensive competition
already within online education. Another
consideration is that online student
attrition rates are typically higher than
on-campus attrition rates which can
greatly affect a program’s operating budget and long-term sustainability.
ONLINE STUDENT SUCCESS
Attrition rates in online education are
often cited as ranging between 20 to
50 percent (Diaz, 2002; Frankola, 2001)
or being 10 to 20 percent higher than traditional on-campus programs (Angelino,
Williams & Natvig, 2007; Carr, 2000).
Challenges leading to attrition in online
education include isolation and feeling
disconnected (Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007; Bathe, 2001; Stark & Warren,
1999) and a lack of personal interaction
and support (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). A
recent study by EducationDynamics reported the primary reasons for attrition
in online education included financial
challenges (41 percent), life events (32
percent) health issues (23 percent),
lack of motivation (21 percent), and
lack of faculty interaction (21 percent)
(Schaffhauser, 2009). EducationDynamics further reported that 40 percent of
online students who dropped out of their
degree or certificate programs failed to
seek any help or resources before aban12
Student Success
donment” (Schaffhauser, 2009, ¶1). One
critical fact in higher education is that
students are not land-locked to a given
geographical area. Today’s students are
savvy consumers and if they are not
satisfied in their current program, other
accredited programs are just one click
away.
Future demographic factors will also
greatly affect higher education. By 201819, 68 percent of US states will face
decreasing percentages of high school
graduates (Almanac, 2009). Decreases
between 10 and 23 percent will provide
higher education enrollment challenges
for many states. However, in states with
projected high school graduate increases
between 20 and 33 percent, providing
eligible in-state students with enrollment
slots will be challenging. Even today,
colleges/universities in some states are
struggling to accommodate surges in the
number of students seeking enrollment.
For many community colleges, there is
not adequate space “at peak times and
in high-demand programs” to accommodate “what one president calls a tsunami
of students”(Biemiller, 2009, ¶1). Many
four-year institutions are also struggling
to accommodate students. The California State University (CSU) system may
have to turn down thousands of eligible
students for enrollment in fall 2009 due
to enrollment caps. CSU-San Marcos
alone will potentially turn away 7,000
students this fall (Moss, 2009, ¶1). For
colleges/universities facing current and/
or potential enrollment decreases, online
education provides new opportunities
to reach out and recruit the increasing
number of eligible students who may be
turned away from many colleges/universities due to space limitations, budget
cuts, and/or enrollment caps.
THE DREXEL APPROACH
Drexel University has taken a proactive approach to student enrollment. To
meet the diverse needs of traditional and
non-traditional students, Drexel offers
on-campus, blended, and online programs providing extensive educational
opportunities for students within the city
of Philadelphia, across Pennsylvania, and
beyond. Drexel University’s School of
Education, for example, has grown from
no online degree programs in 2002-03
to 10 fully online degrees in 2007-08.
Tuition revenue has increased from less
than $2 million in FY03 to nearly $10
million in FY08 (Hartman & Betts, 2009).
One of the fastest growing programs in
the School of Education, also one of the
first programs to be offered fully online,
has been the Master of Science in Higher
Education (MSHE) Program. The online
MSHE Program was launched in fall 2005
with its first cohort of 26 students. In fall
2008, the MSHE Program enrolled 175
students with projections to matriculate
approximately 200 students in spring
2009. MSHE students are located in over
30 states and five countries.
The three-year overall retention rate in
Drexel University
the MSHE program is 83 percent. Four
percent of students who left the program enrolled in other Drexel University
degree programs, leaving a still-enrolled
rate of at least 87 percent. In January 2009, a new blended format of the
MSHE Program was launched at Drexel
University’s new Sacramento Center for
Graduate Studies in Sacramento, California. There were 12 students in this first
cohort with enrollment projections of 2530 new students for the fall 2009 cohort.
In an effort to increase student engagement, connectivity, and retention, the
MSHE Program developed a conceptual
framework for Online Human Touch
(OHT) instruction and programming.
www.educationalpolicy.org
The OHT concept asserts that students
are more likely to persist in an online
program if they are (a) engaged in and
outside of their courses and if (b) the
educational experience is personalized.
The OHT concept is a holistic approach
that begins with the first point of contact
that a potential student has during the
application process. OHT programming
and instructional strategies cultivate a
bond with students based on human
interaction fostered through instruction,
programming, and personalized engagement. The OHT concept builds upon
five areas of research including student
engagement, community development,
personalized communication, workintegrated learning, and data driven
decision-making (Betts, 2009).
OHT instruction and programming is
particularly important for engaging and
retaining the increasing number of Traditionalists and older Baby Boomers who
are enrolling in the MSHE Program. Many
of these students, who can be described
as “low tech/high support,” have not
been enrolled in an academic program
for more than 10 years and it is important they are engaged in their courses
early in their matriculation so they gain
confidence in using new technologies as
well as working in a non-tradition course
environment. The MSHE Program has
also developed an online graduate firstyear experience program to bring the
Drexel campus to students worldwide.
This proactive retention initiative introduces newly-matriculated students in the
online and blended programs to Drexel
student support services within the
first two weeks of enrollment through
“live” online classrooms. Throughout the
year, quarterly events are hosted online
through Horizon Wimba Classroom
(fully-featured live, virtual classroom
with audio, video, and content/application sharing) and Second Life (3D virtual
world with voice and text chat), as well
as on campus in Philadelphia and Sacramento to engage and connect students
to their classmates, faculty, support
staff, and the institution. Additionally,
the MSHE Program actively integrates
learning simulation (e.g., role-plays, soEducational Policy Institute
ciodramas, psychodramas, gaming, and
reflection) into courses and assignments
to engage students in real-life scenarios
as they prepare for career placement,
advancement, or transition (Betts, 2009).
Growth and sustainability for the MSHE
Program is attributed to program design,
innovative course development, faculty
professional development, and personalizing the educational experience.
Recognizing that 96 percent of the MSHE
students work full- or part-time, uniform
templates are used for all MSHE courses
in Blackboard and for syllabi. While
course content differs, students can easily navigate through their courses from
quarter to quarter. MSHE students enroll
in cohorts and must complete courses
as outlined in the MSHE Program plan.
Course sequence is critical to student
success and retention since each course
includes learning outcomes that prepare
students for the next quarter. For course
development and updates, a team approach is utilized. Faculty are teamed
with higher education administrators
to ensure the materials reflect current/
emerging issues and assignments are
based on “real-life” scenarios. This enables students to apply new knowledge
and skills to course assignments and to
actualize them at work. All MSHE faculty
must participate in a faculty orientation
and ongoing professional development.
Faculty must also follow MSHE Faculty
Policies and Guidelines specifically developed for teaching in an online program.
Recognizing that most online students
may never come to Drexel University’s
campus, the MSHE Program continuously
seeks innovative strategies for personalizing the educational experience for
students. Through OHT and retention
initiatives, such as the Online Graduate
First-Year Experience, the MSHE Program
is connecting students to Drexel University from first point of contact during
recruitment through active participation
as alumni.
CONCLUSION
Online and blended education provide
innovative opportunities for two- and
four-year colleges/universities to reach
new student markets and increase
enrollments. Program design, scalability, academic quality, engagement, and
retention are critical to the long-term
program sustainability. Additionally,
extending student support services and
personalizing the educational experience
is essential to connecting online students
to the institution and retaining students.
With recent headlines in the Chronicle
of Higher Education, it is clear that the
higher education landscape is changing: “Past Recessions Suggest Current
Downturn Will Bring Permanent Cuts in
State Funds;” “Market Collapse Weighs
Heavily on College Endowments;” “How
Does a President Shut Down a College?;”
and “A Straight-Talk Survival Guide for
Colleges.” The reality as indicated by
Facione (2009), is that “times are tough,
very tough….it is time for some straight
talk, starting with the realization that organizations that can’t or won’t adapt will
fail.” Financial exigency and institutional
mergers are realities for colleges and universities that are not proactively reaching
out to new markets to increase revenue.
For an increasing number of colleges and
universities, online and blended education is providing innovative opportunities
for institutions to redefine and reposition
themselves within the changing higher
education landscape.
REFERENCES
Aversa, (2009). Unemployment soars to
8.5pct; 13 million jobless. WTOP.com. Retrieved on April 3, 2009, from http://www.
wtopnews.com/?nid=111&sid=577993
Angelino, L. M., Williams, F. K., & Natvig,
D. (2007). Strategies to engage online
students and reduce attrition rates. The
Journal of Educators Online, 4(2),1-14.
Retrieved May 6, 2008, from www.thejeo.
com/Volume4Number2/Angelino%20
Final.pdf
Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the
course: Online education in the United
States 2008. The Sloan Consortium.
Babson Survey Research Group. Retrieved
December 25 2008, from
APRIL 2009
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http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf
Almanac (2009). Projected change in the
number of high-school graduates, 2008-9
to 2018-19. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(14), p. 4. Retrieved on April 5,
2009, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/
almanac/2008/maps/0100401.htm
Bathe, J. (2001). Love it, hate it, or don’t
care: Views on online learning. ERIC
database. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED463805).
Betts, K. S. (2009). Online human touch
(OHT) training and support: A conceptual framework to increase faculty and
adjunct faculty engagement, connectivity, and retention in online education,
Part 2. Journal of Online Learning and
Teaching, 5(1), pp. 29-48. Retrieved on
April 2, 2009, from http://jolt.merlot.org/
vol5no1/betts_0309.htm
Betts, K. S. (2008). Online human touch
(OHT) instruction and programming: A
conceptual framework to increase online
student engagement and retention in
online education, Part 1. Journal of Online
Learning and Teaching, 4(3), pp. 399‐418.
Retrieved on April 2, 2009, from http://
jolt.merlot.org/vol4no3/betts_0908.htm
Betts, K., Lewis, M., Dressler, A., & Svensson, L. (2009). Optimizing curricula and
career development: A conceptual model
building upon education, training, learning simulation, work-integrated learning
& career placement, advancement, and
transition. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
Biemiller, L. (2009, March 27). Bursting at
the seams. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(29), p. B11. Retrieved on April 5,
2009, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/
v55/i29/29b01101.htm
Carr, S. (2000). As distance education
comes of age, the challenge is keeping the
students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 23, A39 . Retrieved May 20, 2008,
from http://chronicle.com/free/v46/
i23/23a00101.htm
14
Student Success
Diaz, D. P. (2002). Online drop rates
revisited. The Technology Source.
Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://
technologysource.org/article/
online_drop_rates_revisited/
Facione, P. (2009, March 20). A StraightTalk Survival Guide for Colleges. The
Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(28),
p. A36. Retrieved on April 5, 2009,
from http://chronicle.com/free/v55/
i28/28a03601.htm
Fain, P. (2009). Gordon Gee says colleges
face ‘reinvention or extinction.’ The
Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved
on March 31, 2009, from http://chronicle.
com/daily/2009/02/11131n.htm
Frankola, K. (2001). Why online learners
drop out. Workforce, 80, 53-58.
Goodman, P., & Healy, J. (2009, April 3).
663,000 jobs lost in March; Total tops 5
million. The New York Times. Retrieved
on April 5, 2009, from http://www.
nytimes.com/2009/04/04/business/
economy/04jobs.html?bl&ex=123890400
0&en=e70ffe2956e3a3c3&ei=5087%0A
Hartman, K., & Betts, K. (2009). Quality and scaling: Oxymoron or reality in
online degrees at non-profit colleges and
universities. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
Kopf, D. (2007). e-Learning market to hit
$52.6B by 2010. The Journal. Retrieved
April 2, 2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21046/
2006-07. Washington, DC: US Department
of Education.
Newsweek (n.d.). Distance learning and
online degrees. NewsweekShowcase.
com. Retrieved on March 5, 2009 from,
http://www.newsweekshowcase.com/
distance-learning/
Pennino, M. (2008, July 26). Colleges cope with rising energy costs.
Lancaster Online.com. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from http://www.
universitybusiness.com/newssummary.
aspx?news=yes&postid=16390
Schaffhauser, D. (2009, January 9). Survey
reports many online learners never
seek help before dropping out. Campus
Technology. Retrieved on March 14,
2009, from http://www.campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/01/09/
Survey-Reports-Many-Online-LearnersNever-Seek-Help-Before-Dropping-Out.
aspx
Stark, S., & Warren, T. (1999). ‘Connecting’ the distance: relational issues
for participants in a distance learning
program. Journal of Further and Higher
Education, 23 (3). Retrieved June 10,
2008, from http://www.voced.edu.au/td/
int_60.118
United States Distance Learning (2009).
United States Distance Learning Association and Elluminate, Inc. partner to launch
new website, Retrieved on February
12, 2009, from http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs016/1011054872119/
archive/1102411801568.html
Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (1996).
Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Moss, A. (2009, March 18). San Marcos:
University may have to turn away 7,000
student this fall. North County Times.
Retrieved on March 26, 2009, from http://
www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/03/17/
news/inland/san_marcos/zc5df1fb60c5315c78825757c007b42f1.txt
National Center for Education Statistics.
(2008). Distance education at degree
granting postsecondary institutions:
www.educationalpolicy.org
THE REVIEW
Improving Student Retention in Higher Education:
The Role of Teaching and Learning
by Glenda Crosling, Liz Thomas and Margaret Heagney (eds)
EPI Rating (4/5)

Book Review by Maree Conway
T
he sub-title of this book about
student retention is ‘the role of
teaching and learning’ and that
provides the context for the work of the
editors. While providing this context
allows the scope of the book to be kept
within feasible limits, I found myself
wondering if the book had missed an
opportunity to encourage a more holistic
consideration of what influences s tudent
retention in higher education today. As I
worked my way through the book, I kept
thinking that the editors needed to place
their work in the even broader con¬text
of the ‘student experience’ and how that
is being defined and explored.
Educational Policy Institute
My reaction stems, perhaps not surprisingly, from my background in tertiary
education institutions. Much of my work
in faculties and in student administration
offices over the years was with students
facing the types of engagement difficulties described in this book (although we
didn’t call it that until recent times), but
I saw it from a different perspective to
that of the editors. It is now – or should
be – recognised that the quality of the
student experience is not determined
solely by the teaching and learning experience; rather, it is constructed through
the totality of the interactions students
have with staff across a range of areas
– both academic and administrative.
So, it is important to state up front that
my worldview and my understanding of
retention in higher education have influenced this review.
The book is well written and easy to
read. It is clear in its intent:
to stimulate readers’ thinking about their
students and their learning in the current
higher education setting, and to present
a range of approaches and strategies as
food for thought, and as models for the
way forward. (p. 5)
This intent is underpinned by the belief
of the editors that ‘if students are to
continue with their studies, institutions need to recognise their needs and
provide them with a reasonable chance
of succeeding’ (p. 4). The editors explore
student retention strategies by focusing
on curriculum change and development
in three areas – student diversity, modes
of teaching and learning and disciplines
– which also provide the structure of the
book. Each area has an overview chapter
written by one of the editors, followed
by five international case studies (15 in
all), which broadly use an action research
approach.
The overview chapters provide the
context for the case studies, as well as
highlighting the major issues and challenges faced in each area. At the core of
all the case studies is an orientation of
the ‘teacher’ towards the ‘student’, and
a recognition that one size does not fit all
when it comes to curriculum design and
teaching delivery. The case studies also
demonstrate how being open to changing the curriculum can be a rewarding, if
sometimes frustrating and challenging,
experience for staff.
The book is designed to be read by just
about everybody except administrative
staff (p. 6), although not mentioning this
group specifically does not, of course,
preclude them from reading the book.
It is an example of how student retention has been identified as an ‘academic’
issue by the editors, rather than as an
issue of concern to everyone who works
with students in higher education institutions.
There are a number of core assumptions
that emerge and reinforce each other
throughout the book, all of which reflect
the context within which the book was
written. The need to be student centred
is omnipresent, as is structuring learning
to incorporate the interests and experiences of all students (p. 17) and helping
non-traditional students to cope with
higher education (p. 21), and academic
culture shock (p. 70).
That it is in group learning contexts ‘that
students are most able to engage with
the learning process’ (p. 72) may be an
assumption worth testing, although it
APRIL 2009
15
would depend on how ‘group’ is defined,
that is, whether online communities
are regarded as learning groups. Each
mode of delivery has advantages and dis
advantages depending on the student
cohort.
Another assumption seemed to be implicit in these statements:
‘Students need to engage and identify on
a personal level with their universities,
and opportunities to develop friendships
and networks with their fellow students
assist in this process’ (p. 167)
‘…students needed to move from a transmissive to a transformative understanding of teaching and learning’ (p. 58)
‘…how students from non-traditional
backgrounds can be transformed into active and engaged learn¬ers’ (p. 168).
It may be semantics, but the terms ‘need’
and ‘transform’ suggest an assumption
that teacher still knows best – we know
what’s best for you, and you need to …
engage on a personal level, move from
transmissive to transformative, be transformed. In the future, when students are
likely be the determiners of what they
need, this assumption may well be challenged.
I particularly like the discussion on disciplines in the third section of the book
– Facilitating Student Suc-cess, Disciplines and Curriculum Development (pp.
119–125) and think that this description
of how dis-ciplines create and maintain
their own cultures and particular forms
of teaching and learning practices would
be very useful reading for administrative
staff. It provides a clear description of
what is perhaps one of the fundamental
tenets of academic work, which is often
not well understood or appreciated by
those who have not been trained in the
academic way of doing things.
In the concluding section, the editors
note that they have ‘…presented and
discussed curriculum based approaches
as the optimum and most feasible way to
improve retention of students in higher
education’ (p. 166). Given that curriculum change is the focus of the book, this
16
Student Success
is an accurate and not surprising statement. Curriculum based approaches
may be the optimum and most feasible
approach for academic staff, how¬ever,
but not for administrative and other
professional staff. Indeed, while the editors themselves point out, ‘an integrated
approach which benefits all students is
required, and thus curriculum change is
essential’ (p. 182), this integration refers
to academic work, and not integration
with activity in administrative areas.
One of the biggest issues I have with the
book is that it is focused very much on
the here and now. To be fair to the editors, this is a book about things academic
staff can do now to improve student
retention, but it would have been useful
to broaden out the context to take into
account emerging trends in this area. The
strategies identified are good, and they
emphasise the imperative for change,
but the focus is on change today, not on
what will need to continue to change
into the future – as the factors influencing student retention shift and change.
There is much made of the need to
understand the diversity of the student
cohort to be able to provide flexible and
responsive curriculum today, and the
book acknowledges the impact of shifting and diverse student preferences and
styles around how they learn, when they
learn and what they learn, depending on
their backgrounds. However, emerging
and strengthening trends such as the
shifting role of the academic from content development to facilitation, modularisation of content, the decline of the
qualification as we know it today and the
subsequent emerging need for accreditation services, the rise of educational
gaming, and the increasing convergence
of delivery on the mobile phone and
other personal digital devices, suggests
a not too far distant future that may
render obsolete some of the strategies
discussed in the book.
I found myself thinking that if ‘teachercentred and student-centred approaches
place teachers and stu¬dents in radically
different roles’ (p. 72) today, what comes
next? If we have moved, or are moving,
from teacher centred (in the past), to
student centred (today), what does the
future hold? Student owned curriculum? Perhaps a question or two could
be added to that excellent list of reflective questions (p. 181) that provide an
opportunity to focus thinking on what is
coming over the horizon, to balance out
the current focus of these questions on
what is happening today.
As the editors suggest, being studentcentred and engagement are keys to
improving student retention, and this will
hold true into the future. But, understanding how these concepts will change
over time, and how the needs and values
of students will change is not something
that can be done once.
Right now, the drivers of massification,
increasing student diversity, and the
focus on quality by governments and
funding agencies has surfaced student
retention as a critical issue for curriculum developers and deliverers and one
to which staff are responding through
curriculum change. But, these drivers will
shift into the future, and staff will need
to be ready to respond to those new
drivers with equal gusto.
This is a good book – it takes the topical
issue of student retention and explores it
in an accessible yet detailed way through
the use of real-world case studies. It
would be a better book, in my view, if its
premises and assumptions were tested
beyond today. The editors rightly point
out that the ‘traditional’ way of doing things is no longer relevant and we
therefore need to change how we deliver
teaching and learning. That same logic
– what was effective in the past is not
effective today – needs to be extended
out, since what is effective today will not
be effective in the future. So what then
are the implications for student retention
in the future? Perhaps the editors will
consider that for their second edition.
Maree Conway runs Thinking Futures,
a collaborative consulting practice.
www.educationalpolicy.org
EPIWebinars
EPI Webinars are an ongoing series of interactive online presentations focused on a variety of educational
topics in the areas of early childhood, secondary and
post-secondary education. Each webinar is hosted by
an expert in their field and administered by EPI staff.
U P C O M I N G
W E B I N A R S
College Student Success for Latino Students
April 23, 2:00 – 3:30pm, EDT
Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute
The Stimulus & You: Positioning your Program for Funding
April 28, 10:00 – 11:30 AM, EDT
Dr. David Lopez, Senior Research Scientist, The Educational Policy
Institute
An Introduction to Strategic Enrollment Management
May 6, 2:00 – 3:30 AM, EDT
Jay Goff, Dean of Enrollment, Missouri University of Science and
Technology
ALSO IN MAY.... our GEAR UP series on evaluation, matching funds,
parental involvement, and community engagement.
For a complete lising of our Webinars, visit:
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Check back often, as new webinars are continuously posted.
RECENT EPI PUBLICATIONS
ON THE BRINK: HOW THE
RECESSION OF 2009 WILL IMPACT
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Alex Usher & Ryan Dunn
ENGAGING FACULTY & STAFF:
AN IMPERATIVE FOR FOSTERING
RETENTION, ADVISING & SMART
BORROWING
Watson Scott Swail with Rebecca
Mullen, Hyniea Gardner, and Jeremy
Reed
BEYOND THE STICKER SHOCK 2008:
A CLOSER LOOK AT CANADIAN
TUITION FEES
EPI Canada
THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
ACT & THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT: A Progress
Report
Watson Scott Swail & Betsy Brand
A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
TO INSTITUTIONAL & STUDENT
SUCCESS: A Training Model
for Embedding Student Loan
Default Emersion Within Strategic
Enrollment Management
TG & EPI
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO STRATEGIC
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT IN
PLANNING HIGHER EDUCATION
(November 2007) R.B. Wilkinson,
James Taylor, Ange Peterson, and
Maria de Lourdes Machado-Taylor
Visit educationalpolicy.org to
download your EPI publication today.
Educational Policy Institute
APRIL 2009
17
E P I AWA R D S
2008 Outstanding Student Retention Award
Congratulations to Last Year’s Award Winners
Oklahoma City University & Texas A&M University
Two institutions that have shown excellence in the development and
implementation of their student retention program.
“Both Oklahoma City University and
Texas A&M University are leading the
way for other institutions of higher
education to focus on student success,”
states Dr. Watson Scott Swail, president
of the Educational Policy Institute. “We
hope that acknowledging the excellence
of these and other institutions at our
Retention 2008 International Conference
on Student Retention will provide an
opportunity for higher education leaders
and practitioners to learn via the experience of others.”
Dr. Liz Donnelly and Mr. Eduardo Prieto, co-chairs of the “Retention and
Graduation” initiative at Oklahoma City
University, have adopted the strategies
“Good to Great,” in order to produce
a 13 percent freshman retention-rate
increase. The four-stage “Good to Great”
program offers guidelines to implement
a research-based approach for improving
an organization’s weak points. Oklahoma
City University used an in-depth course
of program evaluation, internal reviews,
and external peer and benchmarking in
order to move the institution toward a
data-driven decision-making model. Utilizing strategic planning and assessment,
Dr. Donnelly and Mr. Prieto have assisted
the university in achieving healthy retention rates, enrollment headcounts, and
fiscal stability. Continuing to strive for
improvement, Oklahoma City University,
18
Student Success
a private, four-year institution of 3,600
students in Oklahoma City, has outlined
specific goals for 2009 and hopes to
reach their new target.
Ms. Myra Gonzalez, director of the
“Century Scholars” scholarship and
enrichment program at Texas A&M University (TAMU), has chosen to focus on
long-term success for students and has
successfully produced a student body
that brings cultural, geographic, ethnic,
and economic diversity to TAMU. The
Century Scholars (Scholars) program has
the dual distinction of acting as a developmental means for turning students
into successful leaders and a recruitment
tool that encourages student engagement at TAMU as it concentrates on retention through the students’ academic
success. Since TAMU has many large,
core-curriculum courses, the Scholars
program targets students in these classes
for the largest impact. The Century
Scholars program also utilizes its scholars
as ambassadors to their communities,
who promote the ideals of academic
excellence, leadership development, and
professional growth to students at their
former high schools through classroom
visits. In addition, the Century Scholars
Program has a partnership with 65 high
schools from the Houston, San Antonio,
and Dallas/Fort Worth area that have
been underrepresented at TAMU in past years.
By honoring the excellent work being
done by institutions today to create programs that use innovative means to help
students realize their goals, EPI hopes to
further its mission of creating opportunities for minority students at post secondary institutions.
www.educationalpolicy.org