~~~~~'1~rtl~t
.~ REPORTS
Nontraditional Students:
Time Isn't Always on Their Side by Jeff Simmons
T h message was Time ason clea as theoftitle eembiazoned report: Isthe the cover Eney. the For so many nontraditional students, time hasn't always been on their side. What this
groundbreaking report found was that these nontraditional students were more likely to drop out the longer they
done. And, I thk we were intialy hoping to get 10 or 15 states. Thirty-three states doing this
or bachelor's degree were part-time college commuters who were often juggling familes,
was prett signcant."
work and classes. Additionaly, 25 percent of students attended full time at residential col-
Collectively, more than 10 mion students enroll in public institutions anualy in the states that parcipated in the study, a clear majority of
leges; and if they attended par tie, the federal
governent did not even track their success, as if they were "invisible." Second, par-tie students rarely
spent in college.
graduated even if they had twce as much tie to reach that goal.
And this group traditionaly has included large numbers of Hispanc students, who were taking more
Third, graduation odds were especially low for students who
time, and were more likely to be headed for the exit door before
were Hispanc, Afcan-American or
graduation. "The core message is: the longer
of these students than ever before
poor. Even though there were more
enrollng in college, too few ended
students take to graduate, the less likely they are to graduate," said
up with certcates or degrees.
The report found that 46 percent
Stan Jones, president of Complete
of full-time Hispanic students
College America and former com-
earned a four-year degree in six
missioner of higher education, long-
year, and that an alarg 17 per-
tie state legislator, and senior advi-
cent of Hispanic students earned
sor to the governor in Indiana.
their diploma in six years.
"They need to sta to go to col-
That's better than African-
lege right after high schooL. They
American students - with 40 per-
need to go in a deliberate way and
cent of those enrollg in a fu-tie
graduate on tie, and they need to
program having earned a diploma
go full time as much as possible,"
in six years and 14 percent of par-
Jones said.
tie ones havig eaed a degree in
The two-year-old, nonprofit
six years - but substatialy worse
Complete College America, which is based in Washigton, recently issued the 242-page Time Is the Eney as
than Whte students. Fourt, many students were wast-
ing tie on excess credits, tag too much time to earn a degree and decreaing their chances of gruat-
part of NBC's Education Nation
Summt.
Besides fidig that nontrdition-
ing by stayig in school
longer.
al students who spent too long trg to ea a
American students in public colleges and unver-
degree were more liely not to be around come graduation, the report determined that many
sities today.
students who needed remediation were faig to
sented means that the most alarg trends can
a community college and 21 percent of those
even show up for class.
be traced across al of the states represented in
who staed at a four-year college need remedia-
these fidigs," the report stated.
tion, which the authors call the "Bermuda
Comp'iete College America requested infor-
"The signcant number of students repre-
And fialy, too many students needed reme-
diation, but too few succeeded when they got it. Nearly 50 percent of students who staed at
mation on public college and urversity grdua-
The report centered on five troublig fidigs:
tion rates from al 50 states, and 33 elected to
First, nontraditional students are the new
Triangle" in higher education. About 30 percent of students in remediation
share their enrollent records. "It was huge," Jones said of the response
majority on college campuses. The report pointed out that nearly 75 percent
class, the report stated. Simply put, remedial
from states. "It's the first project that's ever been
of students seekig a certcate or an associate
students are much less likely to graduate than
10
HISPANIC OUTLOOK
. 02/13/2012
classes failed to show up on the first day of
nonremedial ones. "Obviously, we have to figure out a way to
breakdown alows more personalzed advocacy
Of fu-tie Hispanc students seekig assoCI-
ate degrees in Uta public colleges, only 2.6 per-
ly, but the way we are doing it right now is
by geography. "It was prett much developed in such a way that you could get al of the important information on one page that a policy-
astoundigly ineffective," said Hiar Pennngton,
maker needed to understad."
cent graduated within four years. The report
help students who need to catch up academical-
director of postsecondary success, U.S.
Program, at the Bil & Melinda Gates
The statistics were less than glowing in
cent graduated on tie, with two yea, 8.4 per-
cent graduated with thee yea, and 11.5 per-
noted that those on a par-time schedule fared
much worse: only 1.2 percent graduated with
many states.
Foundation, which along with the Lumina Foundation and others fianced the founding of
State student took between 5.2 years to 5.7 years
Complete College America.
to graduate with a degree that should normaly
In Arzona, 5.5 percent of Hispanc fu-tie
"That is a lot of the focus of the Bil &
take four years to complete. Only 9.8 percent of
students seeking associate degrees in two years
Melida Gates Foundation. We are very focused
Hispanic students attending full time in pursuit of a bachelor's degree graduated on time, 43.
years, and 16.8 percent took four years. Among
you improve the system," she said. Overa, the report found that just over hal of
percent within six years and 53.7 percent within
those seekig bachelor's degrees, 24 percent of
eight years.
full-time Hispanc students graduated on tie in
students who sought a bachelor's degree on a
Utah witnessed some of the longest periods
on tryg to crack the code and ask how would
For example, in Calfornia, the average Cal
three years, and 3.6 percent graduated within four
yeas.
graduated on time, 11.9 percent took three
four years, 53.7 percent graduated within six
years, and 59.3 percent graduated withi eight years. In Texas, of every 100 students
fu-tie basis completed their edu-
cation in six years, and such completion rates remained relatively stagnant despite a 35 percent college-enrollent growt over the last
who enrolled in a public college, 79 began at a community college - yet only two received a two-year degree
four decades. "The fidigs have been received
on tie. More tie didn't necessari-
with a lot of shock," Pennington said, noting how it questioned a number of myths. "Most people
ly yield better results: after four years, only seven had graduated.
believe that if you start college in
enrolled at a four-year college, five graduated on time, and afer eight
And of the 21 of those 100 who
America, you finish, but that's not tre. It's shockig how hard it is for part-time students are the majority
year, only 13 eared their degree. Hispanic graduation rates were troubling, with only 2.4 percent of
of college students."
fu-tie Hispanc students in Texas
part-time students to finish, and
A sizeable porton of today's col-
public colleges earg their associ-
lege students might be going to
ate degrees on time in two years,
school par time, but par-tie stu-
7.2 percent within three years and 11.3 percent with four years.
dents have substatialy lower gradu-
ation rates than full-tie ones, and
As far as bachelor's degrees,
often because of obstacles they face
only 15 percent of Hispanc students
juggg multiple responsibilties, the
on a fu-tie track at public Texas
report stated. Experts considered the report
four years while 44.7 percent
colleges eared a degree on tie in
"landmark" because of the way in which its data have been studied,
eared degrees with six years, and
noting that the federal Integrated
eight year.
52.9 percent eared degrees with
Postsecondary Education Data
There's no eas fi, but there are
solutions that need to be embraced
Sytem does not analyze graduation
rates of nontraditional students.
levels, recommending a new system of schedulg, embeddig remediation
Jim Applegate, vice president of program development at the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation
on both local and national
ed," Jones said. "The federa government is the only good source of data, and they
for degree completion: Fu-time students gradu-
into reguar currcula, and reducing class tie.
don't have graduation rates on al students, such
ated in an average 6.7 yeas whie par-tie stu-
as par-tie students. Ths inormation has been
dents took nearly eight years to fish schooL. In
rather spare, and so that's why this is the first
the state, of every 100 students who enrolled in a public college, 71 chose a community college,
"Part of addressing the issues concerning Latinos is that higher education has to become more productive, has to become more effcient and effective, and that means quality," said
"To me, one of the best thgs of the report
45 enrolled fu time, and 26 enrolled par tie.
Jim Applegate, vice president of program devel-
was about how incredibly user-friendly it is," Pennington said, noting how the state-by-state
But afer four years, only 14 of the full-timers
opment at the, indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation. "Everyody has to get on board and
"The data have not been collect-
report of its kid."
and one of the part-tiers had graduated.
02/13/2012 . HISPANIC OUTLOOK 11
start asking the tough questions
Finaly, the authors recommend
about why its tag so many credits
that policymakers follow in the
and so long for students to get to a success point." He added: "We know the stu-
footsteps of 29 governors and get America. This has alowed them to
dents who come from the poor high
benefit from access to a band of
schools. We know who they are, and they tend to be students of color and
reformers and experts in higher
low-income students, and we need to create a system where we put them on the escalator toward success and degrees." The report sets forth a blueprit
understand the need to make
of five "essential" steps that states
ers wil absorb the findings and
should take immediately - in
involved with Complete College
education policy and practice who changes to improve college com-
pletion. Penngton said the hope is that colleges, universities and policyak-
Jones said, "There need to be
chanel that into substative reform. "It's not just the responsibilty or the fault of the students," she said. This, she said, is beginning to
substatial changes in the way col-
break through into regular public
leges are structured. We've got
discourse, but the level of engage-
great leadership, great faculty and great college and university presi-
ment is nevertheless "sobering
dents, but the system is broken.
most policy addresses. They are sti
essence, a complete reshuffng of priorities.
because it doesn't rise to the top of
They are not really designed for
pretty focused on K-12 education.
these students."
We stil have a lot to learn about which interventions make the biggest dierence. " The lower college completion
Intialy, they need to strengthen
reporting. For instance, states should count al students, set stateand campus-level goals, and uni-
formly measure progress and success. The report's authors note that by even providig data, the 33 states already proved that it is possible to count the
Stan Jones, president, Complete College America
lar attention.
"If we do one thing that would
Another strong recommendation is that remediation must be transformed so that stu-
success of each student.
rates of Hispanc and other miority student populations warant parcu-
help secure the country's future, it would be to increase the college success of Latino stu-
And the 29 governors who pledged to fu
dents can earn college credits that count as
dents," she said. "I think that is a big oppor-
the commtments of membership in the Alance of States are clearly settng goals and reinventig higher education to create the conditions for higher achievement, the report noted. "More states should do the same," it read.
quickly as possible. Ths, the report noted, is the
tunity that will get more focus not just because
best thg that can be done to increase college
of this report but because of the work of
completion.
others as well."
"And the federa governent should try to catch
full-credit classes, and accomplish this by
up by fig daagg gaps in the national data-
adding extra class time and tutoring support, instead of delaying their entrance into these
base, rasing the stadad of meaurement, and countig every student in our country." Additionaly, there needs to be a movement
For example, schools should start as many underprepared students as possible in first-year,
to reduce the tie it taes to ea a certcate or
classes by shuttng them into remedial courses. Also, programs should be restructured in recognition of the busy lives many students have.
degree. The authors recommended that schools
The authors recommended the establishment of
ensure that unnecessar credit requirements are
block classes so that students can attend full
not added to certcate and degree progrs.
tie by learng from, for instace, 8 a.m. to 2
Instead, the authors noted, they should
p.m., five days a week.
.~
The College of Wooster, Ohio:
ECONOMICS Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Full description available on the College's
demand "robust," comprehensive transfer
"For example, with block scheduling, stu-
mechanisms that reach across campus walls
dents wi tae classes in a single block and go
http://ww. wooster.edu/Omces-
so students can bring credits with them
every day for three or four hours a day. "They
instead of losing valuable time when being
wi be more likely to graduate and graduate on
Directories/Human- Resources/ Employment-Opportunities
asked to start over.
time," Jones said.
12
HISPANIC OUTLOOK
. 02/13/2012
Human Resources web page: