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Title: Learners of Tomorrow
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2017
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Abstract: U.S. colleges and universities face declining enrollments by “traditional” 18-24 year old, recent high school graduates, living on or near a campus, who enter with aspirations and some preparation for higher education. Currently, this segment comprises approximately 24% of college attendees, and competition for this population is fierce in Oregon and nationally. Ironically, most marketing and recruiting focuses on this limited applicant pool. SOU cannot count on traditional international students to increase enrollment in the current political climate. Meanwhile, adult, part-time and off-campus students are a growing enrollment sector for most universities. Between 2007 and 2016, 26% to 30% of SOU students were 26 years or older. Although revealing, this “non-traditional” category masks significant distinctions. Jeffrey Selingo, in his work College (Un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education, terms two significant categories of non-traditional learners the “career switchers,” who are returning to higher education seeking new skills and “career accelerators,” who are returning to higher education for career mobility or higher earnings. Pearson (2016) found that 80% of adult learners cited tuition or program fees, class schedules, or program length as barriers. Healthcare, information technology, and company management are growing areas of interest for adult learners. Southern Oregon University expresses a philosophy of diversity and inclusion that suggests looking at the fastest growing and most underserved populations within our six-county region, and outward from there. About 70% of SOU students come from the six counties of Southern Oregon (Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath), where less than 15% of the population aged 25 and older currently hold a Bachelor’s degree. The Hispanic youth population of southwestern Oregon is growing significantly. The area is predominantly rural. SOU might better serve southwestern Oregon learners by addressing the needs of place-bound, rural, first-generation and frugality-conscious learners, in addition to those of traditional students and others, usually older, motivated by career-related goals.
Url: http://sou.edu/strategic-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2017/02/Learners-of-Tomorrow.pdf
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Authors: Arce, Thomas; Cedar, Mary Jane; Adams, Roni; King, John; Settles, Moneeka; Parker, Michael; Kaufman, Jaime
Publisher: http://sou.edu/strategic-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2017/02/Learners-of-Tomorrow.pdf
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Education
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