Guidebook & Toolkit FOR INSTITUTIONS

Transcription

1 Guidebook & Toolkit FOR INSTITUTIONS

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3 Table of Contents Section 1 About Reconnect + Complete The Drive to 55: Tennessee s Critical Mission...3 Tennessee Reconnect: Strategies to Engage and Support Adult Learners...4 The Reconnect + Complete Effort...6 Reconnect + Complete Timeline...8 Section 2 Models of Success for Adult Learner Re-Engagement Models of Success and Lessons Learned...10 Keys to Success: Project Win-Win...11 Keys to Success: Tennessee Institutions Section 3 Understanding Tennessee s Adult Noncompleters: Assumptions, Motivations and Barriers to Re-Entry Adults Talk About Completion...14 Profile of a Returning Adult Learner...15 Barriers Faced by Returning Adult students Section 4 Developing Your Institution s Reconnect + Complete Strategic Outreach (and Intake) Plan Step 1: Understanding your audience...21 Step 2: Reviewing the current experience for adult learners Step 3: Developing your high-level marketing plan Step 4: Barriers and mitigating strategies...24 Step 5: Building project team & assigning responsibilities Step 6: Bring it all together Section 5 Worksheets and Resources Step 1 Worksheet Step 2 Worksheet Step 3 Worksheet Step 4 Worksheet...31 Step 5 Worksheet Step 6 Worksheet Sample phone script Sample script...37 Introduction Thank you for being a part of the Tennessee Reconnect + Complete program. As we focus on Tennessee s long term education and economic goals, particularly through the lens of Governor Bill Haslam s Drive to 55 initiative, adults become a critical component of reaching those goals. In Tennessee, there are over 900,000 adults who have some college credits, but no degree or credential. Reaching these adults is at the center of the Drive to 55 s Tennessee Reconnect initiative. Through the resources, ideas and strategies provided by Tennessee Reconnect + Complete, your institution can play a major role in reaching the goals of the Drive to 55 and supporting students and Tennessee s education and workforce needs. This guidebook is designed to rapidly inform you about the Reconnect + Complete initiative, what we know about adult learners and noncompleters, and the most relevant information you will need in order to develop a plan for reaching out to adults that already have some college experience. The guidebook discusses models of success, presents market research on adult noncompleters and discusses barriers that adults could face when returning to college. Once you have reviewed the information presented in the first three sections of this handbook, we will ask you to take the next step: develop a plan that will work for the specific needs of your institution. We recognize that you know your institution and your community best. We encourage you to develop a plan that highlights what your institution offers for adult learners and why they are an important part of your community. Your work on Tennessee Reconnect + Complete and your programs focused on adult learners are at the center of Tennessee s higher education priorities. Thank you for your work to ensure that these students benefit from the high-quality education that your institution offers. -Russ Deaton Interim Executive Director Tennessee Higher Education Commission

4 2 SECTION 1 About Reconnect+Complete

5 The Drive to 55: Tennessee s Critical Mission The Drive to 55 is the State s mission to increase the percentage of working adults with some kind of postsecondary degree or credential from 37 percent at present to 55 percent in the year The goal of the 55 percent educational attainment rate is based on the estimated percent of jobs that will require a postsecondary credential in Responding to this demand will mean reduced unemployment and improved quality of life for Tennesseans. 37% 55% BY nd estimated current number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary Credential Governor Haslam s educational attainment goal 42nd: Tennessee s rank in terms of percent of population with at least an Associate degree. If we were able to increase the high school graduation rate, college going rates, and first year retention rates of traditional students to best performance, we would still be far from 55 percent educational attainment. Therefore, the recruitment, retention, and completion of adults in higher education will determine, in large part, significant progress toward our state s goal. Currently there are 55,000 adult undergraduates currently enrolled in public 2- and 4-year schools, and the prospective adult student pool of Tennesseans with some college but no degree is over 900,000. THE PRIMARY STRATEGIES FOR DRIVE TO Get students ready. Reduce the need for remedial courses; boost participation in early college opportunities. 2. Get students in. Reduce financial barriers, especially to community and technical colleges. Improve mentoring and guidance for students. 3. Get students out. Building on the success of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, enhance programs to increase graduation rates. 4. Finish. Create new opportunities for the 900,000 to 1 million adults with some college but no degree. 5. Create alignment and accountability. Ensure state agencies, educational institutions, and employers work together to identify skills gaps of the future and proactively fill them. Furthermore, measure investments to increase accountability and value. 3

6 Tennessee Reconnect: Strategies to Engage and Support Adult Learners Tennessee Reconnect is a major initiative of the Drive to 55, focused on helping adults 25 and older enter postsecondary education so that they may gain new skills, advance in the workplace, and fulfill lifelong dreams of completing a degree or credential. The overarching Tennessee Reconnect program is made up of several state and local efforts which aim to increase support to and opportunities for adults returning to higher education. Reconnect + Complete is one of those efforts. Below are the descriptions of all of the TN Reconnect programs. TCAT Reconnect Grant: Eligible Tennessee residents can receive last dollar scholarships to enroll full time in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) is working with the University of Tennessee system and the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to develop a web portal focused on providing resources to adults returning to, or enrolling for the first time in, postsecondary education. This new public website will help adults navigate learning opportunities available at Tennessee institutions. Adults will be provided options that fit their needs, schedules and goals. The portal will also be designed to allow former students to enter transcript information and receive back a list of academic pathway options, institutions offering those options, and information about careers connected with those academic pathways. The purpose of this portal is to offer a single destination for adults where they can find resources to transcend institutional boundaries including, but not limited to, offering processes to explore the benefits, comparability and costs of attaining a degree or credential. The web portal is anticipated to be completed and launched by December 2015 and will replace the content that currently exists on the website. The purpose of Tennessee Reconnect + Complete is to locate these adults and provide resources for Tennessee institutions to reach out to them and encourage them to finish their degree. Institutions will be able to reach out to the adults directly, offering information about their institution as well as the statewide Tennessee Reconnect + Complete effort. Ready to Reconnect: In February 2015, THEC released a call for proposals to public and private not-for-profit two- and four- year institutions and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) for mini-grants to fund institutional initiatives to support adult learning. In August, $726,130 in Ready to Reconnect grants were awarded to sixteen higher education institutions. The programs funded through Ready to Reconnect will support adult student retention and completion through increased support and programmatic elements. Many of the funded programs plan to engage adult learners by connecting them with adult learner peers, increasing access to technology for academic purposes and supporting connections between their academic pursuits and career ambitions. Other institutions are providing training and resources to faculty and staff to further support their adult students inside and outside the classroom such as providing faculty training on incorporating multiple methods of instruction including experiential and problem-based methods. Tennessee Reconnect + Complete: Tennessee s adult learner re-engagement initiative will reach the 85,000+ Tennessee adults aged who have earned at least 50 percent of credits toward a degree but have never finished college. 4

7 Tennessee Reconnect: Strategies to Engage and Support Adult Learners, cont. TN Reconnect Communities & the TN Reconnect Community Network As Tennessee is developing initiatives, programs, and supports at the state level for adult learners, communities are where the success of Drive to 55 will be decided. By localizing the Drive to 55, communities will be engaged in assisting and supporting their residents in the pursuit of postsecondary completion. This community-based service will reach out to and support adults locally to re-enroll in postsecondary education and complete a postsecondary credential. Prospective adult learners will be provided a variety of services including advising, career counseling, and scholarship resources. These community centers will also act as a connecting point for local employers, local institutions of higher education, and prospective adult learners, working to create awareness of the benefits of adult completion as a strategy for economic development and a source for workforce talent. TimewiseTN Prior Learning Assessment Branding: As a state, Tennessee has made great strides to develop clearer, more comprehensive PLA standards and provide more PLA options to students. However, students are finding it difficult in some cases to locate information about those PLA opportunities. THEC has been working with a marketing firm to develop a common identity for all PLA programs in the state. The result is TimewiseTN: Turn Your Years of Knowledge into College Credit. We have developed a logo and are in the process of creating a student orientation brochure and video that will be made available to any institution that will also use the TimewiseTN moniker. Institutional PLA programs will not change in form; however, the goal is to develop a common language that will be clear to students and allow them to find PLA resources on campus. The adoption of the logo and program name (TimewiseTN) will be voluntary, and those institutions who do adopt the name will be identified on the adult learner portal as TimewiseTN schools. Conducting Adult Learner Research & Building the Policy Framework In order to fully understand and illustrate the importance and condition of adult learners in Tennessee higher education, we must more deeply analyze and report the rich data we have access to in our state. Beginning early 2016, THEC will pursue a large scale research project which will include 1) an qualitative overview of factors related to adult learners using THEC s Student Information System; 2) a request to Tennessee higher education faculty to conduct original research on the state of adult learners; and 3) a request to Tennessee higher education administrators and non-profit organizations to develop qualitative analyses of evidence-based practices in serving adult learners. This year-long multifaceted research project will culminate in a publication and a convening in early 2017 to share the outcomes of this research to essential state higher education policy leaders, non-profit organizations and institutional faculty and staff. Our aim is to further understand the complexities, challenges and barriers facing adult learners in Tennessee and to inform and influence state and institutional policy related to adult learners through this research initiative. Further, THEC will disseminate this research nationally to pertinent organizations, commissions and institutions. 5

8 The Reconnect+Complete Effort The Tennessee Reconnect + Complete effort is part of the larger TN Reconnect initiative. We ll seek to locate and re-engage adults who have completed at least 50 percent of the credit hours needed for an associate s degree (30 or more credit hours) or bachelor s degree (60 or more credit hours) at the time of departure since 2007 and encourage them to complete a degree. The student s last attended institution will be provided the information that will allow direct outreach to these students in conjunction with a statewide marketing campaign. How Did We Get Started? Last year, THEC began planning this outreach and re-engagement effort through research and data collection. We: Investigated successful programs to re-engage adult students; Worked with public and private, not-for-profit two and four year institutions to identify adult noncompleters with the identifying characteristics previously mentioned; Removed completers after running the names against THEC s Student Information System and the National Student Clearinghouse; and, Contracted with a third party to locate the addresses of these adults to assist the institutions in reaching out to them. What Is Next? Now that we have contact information for almost half of the noncompleters with 50 percent of the credit toward a degree since 2007, the real work begins developing plans to reach out to and receive these students back into our institutions. Beginning today, and over the next few months, institutions will be: 200,000 records of former students with 50% of credits to a degree since 2007 Records of students that had earned degrees elsewhere removed Records with contact information available Developing an outreach strategy based on their unique dataset; Reaching out to students via mail, and phone; and, Executing their outreach strategy with THEC and TSAC support. 50,000 RECORDS 6

9 The Reconnect+Complete Effort, cont. What Will THEC Provide Institutions? THEC has provided you with the lists of students who left your institution and did not complete a degree anywhere. For those we could locate, we have provided mailing addresses, addresses and phone numbers. THEC will be contracting with a vendor to launch a statewide marketing campaign in January and February 2016 which will consist of television and radio ads and billboards designed to reach this group of adults with some college but no degree. The campaign theme will be utilized in designing push cards, which we will provide to your institution to be sent to your Reconnect + Complete population identified in your dataset. We anticipate that timing the push card mail out with the statewide marketing campaign will allow you to reach more adults with some college but no degree. Expectations for the Institutions A. Primary Outreach As previously mentioned, each institution will send these common marketing materials (push cards) to the Reconnect + Complete individuals for whom they have contact information. Mailings will serve as the initial form of outreach for Reconnect + Complete. Direct mail is one of the most effective and minimally intrusive ways to reach adult students who have stopped out of higher education. The physical mailer will include information and next steps for continuing education. As part of the initiative, institutions are required to send the provided physical mailer to adult stop-outs on their designated list. The process for sending the mailer is as follows: 1) Institution assigns a point of contact to receive the marketing materials and sends the name to THEC by October 1; 2) The marketing contact will provide an institutional logo to be included on the physical mailer, and if applicable: institutional adult learner contact, phone number, and ; 3) THEC will print the mailer and provide it to each institution; 5) The institution will label each mailer with student names and addresses; 6) Finally, the institution will send the mailer to the adult students for initial contact (January 2016) B. Secondary Outreach and direct outreach will be the secondary form(s) of reaching out to adult learners. While it is suggested that both forms of outreach are utilized, we understand that institutional capacity may be a concern for institutions and therefore, institutions may choose to or directly call adult stop-outs in addition to sending the physical mailer. Once an adult stop-out has received the physical mailer from the institution, it will be important for the institution to follow up in order to ensure the student has been contacted and has all available information to continue their education. Outreach is an effective outreach tool because of its ease of use and ability to reach a large number of individuals with minimal resources. Additionally, this form of outreach will help facilitate contact with individuals who may have changed mailing addresses or do not regularly check the postal mail service. Please see the customizable template on page 37 for ideas. Direct Outreach Direct outreach will occur primarily through telephone contact. Telephone contact will provide potential adult students with information in a more thorough and personalized manner than other forms of outreach. Direct outreach is flexible, in that adults can ask specific questions based on their background and future plans and have them addressed in a way that is not possible through other forms of outreach. Though this form of outreach is expected to involve a greater investment of time and resources, it is expected to yield a higher rate of success. Please see the customizable phone script on page 35 for ideas. C. Tracking Institutions will also track their outreach. Institutions can choose the mechanism for how they will track outreach and communication and additional measurements to track, but THEC requests that institutions track the following variables: number of students contacted, method of contact, leads returned and number of students enrolled (see template on next page). In addition, we want to know what strategies institutions used to reach those numbers. THEC is asking institutions to supply the chart and a brief narrative report to THEC by March 15, 2016 to provide an overview of progression towards its goal of re-engaging adults. 7

10 The Reconnect+Complete Effort, cont. C. Tracking, cont. Analysis of your data can help your institution clarify different segments of your population with whom your institution will prioritize outreach efforts. For example, your first target population may be those with 100% of credits towards a credential. Or, if a significant portion of these students are veteran students, your institution may consider coordinating with your office of veterans affairs to conduct outreach to this population and these students may become another target population. Through understanding the unique segments of your population of adult noncompleters, you will be prepared to identify and create strategies that will effectively communicate with these adults. Target population 1 Outreach strategy Number of students contacted Method of contact Leads Returned Number of students enrolled Target population 2 Target population 3 Total Reconnect+Complete Timeline September 22, 2015 September December January 2016 January February 2016 March 1, 2016 Ongoing Ongoing Institutions kick off Reconnect + Complete. Institutions prepare for marketing and outreach efforts. Institutions mail push cards to potential adult returners. Institutions begin secondary outreach with phone calls and s. Marketing & outreach concludes. Institutions send final tracking report and goals achieved. Students apply to and register for classes in a best fit program at the institution of their choice. Students should know all details of the degree audit process from their chosen institution and map out a path to postsecondary success. Students enroll and persist toward certificate or degree with adequate support from the institution. 8

11 SECTION 2 Models of Success for Adult Learner Re-Engagement 9

12 Models of Success and Lessons Learned PROJECT WIN-WIN MODEL The Tennessee institutions and stakeholders gathered here are about to embark on a great effort to reconnect students to opportunities to complete. Luckily, we can also benefit from the experience of a national initiative, Project Win-Win, as well as the experience of some of our own institutions. PROJECT WIN-WIN RESULTS & SUCCESS Institutions use available records to identify students who attended but did not complete college. Remove students receiving degrees or reenrolling elsewhere from the universe of interest. 130,000 students identified 42,000 students remaining after removing those who reenrolled or earned degrees elsewhere. Perform degree audits to identify eligible and potential audiences. 6,700 students emerged eligible for the retroactive award of the associate s degree 4,500 have received degrees to date. 20,000 students identified with fewer than 12 credits to completion Award degrees to the eligible. 1,700 have returned to college and another 400 have signaled their intent to return. Locate, contact, and reenroll potentials. 10

13 Lessons Learned: Applying Project Win-Win to Reconnect + Complete While this effort differs from Reconnect + Complete, it also identified former students who were no more than 9 to 12 credits short of an associate s degree to find and bring them back to college to complete the degree. Their lessons learned can inform our work. Excerpts from Searching for our lost degrees: Project Win-Win at the finish line. Available here: project-win-win Keys to Success for Project Win-Win: A National Effort to Locate Former Students and Award Degrees Five years ago, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) launched a program in 61 colleges in nine states (Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin) to locate former students, no longer enrolled anywhere and never awarded a degree, whose records qualified them for associate s degrees, and award those degrees retroactively. Project Win-Win s process, described below, has been replicated in other settings. Get the right team in place, and keep it there. Each phase of Win-Win required appropriate expertise in lead roles, but all team members need to be working together from beginning to end, including institutional research officers, registrars, counselors and advisors, and academic officers. Prioritize the potential completer population for outreach to increase the odds of return. Factors to consider are: number of credits left to complete a degree; GPA; default status of the students; location of the student, etc. Remove non-academic barriers. Cut any institutional red tape that might stand in the way of awarding degrees, such as from a physical education requirement, to parking tickets, library fines, and fees for graduation. Do not exclude students from degree audit on the grounds of financial holds, disciplinary holds, residency questions, or missing curricular pieces. Ultimately, an institution should want to know how many students who would otherwise qualify for a degree could not receive it due to one or more of these non-academic and academic barriers. These factors can be used to prioritize the order of consideration, for those whom the degree audit classifies as potential completers. Offer potential completers an attractive package. Any package the institution s advisors discuss with potentials should include the following features: A policy on transferring in credits earned at other institutions, a policy on the extent and mechanisms for assessment of prior experiential learning, a list of courses that would satisfy degree requirements for that student, and indications of how these can fit into work and family commitments. 11

14 Keys to Success: Tennessee Institutions Some Tennessee institutions have been engaged in similar initiatives to identify and reach out to adult noncompleters. Here are some tips from those who have successfully tried this: Walters State Community College Walters State s Records Office identified 900 students who attended within the past 5 years and had stopped out with no degree, 45 earned college credits, and a minimum GPA of 2.0. Degree audits were completed on these students in order to identify remaining courses needed. A small number of students were able to qualify for institutional money to address concerns about finances. The program has resulted in 100 graduates and continues each year. Keys to Success at Walters State: Through a combined effort between the Records, Enrollment Services, and Distance Education Offices, academic audits were completed before contacting the prospective returning student. As a result, when the student was contacted, we were able to say these are the classes you need to graduate, and by taking a speech class and a history class you could graduate this semester. We closed by expressing our desire to see them progress from a student to a graduate. Dr. Foster Chason, Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Athletics Middle Tennessee State University University College s GraduateMT program is designed to reach out to former MTSU students who stopped out of the university short of earning their degree. Approximately 3500 students were identified who were at senior level (at least 90 earned hours), had at least a 2.5 GPA, and were in good standing with the university when they withdrew. Students were contacted by mail and asked to return an interest card to the UC office if they wanted more information about completing their degree. MTSU received 330 interest cards from the first mailing. Coordinators then evaluated completion requirements for both their original major and for the Bachelor of Liberal Studies major. These students were then connected with an admissions coordinator and an academic advisor who assisted with re-admission to the university and design of a degree completion plan. Keys to Success at MTSU: Do your homework before you begin. Designate a program leadership team. Create partnerships with offices who are involved in university processes such as admissions, financial aid, and advising. Design a clear and conscience process that meets the needs of this population. Then follow-up, follow-up, follow-up! -Dr. Peggy Carpenter, Assistant Dean of Academic Outreach The University of Memphis University of Memphis students who earned more than 90 credits but stopped out before graduating were identified by staff involved in the University s Finish Line program ( To date, over 120 students have completed cost-effective completion plans subsequently graduating at an average cost of $1600. While the average number of credits needed to graduate has been 10 (the average number of credits completed prior to re-enrollment has been 136), several students have been identified who had the credits to complete without setting foot inside a classroom. Keys to Success at University of Memphis: Students need a reason to come back. That is more than telling them what they already know: you don t have a degree. Tell them about what has changed. The availability of credit for prior learning is a major change, as can be revised [or] updated curriculum. Providing dedicated advisors/coaches to communicate with students and help navigate the system is crucial. Dr. Richard Irwin, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Support Services 12

15 SECTION 3 Understanding Tennessee s Adult Noncompleters: Assumptions, Motivations, and Barriers to Re-Entry 13

16 Adults Talk About Completion In 2012, THEC collaborated with Public Agenda to conduct focus groups with adults who had never attended college, or those that had started and not finished. Would-be students in Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville provided opinions on their barriers to starting or completing college, and what might make them want to attend. The participants talked about college in relation to career opportunities. This was the key reason to pursue postsecondary education: I think for me going back to college would be great because I don t want to work in a fast food restaurant, and I don t want to work in a grocery store, and I don t want to be 35 years old with nothing. Adults talked about their own decision to attend college in relation to their children. Despite personal doubts, many would advise the young people in their lives to seek a college degree. I m pushing my kids to go to college because I really do feel that it still is a possibility no matter what I think about college and [that] it didn t work for me. I mean my daughter is almost a teenager, and she is looking at mama like, OK, if mama is going to sit back and do nothing, then I m going to sit back and do nothing. I have to be a role model for my kids. In April 2010, I lost my job. I had had it for 14 years. I m in customer service for insurance. I thought I could get a customer service job maybe at FedEx or the post office or somewhere; just get a better job. But with a lot of jobs online that I looked at, I had to have a degree to even apply, even though I had experience in customer service. Participants also expressed some cynicisms about what college had to offer them. To them, the threat of debt made college a risky proposition: Would you rather be 23 and owe somebody zero or have a piece of paper and be 75 grand in the hole? You got to pay, what, $200 a month for the rest of your life? Anybody that s got a car or a house has got enough debt. Like, I just need to add to it more and not even get anything out of it? 14

17 Profile of a Returning Adult Learner To understand the target audience for Tennessee s adult learner programs, THEC worked with Walker + Associates, a Memphisbased marketing firm, to talk specifically to adult noncompleters in Tennessee about their experiences. The participants were asked why they stopped attending college and what could motivate them to return. TOP REASONS FOR LEAVING Got a job (24%) Couldn t afford it (20%) Had children (15%) Lost interest in degree I was pursuing (12%) Got married/divorced (10%) Moved to a different area (9%) Wasn t doing well in school (8%) Age, finances, and life stage are key drivers when deciding whether to return to pursue a degree. In contrast, the in-school experience was rarely the key factor when deciding to leave. TOP REASONS FOR NOT RETURNING Don t have the money, can t take out more debt (44%) Don t have time (25%) Feel like I m too old to go back to school (24%) Don t need a degree for the work I m currently doing (22%) Don t want/ need to return to school (15%) Worried that I can t pass the classes I need (10%) 15

18 Motivators Money is an obvious factor in deciding to return to college. It is an extrinsic motivator. Because providing financial aid is not always an option, it is important to also look at intrinsic motivators. Adults can be motivated by a sense of accomplishment. They may want to prove something to themselves or to their families by returning to college. Age can be a motivator as well: the survey found that the older a respondent is, the less likely he/she is to return to school. Motivators for Returning Completing a degree would make me a good role model for my family (49%) I would feel a sense of accomplishment if I earned my degree (63%) A college degree would improve my earning potential (45%) Family Adult students looking to start class are making a decision that affects their spouses, children, and other family. Part of their admission process is discussing the possibilities with their family. It becomes a group decision. Tim Amyx, Director of Admissions & College Registrar, Volunteer State Community College 16

19 Which of these factors do you feel you need to have in order to return to school? Financial aid is by far the leading factor that could convince a student to return to receive a degree, while niche services like childcare options were seen as important for very few respondents in our market research. Respondents placed a high priority on convenient locations and class times when considering returning to school. Availability of online courses (54%) Convenient location (62%) Assistance mapping out my completion plan (46%) Availability of financial aid (69%) Availability of evening courses (45%) Ability to receive credit for prior learning (44%) 17

20 Institutional, Policy, Academic and Financial Barriers Faced by Returning Adult Students When you begin planning your outreach efforts, you will need to consider the barriers that adults will most often encounter when attempting to re-enroll and be prepared to address those that can get in the way of successful re-enrollment. Navigating Institutional Policies and Procedures There may be some institutional or system-wide policies that prevent or delay students from enrolling. For example, students who attended other institutions may return with transcript holds that prevent the institution from receiving their information. If a student has defaulted on their federal loans (see below) he or she may face significant obstacles in terms of paying tuition. Students may have outstanding balances at your institution or another institution. Even immunization records could hold up enrollment as a potential student tries to track down proof of shots that may have been given in childhood. When creating your plan to reach adult learners, also consider if there is a programmatic intervention that could make returning to college more palatable. For example, an institution might nudge a student into submitting an application by waiving application fees. Additionally, an institution could help a student feel welcome by offering off-hours academic advising. It may be possible in some situations to waive an outstanding balance. That would allow a student to re-enroll and continue progress towards a degree. In cases of loan default, it is possible for a student to begin making payments on their loan and return to college as soon as the loan is rehabilitated. Institutions can better enable students to navigate admissions processes by providing and phone reminders of important deadlines. Of course, institutional scholarship monies, grants, mini grants, and debt forgiveness are powerful tools in convincing students to return to college. Important institutional characteristics In a study including nearly 800 nontraditional students in attendance at Tennessee institutions, the following factors were rated the most important to choosing where you enrolled. Availability of a specific major Cost Quality of Faculty Overall academic reputation Variety of courses offered Access to faculty Concentration on undergrads Where college is located Quality of academic facilities Individual attention Mary Hutchens (2015) College Choice among Nontraditional Students: Initial Survey Results Recognizing Students Academic Needs Not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress can make a student ineligible for future financial aid. Explore what your institutional policies are for granting exceptions to students attempting to reenter college with poor academic records. The students we are welcoming back to college may have some need to take remedial coursework. This can make coming back to school immediately undesirable. Be ready to communicate alternatives to the standard remedial coursework like learning support in creditbearing courses that is available at your college. 75% of adults attending college for the first time at Tennessee Community Colleges require remediation. 18

21 Adults may enter the admissions process with an inaccurate idea of what their experience means in terms of course credit. Consider if staff/admissions officers are ready to provide adult learners with a clear description of the extent to which assessment of prior learning is an option to reduce their time-to-completion. Policy Highlight One barrier to a student returning and completing may be a poor academic record. TBR s Academic Fresh Start is a plan of academic forgiveness which allows undergraduate students who have experienced academic difficulty to make a clean start upon returning to college after an extended absence. It may be useful to market the Academic Fresh Start opportunity to students as part of the Reconnect + Complete effort. Read more: TBR policy 2:03:01:01 The majority of default cases can be prevented by communication between the borrower and the loan holder. Currently defaulted students looking to return to college have several options: 1) The borrower can make 6 on-time monthly payments and receive a reinstatement letter. The reinstatement letter enables the student to be eligible to receive Title IV funding and the letter must be renewed with the school each semester/quarter the student is enrolled. The loan remains in default status and the student borrower must continue to make payments, even during periods of enrollment; 2) The borrower can rehabilitate their defaulted loan by making a series of 9 on-time payments. Once a student s debts are in rehabilitation, they are again eligible to receive Title IV funding and the default status is removed so that the borrower is again eligible for deferments and forbearances; or 3) The borrower can consolidate their loans and become eligible for aid. If a student owes money directly to a college or university, it s up to the college to work with the student. The Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation Loan Division offers training on federal loan repayment plans, deferment and forbearance, loan forgiveness programs, and using NSLDS reports. TSAC personnel are also available for on-site Counseling Sessions. If you have specific questions regarding loan default, please contact David Hutton at the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation at david.hutton@tn.gov. Understanding the Impact of Student Loan Default and Unpaid Institutional Fees Many students in the Reconnect + Complete dataset provided to your institution may have debts from previous enrollments, whether they are in default on previous federal student loans or owe money to your institution. Institutional policies may exist that require students to address unpaid balances before re-enrolling. It may also be impossible to receive transcripts from a previous institution where a student has outstanding debt. The initial mailer from THEC will be sent out to all students, regardless of previous debt. But, for the continuing marketing effort, it makes sense that institutions may want to reach out to these students who have defaulted on loans in different ways than students who have not. 19

22 20 SECTION 4 Developing Your Institution s Reconnect+Complete Strategic Outreach (and Intake) Plan

23 In this section, we have provided tools that will help guide you through starting to plan your institution s Reconnect + Complete effort. You will use these tools to work with the other members of your institutional team to think about your audience, what your institution currently offers or could offer, and what messages you d like to convey. The worksheets included will help you do this. You ll see that each portion is listed in order of steps. Please feel free to start where it makes the most sense for your institution, and spend more of your time on the sections that you may not have previously considered. There is a worksheet that corresponds with each step. It is important to notice that the work should not be limited to thinking solely about outreach strategies. Intake procedures should also be considered institutions should be prepared to help guide adults back into college before reaching out to them on a wider scale. Step 1: Understanding your audience the returning adult learner In the previous pages, we constructed a profile of adults in Tennessee at-large. We know that finances are a major concern, what specific motivators may lead to returning, and what a typical adult in Tennessee thinks about attending college. In making your outreach plan it is important to take into account the research and data while recognizing regional differences across the state, as well as the different populations served by your institution. First, think about the defining characteristics of the group you are serving. Are you serving a rural or urban population? How old are people you are serving? What common experiences do they share? What does your institution s Reconnect + Complete data reveal about that population? You may even consider what jobs are emerging in your area, and who the largest employers are. Second, think of how these characteristics could impact any messages you develop. What are the motivators that are most likely to yield results with your audience? What factors could convince them to come back and finish their education? The Step 1 Worksheet will allow your team to reflect the information shared today about adult Tennesseans who have some college but no degree and what could motivate them to return to your institution. 84% of Tennesseans live in a household with a computer. US Census Bureau Step 1 Worksheet Understanding your audience the returning adult learner CHARACTERISTICS What unique characteristics exist among adults in your service area? A B C MOTIVATORS What is most likely to convince your audience to return to college based on those characters its? A B C 21

24 Step 2: Reviewing the current experience for adult learners at your institution It is likely you already have programs at your institution that focus on adult learners. Many institutions have made serving adults a priority, and are in the process of transforming the campus experience to welcome adult learners back to the classroom. In crafting your message to potential adult learners, you will want to build on the strengths of your current programs. You ll also want to consider what programs may not be appealing to adults, or what procedures and policies may act as a barrier for adults attending and completing at your institution. Step 2 Worksheet Reviewing the current experience for adult learners at your institution Information Provided Specifically to Prospective Adult Learners: (examples: website information; adult student orientation; single point of contact/adult learner contact) Existing Process for Returning Adult Learners to Engage, Re- Enroll, and Register: Additional component of the experience for adult learner Adult-Focused Programs and Student Services Offered on Nights and Weekends: Exit Ramps What could happen between the time a returning adult learner shows interest in returning to college and their actual enrollment that might knock that adult off-course and keep them from enrolling? When does this occur most often in your experience? An outreach strategy alone may not be enough to produce results for your institution. Considerations should be made for what the student faces when they actually begin the enrollment process at your institution. Reflecting on the current experience for adult learners at your institution may reveal some opportunities for improvement: Point at Which Credit for Prior Learning Opportunities are Introduced: Additional component of the experience for adult learner How many adults currently attend your college? Do prospective adult learners see people who look like them on your current website or marketing materials? How successful are your current programs as recruiting tools for adults? How much of your institution s marketing plan is currently focused on adults? How are adults welcomed at your institution? What does your institution offer that could help an adult succeed? Complete a degree faster? Complete a degree at lower cost? Is there a specific process that can be improved that will enable adults to be more likely to succeed? 22

25 Step 3: Developing your high-level marketing plan Based on what you have learned, you should have an idea of what barriers adult learners face in returning to finish a degree. These barriers can inform your efforts to reach out to adult learners. Additionally, understanding the experience adult students currently encounter at your institution may help you identify an existing compelling offer, or work to create one. Step 3 Worksheet Developing your high-level marketing plan PAIN POINTS OR OPPORTUNITIES MARKETS COMPELLING OFFER The worksheet for Step 3 provides space to identify your markets, the pain points and opportunities, and the compelling offer. Markets could include parents, veterans, employees at a specific company or industry, adults of a specific age, with a specific number of credits, adults who live in a specific location, etc. Your institution s Reconnect + Complete data could help inform your choice of markets. Once you identify a population, or market, to reach out to, you can build a strategy around pain points and opportunities. A pain point is a specific motivator: a need the consumer has for something. A parent may have a specific need to attend college to be a positive example for their children. In marketing a message for parents, you might craft a message around how attending your institution would mean setting an example for future generations. You may also need to consider your method of contact. It s important to meet your audience where they are. Will the student you are trying to reach have access to the internet? If so, are they more likely to have computers or mobile texting devices? Is mail the best option? Would a phone call be the best way of communicating your message? In executing the outreach, you don t have to start from scratch. Think of ways you can leverage your institution s current marketing efforts, as well as the statewide marketing push for adult learners beginning January Your compelling offer for each specific market goes beyond advertising or messaging. A compelling offer is just that: a personalized offer that explains what the institution will do to make the experience of returning to college less burdensome than the adult may at first think it will be. For example, a college may do a degree audit before contacting a student, and specifically tell the student which classes are needed and when they are offered. Fees may be waived, credit for prior learning may be offered, etc. 23

26 Step 4: Barriers and mitigating strategies for the outreach (and intake) plan Recognizing barriers and identifying mitigating strategies are both important to ensuring a holistic outreach (and intake) plan. A mitigating strategy is a plan to reduce threats to your project s success, or to address foreseen problems. Step 4 Worksheet Barriers and mitigating strategies for the outreach (and intake) plan Potential barriers could be: Institutional buy-in: Don t assume a support structure already exists at your institution. Who are the key players who need to be informed of your efforts? Resources- money and staff: Whose workload is affected by your plan? Business processes: Tracking stop-outs, reviewing records, and advisor follow ups can all be manual tasks. If a business process is in your way, you may want to consider upgrading software, equipment, or devoting time to improving the process. BARRIERS/ STORM CLOUDS A B C MITIGATING STRATEGIES A B C For example, if one of your project barriers is lack of institutional buy-in, your mitigation strategy may be to bring a presentation to your leadership (president, deans, faculty senate). If your challenges are capacity-based, such as a shortage of admissions staff, you may need to explore a smaller scale outreach plan. The worksheet for Step 4 provides space to list potential barriers or challenges to your Reconnect + Complete effort and to brainstorm mitigating strategies to address those challenges. 24

27 Step 5: Building your project team and assigning responsibilities Now that you have completed the prep work and have brainstormed some components that will contribute to a strategic outreach plan, you can begin to think about concrete steps to implementing your plans. Taking the time to build a structure around your ideas will help ensure the project s success. Formalizing some of the more important pieces of your project can pay off in terms of project results. Who should be on your project team? Your institution is unique and that uniqueness is reflected in the staff and resources available to help you with the Reconnect + Complete effort. Some project team members may include: Staff members running specific, relevant programs Marketing and communications staff Internal Consultants Faculty Staff with experience in engaging adults Admissions and financial aid staff Staff with experience evaluating program success When making your team, try to consider not only who needs to be involved, but also who needs to be informed. Waiting till the end of the project to inform a key stakeholder could be detrimental to project success. Some of the best resources for implementing Reconnect + Complete are the representatives from the institutions doing similar work. Reach out to other institutions in the state and consider working together. You can also look outside of your institution to engage external stakeholders. Perhaps a local non-profit has some experience in engaging adults in your area. Or, perhaps a local business would like to partner with you to advertise a program at your institution that affects their employees. The Step 5 Worksheet will help you identify project team members by name, role, and contributions, and define next steps and deadlines. Project Timeline Step 5 Worksheet (individual with power to make decision) Building your project team and assigning responsibilities Core Team NAME ROLE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY Communications Lead January 2016 Admissions Lead Adult Learner Contact March 1, 2016 Financial Aid Lead Ongoing Internal Approval Shepherd Ongoing Other Other Who needs to be informed? NAME ROLE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY External Stakeholders COMMUNITY PARTNERS EMPLOYERS LOCAL GOVERNMENT OTHERS THEC has defined a project timeline for portions of the Reconnect + Complete effort. Please be aware of THEC s timeline below when developing your own. Specifically, the push cards provided to institutions should be mailed in early January 2016 in order to leverage the statewide marketing push which will run in January and February of Institutions should plan a follow-up for later in the month, and prepare a report tracking the results by March 1, Based on your individual plan to reach out to adults, you may have several other deadlines, dates for meetings, and time for implementing your initiatives. You may also need to consider your method of contact. It s important to meet your audience where they are. Will the student you are trying to reach have access to the internet? If so, are they more likely to have computers or mobile texting devices? Is mail the best option? Would a phone call be the best way of communicating your message? In executing the outreach, you don t have to start from scratch. Think of ways you can leverage your institution s current marketing efforts, as well as the statewide marketing push for adult learners beginning January