ACHE 2014

In response to create formalized training that supports regional and national agendas, three California State University campuses, with strong track records of success in designing custom education for industry groups, partnered together and received grant funding to build a statewide Workforce Development Academy addressing the training needs of workforce development professionals. In this session, you will learn how this team is working with stakeholders in the California workforce development community to create a dynamic curriculum that will equip staff to serve as engines of economic development.

Non-Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Program Staff

This presentation will share lessons learned and best practices for transitioning from the classroom to an eLearning environment. As part of the discussion, we will address reaching new markets of first-time online learners, lessons-learned about MOOCS, and best practices for the development and delivery of instruction in a blended learning environment that supports learning outcomes.

After attending this session participants will be able to:
1. Explain the key determinants to consider when transitioning from ILT to an eLearning/blended environment
2. Identify 5 important elements to consider when developing a MOOC
3. Discuss the value and role of an online mentor to support students

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators
Advisers
Other

This hands-on session will start you on the road to developing a visual guide for student success to use on your campus. Students are often inundated with checklists without an overview of how landmark activities build each year. Focusing on these benchmark activities help students make the most of their college experience, both in and out of the classroom. East Tennessee State University developed the “BucPath” as a big picture visual guide for students to use to build understanding of the full college experience. Working in small groups, participants will discuss and receive the tools to create a draft of individualized models for student success

Credit Programming

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

This session will explore Regis University’s Thornton Campus, which is dedicated to serving Hispanic post-traditional learners in an accelerated model, both on-ground and on-line. Join us as we explore how to rejuvenate a campus through overhauling its organizational structure and staffing structure in order to provide visionary and innovative service. This session will emphasize integrating services such as admissions, advising, learning resources, instruction, and financial aid, all within the framework of a campus dedicated to graduating post-traditional, degree-completion Hispanic students. We will explore what works, challenges faced, and lessons learned along the way.

Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

This session will detail the experience in which problem based learning (PBL) was used in an online graduate program to connect global communities, professionals in the field, and students in an adult education program. It will detail the collaborative knowledge sharing and creation that occurred, with evidence to the final products and ongoing partnerships created and sustained (even after the course concluded) which have benefited the communities, learners, and collaborative stakeholders involved. The session will share storytelling from faculty, students, and collaborative partners and will discuss ways in which such adult collaborative learning models could be applied at other institutions.

While research demonstrates the positive and sustainable impact of Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on student retention, student learning outcomes, and student placement and career success following graduation (Weimer, 2009; Pawson, et al., 2006; Wilkerson, L. & Gijselaers, 1996; Major & Palmer, 2001), this model is applied primarily outside the United States and rarely used in the learning environment for which it is strongly suited – adult education. The integration of PBL uses real-world challenges from the field, in which adult education students work with external partners and collaborators, to consult on issues being faced in organizations, companies, and associations. This learning approach is ideal for adult, professional learners as it offers real life learning and the challenge of creating solutions for real organizations. It offers the external partner free consulting from our expert graduate students, and it establishes a connection to potential employers for our students as well. Furthermore, it exposes the university to new organizations, which could lead to new enrollments and potential funding sources and partnerships. The ACHE Home Office, Board of Directors, and Committee on Inclusiveness have directly benefited from past PBL partnerships with Adult Education master’s degree students at Park University.

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs

Program Directors
Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators
Advisers
Other

The Early Intervention and Child Development program was designed to meet the needs of child care workers in the state of Oklahoma. The students in this program needed a nontraditional venue with which to complete their baccalaureate degree. They work full time and cannot attend class on a traditional schedule. The university program articulates with community colleges at both the AAS and AA degree level. DHS and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have recently awarded scholarships for students to complete the program. This presentation will highlight the development of the program from inception to the increased interest of child care workers. We will also share positive outreach and transfer strategies which led to the Great Plains Region Exceptional Program award.

Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

This presentation will include a discussion of the on and off-campus collaborative efforts that have led to increased enrollments in non-credit courses. Who should you be partnering with and how can your institution leverage credit courses to support continuing education efforts? An in-depth look at the planned initiatives at the University of Arkansas Global Campus will give insight into the successes and challenges associated with various partnerships. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share ideas with others.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff

The presentation includes an investigation on African American adult learners’ perceptions of utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as well as how the use of ICTs enhances adult learners’ attitudes and motivation to learn in various learning environments. Integrating technology into teaching and learning has been a trend in the twenty-first century. Appropriate use of technology enhances cognitive student learning outcomes. It is necessary to identify the effectiveness of using technology for African-American adult learners and the challenges that have been encountered by the faculty and students in continuing education. This session will provide an overview of different types of ICTs. Participants will gain an understanding of the methods of applying ICTs and curriculum/instructional design issues among adult learners, especially for the minority students in the credit program.

Credit Programming
Online Programming

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers
Other

Note: This session is meant to be a follow up to a presentation of the full data from the Online College Students 2014 study that is being separately submitted for consideration.

What are the motivations, decision making patterns, and priorities of today’s online student? How do institutions meet those objectives? In this session, key data surfaced in the Online College Students 2014 national study (sponsored by The Learning House and Aslanian Market Research) will be discussed by practitioners responsible for both the marketing processes and the student support processes that make their online programs a success. Online College Students 2014 is an annual survey of 1,500 students enrolled in fully online degree or certificate programs. This session seeks to elaborate on key points of the survey from the institutional perspective, and is a follow up to a separate session in which the full array of findings will be presented.

Among the findings that will be discussed in detail are:
-More than half of today’s online learners have enrolled in online study prior to their current program. They have experience and know what they want.
-More than 80 percent of undergraduate online learners enroll with previously earned credit. They want to have that credit accepted.
-More than 40 percent of online learners use prior learning assessment or portfolio/experiential assessment. They want to have their life experiences counted.
-There is a vast difference in the socio-economic status of online undergraduate and graduate students. They need to be handled differently.

In this session, Scott Jeffe will moderate a discussion between Heather Chakiris, from Penn State World Campus, and Stacy Snow, from University of Missouri (Mizzou Online), about how the national data patterns play out at their institutions.

Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Other

This presentation will delineate the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior, a behavior model that has clear connections to retention of adult students. The presenter will refer to scenes from the film "Educating Rita" to show practical application of theory.

Upon completion of this session, participants will:
-Know the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior
-Know how the Theory of Planned Behavior applies to retention of adult students
-Obtain and share ideas for increasing students' self-efficacy and improving retention of adult students

Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Student Services Providers
Advisers

There is a great importance in having services to assist transfer students in preparing for transitioning to ETSU and completing their Bachelor's degree. Partnerships and collaboration with regional and state institutions are in place to help develop pathways to graduation for transfer students. Topics include information on transfer student services, articulation agreements, transfer pathways, social media marketing, orientation sessions, and more.

Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

This presentation will focus on improving, expanding, and delivering integrated instructional and student support service programs that promote student success. The goal of the session is to encourage faculty and staff to be more intentional about planning, implementing, and evaluating support programs that establish academic continuity across the college. The session will provide direction on helping faculty and staff to engage in meaningful discussion about appropriate student and instructional resources as well as highlight the development of mechanisms to maximize program efficiency. After the session, participants will be able to provide specific strategies for working constructively and cooperatively to achieve and sustain a student-centered learning environment in order to evaluate and improve programs and courses to meet the needs of students.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Student / Client Support Services

Faculty
Student Services Providers

Are you tired of the existing silos at your university? Ready to make a change? To run academic programs effectively, operations staff and academic leadership need to work together harmoniously in order to ensure a cohesive program delivery. Cross-functional teams can help achieve this by creating more efficient communication channels between advising, recruitment, admissions, financial aid, marketing, and academic leadership.

This session will briefly cover Robert E. Kelley’s theory of the dyadic relationship of leadership and followership in higher education, and how the Undergraduate Fast-Track programs at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies have benefited tremendously from the implementation of a cross-functional team and the cultivation of followership strategies by design.

Session participants will be encouraged to collaborate on ideas about the concept of leadership versus followership within a team, and how to use cross-functional teams and other collaborative methods to work more effectively together.

Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Program Staff
Student Services Providers
Advisers
Other

This session will demonstrate facilitation strategies that shed light on low socioeconomic adult learners in an asynchronous, online learning environment. The discussion will be grounded in the self determination theory, focusing on the three basic psychological needs (e.g., autonomy, relatedness, competence). The findings from each department who work directly with this student group provide a holistic perspective to the needs of these students, all which potentially cause a disruption to their learning. This session will begin to close the current gap in research on this emerging student demographic.

Online Programming

Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators

Individualized learning paths whereby students progress from one activity to the next and one course to the next based on their demonstrated knowledge and aptitude can make education more affordable, efficient, and effective. It also can deliver learning outcomes that align with your academic and financial objectives. Whether you are ready to jump into competency-based learning full steam ahead, or prefer to test the waters and slowly transition one or more programs, join us as we explore five must-know things when it comes to competency-based education, including learning models, integration strategies, instructional design, course creation, and student support.

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

This innovative flip session (materials in advance, facilitated discussion during session) will engage attendees in a lively conversation on enrollment and persistence in post-traditional programs. Attendees will receive executive summaries from several innovative research projects in advance of the session, including a “secret shopping” analysis involving more than 220 for-profit and non-profit universities serving adult learners and an analysis of the correlation between adult student satisfaction measures and retention drawn from more than 1700 student records. These documents will provide the backdrop for an interactive discussion on ways to grow enrollment and improve retention and adult student success. The session will conclude with a break-out group exercise in which participants develop an action plan for taking what they’ve learned during the session and putting it to work upon return to their respective institutions.

Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services

Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers

Negotiating may not be listed in your job description but your life and career are affected by how well you negotiate. This seminar will reveal key insights and best practices to bring the bigger picture into focus – successful negotiating must involve collaboration to find winning solutions for both parties. Learn to prepare effectively for negotiations to improve outcomes: gather data, know your goals, develop a strategy, and anticipate the other party’s needs and arguments. Takeaways include step by step strategies to turn negotiations into building blocks rather than stumbling blocks, to find winning solutions, create alliances, and resolve disputes.

Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

The Boston Ballet Education Program at Northeastern University has garnered nationwide attention as a revolutionary partnership that supports continuing learners with complex lives. Leveraging academic synthesis, program flexibility, cohort design, and high touch service, it has become a model for partnership efficacy and sustainability, particularly among unique populations. Discover what makes this framework successful, and how it can be applied to transcend traditional partnership pitfalls in higher education. Attendees will learn:
• Strategy for tiered priority and service when working with partners
• Use of cross-functional teams and a blend of internal and external resources to support more comprehensive and sustainable partnerships
• Generating partnership visibility for improved marketing, brand recognition, and community/college-wide synergies

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers
Other

This presentation will inform attendees about methods used to reduce instances of academic dishonesty in distance education programs. Understanding the transition that occurrs as students flock to online programs will be paramount in producing, conducting, and invigilating online assessments. Attendees will also learn about industry research and best practices.

At the conclusion of this presentation, session participants will be able to:

• Recognize differences between identity authentication and attendance verification
• Employ anti-plagiarism tactics
• Identify the major sources of online plagiarism
• Develop secure exam structures
• Understand the key elements to creating a culture of academic integrity amongst administrators, students and faculty.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

Lipscomb University's competency-based education program, CORE, is based on a proven competency-based model used by hundreds of organizations, including many Fortune 150 companies, over the past 30 years; it is a 'proven-by-employers model.' CORE utilizes behavioral- and project-based assessments, instead of standardized tests, ensuring students can can do it, not just know it.
-Incorporates a comprehensive badging ecosystem, allowing for multiple subject matter areas of concentration
-Features four levels of competence so that a CBE program can be used in a wide range of settings, including K-12 education, community colleges, military, undergraduate, and graduate programs
-Focuses on employers and their workforce development needs, allowing their employees to seek and obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform current and future jobs
-Is customizable and offers different academic products based on the industry and/or organization's needs
-Is designed for stackable credentials so adult learners may enroll in modules for a competency gap earning a single badge, or stack multiple badges toward a specialized certificate, or add up a greater number of badges to total a degree

Attendees will learn about:

-selecting a competency model and key competencies

-gaining buy-in on CBE from across campus

-mapping general education requirements to competencies

-implementing a CBE program

-evaluating a CBE program

-creating and issuing digital badges

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Deans & Senior Administrators

This workshop is designed to inform participants in using available online tools to enhance student engagement in PE courses. The group will discuss pedagogically sound strategies to address standards regarding building communities of learners within an asynchronous course. Activities will include discussion of solutions to challenges in the online learning environment, use of an online tool serving as an option to creating a community of learners in an asynchronous course, and some physical activity to stimulate the brain!

Session Learning Outcomes:
-Participants will demonstrate competency in using a specified tool (MapMyFitness.com) to assist students in developing motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
-Participants will learn how to use MapMyFitness (MMF) to create groups, make connections to the relationship between proper nutrition and personal health and fitness, and learn how MMF informs learners on training principles, while tracking physical activity on MMF site/app.
-Participants will learn how students will come to enhance the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction by using the MapMyFitness.com learning tool.
-Participants will engage in activities demonstrating how students will use MMF to exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.

Core Questions to be addressed:
1. What’s the value of student interaction/developing learning communities in online PE courses?
2. How can open/free resources be used to create learning communities in asynchronous PE courses?
3. How do you create and use a group to connect learners and instructors?
4. How can MMF (and similar tools) change the online PE course experience?
5. How does MMF increase responsible personal and social behavior in PE settings?

Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Advisers
Other

Are you interested in sharing great things about continuing education? The Journal of Continuing Higher Education (JCHE) is sponsored by ACHE, and is an ideal professional journal to share your research and best practices in the field of adult continuing higher education. The Editor of the JCHE will share steps to writing a manuscript for publication, so bring your ideas and questions.

Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Advisers

Exploring the needs of today’s mobile student, this session will address how to go beyond the traditional articulation agreements and concurrent enrollment to the non-traditional with partnerships across university systems, co-marketing and cross-promotional agreements, pathway determinations, new delivery options, and more. Two case studies involving the CSU Chancellor’s office and Brandman University and CSU San Marcos and an innovative curriculum partner will be used as the basis for exploration into the non-traditional opportunities.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Deans & Senior Administrators

This session will discuss program redesign through the implementation of a “collaboratory” in which geographically dispersed faculty convened an intensive week-long live-in workshop to redevelop program goals, competencies and courses. Administrative needs, financial constraints, resource limitations, timeline requirements and uniting diverse stakeholders were all addressed to create a new, successful program to serve adult students.

Online Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators

Imagine transporting students to incredible destinations around the world without being encumbered by cost, time, and travel limitations. A unique partnership between the University of Tulsa’s Department of Lifelong Learning and the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) made this possible for students enrolled in Tulsa’s program. The presenters will share how they collaborated to create an innovate approach to designing thematic classes based on their adult students’ interests. Using videoconferencing, each class session brought a dynamic guest speaker from National Parks, museums, zoos, and science centers around the world live into the classroom. Envision chatting with a retired CIA agent from the International Spy Museum or a curator from the Book Depository in the Behind the Scenes of the US Presidency class. Session participants will leave with resources and understanding how to replicate this process in their own institutions.

Non-Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff

The online college student is unique. Colleges building and offering online degree programs must understand their motives, preferred patterns of study, how they select programs and providers, their personal characteristics, and a host of other factors to be successful in this increasingly competitive marketplace.

In this presentation, Dr. David Clinefelter, Chief Academic Officer of The Learning House, Inc., and Carol B. Aslanian, Senior Vice President of Aslanian Market Research, will share the results from the third annual Online College Students report, as well as identify trends emerging from the data.

“Online College Students 2014” reports findings of a national survey of 1,500 prospective, current and recently graduated online students. The discussion will include:
• Most popular online fields of study
• Factors in choosing a university or college to attend online
• Demographics of who is studying online
• Effectiveness of various marketing messages
• Student learning preferences in online classes
• Pricing elasticity among students
• And more

Online Programming

Program Directors
Deans & Senior Administrators

This interactive presentation will walk participants through the processes that support fully online learners in Northern Kentucky University’s Online Learning Programs. Specifically, the session will detail how the staff helps new online learners transition into the online learning environment. Each participant will gain a better understanding of the importance that coaching and mentoring play in the academic life cycle of the online learner. The session will discuss the online learner orientation, various communication channels to build community, and related internal processes to gain learner satisfaction. The session will highlight innovative ways to motivate and support online learners.

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

The existence of adult students has increased on postsecondary campuses during recent years and there are several signs that a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is composed of these “nontraditional” students. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2009) shows that 38% of the 18 million college students enrolled in 2007 were 25 years of age or older (NCES, 2009). Prior to 2000, the student population at postsecondary institutions had consisted of single, residential, full-time, and 18-24 year-old individuals (American Council on Education, 2006; McCraw & O’Malley, 1999). The traditional image of the college student is being confronted by a different reality. In the information-driven U.S. economy a college degree has become a progressively significant qualification in the market, both for new and currently employed persons in the workforce.

Many employed adults who are searching for success in the current financial climate are pursuing a postsecondary education in growing numbers, and they are facilitating a shift of a new majority amid undergraduate students at colleges throughout the United States. Adult students are acknowledged as part of a larger population characterized as nontraditional (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), 1999). Since the number of nontraditional students in higher education is rising, institutions will need to provide flexible instructional delivery systems to meet the demanding schedules of the working student (Chu & Hinton, 2001). According to Merriam (2008), adult learning theory is in a much different place than in 2001. Researchers such as Merriam began to recognize that there is more than just cognitive processing involved in adult learning.

In this time of economic hardship, a larger number of nontraditional students have begun to return to college to earn a degree. The changing needs of the labor market, desires to earn promotions, and needs for better paying jobs are factors that will play into this decision. Many of these adult learners will regrettably seek degrees in educational systems built for traditional students. It will often be beneficial to these students to choose a nontraditional path because they work, are heads of households, have children, and have responsibilities outside of their commitment to a degree-seeking program. Institutions of higher education do focus on the matriculation of traditional students; however, the needs of a nontraditional student differ from those of a traditional, 18-22 year-old. Unlike their younger counterparts, the nontraditional student is faced with more pressing life issues that could potentially stifle their college matriculation. Many institutions, especially urban higher education institutions, have students who come from an array of backgrounds. With urban universities existing in densely populated regions, they will be a need to be equipped to better serve the nontraditional populations that reside in the metropolitan areas.

Nearly 54 million of the nation’s adults lack a college degree with 34 million having never attended college (Lumina, 2007). So, universities are presented with the option to modify the demographics of institutions of higher education. This study has revealed that these students, most of whom often attend school part-time, are a part of an increasing changing demographic in American education, and those numbers are expected to increase. In order to serve this population, the necessary support services must be in place. Supporting a nontraditional student leads to his or her successful matriculation in a higher level degree-seeking program. The success of these nontraditional students is important for their communities, families, and even to the health of the nation (Lumina, 2007).

This presentation is based on data collected as a result of the 2012 dissertation, Factors Influencing the Selection of Course Delivery Methods by Nontraditional Students. The focus of the presentation will be on the fourth research question: “What challenges do nontraditional students face when they decide to return to school?” The presenter will share the responses of the participants and then discuss some of the methods that are being used to meet the needs of nontraditional students at a HBCU located in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants will be invited to share similar experiences and strategies being used at their respective institutions in a roundtable format and will engage in discussion focused on the areas of nontraditional students’ advising needs, class scheduling, fiscal needs, and support services.

Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Program Staff
Student Services Providers

Leaders from California State University San Marcos's continuing education unit will describe how they created a cross-functional team to serve as a Data Standing Committee to create and implement a big data strategic plan in order to be: proactive with regard to collecting, analyzing and reporting data; and strategic and forward-thinking regarding benchmarking and data sharing. Presenters will describe the structure and activities of the data team, its goals and objectives, and the accomplishments and outcomes to date.

The session will include samples of the team's work as takeaways, and allow time for an interactive discussion/sharing of CE big data strategies.

Learning Outcomes:
-Gain understanding of typical CE data points
-Gain understanding of CSUSM data team's structure, activities, accomplishments and outcomes
-Obtain samples of the data team's work;
-Learn about potential model for using a cross-functional team to manage big data

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing
Budget & Finance
Leadership

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Other

This session will present ongoing dissertation research which examines building the career competencies of continuing higher education leaders through professional development experiences. As the American system of higher education enters a transformative new era, continuing higher education leaders will be faced with pressing new challenges. They will need to be adaptable, flexible, and entrepreneurial in reassessing their programming portfolio. To perform successfully in their professional role, continuing higher education leaders will need to improve their career competencies. This session will present data collected during a research study conducted with continuing higher education leaders on the effectiveness of their professional development experiences. The potential outcome of this research study is to create a professional development model to serve the continuing higher education community. Time will be allotted during the session for open discussion of the research findings.

Professional Development

Program Directors

This session will briefly review the current landscape of competency-based education and will apply several competency-based models to the theory of disruptive innovation. Specific examples and best practices will be shared on how continuing education units, both credit and non-credit, online and site-based can apply competency-based practices to drive enrollment and provide positive outcomes for adult learners. Working together, continuing education units can help bring innovation to their institutions.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

Parlay your initial investment into a jackpot by maximizing the resources a vendor partnership brings to your unit. Improve your productivity and profitability despite budget cuts and reduced staffing through creative, outside-the-box programming. WKU creatively customized their traditional on-campus test preparation programs to forge relationships and offer programs in non-traditional settings, both on-campus and in the community. Using this customization as an example, WKU and ETC representatives will stimulate attendees to find new ways to increase the odds for success by improving existing partnerships and developing new relationships.

Non-Credit Programming

Program Directors
Program Staff
Student Services Providers

Tennessee’s public colleges and universities and state policymakers have sought to expand and enhance the state’s PLA offerings by standardizing PLA policy and practice and by removing barriers for adults. Through a voluntary statewide PLA Task Force of institutional and systems representatives, a set of comprehensive, statewide standards were developed. At the center of the development and implementation of these standards was a conscious effort to build consensus from the bottom up and to reach out to key campus groups, leading to improved institutional and system acceptance of PLA. This panel, made up of institutional, system, and state representatives, will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about and to discuss the way in which consensus and buy-in around PLA were created and the specific compromises and solutions that were reached.

Session type preferences: Concurrent session, panel presentation, roundtable.

Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers
Other

This session is an interactive look into building a summer camp program that works for your community and department. Many continuing education units struggle with how to create programs for K-12 that are fun and educational. This session will provide participants with a look into how the University of West Florida's Explore Summer Camps program was created, how it's evolved, the challenges faced, and the success stories shared.

Non-Credit Programming

Program Directors
Program Staff

This presentation will highlight the marketing strategies used in promoting online programs to prospective students at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), using multiple communication vehicles to create an up close and personal approach. Through electronic communication, follow-up phone calls, and WebEx information meetings, prospective students gain a detailed understanding of what is offered and is expected in each online program at NKU. This session will outline the process used to entice new students to Online Learning.

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Staff
Advisers
Other

This session will outline how one institution implemented an e-Portfolio tool as part of their Adult Degree Completion Program. The e-Portfolio allows students to demonstrate their ability to effectively communicate the competencies they have achieved as part of their undergraduate study and other areas of their lives. Ultimately it provides the students with a promotional tool for prospective employers. The tool will be demonstrated as well as suggestions for institutions considering e-Portfolios as part of prior learning assessment, capstone courses, etc.

Credit Programming
Online Programming

Faculty
Program Staff
Student Services Providers
Advisers

The Rollins Center for Lifelong Learning STARS (Senior Tars) program is for seniors fifty and older and modeled after the liberal arts. Students take four week courses in a variety of topics reflective of a liberal education. Pricing is competitive and response has been overwhelming. The program received seed funding from the Winter Park Health Foundation and met its third year enrollment goal within the first six months of operation. Programs of this nature are a good way to build community relations while attracting new college supporters and prospective donors. The RCLL won this year’s ACHE national award for Outstanding Model Program. Future plans will be discussed.

Non-Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

Creating and following practices that operate to protect your brand within the framework of marketing your programs will go a long way in making sure that your image isn’t compromised and that your clients are happy. Among those practices are the people that create them – the team. We’ll discuss how to work together towards the common goal of positioning your brand and maintaining a positive image so that you are seen as a creative leader and valuable marketing expert in your department. Process, evaluation, and assessment are key. Participants will leave this session with ideas to help inform a strategy of their own.

Marketing / Social Marketing
Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Program Staff
Other

An overview of a Veteran Accelerated Degree Completion Program will be shared, focusing on the unique needs of veteran learners and academic support provided to ensure success of degree attainment. Attendees will learn the nuts and bolts of creating a Veteran degree completion program, understand assessment practices used in this program, and discover specialized support services based on the needs of Veteran learners. The presenter will facilitate a Q&A discussion to stimulate mutual knowledge sharing.

Credit Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

The Continuing and Professional Education market is ever changing and software tools are an important part of the changing landscape. Programs offering non-credit, certificate and workforce development curriculum need software that is full-featured, flexible, scalable and able to integrate with marketing and business intelligence tools. Making data driven decisions with these tools are critical to your success.

This session introduces the concept of incorporating SaaS technology as a key member of your team. Let web-hosted tools work together with your human capital to engage student recruitment and registration to achieve that real results with a proven ROI.

Non-Credit Programming
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

In the increasingly competitive landscape of higher education, how can you manage to stand out and increase your portion of the market share? Learn how a group of colleges and universities decided to break down traditional barriers, working together to provide easier access for employers and adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers
Other

Non-traditional students, requiring flexibility in delivery are a new majority in higher education. Utilizing Expectancy Violations Theory (Burgoon, 1993; Burgoon & Hale, 1988) as a framework, the researchers identified both student expectations and enacted behaviors of faculty in online class environments. Interviews were conducted with 24 non-traditional students at two Midwestern universities. Through the research process, the co-investigators identified why non-traditional students enroll in online classes, the expectations they have regarding participation and communication, and their perception of effective and ineffective pedagogical tactics in the online classroom. Participants will gain an understanding of the mismatch between expected behaviors and the reality of the student experience. We will also explore the changes that must be addressed in the design and use of formative assessments in an online learning environment.

Online Programming
Post-traditional Students

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

Amidst the ever-changing landscape of higher education, many adult-focused programs which are part of a larger, traditional university setting are facing an identity crisis, one that often stems from an unclear and confusing organizational structure. Those involved with post-traditional learners understand the importance of having the right organizational structure in place which includes a myriad of factors: the name of the school or division, its physical location, the portfolio of credit and non-credit program offerings, and whether to centralize or decentralize student services and staff resources. A benchmark review of over 25 programs suggests that the current structures are many and varied, and organizational designs among these institutions reveal a number of similarities and differences. Participants will have a better understanding of the most common organizational structures in place and will be provided with steps their programs might consider implementing to become a more effective and student-centered adult-focused program.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services
Leadership

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

Penn State’s World Campus future growth is expected to reach 45,000 students. This growth requires hiring new advisers and onboarding and developing staff in remote locations. We will share our new online adviser training program which prepares new advisers in a consistent manner, allowing them to develop skills at their own pace. We will demonstrate how we utilized the NACADA components for adviser training as a guideline for developing the program. Regardless of whether your campus setting is virtual or traditional, advisers work with students, utilize resources and collaborate with team members in an online world.

Participants will learn how to use an online environment to develop advisers who are confident with skills, knowledge and online resources right from the start. Additionally, they will leave the session with a framework for training that is consistent and serves as a resource that is adaptable for use at their institutions.

Online Programming
Professional Development

Program Directors
Student Services Providers
Advisers

This session reveals the work that Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies is doing to provide online, working students with professional development in the form of an experiential learning curriculum where they engage their current employer. The session will focus on lessons learned from the six-month pilot project, including curriculum content and outcomes, online design and delivery (use of e-portfolio), student and employer feedback. Includes discussion on course elements that promote skills for lifelong learning.

Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators
Other

In 2011, ACHE and JMH kicked off a partnership to explore adult education websites that serve non-
traditional students. Now, three years later, JMH is ready to share our key takeaways and trends that
we’ve seen from the millions of website visits tracked in this initiative.

This session will explore:
-Trends in mobile device usage and other interesting metrics
-Shifts in how visitors find our sites and how they behave once there
-How higher education administrators can better manage the visitor experience online
-Learn how seasonal variations in website traffic can predict enrollment patterns

With more than two dozen participating institutions from across the US and Canada, this data set offers
an unrivaled glimpse into the behavior of visitors to adult education websites. Don't miss this chance to
learn how those behaviors have changed and how you can offer a more effective online experience.
During the session, we'll share the research results, interpret them, and then discuss how your
department can apply these results to improve its operation using examples from participating sites.
These trends can impact how we manage and market programs.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Online Programming
Marketing / Social Marketing

Program Directors
Program Staff

Together, leaders from California State University San Marcos Academic Senate and its continuing education division, Extended Learning will describe how they have intentionally and strategically worked to transform the traditionally oppositional relationship into one of true collaboration. Fueled and supported by the President’s directive to always approach opportunities and threats from a “University-First” or team perspective, CSUSM EL and Academic Senate partnered to: educate the campus community about the possibilities and advantages of self-support; create honest dialogue regarding concerns, fears and past challenges; and showcase current examples of self-support innovations and best practices. The partnership – with both informal and formal components including “roadshows”, community forums, committee involvement, and activity sponsorships – began in 2011 and has resulted in significant increases in meaningful conversations, new collaborative initiatives and new program development. During this session, presenters will detail the evolution of the partnership, the strategies and tactics involved, and the tangible results.

Learning Outcomes:
-Gain understanding of typical sticking points for CE units and academic senates
-Gain understanding of CSUSM CE-Senate relationship and its evolution
-Understand formal and informal methods of CE-Senate teamwork
-Have knowledge of best-practices and key partnership strategies and tactics

Credit Programming
Leadership

Faculty
Deans & Senior Administrators

Work with your peers to explore potential community partnerships for the delivery of face to face credit and non-credit professional development opportunities. Participants will share, explore, and document a map and plan for the following: flexible financial models, potential community partners, mission alignment planning, curriculum models, marketing strategies, enrollment management considerations, and impact assessment approaches.

Credit Programming
Non-Credit Programming
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators

Most administrators consider themselves strong leaders and disregard the critical differences between ineffective administration and management versus effective leadership. During this interactive workshop, participants will assess their leadership style and focus; discuss the differences between managers and leaders; assess how effective leadership traits and behaviors are learned and practiced; and take away hints and tools for developing dynamic team synergism by putting into practices more effective leadership skills.

Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers

Returning adult students have a variety of educational backgrounds, skill sets, and personal and professional experiences. Creating a required comprehensive new student orientation program is essential to adult student success, retention, and degree completion. Presenters will share their experiences designing and implementing an effective new adult student orientation program that can be easily adapted and duplicated for use on your own campus.

Post-traditional Students
Student / Client Support Services

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Student Services Providers
Advisers

In the words of basketball coaching legend John Wooden, “I deeply believe that the teacher and coach who has the ability to properly plan from both the daily and the long-range point of view has tremendously increased his possibility of success.” Leaders in Continuing Higher Education, as well as in all organizations, ‘tremendously increase their possibility of success’ by beginning with a winning game plan. This session will focus on creating a winning game plan as the relationship between leadership and strategic planning is emphasized, along with the impact of the two on successful results for organizations. The Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence that links strategic planning to results will be discussed, as well leadership faces and frames involved in executing the game plan. As football coaching great Bear Bryant always said, “Have a plan for everything. A plan for practice, a plan for the game, a plan for being ahead, a plan for being behind…always have a plan for everything!” Join us for this session as we look at these lessons for leaders!

Leadership
Professional Development

Program Directors
Program Staff

This session will cover several key topics, such as:
-Growing training partnerships with business and industry
-Enhancing partnerships with credit faculty and administration
-Transitioning from registrations and tuition to sales and profits
-Becoming a vital resource for the success of your institution

Non-Credit Programming
Leadership

Program Directors
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Other

As regional accrediting agencies throughout the United States adopt continuous improvement models, institutions and programs should also seek assessment measures that show continuous progress. Today’s adult learners seek educational opportunities that can be directly applied to their experience, career goals, and/or present work environments. Likewise, adult education programs seek to fully understand the effectiveness and impact of the work through systematic program review and assessment. With increasing pressure from external bodies to provide evidence of student learning, and with the need for learners to exhibit their competency development, the importance of demonstrating student learning becomes evident. In this session, the presenters will share data collection, from a programmatic level, which integrates reflective student videologs, student surveys, and assessment of learner competency development. These data driven synthesis activities not only measure competency development, but also share a strategy for using program review from the student perspective. Using a collaborative and collective means to measure competency development throughout the program, students, and faculty connect to continually improve the learning and educational experience for all.

Credit Programming
Online Programming
Post-traditional Students
Accelerated Programs

Program Directors
Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators
Other

This research project was designed to examine the relationship between formal goal setting requirements in a graduate degree program and persistence of graduate students to complete their graduate degree. More specifically, the researchers sought to determine if formal goal setting improves the likelihood that students will complete their degree. In this study, persistence of students who were enrolled in a Master of Arts (MA) degree program that requires formal goal setting was compared to students enrolled in other comparable degree programs that do not include a formal goal setting requirement. The results of this study are significant for colleges and universities throughout the country that have accelerated graduate degree programs for adult students, specifically, for those adult students who have gone back to school to help them achieve either professional or personal learning goals.

Credit Programming
Accelerated Programs
Student / Client Support Services

Faculty
Program Staff
Deans & Senior Administrators