“The overriding goal is to help students become critical thinkers as well as capable doers so that upon graduation, they will be ready to make tangible contributions to their workplaces and the world at large.” Richard W. Schneider, RADM USCGR (Ret.) President, Norwich University
educational model that is “instructor-centric.” Disruptive technologies such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are extending the online paradigm and diversifying the participants. Platforms for online education are aimed at collecting information on student behaviors and providing analysis for alternative assessment, and developing more robust student learning support structures. Adaptive learning technologies are actively being developed based on in-depth analysis of student behavior and provide new opportunities for greater insight in student retention outcomes and engagement. These adaptive learning technologies have the potential to change traditional education methodologies. A combination of peer support and adaptive learning systems are being integrated into the student learning experience, allowing fewer numbers of support personnel and faculty to operate the traditional educational activity. Embraced by prestigious private and public institutions, the impact and business models are yet to be determined. Expectations of our students in terms of learning styles, objectives, and experience are changing in relation to the context of a constantly connected society and will have impact on both academic and co-curricular components of our campusbased programs. Norwich has established its distinctive brand as one of the leading senior military colleges and is enjoying the benefits of a nationally recruited student body. Norwich is standing on the shoulders of our alumni both through their good works and success, their tireless engagement on volunteer boards (Board of Trustees, Board of Fellows, Alumni Association Board, Friends of Kreitzberg Library, Friends of Sullivan Museum, and Athletic Association) and as class agents and club officers, and their individual efforts to support student recruitment. It is the engagement of alumni and friends through gifts of time, talent, and treasure which makes a significant impact on our capabilities and opportunities for Norwich students. The campus-based Corps of Cadets continues to define its national brand as a meaningful and unique student experience. Overall student quality has increased, as measured through test scores and student achievements in high school, while our acceptance rate has declined (rejecting more applicants) from 80% at the inception of the 2019 plan to 61% in the fall of 2013. High school Grade Point Average (GPA) has remained constant at 3.11 since 2011. SAT scores remain 50 points higher than the national average. However, student discount rates have risen in recent years. Norwich has been able to increase price and net revenue per student, but students and their families are becoming increasingly price sensitive and the growth of net revenue is declining. As outlined in the NU2019 plan, we will become primarily a residential campus by reducing the number of commuter students and adding new residential halls. The University is building its second new dormitory in five years, West Hall, which will open in the fall of 2014. Scheduled in 2017, the addition of the third dorm near South and West Halls will bring campus housing capacity to the projected student demand. Norwich University is a complex educational institution that offers a transformative educational experience for its campus-based students and rigorous online programming for distance learners. On campus, Norwich University is a senior military college with a Corps of Cadets and civilian students focused on student outcomes, undergraduate research, and the development of resilient leaders of character with essential life skills. Norwich uses the innovative model of higher education created by Alden Partridge. This model combines broad-based liberal arts studies with experiential learning that takes students out of the classroom and into the field to observe and apply academic theories
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Natalia Blank, and student