Time is the Enemy

~~~~~'1~rtl~t

.~ REPORTS

Nontraditional Students:

Time Isn't Always on Their Side

by Jeff Simmons

T h message was Time ason clea as theoftitle eembiazoned report: Isthe the cover Eney. the For so many nontraditional students, time hasn't always been on their side. What this

groundbreaking report found was that these nontraditional students were more likely to drop out the longer they

done. And, I thk we were intialy hoping to get 10 or 15 states. Thirty-three states doing this

or bachelor's degree were part-time college commuters who were often juggling familes,

was prett signcant."

work and classes. Additionaly, 25 percent of students attended full time at residential col-

Collectively, more than 10 mion students enroll in public institutions anualy in the states that parcipated in the study, a clear majority of

leges; and if they attended par tie, the federal

governent did not even track their success, as if they were "invisible."

Second, par-tie students rarely

spent in college.

graduated even if they had twce as much tie to reach that goal.

And this group traditionaly has included large numbers of Hispanc students, who were taking more

Third, graduation odds were especially low for students who

time, and were more likely to be headed for the exit door before

were Hispanc, Afcan-American or

graduation.

"The core message is: the longer

of these students than ever before

poor. Even though there were more

enrollng in college, too few ended

students take to graduate, the less likely they are to graduate," said

up with certcates or degrees.

The report found that 46 percent

Stan Jones, president of Complete

of full-time Hispanic students

College America and former com-

earned a four-year degree in six

missioner of higher education, long-

year, and that an alarg 17 per-

tie state legislator, and senior advi-

cent of Hispanic students earned

sor to the governor in Indiana.

their diploma in six years.

"They need to sta to go to col-

That's better than African-

lege right after high schooL. They

American students - with 40 per-

need to go in a deliberate way and

cent of those enrollg in a fu-tie

graduate on tie, and they need to

program having earned a diploma

go full time as much as possible,"

in six years and 14 percent of par-

Jones said.

tie ones havig eaed a degree in

The two-year-old, nonprofit

six years - but substatialy worse

Complete College America, which is based in Washigton, recently issued the 242-page Time Is the Eney as

than Whte students.

Fourt, many students were wast-

ing tie on excess credits, tag too much time to earn a degree and decreaing their chances of gruat-

part of NBC's Education Nation

Summt.

Besides fidig that nontrdition-

ing by stayig in school

longer.

al students who spent too long trg to ea a

American students in public colleges and unver-

degree were more liely not to be around come graduation, the report determined that many

sities today.

students who needed remediation were faig to

sented means that the most alarg trends can

a community college and 21 percent of those

even show up for class.

be traced across al of the states represented in

who staed at a four-year college need remedia-

these fidigs," the report stated.

tion, which the authors call the "Bermuda

Comp'iete College America requested infor-

"The signcant number of students repre-

And fialy, too many students needed reme-

diation, but too few succeeded when they got it.

Nearly 50 percent of students who staed at

mation on public college and urversity grdua-

The report centered on five troublig fidigs:

tion rates from al 50 states, and 33 elected to

First, nontraditional students are the new

Triangle" in higher education.

About 30 percent of students in remediation

share their enrollent records.

"It was huge," Jones said of the response

majority on college campuses.

The report pointed out that nearly 75 percent

class, the report stated. Simply put, remedial

from states. "It's the first project that's ever been

of students seekig a certcate or an associate

students are much less likely to graduate than

10

HISPANIC OUTLOOK

. 02/13/2012

classes failed to show up on the first day of

nonremedial ones.

"Obviously, we have to figure out a way to

breakdown alows more personalzed advocacy

Of fu-tie Hispanc students seekig assoCI-

ate degrees in Uta public colleges, only 2.6 per-

ly, but the way we are doing it right now is

by geography. "It was prett much developed in such a way that you could get al of the important information on one page that a policy-

astoundigly ineffective," said Hiar Pennngton,

maker needed to understad."

cent graduated within four years. The report

help students who need to catch up academical-

director of postsecondary success, U.S.

Program, at the Bil & Melinda Gates

The statistics were less than glowing in

cent graduated on tie, with two yea, 8.4 per-

cent graduated with thee yea, and 11.5 per-

noted that those on a par-time schedule fared

much worse: only 1.2 percent graduated with

many states.

Foundation, which along with the Lumina Foundation and others fianced the founding of

State student took between 5.2 years to 5.7 years

Complete College America.

to graduate with a degree that should normaly

In Arzona, 5.5 percent of Hispanc fu-tie

"That is a lot of the focus of the Bil &

take four years to complete. Only 9.8 percent of

students seeking associate degrees in two years

Melida Gates Foundation. We are very focused

Hispanic students attending full time in pursuit of a bachelor's degree graduated on time, 43.

years, and 16.8 percent took four years. Among

you improve the system," she said.

Overa, the report found that just over hal of

percent within six years and 53.7 percent within

those seekig bachelor's degrees, 24 percent of

eight years.

full-time Hispanc students graduated on tie in

students who sought a bachelor's degree on a

Utah witnessed some of the longest periods

on tryg to crack the code and ask how would

For example, in Calfornia, the average Cal

three years, and 3.6 percent graduated within four

yeas.

graduated on time, 11.9 percent took three

four years, 53.7 percent graduated within six

years, and 59.3 percent graduated withi eight years.

In Texas, of every 100 students

fu-tie basis completed their edu-

cation in six years, and such completion rates remained relatively stagnant despite a 35 percent college-enrollent growt over the last

who enrolled in a public college, 79 began at a community college - yet only two received a two-year degree

four decades.

"The fidigs have been received

on tie. More tie didn't necessari-

with a lot of shock," Pennington said, noting how it questioned a number of myths. "Most people

ly yield better results: after four years, only seven had graduated.

believe that if you start college in

enrolled at a four-year college, five graduated on time, and afer eight

And of the 21 of those 100 who

America, you finish, but that's not tre. It's shockig how hard it is for part-time students are the majority

year, only 13 eared their degree.

Hispanic graduation rates were troubling, with only 2.4 percent of

of college students."

fu-tie Hispanc students in Texas

part-time students to finish, and

A sizeable porton of today's col-

public colleges earg their associ-

lege students might be going to

ate degrees on time in two years,

school par time, but par-tie stu-

7.2 percent within three years and 11.3 percent with four years.

dents have substatialy lower gradu-

ation rates than full-tie ones, and

As far as bachelor's degrees,

often because of obstacles they face

only 15 percent of Hispanc students

juggg multiple responsibilties, the

on a fu-tie track at public Texas

report stated.

Experts considered the report

four years while 44.7 percent

colleges eared a degree on tie in

"landmark" because of the way in which its data have been studied,

eared degrees with six years, and

noting that the federal Integrated

eight year.

52.9 percent eared degrees with

Postsecondary Education Data

There's no eas fi, but there are

solutions that need to be embraced

Sytem does not analyze graduation

rates of nontraditional students.

levels, recommending a new system of schedulg, embeddig remediation

Jim Applegate, vice president of program development at the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation

on both local and national

ed," Jones said. "The federa government is the only good source of data, and they

for degree completion: Fu-time students gradu-

into reguar currcula, and reducing class tie.

don't have graduation rates on al students, such

ated in an average 6.7 yeas whie par-tie stu-

as par-tie students. Ths inormation has been

dents took nearly eight years to fish schooL. In

rather spare, and so that's why this is the first

the state, of every 100 students who enrolled in a public college, 71 chose a community college,

"Part of addressing the issues concerning Latinos is that higher education has to become more productive, has to become more effcient and effective, and that means quality," said

"To me, one of the best thgs of the report

45 enrolled fu time, and 26 enrolled par tie.

Jim Applegate, vice president of program devel-

was about how incredibly user-friendly it is," Pennington said, noting how the state-by-state

But afer four years, only 14 of the full-timers

opment at the, indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation. "Everyody has to get on board and

"The data have not been collect-

report of its kid."

and one of the part-tiers had graduated.

02/13/2012 . HISPANIC OUTLOOK 11

start asking the tough questions

Finaly, the authors recommend

about why its tag so many credits

that policymakers follow in the

and so long for students to get to a success point."

He added: "We know the stu-

footsteps of 29 governors and get America. This has alowed them to

dents who come from the poor high

benefit from access to a band of

schools. We know who they are, and they tend to be students of color and

reformers and experts in higher

low-income students, and we need to create a system where we put them on the escalator toward success and degrees."

The report sets forth a blueprit

understand the need to make

of five "essential" steps that states

ers wil absorb the findings and

should take immediately - in

involved with Complete College

education policy and practice who changes to improve college com-

pletion.

Penngton said the hope is that colleges, universities and policyak-

Jones said, "There need to be

chanel that into substative reform.

"It's not just the responsibilty or the fault of the students," she said.

This, she said, is beginning to

substatial changes in the way col-

break through into regular public

leges are structured. We've got

discourse, but the level of engage-

great leadership, great faculty and great college and university presi-

ment is nevertheless "sobering

dents, but the system is broken.

most policy addresses. They are sti

essence, a complete reshuffng of priorities.

because it doesn't rise to the top of

They are not really designed for

pretty focused on K-12 education.

these students."

We stil have a lot to learn about which interventions make the biggest dierence. " The lower college completion

Intialy, they need to strengthen

reporting. For instance, states should count al students, set stateand campus-level goals, and uni-

formly measure progress and success. The report's authors note that by even providig data, the 33 states already proved that it is possible to count the

Stan Jones, president, Complete College America

lar attention.

"If we do one thing that would

Another strong recommendation is that remediation must be transformed so that stu-

success of each student.

rates of Hispanc and other miority student populations warant parcu-

help secure the country's future, it would be to increase the college success of Latino stu-

And the 29 governors who pledged to fu

dents can earn college credits that count as

dents," she said. "I think that is a big oppor-

the commtments of membership in the Alance of States are clearly settng goals and reinventig higher education to create the conditions for higher achievement, the report noted.

"More states should do the same," it read.

quickly as possible. Ths, the report noted, is the

tunity that will get more focus not just because

best thg that can be done to increase college

of this report but because of the work of

completion.

others as well."

"And the federa governent should try to catch

full-credit classes, and accomplish this by

up by fig daagg gaps in the national data-

adding extra class time and tutoring support, instead of delaying their entrance into these

base, rasing the stadad of meaurement, and countig every student in our country."

Additionaly, there needs to be a movement

For example, schools should start as many underprepared students as possible in first-year,

to reduce the tie it taes to ea a certcate or

classes by shuttng them into remedial courses.

Also, programs should be restructured in recognition of the busy lives many students have.

degree. The authors recommended that schools

The authors recommended the establishment of

ensure that unnecessar credit requirements are

block classes so that students can attend full

not added to certcate and degree progrs.

tie by learng from, for instace, 8 a.m. to 2

Instead, the authors noted, they should

p.m., five days a week.

.~

The College of Wooster, Ohio:

ECONOMICS Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Full description available on the College's

demand "robust," comprehensive transfer

"For example, with block scheduling, stu-

mechanisms that reach across campus walls

dents wi tae classes in a single block and go

http://ww. wooster.edu/Omces-

so students can bring credits with them

every day for three or four hours a day. "They

instead of losing valuable time when being

wi be more likely to graduate and graduate on

Directories/Human- Resources/ Employment-Opportunities

asked to start over.

time," Jones said.

12

HISPANIC OUTLOOK

. 02/13/2012

Human Resources web page: