A
case study of the 10-year journey through regional accreditation of the non-traditional
institution College Unbound uncovers the innovation behind a learner-centered
and student-driven approach to higher education, according to a new ACE report.
This
nonprofit, independent college in Providence, Rhode Island, serves low-income
working adults who are returning to college to earn their first degree. Four
years ago, College Unbound was authorized as the 13th college in Rhode Island
(the first new college in the state in two decades). Since then, it has earned
candidacy for regional accreditation and qualified to participate in federal
Title IV student financial aid programs. It will administer Pell Grants for its
own students for this first time this fall.
College
Unbound offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational leadership and
change, which qualifies students for a variety of occupations in many growing
industries in Rhode Island and across the region, such as management, business,
and social services, according to the report. It is a flexible
degree-completion program, enabling students to design their own programs of
study to suit their particular life and career goals. College Unbound maximizes
course credit transfers and prior learning assessment so the students begin the
program with a healthy number of credits. Their average time to degree is about
2.5 years.
ACE
released the report, “A College
Unbound: Lessons on Innovation from a Student-Driven College’s Journey Through
Regional Accreditation” as part of an event in
Washington, DC yesterday where speakers and panelists explored the innovation
journey from all stakeholder perspectives and offered lessons for other
institutions that want to innovate in meaningful ways to serve their students
with quality, affordable higher education.
“We
know postsecondary education is important not only to individual economic
success, but also for our diverse democratic society, and it is time we change
our perspective on students and re-envision our institutions. We need to
explore new models, which is why ACE is excited to share this case study,” said
Louis Soares, ACE chief learning and innovation officer and lead author of the
report.
It
is projected that, starting around 2026, there will be a 15 percent drop in the
traditional college-going population, the report explains. There is an
increased demand for not only postsecondary credentials in the labor market but
also models that support a lifelong educational approach.
It’s
estimated that 35 million adults have some credit but no degree and a majority
of college students work full time or part time, have children or are
supporting other dependents, and are looking for something different than a
traditional college education.
The
report offers ideas for how more institutions can more effectively engage
working adult students, including investing in tools and resources that support
this population, and encourages states and regional accreditors to be more
proactive in their support for innovative models.
Click here to read the
report and learn more.