Enrollment Management Plan

Introduction:
The College of Rural & Community Development Health Programs is committed to providing an educational experience for students that will enable them to achieve their personal and professional goals. CRCD Health Programs is committed to improving student retention, student enrollment and the proportion of students graduating in a timely manner.

CRCD Health Programs recognizes that our CRCD targeted student population reflects or exceeds data by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) as reported by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) in its 2000 executive summary. The summary entitled "Serving Adult Learners in Higher Education: Principles of Effectiveness" estimates that "over 60 percent of students in U.S. higher education can be characterized as non-traditional." According to the NCES, non-traditional students can be defined by one or more of the following characteristics:

• Have delayed enrollment into postsecondary education
• Attend part-time
• Are financially independent of parents
• Work full-time while enrolled
• Have dependents other than a spouse
• Are a single parent
• Lack a standard high school diploma

Most of CRCD Health Programs students present 4 or 5 of these criteria plus additional challenges of Alaska’s geography and weather, cultural diversity, and some challenging social problems that further separate our students from "traditional" adult students in most of the contiguous U.S.

Our collective experience in CRCD Health Programs suggests that our target student population present a much higher percentage of non-traditional student characteristics, as compared to national statistics reported by NCES and as such likely exceeds 90 for rural and frontier Alaska.

CAEL also recognizes that adult and non-traditional learners in general have unique needs and that many institutions of higher education "have struggled to adapt to this changing student marketplace, often finding themselves burdened by traditions and practices that prove ill-suited for adults." Some of the unique obstacles to higher education that non-traditional students have to deal with include:

• Lack of information about their educational options
• Lack of institutional flexibility in curricular and support services
• Lack of academic and motivational advising supportive of their life and career goals
• Lack of recognition of experience and work-based learning already obtained

Simply stated non-traditional learners' needs are different from those of traditional learners in general but that difference is even greater for Alaska Native and rural residents of our state. For a program and college committed to serving rural and frontier Alaska, in maintaining the community college mission, and in "growing our own" health workforce, attention to the needs of our non-traditional place-committed adult learners is an absolutely necessary approach for improved enrollment and retention.

CAEL's founding interest has been in the adult learner and non-traditional student. As a national if not world leader in adult learner and workforce-higher education collaborations, CAEL participated in a "benchmarking study of six highly successful adult learning focused colleges and universities." Using these data, they developed a proven working model for improving enrollment, retention and completions. From this research, CAEL has identified a number of principles of effective practice for serving adult learners including the large majority also known as non-traditional learners. These principles are embedded with a paragraph of how we plan to implement or utilize this information (in italic).

Mission:
CRCD Health Programs promotes and provides quality health education and training to rural Alaskans in collaboration with their communities responding to the needs of life long learners in a changing world.

Values:
It is the vision of CRCD Health Programs to empower through education rural Alaskan high school students, adult learners and employers about health career possibilities.
 

1. Student Recruitment and Enrollment:
Outreach - The institution conducts outreach to adult learners by overcoming barriers of time, place, and tradition in order to create lifelong access to educational opportunities.
Goal: Increase student credit hours to 5,213 up 5% from last year.
1. CRCD will target five (5) villages in the next year, 2006-2007.
2. Contact will be made with employers and native health corporations to assess employee's educational needs and implement a learning plan.
3. 25 former students, completers and non-completers will be contacted to see if they are ready to further their education.
4. 25 students from Tech Prep, Summer Academies 1 & 2, and Galena 13 will be contacted to see if they are ready to further their education.

CRCD Health Programs now has three faculty/staff members dedicated to reach the rural population bringing them into the Health Professions. Faculty/staff have traveled to rural Alaska to meet with Corporations assessing their needs, as well as meet employees to assess their needs. Based on the results, courses, programs and learning academies will be built around specific needs of rural Alaskans.. With our faculty/staff we can now target high school students in the villages, rural frontline workers in both Behavioral Health and Allied Health.

Teaching-learning Process - The institution's faculty use multiple methods of instruction (including experiential and problem-based methods) for adult learners in order to connect curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills.
Goal: 100% of our students will receive personal contact from our department.
1. 50 students, in both Allied Health and Behavioral Health, will receive individualized orientation before each course.
2. 25 students will receive weekly support throughout their classes from the Student Success Trainer and/or a local elder or alumni mentor to ensure that students achieve the expected outcomes of each course and see themselves advancing to the next level.
3. 15 individuals who previously showed interest in taking classes but never became students will be contacted to assess their interest in furthering their education.
4. 20 students will receive direct support from the CRCD Training Success Coordinator to continue on to other degree programs after completing a Tech Prep program, Occupational Endorsements, and/or certification programs.

We now have a full team in place to support both faculty and students as they engage in the learning process. All members of our team have the same goal -- to ensure that students achieve the expected outcomes of each course and see themselves advancing to the next level. If one faculty or staff member cannot solve a learner's problem then another one steps in to make sure we can find the support or answer needed. Plans are in progress to institutionalize reflective teaching practice including the establishment of a teacher research group.

Our team can now take ideas such as developing a learning bridge from one area such as CHAP, to another area, such as a new pre-nursing AA degree, currently under development; and develop the courses, steps and support systems to enable students to make this goal.


2. Student Persistence and Retention
Persistence and Retention - Rural students will persist and continue if they feel they have a connection with their program. However, they will often not do so in a continuous way. It is important to not lose track of students and to reduce barriers they perceive.
Goal: Track 100% of our students, and work to assist as barriers develop.
1. 25 previous students, completers and non-completers, will be contacted to assess their interest in furthering their education.
2. In partnership with the Tech Prep program, tech prep articulated agreements will increase from one to three programs by Spring 2007.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes - The institution defines and assesses the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired by adult learners both from the curriculum and from life/work experience in order to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor.
Goal: Create learning plans for all students and track their progress.
1. In partnership with 50 students (25 Allied Health & 25 Behavioral Health) we will create a roadmap of the program that will best suit their learning needs.
2. 25 students who show interest in continuing their education in the Health field will be assessed. These assessments will include the ASSET and/or COMPASS placement tests, college transcripts, interests and skill levels.

Utilizing our database we will interview our students as they begin to take our courses, getting background information and learning what their short and long range educational goals are. In partnership with the student we create a roadmap of the program that will best suit their learning needs. Realizing that our non-traditional students stop and start college periodically will not prevent us from seeking scholarships or calling them once or twice a year to make sure they are aware of each course offering that meets their particular goal.

Life & Career Planning - The institution addresses adult learners' life and career goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals.
Goal: 100% of our students will experience improved job skills.
1. 50 new students will be entered into the database.
o Ten (10) former Allied Health and
o 40 Behavioral Health students will be contacted to assess any further educational needs.
2. 25 newly enrolled students will receive individualized orientation involving face to face instruction and a CD to support their technical preparation for their success in distance education from the Student Success Trainer.
3. 25 students will receive weekly support throughout their classes from the Student Success Trainer and/or a local elder or alumni mentor as needed.
4. 10 students will be provided support and guidance for job placement for those students not already employed through direct introductions to employers with available positions.

To better advise and serve our students we have begun to implement a database that will be linked to Banner so that each of us can work with students to ensure they are able to meet their personal goals. The database will ensure that despite turnover on our part, we can still track our students and alert them to courses they need or timely assistance that can help them.

Alumni Relations -- Our work with elders and former students increases current students' ability to continue with their program. These important individuals act as mentors and guides for students.
Goal: CRCD will work with 5 communities to assist them in creating an alumni recognition process in order to incorporate local graduates into the community.
1. Each quarter an alumnus will be featured in the CRCD newsletter.
2. 10 alumni will be contacted to serve as mentors to new students in their areas.

3. Student Financial Aid
Financing - The institution promotes choice using an array of payment options for adult learners in order to expand equity and financial flexibility.
Goal: CRCD will assist 50 students to receive financial assistance and support from their employers in order to successfully attend and complete class work.
1. Continue to seek funding from multiple sources to give students tuition dollars for their courses.

With the employer as a partner we will continue to seek corporate support to allow students release work time for studies and the ability to use work equipment if needed. If funds are not available to cover tuition we will continue to work to find scholarships or grants.

Strategic Partnerships - The institution engages in strategic relationships, partnerships, and collaborations with employers, alumni, and other organizations in order to develop and improve educational opportunities for adult learners.
Goal: CRCD will work with rural health care institutions and create 5 new partnerships in order to increase student success and career placement and advancement.

Developing local cohorts that are supported by their employers increases student success and career advancement, creating positive outcomes for both the student and the employer.

Most of our students are employed in rural sites with Tribal or Regional Health Corporations. As we meet with the student and/or their employer we will continue to develop local cohorts that are supported by their employers. This partnership, coupled with local cohorts, increases student success and career advancement, creating positive outcomes for both the student and the employer.

Additionally we will also continue to seek collaborations with other MAU's or Corporations that allow us to better serve the students. Our current practice has served us well in this way.

4. Infrastructure and Services
Student Support Systems - The institution assists adult learners by creating and implementing systems of comprehensive academic and student support that focus on enhancing students' capacities to become self-directed, lifelong learners.
Goal: Ensure that 100% of our students have a positive experience with our courses and programs.
1. 50 students will receive instructional, course advising, and technological support through the established CRCD training success coordinator for both Allied Health and Behavioral Health.
2. 100% of the rural students enrolled for classes will receive individualized orientation guidance and a packet will be created with a CD to guide them through the technical aspects of distance learning.

We have been consciously developing teaching tools and technologies that make it possible to listen to student feedback. We have begun to advocate for UA systemic changes that can help us better meet student needs. These issues include fee payment access, registration concerns, paperwork, access to the Internet, or course computer hardware difficult for students to access and/or use. As a small group we can implement some changes quickly so some students can see results within the same semester! For harder issues we continue to meet or explore other options.


Technology - The institution uses information technology to provide relevant and timely information and to enhance the learning experience.
Goal: 100% of our students will receive technical support from CRCD faculty and Instructional support staff, to ensure that students make the necessary connections and have the tools to meet the learning objectives of their course.

We do not believe that technology should become "labor intensive" or something that gets in the way but rather, it should provide students with the necessary connections and tools to meet the learning objectives of their course. In fact, it should radically broaden learning options for students' diverse learning styles. Our entire faculty has been mentored in utilizing blended methods to offer students the unique combination that best meets their s needs.

Institutions that are committed to "best practices" in higher education for adult learners, can become recognized nationally as Adult Learner Focused Institutions (ALFI). Colleges and universities that have subscribed to and are practicing the principles of ALFI have benefited from respective higher marks from regional academic accreditation bodies, higher enrollment and retention, and general system improvements over time.
Goal: CRCD Health will be seeking ALFI certification in 2006-2007. In doing so, we are committed to participating in the required program/college assessment and in implementing suggested changes that help us remove program and system barriers for our students.