reading - Jenzabar

The New
Traditional
Student
Opportunity
Perpetual ROI Throughout the
Complete Student Lifecycle
WHITEPAPER
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
Introduction
The Golden Age of Adult
Continuing Education
The New Traditional Student
Bringing Down the Cost
of Education
Innovative CE Technology
6
Modern CE Systems
7
Serving the Entire Student Lifecycle
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9
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1 Insightful Marketing
2 Intelligent Recruiting
3 Intuitive Enrollment Management
4 Informative Retention
The CE Opportunity
© 2015 Jenzabar, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Introduction
Welcome to the knowledge-based global economy, where a nation’s long-term
health and wealth is contingent upon the collective skill and know-how of its people.
“This is the golden
age of adult
continuing
education.”
Robert Hansen
CEO and Executive Director
UPCEA
A highly-educated and competitive workforce is vital to economic security.
The labor market’s “skills gap” has recently been the subject of much focus and concern.
Thousands of job openings go unfilled because of a lack of workers with the required
expertise. Policymakers have stressed the importance of equipping adults with the skills
sought by employers and providing pathways to training programs that fill the gap. A recent
McGraw-Hill Research Foundation policy paper concluded that in the U.S.: “Adult education
and career training is potentially one of the most cost-effective tools the nation has to
recover its economic health in the aftermath of the ‘Great Recession.’ … We must have
an integrated system of adult education and workforce development that serves millions
of Americans in accessible, affordable, and accountable ways—on the job, online, and in
the classroom.” The same is true for many economies around the world.
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The Golden Age of Adult
Continuing Education
There were 6.8 million adult learners in the United States in
2013, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The US Department of Education reports that only four percent
of them enrolled in traditional university degree programs.
Instead, the vast majority chose vocational classes, professional
certifications, or independent courses. The burgeoning demand
for continuing education heralds extraordinary opportunities
for adaptable higher education institutions that are capable of
bringing innovative offerings to the market.
Continuing education (CE), non-credit courses, professional
certifications, workforce development programs, corporate
campuses, and enrichment offerings have become centers of
perpetual return on investment (ROI) for many colleges and
universities. As institutions embrace the challenge,
their schools of extension are becoming incubators for
ground-breaking programs, many seeing unprecedented
success. As Robert Hansen, CEO and Executive Director of
the University Professional & Continuing Education Association,
has succinctly noted: “This is the golden age of adult
continuing education.”
2
The New Traditional Student
“Our programs vary
Clearly, the higher education student is undergoing a transformative change.
Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Rob Jenkins stated that, “What we
greatly in terms
used to call ‘nontraditional’ students—older, working, married, and maybe still
of length, price,
living at home—now constitute a large and growing percentage of those attending
intensity, and student
college in the United States. In fact, they are quickly becoming the ‘new traditional’
student” (Jenkins, 2012).
requirements.
We need one system
that recognizes that the
needs of continuing
education can be very
Adult learners have personal and academic circumstances that differ significantly
from those of their younger counterparts. Many adult students have children. Many
work long hours to afford tuition and materials while supporting themselves and
their families. Many are anxious about returning to school or even starting school
for the first time after they’ve been in the workforce for years. Some are switching
careers while others are advancing careers. The National Center for Education
different from the rest
Statistics has found that these students are more than twice as likely as traditional
of the university.”
students to drop out in the first year. Even so, many institutions find that adult
Ronda Bethea
easy, but given the right tools, pedagogy, and support, these students can have
Network Manager
Susanne M. Glasscock School of
Continuing Studies at Rice University
learners are excited about their education and take it very seriously. It’s not always
high rates of success and completion.
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Bringing Down the Cost of Education
New traditional students are actively seeking inexpensive degree programs.
Many schools are adopting revamped business models that are bringing down
the cost of delivering an exceptional educational experience. How are schools
doing this? Technology is the cornerstone of a sustainable financial model.
Technology is the
Administration systems designed exclusively for CE, workforce development, or
cornerstone of a
online education provides the adaptability, efficiency, and customization essential
sustainable financial
to a successful program. The higher operational efficiency created through an
model. Administration
integrated administrative system not only streamlines the everyday tasks of running
a financially sound program, but also provides the advanced analytics needed to
systems designed
continually refine operations. And cloud-based systems provide both cost-savings
exclusively for CE,
and increased reliability, among other benefits.
workforce development,
“Technology is often looked at as an answer,” says Dr. Daniel Greenstein, Director
or online education
of Postsecondary Success at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “Yet, it has
provide the adaptability,
to be more than just bolting new technology on an antiquated platform. We need
new business models that include technology and allow colleges and universities
efficiency, and
to put scarce dollars where they matter most. For today’s student, what can make
customization essential
a big, positive difference is access to an education tailored to their needs, their
to a successful program.
learning styles, and their goals, with appropriate coaching and advising. For higher
education to fulfill its historical role as an engine of social mobility and economic
growth, we must continue to seek big technology breakthroughs. This means
thinking creatively about how to serve students as individuals, while also ensuring
that many more students get the learning opportunities they deserve.”
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Innovative CE Technology
The technological needs of CE and workforce development
programs are unique. Courses for new traditional students can
range from a single, online lecture to a nine-month certificate
program or more. A school’s IT infrastructure must not only
support but also help cultivate this flexibility. “Our programs
vary greatly in terms of length, price, intensity, and student
requirements,” says Ronda Bethea, Network Manager, Susanne
M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University.
“We need one system that recognizes that the needs of
continuing education can be very different from the rest of
the university.”
Modern CE systems easily adapt to a program’s academic,
financial, and timing needs. A powerful CE system, like
its enterprise resource planning (ERP) cousin on the main
campus, provides a holistic solution for connecting silos of
disparate information, including integrating seamlessly with
the main campus ERP. It brings together the backend and
frontend systems, integrating financial information and student
registration and admissions data.
5
Modern CE Systems
A modern CE System is designed to handle the often extreme
degree programs and 255 forcredit undergraduate courses. The
swings in demand seen in CE and online programs. It easily
integrated system quickly and easily guides students through
accommodates a wide variety of course catalogs, flexible class
online registration, and it simplifies and reduces administrative
schedules, stackable certificate programs, faculty calendars,
tasks for UC Online staff. “This is not a time to be timid,” says
integrated marketing campaigns, and advanced business
Mark G. Yudof, University of California President. “The finances
intelligence analytics. It gives users real-time information
simply no longer exist to support instruction the way we’ve done
and is accessible at any time, from any computer or mobile
it. The challenge is to be strong and thrive with the new fiscal
device. It makes intelligent learning track and training trajectory
and pedagogical realities. High quality, online classes that make
recommendations for students throughout their course of study.
innovative use of technology could give University of California
Marketing components of a robust system utilize Customer
students new ways to learn while helping to alleviate bottlenecks
Relationship Management (CRM) technology for deeper insight
in high-demand classes.”
into a school’s constituents.
The University of California Online Education (UC Online), which
has seen much success providing engaging, academically-rich
online courses, connects seven campuses through a single
technology platform. Nearly 2,600 fully-online courses have
been offered across the university system with more than 90,000
students enrolled. These include three fully-online master’s
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Serving the Entire Student Lifecycle:
Four Steps to Perpetual Return on Investment
Comprehensive continuing education and workforce development systems ensure the institution serves the new traditional student
throughout the entire student lifecycle. From recruitment to admissions to student success and beyond, opportunities to forge strong
bonds with constituents abound. This can set up a program for a continuously replenishing cycle of prosperity. The four steps to
perpetual ROI in a CE or workforce development program are:
1
Insightful Marketing
2 Intelligent Recruiting
3 Intuitive Enrollment Management
4 Informative Retention
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1 Insightful Marketing
2 Intelligent Recruiting
An effective brand marketing campaign conveys a focused
Competition for the best-fit students is tough. Prospective
message across all media. Integrated technology ensures an
students are constantly bombarded by mail, email, internet
institution creates a favorable impression and strengthens
campaigns, and social media interactions. Successful institutions
the student-school relationship throughout the entire student
are using CRM technology to personally connect with the best-fit
lifecycle—from a student’s first touch with a school (such as
candidates for their CE and workforce development programs.
via social media), through the school’s online registration
CRMs can track and monitor each candidate/student across the
recommendation engine (where the system places a student in the
complete enrollment process, from initial inquiry to acceptance
correct learning track), through student engagement campaigns,
and admission. List management, personalized email generation,
to post-completion interactions. From a marketing technology
calendar and event management, and automated workflows make
standpoint, the institution’s website, social media presence,
CRMs invaluable tools for running an effective recruiting program.
prospect portal, and online registration system are all opportunities
And CRMs capture the data that gives an institution deep insight
to collect information about your audience. And all that data can
into a campaign’s effectiveness, so a school can react to its market
be analyzed in real-time reports and dashboards, so an institution
in real time.
can continually refine its efforts—do more of what works and less
of what doesn’t.
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3 Intuitive Enrollment Management
4 Informative Retention
To be competitive in the new traditional student marketplace,
The virtuous cycle created in delivering the ideal new traditional
it’s important to provide high-quality service while keeping
student program perpetuates itself. By providing personal,
operational costs low. Successful CE programs need to knock
meaningful service at a cost-effective price point, institutions
down the barriers of traditional enrollment processes. A CE-
are well on the way to optimizing student success. Predictive
specific administrative system helps accelerate everyday tasks and
modeling, an innovative retention technology, helps institutions
streamline operations though automated workflows, scheduling
reach out to struggling or at-risk students at the right time, with
tools, and real-time alerts that keep the entire team connected and
the best interventions. With the tools in place, schools can work
in sync. Modern students expect fast and easy online registration
to make sure no student falls through the cracks.
with transactions taking place in the familiar “shopping cart”
feature. Facilitating real-time registration from Facebook®
Many new traditional students go on to become repeat, life-long
accounts and online guides to help students with commonly
learners. Institutions do well to track job placement for future
asked questions is essential. And throughout the enrollment
marketing to the organizations employing its graduates. Tracking
process, the system needs to collect and present back the
credentials also helps an institution market on an individual basis,
data that makes sense, allowing the institution to make the best-
ensuring students keep credentials current. Through the use of
informed decisions.
innovative technology, institutions can deliver on the promise
of student success and fulfill a mission of giving new traditional
students the opportunities they deserve.
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The CE Opportunity
Large research institutions, small private schools, community
colleges, online schools—higher education institutions of all types
and sizes are expanding their continuing education, workforce
development, certificate, and non-credit programs. Modern
technology designed specifically for their unique programs is
a critical component to keeping costs down while providing
an exceptional program. By breaking down the barriers of
traditional systems, innovative CE and workforce development
systems provide real-time integration with the main campus while
also serving the often-changing needs of these contemporary
programs. With a burgeoning market opportunity, and a smart
business model of perpetual ROI, serving the new traditional
student throughout the entire student lifecycle is making a big
impact in higher education.
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Author
Hans Kobler
Managing Director, Jenzabar Innovations, Jenzabar, Inc.
Hans leads Jenzabar Innovations, providing innovative software solutions to
our ERP clients and the broader higher education industry. He brings a wealth
of expertise to Jenzabar after having spent more than 20 years in various
technology commercialization and development functions at ICx Technologies,
Digital Power Capital, General Electric, and Bain & Company. Hans holds an
MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, attended INSEAD in Fontainebleau,
and received a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the Technical University
of Munich.
Jenzabar is a leading provider of enterprise software, strategies, and services
developed exclusively for higher education. Our integrated, innovative solutions
advance the goals of academic and administrative offices across the campus and
throughout the student lifecycle.
Jenzabar’s mission is to maximize our clients’ success. Our award-winning software
and experienced professionals provide our clients the tools and resources they need
to thrive. As a trusted partner on more than 1,000 campuses worldwide, Jenzabar has
over four decades of experience supporting the higher education community
101 Huntington Avenue, Suite 2200
Boston, MA 02199
USA
800.593.0028
jenzabar.com
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Sources
National Center for Education Statistics
Bethea, R., Network Manager, Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Rice University.
Denneen, J., & Dretler, T. (2012). The Financially Sustainable University. Bain & Company.
Ebersole, J. (2014, 01 13). Top Issues Facing Higher Education in 2014. Forbes.
Greenstein, D. (2013, December 16). Essay arguing that major changes are coming to higher education. Inside Higher Ed.
Jenkins, R. (2012). The New “Traditional Student. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
University of California Online Education Press Release. (2013). Online Education Seen as Key Part of Curriculum.
Worchester, A. (2011). Continuing education can help improve your career. The Business Journal.
Additional Information
To learn more about CRM technology for Higher Education, read:
Every Student is Unique
How to deliver a personalized educational experience with CRMs for Higher Education
To learn more about Predictive Modeling technology for Higher Education, read:
What Is Predictive Modeling?
Improving student success in higher education with analytic technologies and practices.
©2015 Jenzabar, Inc. All rights reserved. Jenzabar® is a registered trademark of Jenzabar, Inc. The Jenzabar logo is a trademark of Jenzabar, Inc. JENZ_CE_HigherRe_WP-6-2015
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