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Accelerated Degree Programs Can Benefit Nontraditional Students
Posted May 16, 2011 01:25 PM
Accelerated Degree Programs Can Benefit Nontraditional StudentsAccording to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly one-third of all new jobs will require postsecondary education through 2018. Furthermore, 20% of careers will require moderate- to long-term on-the-job training.
For working adults who wish to validate their credentials or improve their skills, accelerated education programs may be the most accommodating. These offerings typically allow students to complete coursework in a shortened period of time.
Facilities such as Elizabethtown College's Edward R. Murphy Center for Continuing Education and Distance Learning offer this type of program. According to a press release, the school was recently given the 2011 Excellence in Innovation Award by the Commission for Accelerated Programs, an international membership organization for higher education professionals, as a result of its efforts to accommodate nontraditional students.
"Adult learners are a vital part of Elizabethtown College and we are happy to accept this honor on their behalf," said John Kokolus, dean of the center. "This recognition will inspire our faculty and staff to continue to work to widen access to quality higher education for adults and to advance the level of instructional excellence provided to the students in our accelerated degree programs."
To qualify for this award, schools must offer examples of innovative research or practice that has contributed to the instruction of adult learners. The school received the honor for its innovation in the areas of overall governance and structure, admissions and marketing, programs and delivery features, standards and assessments as well as faculty development.
According to the results of the Adult Learning Inventory developed by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Elizabethtown's degree programs exceed all seven national benchmarks of effectiveness in serving nontraditional students in higher education.
The school will receive its honor at the 10th Annual Conference for Accelerated Programs in Higher Education in August.
Other institutions, such as the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc, are also seeking to help nontraditional students meet their educational goals. According to a press release, the school is launching FAST TRACK, which is an accelerated associate's degree that was created for busy working adults.
The courses for this program are offered both on-campus and online. Enrollees can complete 15 weeks worth of classes in as few as seven weeks.
As of next fall, students in the FAST TRACK will have the opportunity to enroll in several new courses, including English composition and the history of rock and roll.
