02. Top 100, 2008 - Moving Up

By Sara Burnett

 Moving Up

The nation’s proprietary colleges capitalized on the demand for associate degrees in recent years, recording huge increases in the number of degrees awarded, according to a Community College Week analysis.

Private, for-profit institutions such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan and Western International universities dominated the rankings of the highest average annual increase in associate degrees since 2003.

They were joined by community colleges that saw increases caused by mergers or by institutions where specific programs — such as one to educate members of the military — boosted the number of degrees.  

William Pepicello, president of the University of Phoenix, says the increased role of proprietary colleges is a response to “a movement” among students to seek associate degrees.  

A case in point: In 2005, the University of Phoenix developed Axia College. The institution — operated entirely online — is designed for first-generation students without a degree or with few transfer credits, or those  students who traditionally may have been served by their local community college.

“There’s definitely a movement, especially given the economy right now, to look for (an associate degree) as a way to improve themselves,” Pepicello says.

For our annual report of top degree producers, Community College Week used data reported by the institutions to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or IPEDS, which is run by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Community College Week compared, and then ranked, the average annual increase in associate degrees awarded between 2003 and 2007, the most recent year for which data are available. Here are some of the stories behind the numbers:

University of Phoenix

When it was founded, the for-profit University of Phoenix enrolled students age 23 and older who had at least five years of workforce experience. But over the years, college leaders began to realize that students entering bachelor’s degree programs with few or no college credits weren’t as successful as those who had more college experience when they enrolled, Pepicello says.

That led to the creation of Axia College, which helped University of Phoenix land in second place on Community College Week’s list this year.  

In 2003, the University of Phoenix awarded 133 associate degrees, according to the IPEDS data. That number — which now includes Axia College students — jumped to 900 in 2006 and 2,918 last year. 

“That shows us there was a definite untapped need,” Pepicello says.

Roughly two-thirds of students are women. One quarter are African American and about 10 percent are Hispanic. The current graduation rate is 28 percent, according to Pepicello.   

Axia offers more support for its students than the traditional University of Phoenix programs, Pepicello says. Classes are a little longer than courses in the bachelor’s degree programs and centers for excellence in writing and math have been created to offer one-on-one online help and Web tutorials. Counselors check in with students weekly, Pepicello says.

“We realize that for these particular students, it’s a new cultural experience,” he adds.

Kaplan University

Associate degrees always have been a “niche” for Kaplan University, says Provost David Clinefelter. The for-profit university started online in 2001 offering primarily associate degrees, and even now that Kaplan offers more bachelor’s and even master’s degrees, associate degree students still make up about 40 percent of the student body.

“That’s been a big part of who we are,” Clinefelter says.

In recent years, that “big part” has gotten even bigger. Kaplan went from awarding 184 associate’s degrees in 2003 to 2,189 in 2007, the IPEDS data show.

Clinefelter cites several reasons for the increase.

First, Kaplan has added programs over the years, going from associate degrees in four areas at its inception to 12 today. The university is strategic about which programs of study it offers, focusing on high-growth fields such as health and technology, where there is a demand for graduates.

“We’re constantly kind of scanning the market to see where the need is,” Clinefelter says.

He also believes that the longer the university is in existence, and the more students it graduates, the more its reputation grows.

Another big reason for the boom is the growing acceptance of online education, Clinefelter adds.

Kaplan’s online courses are particularly attractive to older, working adults who make up the bulk of the university’s students. Years ago, people were skeptical of degree programs that didn’t include actual classroom time. Today, “everybody’s doing it,” and online students no longer feel like pioneers, Clinefelter says.

“The tide has shifted in a sense,” he adds. “It’s become much more accepted … It’s a phenomenon that’s been very helpful to us.”

Coastline

Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley, Calif., also has seen an increase in degrees awarded due to its distance learning programs — with graduates coming from all over the world, including Navy ships and faraway Army bases.

Coastline’s contracts with several branches of the military helped raise its numbers from 195 in 2003 to 1,458 in 2007.

Last year, 76 percent of its graduates were servicemen and women, says Isaiah Aguirre, a spokesman. The college also added a program for military spouses.

“We’re very proud of that,” says Jorge Sanchez, director of research. “Here we are, a little college doing a big service.”

Sanchez says the students in Coastline’s military programs are highly motivated. Their pay levels increase if they complete their program, and if they drop out, they have to repay the government. He also says the program gives students skills to get a job after they’ve left the military.

 Courses are tailored to students who may need more flexibility. In some cases, because of their military duties, they may take two semesters to finish one class. If they’re in a combat area, they might have to wait until they have access to the mail or a computer to send in a final project.

Coastline was a perfect choice to join the nation’s network of colleges serving the military, Sanchez says. Since it opened its doors about 30 years ago, it’s been at the forefront of distance learning, offering courses through DVD, PDAs and online.

“We’ve pioneered how to do that,” Sanchez says.

Northwest Vista College

In 2004, Northwest Vista College joined the Achieving the Dream Initiative, a grant program aimed at helping students of color and low-income students across the country achieve success. In recent years, the San Antonio, Texas, college hired a team to help promote graduation and to encourage students to consider transferring to four-year colleges.

The efforts appear to be working. In 2003, Northwest Vista awarded 138 associate degrees. Last year, it awarded 574, according to IPEDS.

Deborah Pacheco de Trevino, who oversees the graduation efforts, says the college begins “planting the seed” early in a student’s career — even while they’re still in high school — that graduating and continuing their education will help make them more globally competitive citizens.

“We want them to start here but we want them to be able to go anywhere,” Pacheco de Trevino says.

Students entering Northwest Vista have a mandatory advising session, in which they create a “Life Map.” It lists every course the student will need to earn a degree, and the courses they’ll take at a four-year institution, depending on their life goals. They’re also given statistics on how much money the average person makes in a lifetime depending on education level.

As students continue earning credits, they are frequently reminded through classroom presentations, e-mails and even text messages what they need to do to stay on track. They also are alerted of how to apply for graduation — decreasing the number of students who hang around taking courses long after they’ve earned enough credits to graduate.

“We want them to move along,” Pacheco de Trevino says. “We want them to move on to a four-year college.”

  Related stories:

Top 100, 2008 - Point of View
Top 100, 2008 - Analyzing the Numbers
Top 100, 2008 - Rankings

 

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© 2010 Community College Week (ISSN 1041-5726)
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