Future Vision of Education

38
Running head: FVE: POST UNIVERSITY 1 Future Vision of Education: Post University Erica McCarthy Post University

description

My future vision of education for Post University, written as a requirement for EDU 505.

Transcript of Future Vision of Education

Page 1: Future Vision of Education

Running head: FVE: Post University 1

Future Vision of Education: Post University

Erica McCarthy

Post University

Page 2: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 2

Abstract

Post University has its foundations in traditional New England educational systems. However, its

business model, as it stands, is not sustainable without retaining quality students. This paper will

discuss a future ideal for Post University. It will briefly cover the university’s history and

demographics, as well as the hope for the future of the university. It will also briefly cover two

different types of futuring techniques, scanning and scenarios, as part of the methodology of a

future vision of education case study. It will discuss various economic and public policy trends in

education and ideas regarding retention to keep those quality students.

Page 3: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 3

Future Vision of Education: Post University

Post University is a 125-year-old, four year accredited university in Waterbury,

Connecticut. Post services a wide variety of students, from high school graduates to senior

citizens, from stay at home moms to active duty servicemen and women and veterans. According

to the entry on U.S. News, only about 1% of new entrants are first time freshmen, with most

incoming students entering with at least 12 credits when they started the program. The vast

majority of students, roughly 65%, are between the ages of 23 and 39. There is an almost even

split of males and females, though females do outnumber males slightly. The diversity of the

student body is not completely known, though almost 30% of students identify as white, with

28.3% identifying as some type of non-white minority (U.S. News and World Report, 2015).

Currently, Post University offers 29 undergraduate degrees and certificates, and 17 graduate

degrees and certificates. Many of the undergraduate and graduate degrees offer varying

concentrations, so prospective students have numerous options within each degree program. The

university’s mission is to “provide students with the knowledge, personal skills and experiences

required to become leaders in their chosen careers” (Post University, n.d.).

History of Post University

Post University was founded in 1890 as the Matoon Shorthand School, a correspondence

school offering classes such as bookkeeping, typing, shorthand, and business writing. In 1939, it

became Post Junior College of Commerce, and in 1965, acquired its campus in Waterbury, CT.

By 1976, after becoming accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

(NEASC), Post Junior College became Post College, a four-year higher education institution.

That same year, Post offered its first accelerated degree programs to Vietnam veterans looking to

return to a productive work life. In 1990, Post College affiliated with Teikyo University in Japan

Page 4: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 4

and became Teikyo Post University, and in 1996, Teikyo Post offered its first online accelerated

degree programs. In 2004, changes in the Japanese economy caused Teikyo University to transfer

control of Post to a new Board of Trustees, and Post University, as we all know and love it, was

born. Post added new courses to the curriculum, including expanded liberal arts offerings, and an

even great emphasis on preparing students for their careers. Starting in 2006, and continuing

almost every year since then, Post University has added a new degree program (graduate and

undergraduate) that can be finished entirely online (Post University, n.d.). Post University has, it

seems, transferred hands a number of times since its founding 125 years ago; however, every

transfer has been a step forward in building and refining a top ranked online program

Trends in Education

Post University is currently overhauling the organization of its course structure (at least for the

first eight courses) in order to reduce the number of failures in those courses by students who are

unprepared for college. The goal is early identification, intervention, and retention of those

students who may be struggling (for a number of different reasons, including scheduling

conflicts, lack of support, and financial difficulties), setting them up for success moving forward.

This is a solid start, as the new schedule includes an introduction to computing class and a

writing course as two of the first four, but without a solid support system within the university,

students may still find themselves struggling. Introducing the academic success counselors

earlier, and requiring them to have more interaction with the students in their caseload

(regardless of the perceived requirement of that contact), will help retain those students and

increase their success. Additionally, introducing students early to the various support services

within the university is also an important component to increasing retention.

Page 5: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 5

Demographic Trends/Concerns. One of the biggest difficulties within college

admissions is showing prospective students the way. They wonder if they are able to finish a

program, or if they are able to keep up with the coursework, especially if they are single or

working parents. Generally speaking, online students are less likely to complete courses than

their more traditional counterparts (Jaggers, 2011); indeed, more than one report shows the same

thing. In fact, one such report indicated that most of the chief academic officers were concerned

about retention rates of their online students, with almost half of them indicating this concern

(Allen & Seaman, 2015). The question that should be asked here is why that is the case. Jaggers

(2011) indicates there could be three such reasons—technical difficulties, lack of social

interaction, and a lack of structure within the courses. In terms of lack of structure, it can be

argued that Post University is taking steps to rectify that by requiring the first eight courses be

the same across the board for every student enrolled, with some program-specific exceptions

(management courses instead of leadership courses; business ethics rather than regular ethics,

etc.).

Lack of social interaction, or social distance, is another issue in regards to retention.

Students may not feel as connected to their classmates in an online setting. Though instructors at

Post University are trained in techniques for engaging students throughout the modules,

connection still remains an issue. Tied into the interaction aspect is the student support structure.

Post University utilizes admissions counselors as initial points of contact, but transfers to

academic success counselors upon completion of the students’ first week of class. Each academic

success counselor has a caseload of anywhere from 300-500 students they are responsible for,

which is an exorbitant amount. This can cause students to feel as though they are not given the

help they need. Instructors can pick up some of the slack here, in recommending support services

Page 6: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 6

like the Writing Center and Tutoring Center for students to utilize; however, this is nowhere near

a foolproof system, and while instructors might be a student’s first point of contact when they’re

having difficulties, the academic success counselors should act as a backup as needed. One study

indicated that students who received solid coaching and mentoring were significantly more likely

to still be enrolled in college even after the coaching had ended (Bettinger & Baker, 2011).

Additionally, Bettinger and Baker (2011) found that, using a system where the coaches worked

with the students regarding aspects of life outside of school, the students that were most at risk

could be identified and saved, as it were, much sooner.

Technology Trends. Post University already uses a number of technologies that have

been mentioned in the New Media Consortium’s Report for Higher Education. One such

technology is the use of blended classrooms. Post University offers something called regional

site, in which students do their work online—their readings, their discussion boards, their

assignments, etc.—but also meet in a classroom setting with their instructor and classmates once

a week for approximately three hours on campus. The NMC Horizon Report indicates that

blended classrooms draw from best practices in both online and traditional face-to-face methods

(Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015). The general opinion is that the quality of

the blended classroom is superior to that of a fully online or fully face-to-face classroom, with

one report showing that upwards of 90% of academic leaders view learning outcomes in blended

courses as superior (Allen & Seaman, 2015). Additionally, a Department of Education report

concluded that blended classrooms had more favorable outcomes than strictly online or

traditional face-to-face instruction (U.S. Department of Education, 2010).

Another technology listed in the Horizon report that Post University utilizes is Open

Educational Resources (OER). These are defined as “teaching, learning, and research resources

Page 7: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 7

that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that

permits their free use and re-purposing by others” (New Media Consortium, 2015, p. 14). OER

can include entire courses, course materials, textbooks, tests, or software, for example. OER

allows for more variety in terms of resources instructors use to teach their students, and many of

them have been, or are being, used by instructors all over. One study conducted in the UK

indicates that there is support for OER there, given the intercollegial culture of sharing and

borrowing materials; however, there is some push-back regarding wider use of materials (Rolfe,

2012). The point seems to be that OER are there for instructor use. YouTube videos could be

considered OER in some cases, as can many online open journals. There is a case for the

utilization of more, however. Many MOOCs could be considered OER as well, and of a

certainty, utilizing Ivy League MOOCs to supplement Post University’s instruction could be

beneficial to students and instructors alike.

In an online program, technology reigns supreme. The entire purpose of an online

program is to utilize technology to ensure flexibility in education. However, this does not help

students who do not have access to a computer or regular internet access within their homes.

While the vast majority of their discussion boards can be completed from a smartphone or tablet

device (which is typically how those students access the Internet), they are required to make it to

a library or somewhere else with a computer they can use in order to get their schoolwork done.

Unfortunately, as of 2010, there are significant problems with that idea, as public library closures

and budget cuts across the country limit the option of using the Internet for free at the local

library (Brodsky, 2010). This can cause subsequent issues, especially (again) with students who

are working parents or single parents that cannot necessarily take the time to do the work. That

begs the question of how accessible is higher education when the student’s main focus is on

Page 8: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 8

keeping her head above water financially. Many students would cite the flexibility of the

schedule in regards to online learning; in fact, in admissions, when asked why they are pursuing

an online program, the number one answer is “flexibility.” How accessible does this make higher

education for low-income students then? Approximately half of the student population at Post

University is made up of minorities, and many of those students are low-income. Given that

information, and the fact that retention rates for open enrollment institutions (which, technically,

Post University qualifies as) have remarkably low retention and graduation rates, this should be

cause for concern indeed (Conner & Rabovsky, 2011).

Across the board with for-profit schools, students from low-income families make up

approximately 50% of students (U.S. Department of Treasury; U.S. Department of Education,

2012). Financial aid becomes part of the conversation at that point, as tuition costs across the

board in higher education have increased exponentially since 1980 (U.S. Department of

Treasury; U.S. Department of Education, 2012; Geiger & Heller, 2011). Given that most of the

financial aid awarded to students at Post University includes loans, the question then becomes “is

it worth it?”

Economic/Public Policy Trends. Federal student aid at Post University is comprised of

loans and grants, though grants are need-based. Post University does not offer merit-based

scholarships, though students are welcome to find them elsewhere. In the 2009-2010 school year,

the federal government provided $124 billion in aid (U.S. Department of Treasury; U.S.

Department of Education, 2012). From the perspective of an admissions counselor, many

students cite student loan debt as a concern. However, many studies indicate that yes, a college

education is worth the cost, even if they have to take out loans to do so, and that those with a

college education do better overall in the job market (Taylor, et al., 2014).

Page 9: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 9

Historically, Post University has catered to adult learners—those who have been out of

education for a number of years, those who are parents themselves and require the flexibility of

online, and those who may not be able to attend a traditional brick-and-mortar campus for any

number of reasons. It would stand to reason that the University would do whatever necessary to

retain those students and ensure they receive a solid education, rather than simply a degree. The

best way to do this would be to solidify the support system and ensure a solid foundation in

course structure.

Methodology/Futuring Techniques

Futuring in education is a vital component to improving education institutions and

programs. When an educational institution has a certain goal in mind, futuring assists

organizations in planning and program development. By asking the question of how the

institution achieves its goal, futuring allows the institution to take the proper steps toward

achieving that goal. This gives the proper context for planning and new development (Mietzner

& Reger, 2005). Additionally, even if no planning actually occurs, using the steps of futuring

allows institutions to do what is, in essence, an analysis of the environment as it stands, and

make changes that it deems necessary. It is for these reasons that futuring remains a necessary

component to building, evaluating, and improving on educational programs. Futuring can be

done in a variety of ways, though the two that will be discussed in this paper are scenarios and

scanning. Scanning is defined as the process of collecting, analyzing, and distributing

information regarding potentially significant external changes, for the purpose of providing

intelligence (Macias, 2008). Scenarios, on the other hand, provide planners with a number of

possible futures, which aids them in making decisions without knowing what the future will

actually hold (Mietzner & Reger, 2005). These techniques, on their own or combined, provide an

Page 10: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 10

essential function in the planning and implementation of any educational changes, as two of the

seven steps required in futuring (Sobrero, 2004).

In general, scanning requires that the futuring team (whoever happens to be on it) look at

different trends, both internally and externally. Generally considered to be the first step, scanning

will, inevitably, include a large amount of significant data that needs to be analyzed (Sobrero,

2004). Scanning can be considered passive, such as reading journals or newspapers, or active.

The organizational consequences of passive scanning are that planners do not necessarily use that

information for planning, and miss many things that signal changes in the educational

environment as a whole since, by and large, they are not looking for it. Active scanning, on the

other hand, focuses the attention on information that spans industry environments as well as the

educational institution. Generally speaking, active scanning also includes information that

represents different views from social, technological, economic, environmental, and political

(STEEP) sectors (Morrison, 1992).

Generally speaking, scanning helps researchers and planners see what’s coming—what

the current trends are, and what trends are in the near future. There are also different types of

scanning, depending on what an institution might require. For example, if an institution requires

immediate information regarding an external issue, irregular/ad-hoc scanning might be best.

Irregular scanning allows for quicker turn around and less commitment of resources, but are

reactive, and the data retained may only be superficial at best (Macias, 2008). Periodic scanning

occurs more regularly, and is more pro-active, forecasting a number of years in advance and is

more in-depth; however, if something occurs in the environment unexpectedly, the institution

might require an irregular scan to supplement (Macias, 2008). Continuous scanning requires

more effort and resources, including funding, people, and time; however, continuous scanning

Page 11: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 11

also provides planners with more comprehensive data, allowing plans to be changed as needed in

a more proactive way (Morrison, 1992). Each type of scan has its uses, as well as its challenges,

but it is all dependent upon what the institution requires.

Scenarios are another matter entirely. Whereas scanning searches for what current trends

are and where they might be going, scenarios give planners a number of different futures that

could come about. Scenarios attempt to create images of how the future might evolve, while

providing context for planning and new development. They allow planners to view what is, in

essence, a utopian future—regardless of what institutions are planning for, scenarios help build

that future. Like scanning, there are different types of scenarios, depending upon the researcher

and the topic being studied. Additionally, there are a number of different methods for building

scenarios (Mietzner & Reger, 2005). This leads to some of the challenges regarding scenarios,

and there are many. First, it is challenging to formulate scenarios and plan for everything that

could possibly go wrong. Scenarios allow for at least some of futures to be planned for; however,

it’s difficult, if not impossible, to plan for every contingency. Additionally, because the future can

be shaped by not only past dynamics but also future choices and actions, a scenario can plan for

one outcome but, when those plans are put into practice, develop an entirely different problem or

outcome. Yet another challenge is in actually making decisions regarding those scenarios.

Mietzner and Reger (2005) state that it’s better to “acknowledge and promote those who are

clearly doing it well” (p. 233), as decision making takes time—both to make the actual planning

decisions, as well as to see the effects of those decisions.

As it regards the Post University case, both of these tools will be helpful in planning.

Scenarios will help build the utopian ideal of what the student body might require from the

foundation classes, as well as what some of the pitfalls might be, and scanning will assist in

Page 12: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 12

seeing what the current trends are regarding incoming students and their readiness for

postsecondary education.

Vision/Plan

As it stands right now, Post University is a solid school but struggles with low retention

rates. One can argue that there are any number of reasons for that, though the university is taking

steps to rectify that.

Scenario. This vision holds that five years from now, Post University will have higher

quality students—students that are both qualified and prepared for the rigors of a higher

education program, chosen through a more selective enrollment process. Students who attend

more selective universities—regardless of income level—do better than those who attend less

selective universities (Executive Office of the President, 2014). By increasing selectivity, Post

University will bring in students more likely to finish a degree program, which will increase

retention rates.

Students in foundational courses will be taught proper APA formatting and citations from

the start, with no confusion regarding standards, or what constitutes an acceptable academic or

scholarly source. Students will exhibit professional oral and written communication skills

coming out of those foundational classes to ensure success in higher-level courses. Concerns

regarding accidental plagiarism will be significantly reduced, as the foundation courses will

teach students the proper way to cite sources, as well as ensuring students fully understand the

penalties for plagiarism. There will be less room for error regarding instructors grading

assignments, as instructors will be required to grade based on stricter standards within rubrics.

Another part of the scenario for the future of Post University is in its support staff—

specifically, the academic success counselors. The benefits of having a strong support staff and

Page 13: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 13

student coaching was mentioned earlier in the paper, but to recap, students with consistent

support and mentoring do better and are more likely to finish a degree program (Bettinger &

Baker, 2011). This means that Post University’s current method of employing a small amount of

academic success counselors and burdening them with a large caseload is damaging the students.

Five years in the future, Post University will have more academic success counselors with a

lower caseload, so as to ensure each and every student feels like they have a point of contact that

will actually support and help them, because the staff will actually know them. Bettinger and

Baker (2011) mentioned that students from a certain demographic (first generation students and

those from low-income households) “do not know that they need help, don’t take the initiative to

seek it out or don’t know what questions to ask” (p7). Decreasing the student caseload for

academic success counselors at Post University will increase each ASC’s ability to know their

students, which in turn will only help struggling students, as the ASCs will know to reach out—

and be better able to do so.

Challenges/Opportunities. There are both challenges to and opportunities for this

scenario.

Challenges. Budgetary concerns are at the forefront of these challenges— at the end of

the day, Post University is still a for-profit institution, for all that it is a well-established one.

How does Post University institute these changes without damaging the financial stability of the

university and its shareholders? Second, some of the ways to increase selectivity may, at the

front end, reduce enrollment numbers; as it stands, if a student can complete the three enrollment

steps, they will be registered for classes. Increasing selectivity may mean a lower number of

students coming in to be retained at all. This leads to a third challenge—the possibility of

requiring layoffs in admissions to reduce the amount of money leaving the university as opposed

Page 14: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 14

to the amount of money coming in. Again, though Post University is in the business of education,

it is still a business and, as such, can fall victim to the whims of supply and demand economics.

Basically, a lower supply of students means a lower demand for admissions counselors, thus

leading to layoffs. The last two challenges focus on the courses themselves—namely, that there

are certain difficulties in reworking every foundation course, and finally, that there could be

pushback from instructors who prefer to keep their individuality in teaching.

Opportunities. The opportunities for Post University in this scenario, however, outweigh

the challenges. The first opportunity is in increasing retention rate. As it stands right now, Post

University is putting some plans into action to help increase retention rate from the beginning,

but there are any number of ways to increase retention rates—including increasing the

communications between the ASCs and the students. With an increase in retention rates may also

come an increase in graduation rates, though graduation rates are generally very strict in the

requirements; however, implementing these plans for both online as well as main campus

students might help see that increase. Increasing both retention and graduation rates can only

help increase financial stability, which is the third opportunity, and further separate Post

University from other for-profit schools, reducing that stigma, which is the fourth opportunity. In

terms of financial stability, as retention and graduation rates increase, the reputation of the school

will also increase, thereby hopefully increasing enrollment. Increasing the reputation of the

school also directly relates to separating Post University from the pack of other for-profit

institutions, reducing that stigma of what “for-profit” means. This is especially important with

the current trends of for-profit universities filing bankruptcy and closing campuses, as was the

case for Corinthian Colleges (Yan, 2015), or being under SEC investigation, as is the current case

for ITT Tech (Cohen, 2015). While Post University has never, and most likely never will, be in

Page 15: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 15

the news for such breaches of public trust, the fact remains that Post University is a for-profit

institution. Separating itself from the other for-profit institutions, and increasing its standing in

online programs in general, will only help Post University in the long run. Finally, there’s the

opportunity for increased job placement among graduates, as they will be more prepared for the

working world through the increased stringency of the coursework.

None of these ideas are required, of course. However, with the increase in online

programs across the board, Post University will only see more competition. More competition

without allowing itself to rise in rankings and selectivity will mean a greater chance of lower

enrollment and lower profits regardless, without any of the other opportunities to balance it.

That, in turn, means all of the challenges listed above could come to pass regardless. If they’re

going to happen either way, there should be no reason why the university would not want to put

this plan into action.

Plan for Change. Post University can very easily institute some of the changes required

to help move this future vision forward. Currently, Post University does not require an

admissions essay unless the student has a very low GPA or has earned a GED or high school

equivalency diploma. By requiring an admissions essay for all students, the admissions

counselors who enroll students will have a better time of assessing quality in prospective

students. This also brings Post University in line with the vast majority of four year institutions

within the state of Connecticut as it stands, including Yale University, Quinnipiac University, and

the University of Connecticut—all of which require admissions essays with the application.

Another addition to the admissions requirements, and something that Graduate Admissions at

Post University does require, could be letters of recommendation—although that idea requires

that prospective students have professional references, which is an assumption that cannot be

Page 16: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 16

made, making this idea slightly more of a long shot than requiring admissions essays across the

board. Additionally, while matriculation is required in order to release financial aid to the school

and the students, many students do not get their transcripts to the university in time to start

classes. This means that the students’ financial aid is delayed, which means students relying on

that financial aid to get a new computer are unable to do so, which in turn means they fall behind

in classes. Admissions counselors are often told that students who are fully matriculated and

finalized by the time classes start tend to do better in classes and are easier to retain. By requiring

matriculation before classes start—even if that means the university pays to acquire proof of high

school completion—Post University can increase both quality of students and retention rates.

Speaking on retention rates, Post University needs more academic success counselors. As

it stands, there are significantly more admissions counselors than academic success counselors,

and those academic success counselors have a very high caseload—upwards of 300 to 500

students per ASC, which means there are larger cracks for students to slip through. Hiring more

ASCs—or even transferring some admissions counselors to advising—will reduce the caseload

and close those cracks. Along the same lines, requiring ASCs to reach out to their students more

often throughout the module, as opposed to when there is a problem or the student does not

participate in class for a certain number of days, will also close those cracks. This, obviously,

would be easier with a lighter caseload, meaning ASCs will be more likely to catch red flags

early, and those students can be retained. Additionally, there needs to be increased

interdepartmental communication across the board, meaning academic success counselors and

admissions counselors work closer together, academic success counselors work closer with a

student’s tuition planner, and academic success counselors work closer together with instructors

—and vice versa. An instructor who notices a red flag with a certain student should not be afraid

Page 17: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 17

to contact that student’s ASC with those concerns, nor should the ASC downplay that instructor’s

concern. Admissions counselors and tuition planners work very closely together, with a number

of admissions counselors walking students through the first financial aid application and award

documentation, which makes the student more comfortable across the board. Academic success

counselors should be at least somewhat familiar with financial aid processes and communicate

more with tuition planners regarding a student’s concerns. Increased communication can only be

helpful to the student.

Finally, academic program managers should be setting up stricter standardization of

instruction in foundation classes and ensuring instructors of those classes are up to date on those

standards. Adjusting rubrics in the first eight courses and requiring instructors of those courses to

follow those rubrics to the letter, while also mentoring students and directing them to the proper

support services when necessary, will only help the students succeed as they get to higher level

courses and, inevitably, the working world. Students will be prepared for the rigors of writing

twenty page papers in proper format, and will be able to communicate clearly and efficiently in

discussion boards—both skills that will translate to real world experiences.

Call to Action. While many of the ideas in the plan for change can be implemented

immediately, there are three things the university can do immediately to put this plan into place.

First is requiring admissions essays across the board as part of the admissions process. This

might mean turnaround time to get scores would be higher, lengthening the amount of time an

admissions counselor works with a student to get them admitted. However, that also weeds out

unqualified students much earlier in the enrollment process, ensuring that students who start

classes are better able to finish a degree program. Second is hiring more academic success

counselors, or transferring some of the admissions counselors down to Advising. There are over

Page 18: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 18

100 admissions counselors currently, and roughly 20-25 academic success counselors—

realistically speaking, those number could be closer together to allow for more academic success

counselors with a lighter caseload. Finally, allowing enrollment coordinators to order all high

school transcripts rather than just those partnered with Parchment. Currently, only transcripts

from those schools can be ordered and while Parchment claims they’re partnered with 40% of

schools, one EC estimates they’ve only been able to order 8% of all transcripts admissions

counselors ask them to order (Doe, 2015).

Nothing in this future vision of education is outside the realm of possibility for Post

University. It will take time and effort, but is in no way something the university could not put

into action to improve retention rates and student quality.

This number came in a conversation with one of the enrollment coordinators; her name has been changed to reflect confidentiality and anonymity.

Page 19: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 19

References

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2015). Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States.

Babson Survey Research Group. Retrieved from

http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradelevel.pdf

Bettinger, E., & Baker, R. (2011, March). The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An

Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Mentoring. Retrieved from

https://ed.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/bettinger_baker_030711.pdf

Brodsky, A. (2010, June 11). Our Public Library LIfeline is Fraying. We'll Be Sorry When it

Snaps. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/our-

public-library-lifeli_b_533529.html

Cohen, P. (2015, October 12). For-Profit Colleges Accused of Fraud Still Receive U.S. Funds.

The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/for-

profit-colleges-accused-of-fraud-still-receive-us-funds.html?_r=0

Conner, T., & Rabovsky, T. (2011). Accountability, Afforability, Access: A Review of Recent

Trends in HIgher Education Policy Research. Policy Studies Journal, 39(S1), 93-112.

doi:10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00389_7.x

Doe, J. (2015). (E. McCarthy, Interviewer)

Executive Office of the President. (2014). Increasing College Opportunity for Low-Income

Students: Promising Models and a Call to Action. Retrieved from

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/white_house_report_on_increasing_c

ollege_opportunity_for_low-income_students.pdf

Page 20: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 20

Jaggers, S. S. (2011, January). Online Learning: Does It Help Low-Income and Underprepared

Students? CCRC Working Paper, 26. Retrieved from

http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/online-learning-help-students.pdf

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015

Higher Education Edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from

http://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-horizon-report-2015-higher-education-edition/

Macias, A. M. (2008, November). Introduction to Environmental Scanning. Retrieved from

http://www.slideshare.net/rachegian/environmental-scanning

Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for

strategic foresight. Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220-239. Retrieved

from http://www.lampsacus.com/documents/stragegicforesight.pdf

Morrison, J. L. (1992). Environmental Scanning. In M. A. Whitley, J. D. Porter, & R. H. Fenske,

A primer for new institutional researchers (pp. 86-99). Tallahassee, FL: The Association

for Institutional Research.

Post University. (n.d.). About: History. Retrieved from Post University:

http://www.post.edu/about/history

Post University. (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved from Post University:

http://www.post.edu/about/mission

Rolfe, V. (2012). Open education resources: staff attitudes and awareness. Research in Learning

Technology, 20(14), 1-13. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.340/flt.v10i0/14395

Sobrero, P. (2004). The Steps for Futuring. Journal of Extension, 42(3). Retrieved from

http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php

Page 21: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 21

Taylor, P., Parker, K., Morin, R., Fry, R., Patten, E., & Brown, A. (2014). The Rising Cost of Not

Going to College. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-

cost-of-not-going-to-college/

U.S. Department of Treasury; U.S. Department of Education. (2012). The Economics of Higher

Education. Retrieved from

https://www.treasury.gov/connect/blog/Documents/20121212_Economics%20of

%20Higher%20Ed_vFINAL.pdf

U.S. News and World Report. (2015). Post University. Retrieved from U.S. News-Education:

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/post-university-1401/bachelors/

student-body

Yan, S. (2015, April 27). Corinthian Colleges to close all remaining campuses. CNN Money.

Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/26/news/corinthian-colleges-close/

Page 22: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 22

Appendix A

Page 23: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 23

Self-Evaluation

CRITERIA Deficient(0 - 5 Points)

Development Needed to Proficient

(6 – 8 Points)

Proficient to Exemplary(9 - 10 Points)

Overview of the educational context

Does not provide an adequate introduction to the educational context or is missing

Educational context overview is presented, though may not be clear or complete

Education context is clearly presented including all criteria outlined above

10

Trends Trends section does not cover the topics presented adequately or is uncited

Trends section covers all topics but parts are unclear, require further development, or are insufficiently cited

Complete trends section that covers all necessary topics and is appropriately cited

10

Futuring techniques (scanning & scenario)

Missing or incorrectly described. Missing description of how it is used or not appropriately applied

Futuring technique(s) described and application to project present, but parts are unclear, require further development, or are insufficiently cited

Futuring techniques are fully described, appropriately applied, and cited

10

Scenario Scenario is missing many of the requirements above or does not align with literature review

Scenario is appropriate based on the literature review, but parts are unclear, under-developed, or not cited

Scenario is fully developed, clear, aligns with literature review, and is fully cited

9

Five ways to prepare

Missing methods for preparing or they do not match the vision

The five ways to prepare for the future match the vision, but parts are unclear or under-developed

The five ways to prepare for the future match the vision, and are clearly and fully described

10

Effective and appropriate “call to action”

No “call to action” plan

“Call to action” plan present, but unclear or not feasible

“Call to action” is clear, feasible, and supported

10

Presentation effectively summarizes paper

Missing Presentation provides basic summary, though may not be clear

Presentation provides clear and succinct overview of paper

10

Page 24: Future Vision of Education

FVE: Post University 24

WordPress Page

Missing The site is missing key requirements or has broken links

The site is complete and functions correctly

10

Appropriate citations, APA format

References missing or are not appropriate caliber or connected to vision

Less than appropriate references cited

Eight or more appropriate references cited

10

Clear and professional writing and format

Errors impede professional presentation; guidelines not followed

A few errors but they do not impede professional presentation

Writing and format is clear, professional, APA compliant, and error free

9