Preparing Adults for Online Degrees

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, forty-two percent of adults in the US are over age 24 and in need of higher education. The fact that more and more adults are returning to school is a very positive trend that is expected to continue at an increasing rate. To support the many returning adult students seeking to resume their education and earn a college degree, many schools are now offering online degrees as a flexible alternative to traditional education. Online degrees allow adult students to study at their own pace, from the convenience of their own homes, while not interrupting their busy daily schedules However, to many adult students looking to earn a degree online, the use of technology required for online education and the larger virtual world is a very intimidating and cold environment. In addition, many returning adult students have not, over a period of years, participated in formal educational experiences and need to be prepared to learn again.

There is one school that has devoted considerable time and resources to insure that students are prepared to learn. That institution is Post University of Waterbury, Connecticut, a small technology enabled educational institution with an intimate understanding of the qualities required of an adult student entering or reentering the higher education world. The staff supporting the online degree programs delicately address at the beginning of the entry process issues regarding a student’s ability to succeed after years away from school. The nature of online education requires that all communications between returning adults and University staff start with a frank discussion of why the student is returning to school and why pursue an online degree. This personal interaction is important to establishing a helping relationship. In some instances returning adults will be provided with a series of tests that help staff understand the adult’s learning style, needs and capabilities. Everyone interested in completing a degree online is provided with clear and complete information about the process, milestones, and time frame for completing a degree. It is at this moment that participants in this process learn that they came to a place that can help them achieve their goals.

Help is a word never taken lightly at Post University. The culture of the Post University faculty and staff is to provide help at every step of the way. It is referred to as the Post Way. Faculty and staff work together as personal advisors to those adults who become students. They literally are taking the journey along side their students. Their objective is making sure students graduate; one student at a time, one online course at a time. Being a small school, Post University knows how to personalize its relationship with its online students. Those who participate in online degree programs recognize that Post University has a unique understanding and capability in the adult education environment that is hard to recreate. The University has an intimate understanding of an adult students’ challenges; making sacrifices to attain a better living for themselves and their families. And, a better living is what Post University’s online degrees can help adult students achieve. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage difference in annual median earnings between men ages 25 to 34 with a college degree and those with a high school diploma is 54 percent. For women in the same categories, that figure jumps to 88 percent. Translated into actual numbers, this means that workers 18 and over sporting bachelors degrees earn an average of $51,206 a year, while those with a high school diploma earn $27,915. Bottom line, men and women with college degrees earn much more over their lifetime than those without them.

Post University has made its mission to learn from all of its constituencies and to incorporate that knowledge back into the online classroom. Having offered online degree programs since 1997, Post University has over time incorporated many technological improvements which make completing an online degree a simple process. Post University staff understands that technology should not get in the way of learning and students reaching their objectives. The faculty and staff at Post University understand that the goal of our students is to secure a degree that provides them with not only the knowledge and skills to succeed but the challenges to be competitive in the workplace. The online degree programs at Post University are designed to prepare them to take a leading role in the workplace. The Post way is to treat our adult learners as partners in a learning process that builds on active participation, self motivation and thoughtful counsel. The best reward for all of these efforts has been Post University’s excellent student retention rate. As an adult, to begin an online degree is one thing, to complete it is another. Post University’s high completion rate is the result of the combined efforts of the student, the faculty and the staff. Nearly all online degree students attend their graduation to bask in the smiles of family and friends, including those from the faculty and staff of Post University.

Post University effectively prepares students to participate in its online degree programs. Although founded in 1890, Post University has not moved far from its roots of preparing adults for the world of work. Post University’s online degree programs are just another means by which it continues to deliver on its promise of “Each student, every day”!

Mira Lalovic-Hand, PhD.
Director, Office of Student Information
Post University