Published by Acadeum
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, public institutions face unique challenges. From budget constraints to student retention concerns, the need for innovative solutions has never been more pressing. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, “enrollment continues to be the biggest stumbling block for many institutions, and increasingly tuition-dependent public colleges are facing lower revenues thanks to enrollments depressed by the pandemic and ongoing demographic shifts.”
However, a transformative concept is gaining momentum at public institutions: course sharing. In this post, we explore the idea of course sharing, its value proposition, and how public institutions can leverage it to overcome challenges and achieve transformative and sustainable change.
The Value of Course Sharing
At its core, course sharing allows like-minded institutions to collaborate and offer their students a more comprehensive range of courses. Many of the barriers associated with transfer courses are eliminated with course sharing, as students do not need to apply to another school or request their transcript, which makes for a more seamless student experience.
By harnessing the power of the Acadeum network, public institutions can expand their course catalogs, offer more specialized subjects, and ultimately enhance the educational experience for their students while ensuring students stay on their academic pathway.
Let’s dive into real-world examples of public institutions that have partnered with Acadeum to successfully harness the power of course sharing to overcome specific challenges facing higher education institutions, achieve positive outcomes, and build for a sustainable future.
Recover Leaked Tuition – University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri (UCM) faced a significant challenge with students dropping out due to limited course availability. UCM looked internally at the top courses students took elsewhere. The data was eye-opening for school leaders–the school was missing out on one million dollars in revenue. By utilizing course sharing through the Acadeum network, UCM offers a broader range of courses and ensures that students are enrolled in the classes they need to stay on track.
UCM leaders also see the opportunity to improve retention rates and recover leaked tuition revenue. By proactively addressing course availability, UCM sets a compelling example of how course sharing helps respond to a common challenge for public institutions.
Boost Student Progress – Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) encountered a specific challenge when students ended their third year without enough credit hours to qualify as seniors. This often resulted in delayed graduation and increased costs for students. PVAMU designed an intervention program using course sharing to help these students catch up and graduate on time.
In one year of course sharing, PVAMU provided 107 courses that would otherwise have been unavailable in the semester the students needed them. The university also experienced $24,945 in savings by offering courses through the Acadeum network. The flexibility and variety of courses available through the Acadeum network enabled PVAMU to provide the necessary academic support to students, ultimately boosting student progress.
Improve Retention and Recover Revenue – Angelo State University
Angelo State University (ASU) recognized the importance of addressing student attrition and revenue recovery. By implementing course sharing, ASU now offers in-demand courses previously unavailable due to limited resources, and this has improved student retention and enabled ASU to maximize tuition revenue.
Since the summer of 2020, 200 students have maintained enrollment or avoided delays in graduation thanks to course sharing. Additionally, course sharing helps ASU apply cost-effective measures to institutional processes by redirecting under-enrolled courses, which has resulted in the recovery of $500K in revenue. The success of ASU’s course sharing initiative demonstrates the transformative impact course sharing can have on public institutions that leverage partnerships with like-minded institutions in the network.
Educational leadership in public institutions demands innovative approaches to address challenges and enhance the student experience. Course sharing, facilitated by Acadeum, presents a powerful solution for public institutions. It enables the recovery of leaked tuition revenue, boosts student progress, improves retention rates, and ultimately helps transform the educational landscape. Institutions can strategically utilize course sharing to create an enriched academic environment that better serves their students while creating a sustainable future by collaborating within the Acadeum network.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/colleges-fear-cost-of-doing-business-will-become-much-costlier
