Serving Students
through Innovative
Strategies
Dr. Chris Bustamante, Rio Salado College President
The State of
Higher Education
Today
Higher Ed Headlines
University of Phoenix to Shutter 115 Locations
October 17, 2012, New York Times
UMUC to lay off 70 amid declining enrollments
March 28, 2014, The Baltimore Sun
Corinthian’s Cloudy Future
June 20, 2014, Inside Higher Ed
(HBCUs) Fighting for Survival
June 24, 2014, Inside Higher Ed
City College of San Francisco’s quest to keep its
doors open
October 24, 2013, Inside Higher Ed
Higher Education Today
• Completion Goals
• Skills Gap
• Increasing Regulations & Accountability
• Diminishing Resources
• Increasing Numbers of Adult Learners
• Staying Relevant
Texas Snapshot
Changing Demographics
– High School Graduate numbers are increasing
– 2016, more than half of all high school graduates will be Hispanic
– By 2020, 7 out of 10 will be Hispanic (or other minority populations)
Degree Attainment Gap
– In 2012, 34.6% of the population hold a two-year or
four-year degree
– 3 million+, ages 25-64 have some college, no degree
– 23.4% of the population
Sources:
Knocking at the College Door, 2012 WICHE
U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community College Survey and
A Stronger Nation through Higher Education, 2014 Lumina Report
Texas Snapshot continued
Rio Salado College:
Founded to serve
non-traditional
students
Rio Salado College: A non-traditional
college in a traditional system
Rio Salado College
Quick Facts
Student Profile
•
•
•
•
•
•
65,000+ students served annually
44,000+ students online
Largest public online community
college in the U.S.
60% are Female
Average Age – 29
More than 40% are age 30
and older
Major Programs
•
Corporate & Business Partnerships
•
Early College Initiatives
•
Incarcerated Re-Entry
•
Military & Veterans
•
Adult Basic Education
(College Bridge Pathways)
•
Online
Online Students
“I thought that my late start
would prove too great an
obstacle. What I have
earned is more than a
degree – it is a milestone.”
Sylicia McPhea
RSC Graduate
Innovations to Support
Online Learners
Proprietary LMS: Rio Learn
– Predictive Analytics
– Plagiarism Detector
24/7 Student Services
Upside Down Instructional Model
Master Course, Many Sections Model
– Monday Start Dates
– Never Cancel a Class
Business Model
• Productivity
• Efficiency
• Scalability
• Quality
Instructional Model
• 22 Residential & 1,500 Adjunct Faculty
• Extensive Adjunct Onboarding
& Orientation
• Master Course
• Monday starts throughout the year
• Never cancel a class
Higher Education’s
Iron Triangle
Access/Completion
Source: The Iron Triangle: College Presidents Talk about Costs, Access, and Quality,
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and Public Agenda, 2008
Recognitions
Fast Company
Ranked in Top 10
Education Companies
in the World.
Fast Company Magazine, 2013
Gates Foundation
Recognized Rio as 1 of 12
highly-performing online
institutions.
Gates Foundation Convening Session
McKinsey & Company
Named Rio as 1 of 8
highly-productive
institutions in the U.S.
“Winning by Degrees”
The Future of Higher
Education Delivery
Online Learning
• More than 7 million students online
• One in three students taking at
least one class online
• Online growth outpaces traditional
enrollment growth
Source: 2013 Sloan-C Online Learning Report
Future of Higher Education
• Leveraging Technology to Scale
• Next Generation Learning Models
• Learning Communities
• Entrepreneurial Initiatives
• Regionalization
Leveraging Partnerships
• Public & Private Higher Education
Institutions
• Business & Industry
• Vendors
Credit for Prior Learning
Students:
• 2.5 times more likely to persist
• 65% more likely to earn a degree
• Accelerate their time to completion
Source: Council for Adult Experiential Learning
Key Strategies for Change
• Clear, coherent
academic / career
pathways
• Alignment of
learning across
education sectors
• Stackable credentials
based on clearly
defined competencies
• Transparency and
accountability
Source: Empowering Community Colleges to Build the Nations’ Future,
American Association of Community Colleges, 2014
Student-Centric Solutions
“I wanted to be a role model
for my children and to prove
that as long as you persevere,
are patient, and put in the
work, you can succeed.”
Patrick Valenzuela, RSC Graduate
Are you prepared to meet
the needs of the future?
Thank you!