Project Details
Title
Baccalaureate Degree Completion Initiative
Status
ACTIVE
Category 3-Understanding Students' and Other Stakeholders' Needs Updated
Timeline
Reviewed
Planned Project Kickoff
09-01-2012
Created
Target Completion
08-31-2015
Last Modified 08-24-2012

08-24-2012
1:
Describe this Action Project's goal in 100 words or fewer:

A:
The Baccalaureate Degree Completion Initiative is designed to address the
degree completion needs of students who have attended Missouri Western but
did not complete a baccalaureate degree program. The Action Project will focus
on recruiting-back students who are in good academic standing and could benefit
in their careers or in career opportunities by degree completion.
AQIP Action Project goals include:
1. Recruit back to baccalaureate study citizens who have dropped out of
college while in good standing, focusing on adults with substantial prior
college credit.
2. Help participants develop appropriate degree completion programs of study
related to career goals, focusing on the use of Missouri Western’s Bachelor
in General Studies and Bachelor of Science in Technology.
3. Develop and offer courses to meet the needs of recruit-back participants,
using delivery methods that meet participants’ needs and good pedagogical
practice.
4. Increase the proportion of Buchanan County citizens with baccalaureate
degrees.
5. Positively impact the regional economy and improve the fiscal status of
project participants.
6. Advertise the successes of the project to recruit additional participants and
grow the positive impact of the program.

2:
Describe briefly your institution's reasons for taking on this Action Project now -why the project and its goals are high among your current priorities:

A:
It is a state and institutional goal to help Missouri citizens to obtain a
baccalaureate degree, grow the economy, and assist citizens to be more fully
qualified for careers with family-sustaining wages. The State of Missouri has
approximately 750,000 citizens with college credit, but no college degree.
Thousands of such citizens reside in the primary service region of Missouri
Western State University – the city of St Joseph and Buchanan County.
Businesses in the St Joseph metropolitan region consistently have job openings
that remain unfilled due to gaps between educational profiles of job applicants
and the educational profile required for the open positions. The St Joseph region
trails the nation in the percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree or
more (18.9% vs. 28.2%). However, the region marginally exceeds national
percentages of those with at least a high school degree and those with some
college. The region will be well served by a program to develop citizens with
some college experience into recipients of bachelor's degrees with coursework
focused in areas needed by the regions’ high demand/high employment
industries.
In addition, Missouri Western State University, in conjunction with several
regional partners, was recently awarded a $1million grant to increase the
number of citizens with bachelor’s degrees who are or will be employed by high
demand industries. Further, the region’s largest employer is working with
Missouri Western to develop a cohort program to provide a pathway for a select
group of managers to earn bachelor degrees. This cohort program will rely
heavily on online courses and flexibly scheduled face-to-face courses. Further,
Missouri Western just received state approval to offer a new completion degree
(Bachelor of General Studies) that has the flexibility to meet student interest and
employer needs. Lastly, Missouri Western has just completed a highly successful
AQIP Action Project focused on online course development. The inventory of
online courses has increased from 30 to 200 courses in the past three years, with
additional growth projected. These initiatives combine to provide a strong
infrastructure for the proposed AQIP Action Project, and the success of the
proposed AQIP project will foster the success of the other institutional initiatives.
Most importantly, Missouri Western now has the coursework, a new demand for
flexibly scheduled face-to-face courses, and the completion degree programs
necessary for this initiative. This initiative will positively impact regional families
and businesses, and will grow the economy.

3:
List the organizational areas -- institutional departments, programs, divisions, or
units -- most affected by or involved in this Action Project:

A:
The Baccalaureate Degree Completion Initiative will be managed through the
Western Institute which is the unit responsible for developing and marketing
Missouri Western’s inventory of online coursework. This unit is also responsible
for satellite sites and the $1million grant noted above. Additionally, this unit
focuses on community outreach programs and entrepreneurial initiatives.
The academic colleges (College of Arts and Sciences, College of Professional
Studies, and Craig School of Business) will be highly involved in the AQIP Action
Project through the creation of new online courses, the flexible scheduling of
face-to-face courses, and the advising and instruction of program participants.
The Office of Admissions and Registrar will be involved in administrative
processes central to the success of the initiative.
The Western Institute and Institutional Research will be responsible for
marketing and data collection and analysis.

4:
Name and describe briefly the key organizational process(es) that you expect
this Action Project to change or improve:

A:
As noted, for the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Initiative AQIP Action Project
to be successful, additional online courses must be developed and offered.
Flexibly scheduled face-to-face courses will enhance the probability of success of
the initiative. The growth of online courses and flexibly scheduled face-to-face
courses will enhance educational opportunities for all students of Missouri
Western and will assist Missouri Western in reaching a broader population of
potential students.

5:
Explain the rationale for the length of time planned for this Action Project (from
kickoff to target completion):

A:
Successfully marketing the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Initiative, enrolling
a significant number of participants, and helping many participants achieve a
baccalaureate degree will take at least three years. Even for participants entering
the program with 94 credits, reaching graduation by taking six credit hours per
term will require a minimum of five terms. Many participants will need more than
30 credits to complete a bachelor’s degree. While averaging six credits per term
will be doable for many participants, some will require a slower path due to other
commitments and financial realities.
Mileposts and intermediate objectives include:
Fall 2012 - Initial marketing of the proposed AQIP Action Project, including
obtaining and utilizing contact information of former Missouri Western students
who left the University in good standing and with at least 60 hours of credit.
Marketing will continue indefinitely.
Objective – to receive inquiries from at least 30 potential participants
Spring 2013 – Advisement and enrollment of first group of Recruit Back &
Graduate students.
Objective – to enroll at least 8 participants
Fall 2013 – Objective – to have at least 60 inquiries since inception of program
and at least 15 participants.
Fall 2014 – Objective – to have at least 100 inquiries since program inception, to
have at least 25 participants, and to have at least 5 graduates
August 2015 – Objective – to have at least 140 inquiries since program
inception, to have at least 40 program participants, and to have at least 18
graduates.

6:
Describe how you plan to monitor how successfully your efforts on this Action
Project are progressing:

A:
A major avenue for externally publicizing the project will be contact with
individuals who have left Missouri Western in good standing and who did so after
earning a substantial number of credits. The first effort for contact will include
those leaving during the past 10 years with at least 60 hours. Additionally, the
Missouri Western web site, regional newspapers, Facebook, electronic and static
billboards, ads in playbills, and radio spots will be used to market the AQIP
Action Project. Also, the $1million grant and the proposed project with the
region’s largest employer will be used to spread the word through corporate
human resources offices.
Internally, the project’s goals and outcomes will be discussed and evaluated at
Deans’ Council meetings, Academic Deans’ meetings, the Enrollment
Development Team, the AQIP/Strategic Plan Steering Committee, the President’s
Cabinet and Board of Governors’ meetings. The first three groups meet weekly,
and include the deans, the Provost and the Associate Provost. Other key
academic and student affairs administrators attend all other meetings except the
Academic Deans’ meeting. Deans and other administrators will be responsible for
sharing the AQIP Action Project with chairs, faculty and staff. At least once per
semester, the Dean of the Western Institute will provide information regarding
the project to all campus employees via e-mail, encouraging them to share this
information with friends and associates outside of campus.
The primary outcome measures are:
A. Number of inquiries from potential program participants.
B. Number of those inquiring who enroll in Bachelor of General Studies and
Bachelor of Science in Technology programs, and overall enrollment in these
programs, realizing that marketing of the Action Project might lead to
enrollments in these programs beyond the individuals making inquiries.
C. Number of those inquiring who enroll in other MWSU degree programs.
D. Number of participants who earn a bachelor’s degree.
E. Survey responses from graduates regarding the impact of graduation on
careers.
F. Survey responses from graduates regarding the impact of graduation on
finances.
G. Number of project participants who drop out of the University.
H. Survey responses of project drop outs regarding reasons for dropping out.
I. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived availability of
courses needed for graduation.
J. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived quality of
instruction.
K. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived quality of
advisement.

7:
Describe the overall "outcome" measures or indicators that will tell you whether
this Action Project has been a success or failure in achieving its goals:

A:
The primary outcome measures for the Baccalaureate Degree Completion
Initiative include:
A. Number of inquiries from potential program participants.
B. Number of those inquiring who enroll in Bachelor of General Studies and
Bachelor of Science in Technology programs, and overall enrollment in these
programs, realizing that marketing of the AQIP Action Project might lead to
enrollments in these programs beyond the individuals making inquiries.
C. Number of those inquiring who enroll in other MWSU degree programs.
D. Number of participants who earn a bachelor’s degree.
E. Survey responses from graduates regarding the impact of graduation on
careers.
F. Survey responses from graduates regarding the impact of graduation on
finances.
G. Number of project participants who drop out of the University.
H. Survey responses of project drop outs regarding reasons for dropping out.
I. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived availability of
courses needed for graduation.
J. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived quality of
instruction.
K. Survey responses from project participants regarding perceived quality of
advisement.