Topic
Presenter Discussion
Evening Degree
Program
AS
Connie Montgomery, Director of Advising and Tony English, Program Management
Director of the UW Professional & Continuing Education department met with the
Deans to share information about their evening program. Alison said what is attractive is the possibility of offering students full 4 years. They can start here the first 2 and move into the evening degree program at the UW. Encourage a good route for students and get as much advising as possible up front to think about the whole 4 years rather than 2. We could build a program that would segue or link into a UW program where there is space.
At this point in time the UW has an evening Communications, Social Sciences, English
HIHIM, and Humanities major. There is some program fluctuation occurring and she will know more mid-May.
Connie explained how students feel more at ease if they have an advisor at SCC and the
UW. (They created relationships for advising at EdCC). Then students can see the plan.
Some students stay longer at the community college to get credits and we work with them to reassure the plan they are doing and how it fits in with Gen Ed at the UW.
Connie said we meet with people. At EdCC they have a specific website.
In terms of course content there are 14 departments at the U that offer courses in the evening. Communications is most popular. In terms of class versus online mix, there are 48 class courses in the program over the academic year at this point and another 6 group start online at the beginning of the quarter. Students take that as a cohort group.
Connie said Social Sciences is the most popular major as it is flexible and multidisciplinary.
Connie said they just began admitting International Students 8 years ago. What they find is International Students, if interested in an evening degree like Communications, they are a little wary. Majors offered in the evening feel different. Once they get in a program they love it.
The most common problems reviewing transcripts is Math for admission into the UW
Action Items
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Topic Presenter Discussion and sometimes foreign language. For students who need language courses they offer elementary Spanish courses in the evening. If students don’t have 3 years of Math in high school, Math 99 is required. You have to have Intermediate Algebra unless there is
3 years in high school.
The courses offered in the UW evening program are proposed and approved by departments. Tony and his colleagues draft a schedule making sure it is balanced. It is more of an organic process groomed by the departments, what courses and faculty they have.
Co-marketing is doable. The evening degree program is exciting. Jim said SCC has a reputation of being a pipeline to the UW and we say that. There is a number floating around the last couple years in the Legislature that people with some college but no degree is around a million in the state of Washington. We have a reputation for interaction with the UW and there is this population – it is perfect. Let’s do that. Connie has market research from a survey she will share with Alison.
Connie said one of the things that made their program successful is their advising staff.
They are dedicated and are there for students. They get a lot of positive feedback. The advising has made a lot of difference to the students. Any program students are going into, if you have strong advising, that is the best. They do a lot of in-person advising.
They telephone and email. Connie’s standard spiel with students is, “Stay in touch with us. During the first couple quarters, come and see us.” They explain to students the best service might be worth a phone call, and then they can focus just on you. We do all of those. Connie pushes to have them meet face to face because it makes a huge difference.
Personal human communication and connection carries a long way.
There are 198 students in the UW evening program. Connie will send the market survey to Alison.
Deans thanked Connie and Tony for all their information.
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This meeting gives us an indicator we can move forward on the idea of having a hybridbased program in the evening. We should market to liberal arts folks. Deans noted their ears perked up during the conversation about 45 additional, transferable credits. (The final 45 credits must be taken at the UW). Some students are beginning to transfer in
135 credits because it’s more affordable for them.
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Topic Presenter Discussion
An evening program can focus on people with some credit but no degree; a larger idea of
Liberal Arts, and training for hybrid would help. There needs to be more discussion about the kinds of students who come at night and the things that can be done for those students. They would be older and more motivated. They would be more demanding of quality.
The market for an evening hybrid program is based on a national data set. We are a bedroom community with most of our folks working. Jim explained in marketing you have to create the demand. For whatever reason they are finding current barriers too high. How do we lower the barriers and show them the pathway? If we are talking 35 to
45 year olds, they would use more traditional communications channels (TV, radio). If we don’t know exactly who that person is, it is easier to use and get the word out. A
Dean suggested marketing in community centers and schools for those who want to go into Early Childhood or teachers. We need to focus. Jim replied that is our approach now.
The idea of what we can offer in hybrid will be interesting. We will introduce technology to people in education. They are able to come face to face. The first class it will be important to create a cohort. It is really important to be able to show a path to a
4-year degree.
Jim said the message could be “start the path” message. We would promote and remove immediate barriers. That would help us gauge the market. College got easier to get back on track. There is nothing to lose offering a mini evening degree. We need another meeting with Jim Hills to go over exactly what this looks like. Ann, Bob, Kathie and
Susan would like to meet with Jim. We need to protect these courses and choose faculty carefully. Bob and Kathie will have a conversation about which classes to offer.
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