Survey Results
Spring, 1999
Lifelong Learners E.P.T.

This survey was conducted during Spring Quarter, 1999 by members of the Lifelong Learning E.P.C. This was an in-person interview of the person in charge of the following areas:

Natural Sciences
Liberal Arts
Counseling
Library
Physical Education
Teaching and Learning Center
Continuing Education
Business and Professional Institute
Occupational
Business and Services
Public Information

Some of these interviews lasted for over an hour, while others were quite short. Therefore, the interviewee did not always have the opportunity to get in-depth answers to all of the questions.

The team has concluded from the survey that all of the above areas acknowledge that there are lifelong learners in their area. Some of the areas have made adaptations to their programs, areas, based on the needs of lifelong learners. While other areas, feel that a lifelong learner is no different than a traditional student and therefore, no changes to programs, courses, etc. need to be made.

The survey question is followed by the general themes of responses.

1.    In what ways do your unit's goals or efforts include or address L.L. learners?

• Efforts and goals range from some to entire
• All acknowledged having L.L. learners in their area
• Unclear whether needs will be met with budgeting efforts
• On-line courses

2.     What are the characteristics of the L.L. learner in your area?
        Reasons why lifelong learners take courses:

• There to update skills
• Because of career changes
• Over 40 % have degrees
• Maintenance of skills
• Intellectual curiosity
• Explore new experiences; dreams; creativity;
• Researching issues and challenges of life stages
• Wellness

     Personal characteristics of the lifelong learners:

• Like individual attention
• Highly motivated
• Ability to apply themselves
• Usually already have some college credits and/or a college degree

3.   What internal factors encourage your unit's goals or efforts in serving the L.L learner at C.O.D.? What internal barriers do you see for the L.L. learners?

     Encouragements:

• Funding,
• Administrative support and recognition
• Collaboration with staff
• Some flexibility of scheduling
• Service attitude - orientation of COD employees
• Great staff
• 2 year school - can do what 4 year can't
• Technology - marvelous
• Some co-operation across areas
• Faculty enthusiastic about what are teaching and doing

     Barriers:

• Time
• Funding
• Space and quality of space
• Know as a "'2 year school" - transfer
• Specialized admission
• Prerequisites
• Organizational structure - internal competition for students
• Lack of proactive advising
• Resistance to service
• Lack of training for staff
• Organizational inertia

4.   What external factors encourage your unit's goals or efforts in serving the L.L. learner at C.O.D.? What external barriers do you see for our LL. Learners?

     Encouragements:

• Skill upgrade
• Work place demands - work place expanding (global)
• Opportunity for collaboration
• Student success & satisfaction - spread the word
• Living life to its fullest
• Demographics of district Increasing # of offerings Ideas and suggestions from the students

     Barriers:

• Time
• Competition
• Rigid structure for degrees
• Awareness
• Money - need for financial aid
• Child care - lack of
• Public transportation - lack of
• State funding
• Confusion still remains about Open and Central Campus

5.    What are the sources of competition (both inside and outside the college) for your program/service?

Internal:

• Within and between divisions and areas for funding, students, courses, facilities, room assignments (especially for a room for only part of a quarter)
• Competition for marketing/public information services (working with a limited budget)
• Condition of facilities (rooms)
• Lack of communication
• Increasing number of offerings and programs

External:

• Some specialty schools
• Other traditional schools - more flexible; better fast track programs
• Other providers of similar services (park districts, health clubs)
• Increasing number of offerings and programs
• Niche marketing

6.   What data (such as program review, surveys, assessment do you use in your unit? How are these instruments used? Are they used to address issues such as persistence and the marketing of programs for L.L. learners?

• Research and Planning- program review, student graduate survey; students portrait; 10' day enrollment- where students come from; student satisfaction survey; student placement; retention report; needs assessment; unit generated surveys; Clarus report; labor market data - corporate surveys; focus groups; state employment trends; advisory groups; phone calls.

How used?

• Added hours for service

7.   What information or data would be beneficial that you currently do not have?

• List of students who did not enroll in subsequent quarter, especially programmatic students
• Student tracking does not tell enough
• More resources devoted to why students do not persist
• Qualitative analysis
• Longitudinal studies
• Track students - after they leave; did we meet their goals
• Up-to-date demographics
• Targeted surveys
• Comparison of students from different areas

8.   Do you perceive any gaps in services to your unit by the College?

• Time
• Space
• Up to minute research
• Increase staff
• Administration available at night
• Division offices, all major services open at night
• Need dedicated labs and classes
• An 800 number to track advertising, convenience for students
• Less lead time for brochures, etc.
• Records Office and Financial Aid Office need more hours
• Book ordering should be done on-line

9.   What programs/services could your unit provide that are not currently available?

• Condensed versions of courses for specific focus (i.e. manufacturing)
• More individual courses as opposed to programs
• More on web and more proactive on web
• More certification programs and on-line courses
• Languages added
• Individual learning opportunities
• Expand service hours
• More broad based workshops, orientation
• Women's Certificate Program; Certificate in Nursing renewal

10.   Has your unit made any changes to better serve L.L. learners?

• Geared to making changes
• On going changes
• Self paced; on-line - courses and registration
• Use of technology - virtual library
• P.E. - has 60 new courses, improved facilities
• Offerings more diverse
• General theme - customer based, technology based; some to extensive across units.
• Offer courses at times in which they are not competing with one another

11.    What plans does your unit have to meet the needs of L.L. learners?

• Work closely with units to access needs
• Continue to look at scheduling
• More flexibility
• Meet needs of students
• Develop new programs; serve as a catalyst
• Niche for students
• Global citizens
• Support of Fast track
• Cross-college collaborative learning

12.   Has your unit responded to the Clarus Report? How?

• Wellness
• New publicity
• Use to find issues that need to be addressed
• BPI not addressed in the report
• Enrollment management team formed

13. Other relevant issues?

• Budget needs must be addressed
• Focus on virtual college
• Assessment of adult learners
• Placement exams - barrier
• Parking - barrier
• College survival skills for adults
• there is a long time period to affect change; simplify the Quarterly; adult programs do not seem to be as important as other programs.