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News, Views and Careers for All of Higher Education

March 29, 2007

Portrait of the Occupational Student

Educators spend a lot of time talking about diverse, non-traditional students, but much of the focus involves those in traditional higher education. A report issued Wednesday by the U.S. Education Department attempts to provide more information about the subset of college students — one that is more diverse and disadvantaged than students on average — that is seeking occupational training.

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Occupational students are defined as those seeking either an associate degree or certificate (but not a bachelor’s degree) in an occupational (as opposed to academic) program. The department’s analysis is based on college students who started their programs in 1995-96 and the occupational subbaccalaureate group is larger than any other:

Distribution of New College Students by Goal, 1995-6

Goal

Percent

Occupational subbaccalaureate

36%

Career baccalaureate

19%

Undeclared baccalaureate

13%

Undeclared subbaccalaureate

12%

Academic baccalaureate

10%

Academic subbaccaulareate

9%

Not only were there more academic subbacalaureate students, they were more diverse. The group was predominantly female (57 percent), and had higher rates of underrepresented minority groups than other sectors do: 16 of the students are black and 9 percent are Hispanic. The average age of these students when they started their programs was 24.

Some of the characteristics of these students appear to affect their identities as students. For example, 56 percent delayed their enrollment one or more years after finishing high school, and 45 percent worked while enrolled. Occupational students are more likely to think of themselves as “enrolled employees” than as “working students,” the Education Department found.

Generally, students seeking certificates or associate degrees are less likely than are those seeking a four-year degree to complete their programs — whether the credential they are seeking is vocational or academic. And the new study offers additional confirmation.

As of 2001, 48 percent of those occupational students who entered in 1995-6 had earned a credential. An additional 12 percent remained enrolled in their programs.

The top reasons cited by those who left their programs were: job or financial demands, family demands and moving to another city or state. In some cases, people citing these reasons did not abandon their quest for a credential but enrolled in less demanding programs.

— Scott Jaschik

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Comments

Can there be other issues for these students not completing their program, like faulty for profit proprietary schools.

Camille, Financial Aid Compliance, at 9:16 am EDT on March 29, 2007

Show your administrators

Occupational faculty should be sure to forward this article to appropriate administrators. Department funding and other perks are frequently based on “completion rates,” which too often is defined as a degree or certificate. Sometimes the goal of an occupational student is not a degree, but simply to get through a class.

Retired CIS instructor, at 9:20 am EDT on March 29, 2007

Proprietary Colleges and Nontraditional Students

Although Camille’s question about the other reasons students might not complete their programs is appropriate, I worry when commentators continue to refer to “faulty for-profit proprietary schools.” Such generic characterizations do not explain what is faulty about them, or why for-profit education tends to attract students that once might have flocked to community colleges.

Having taught and administered programs in a variety of settings from private, non-profit research universities to public universities to for-profit career colleges, I can honestly say that staff, faculty, and administrators at the proprietary institutions for whom I have worked spend much more time worrying about and seeking solutions for their struggling students than the more traditional colleges.

It takes great patience and devotion to evaluate students based on tough standards while recognizing how far many of them have come just to seek higher education and try to improve their lives.

Michael Cook, Academic Program Director at Everest College, at 12:46 pm EDT on March 29, 2007

recruiting problem?

Mr. Cook, Perhaps the extra concern at some proprietary schools stems from those college recruiters making unsubstantiated claims about the quality and value of said proprietary schools?

. . . or as with many open-enrollment colleges, the practice of admitting anyone with a pulse and a body temp. that closely approximates 98.6 ?

Some faculty must work harder than others, just based upon the quality of the entering raw material; isn’t that obvious by now?

Dr. F. Gump, at 5:20 am EDT on March 30, 2007

Prefer an industrial society with a small academic elite?

What would you suggest then, Dr. Gump? Tougher admissions standards don’t solve any problem. They simply decrease the pool of college-educated adults in our society. Proprietary for-profit schools play a very important role and focus on making education available to all. I don’t know of a single person who attends a for-profit school because it’s easier or just for kicks. For profit schools tend to have more innovative programs that help working adults get the education they need in order to better provide for their families and enrich their lives and communities. Say what you want about for-profits but they are the real innovators when it comes to finding new and better ways to educate our non-traditional students. The non-profits are the ones who have a lot to learn from all of this — if only...

mraleigh, at 8:15 am EDT on March 30, 2007

Having served “occupational"/ Community College AAS/ Technical,Proprietary School graduates for 32 years now — with over 4000 Applied Baccalaureate Degree graduates — Siena Heights University has studied and done considerable research on the Bachelor Degree completion needs of “occupational” students.

I personally have had the privilege of working with allied health/ technical/ occupational professionals with an unbelievably wide range of rich academic, military, corporate training, and work experiences. Many of these people are leaders in their fields and organizations. Many believed there were not viable bachelor degree options available to them when I’ve talked to them. There are, of course.

Siena Heights University has partnered with Community Colleges/ Technical,Proprietary Schools throughout Michigan and beyond (with a NCA accredited Totally On-Line option) to meet the Bachelor Degree completion needs of “occupational” grads. The Diversity exhibited by “occupational” students is the most amazing thing I’ve noted.

Should anyone care to hear more about what Siena Heights University, a Dominican liberal arts institution, has learned in our 32 years serving occupational students they can contact me at nbukwaz@sienahts.edu.My main point: Community College AAS/ Technical,Proprietary School graduates have bachelor degree completion needs and one of the greatest opportunities in American Higher education is to “research” this domain and really see the talented pool of individuals who need a Bachelor Degree. The pre-occupation with “traditional” 2 + 2 transfer agreements that I see diverts our attention from many talented, successful working professionals who need to get baccalaureate degreed.

My experience with “proprietary” school graduates has, in the main, been positive — as it has been with the graduates of Community College allied health, technical, occupational grads.

Last thought: I wonder how many of Inside Higher Ed’s readers looked at this “piece” on Occupational students. My guess: Not Many. Lastly, for some interesting research do a google search, type in Applied Baccalaureate Degree.

Norman A. Bukwaz, Director, Bachelor of Applied Science Degree Program at Siena Heights University, at 5:15 pm EDT on March 31, 2007

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