What Will College Be Like Post-Pandemic?
This week, Governor Murphy signed the $32.7 billion FY21 budget, one that includes $700 million in tax increases and $4.5 billion in borrowing. On one level, that outcome was a relief to hear; there is at least a plan for how to manage for the next nine months. On another level, the implications for the future are profound.
Whereas the pandemic will end, higher education will be fundamentally changed. Even if New Jersey wanted to suddenly reverse 25-plus years of investment strategy in public higher education and reduce the proportional cost that students bear through tuition, the resources are not there to do so.
So, what do we know about what college will be like post-pandemic? Our own experience provides some clues:
- 635 fewer undergraduates than last fall either decided not to start college at WP or to return this semester.
- 165 more graduate students than last fall decided to enroll at WP.
- 57 more freshmen were retained this fall than would have been at last year’s retention rate (i.e., 73 percent vs. 69.3 percent).
- 55 more undergraduates graduated in four years than would have at last year’s graduation rate (i.e., 36.4 percent vs. 32.4 percent).
So, what’s under the hood of those numbers? The following:
- Students have choices for traditional forms of higher education, including to stop out, and the pool of traditional-aged high school graduates is declining.
- High-quality, convenient, and affordable online education is attractive.
- Students value relationships and being taught how to navigate and succeed in college.
- A high freshmen retention rate leads to a high downstream graduation rate, but four years of effort does to, and a free summer course to enable an August graduation may as well.
In summary, while what one offers by way of degrees and programs is important, the game changer is how one offers it. Here are some important emphases in Academic Affairs this year, in partnership with others, intended to better position us for a post-pandemic world:
- Further expansion of WP Online.
- Accelerated exploration of undergraduate opportunities for online education and course transformation.
- Using what we have learned with freshmen retention to strengthen the sophomore experience.
- A late start program for new freshmen.
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The implementation of a Quality Matters-informed skills development curriculum for faculty to teach in distance education-delivered programs.
- The growth of a flexible, adult degree completion program.
- Encouraging the use of travel funds by faculty and departments to engage in virtual opportunities for curricular, teaching, and student success innovation.
- Continued expansion of partnerships with K-12 schools and community colleges for dual enrollment and pathway programs to bachelor’s and graduate degrees.
- To emphasize program growth in areas that respond to external demand, provide value-adding opportunity along the way (e.g., stackable credentials), and that consider interdisciplinary strengths and opportunities.
A famous quote commonly attributed to Stephen Hawking is, “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Navigating through the pandemic is critical, but even more so is being ready for what is on the other side. We invite you to consider ways that William Paterson can be a leader in how we do it.
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Academic News
Travel budgets to academic departments have been allocated. Given that many conferences are now virtual, and either free or at modest cost, Academic Affairs is encouraging departments to use this moment fruitfully to support not only scholarly opportunity, but also teaching-focused conferences, curricular innovation-focused meetings, and workshops themed around underserved populations. Further, we hope you would consider engaging a virtual speaker with expertise in such areas as well.
ART and Sabbaticals will be deployed this year. Application information, as well as allocation details, can be found at ART and Sabbaticals.
Spring schedule preparation is underway. Thanks especially to department chairs and deans who are working with faculty to identify instructional delivery modality so that information will be available to students as they seek to build their schedules.
The Middle States Self-Study is nearly ready for sharing with our accreditation review team chair, Dr. William Fritz, president of the College of Staten Island. He will be here in early November for a preliminary visit and provide us feedback on our Self-Study before we submit it in its final form.
There are a number of academic programs working their way through faculty governance. It is important to keep them moving forward given that the Board of Trustees meeting to receive them is November 20, and the next Board of Trustees meeting after that is not until March 5, 2021.
Faculty review process calendars for 2020-21 and associated policies can be found here. Please consult those resources as applicable to the submission of materials and/or a departmental review need.
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Facts & Figures
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A 1 percent increase in retention or graduation: 16 students. Student success is a contact sport by everyone.
- Number of new/newly designed academic programs launched fall 2020: Goal: 3; Actual: 7.
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“Good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience.”
–Richard Light, Making the Most of College
“I believe that every person is born with talent.”
–Maya Angelou
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The Provost’s Office is Meg, Lissette, Claudia T., Claudia C., Kara, Jonathan, Sandy, and Josh. You can reach us at 973.720.2122 • provost@wpunj.edu
We may be working remotely, but we are accessible to you!
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