A hot topic in higher education has been the advantages and disadvantages of online education for minority students. Some believe online courses exacerbate existing education challenges and the lack of academic support for minorities ultimately resulting in low enrollments and lower GPAs. This is unacceptable.

 

It’s crucial for professors and tutors to work with all students every step of the way to make sure learners like Maybeth Moses, a healthcare advocate earning her MBA, are on track and getting the one-on-one attention they need to succeed. It is important for every academic institution to spend time with the students who might lack confidence in their academic ability. At Capella University, we’ve discovered those one-on-one connections that are the difference between graduates and dropouts for all students.

 

That is why I’m especially proud of Capella University’s new, innovative online BA and MBA degree program called FlexPath that is based on the direct assessment of learning, rather than seat time in the classroom like the traditional credit hour. FlexPath is the nation’s first direct assessment program approved by the Department of Education at the bachelor’s and master’s level.

 

By breaking free from traditional credit hour requirements and restrictions, FlexPath students are able to set their own schedules and move through courses at their own pace. Moreover, this more flexible approach has the potential to significantly reduce the time and cost of earning a degree.

 

This flexibility is crucial for working adults who now comprise the majority of America’s students. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of students over the age of 25 increased 42%. In fact, 85% of today’s college students are not first-time, full-time students.

 

Given this greater flexibility, continuous communication and reinforcement is necessary to ensure students stay engaged and feel connected throughout the learning process in order to achieve their self-determined goals.

 

That’s why in FlexPath students are never alone. The program utilizes a three-pillar support system composed of faculty, coaches, and tutors. Faculty provides rigorous feedback on assessments, in which the students apply knowledge and theory to complete projects they would encounter in the workplace.

 

Coaches work day-to-day with students to support them by developing personalized career goals and an academic plan, holding them accountable and connecting them to needed resources along the way. Finally, tutors serve as subject matter experts and provide academic support as needed throughout the courses.

 

Sometimes the most disruptive innovation is as simple as providing students with the support they need to succeed in achieving their education goals. With FlexPath, we not only provide students with the flexibility to make higher education a possibility, but also the support they need to be successful in the program.