Serving Students through Innovative Strategies Dr. Chris Bustamante, Rio Salado College President

The State of Higher Education Today

Higher Ed Headlines University of Phoenix to Shutter 115 Locations October 17, 2012, New York Times UMUC to lay off 70 amid declining enrollments March 28, 2014, The Baltimore Sun Corinthian’s Cloudy Future June 20, 2014, Inside Higher Ed (HBCUs) Fighting for Survival June 24, 2014, Inside Higher Ed City College of San Francisco’s quest to keep its doors open October 24, 2013, Inside Higher Ed

Higher Education Today Completion Goals Skills Gap Increasing Regulations & Accountability Diminishing Resources Increasing Numbers of Adult Learners Staying Relevant

Texas Snapshot Changing Demographics – High School Graduate numbers are increasing – 2016, more than half of all high school graduates will be Hispanic – By 2020, 7 out of 10 will be Hispanic (or other minority populations) Degree Attainment Gap – In 2012, 34.6% of the population hold a two-year or four-year degree – 3 million+, ages have some college, no degree – 23.4% of the population Sources: Knocking at the College Door, 2012 WICHE U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community College Survey and A Stronger Nation through Higher Education, 2014 Lumina Report

Texas Snapshot continued

Rio Salado College: Founded to serve non-traditional students

Rio Salado College: A non-traditional college in a traditional system

Quick Facts 65,000+ students served annually 44,000+ students online Largest public online community college in the U.S. Rio Salado College Student Profile 60% are Female Average Age – 29 More than 40% are age 30 and older

Major Programs Corporate & Business Partnerships Early College Initiatives Incarcerated Re-Entry Military & Veterans Adult Basic Education (College Bridge Pathways) Online

Online Students “I thought that my late start would prove too great an obstacle. What I have earned is more than a degree – it is a milestone.” Sylicia McPhea RSC Graduate

Innovations to Support Online Learners Proprietary LMS: Rio Learn –Predictive Analytics –Plagiarism Detector 24/7 Student Services Upside Down Instructional Model Master Course, Many Sections Model –Monday Start Dates –Never Cancel a Class

Business Model Productivity Efficiency Scalability Quality

Instructional Model 22 Residential & 1,500 Adjunct Faculty Extensive Adjunct Onboarding & Orientation Master Course Monday starts throughout the year Never cancel a class

Iron Triangle Access/Completion Cost Quality Higher Education’s Source: The Iron Triangle: College Presidents Talk about Costs, Access, and Quality, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and Public Agenda, 2008

Recognitions Fast Company Ranked in Top 10 Education Companies in the World. Fast Company Magazine, 2013 Gates Foundation McKinsey & Company Named Rio as 1 of 8 highly-productive institutions in the U.S. “ Winning by Degrees” Recognized Rio as 1 of 12 highly-performing online institutions. Gates Foundation Convening Session

The Future of Higher Education Delivery

Online Learning More than 7 million students online One in three students taking at least one class online Online growth outpaces traditional enrollment growth Source: 2013 Sloan-C Online Learning Report

Future of Higher Education Leveraging Technology to Scale Next Generation Learning Models Learning Communities Entrepreneurial Initiatives Regionalization

Public & Private Higher Education Institutions Business & Industry Vendors Leveraging Partnerships

2.5 times more likely to persist 65% more likely to earn a degree Accelerate their time to completion Credit for Prior Learning Students: Source: Council for Adult Experiential Learning

Key Strategies for Change Clear, coherent academic / career pathways Stackable credentials based on clearly defined competencies Alignment of learning across education sectors Transparency and accountability Source: Empowering Community Colleges to Build the Nations’ Future, American Association of Community Colleges, 2014

Student-Centric Solutions “I wanted to be a role model for my children and to prove that as long as you persevere, are patient, and put in the work, you can succeed.” Patrick Valenzuela, RSC Graduate

Are you prepared to meet the needs of the future? Thank you!