College Completion

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Kizmet, Apr 11, 2016.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  2. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    is that good or bad ?

    not too sure.
     
  3. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Good for the colleges, good for employers. Saturation for the pool of working adults.
     
  4. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Good for those in the workforce that have one, bad for white collar workers who have to compete against them, indifferent for tradespeople whose skills are too valuable for employers to be in a position also to require "check the box" degrees.
     
  5. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    It's always interesting to see how low the number of Associate degree holders is. You hear so many stories of people dropping out while very close to a Bachelors and you just wonder, why not apply for eligibility for an Associate degree, get that, and then see about going back for the Bachelors when life situations change? I know there are a number of schools that aren't too keen on that, but it doesn't hurt to look into it.
     
  6. Davewill

    Davewill Member

    I think it's human nature. The student who drops out feels defeated and tired of school. They just don't have the motivation to jump through any more hoops, whether they are easy or not. I also think that in a lot of cases, students perceive, rightly or wrongly, that the Associates won't make a difference in their career.

    BTW, I think the those schools are doing themselves a big disservice for two reasons. Number one, the student who drops out as often as not ends up disliking the institution they "failed" at. Getting help with securing an Associates might mitigate that. Second, the act of earning the Associates might help to defuse that feeling of being a failure and re-energize the student to go ahead and finish their Bachelors.
     
  7. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Great post.

    Over the years, using all-inclusive job search engines like Indeed for fun, I've noticed a big jump in employers seeking for people with Associate degrees. I remember not long ago you'd only get maybe a few hundred hits if that. Today, you get around 300,000. Maybe some of that could be attributed to better developed search algorithms, but even if that is the case it's a pretty significant number. I doubt most people are paying attention to that however, and I've actually heard people devalue their Associate degree while making a salary just below six figures. Maybe they could've gotten the job without the Associate degree, but I think people discount how often things are equal with other candidates and that one extra thing can put them over the top and land them the job.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2016
  8. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    That's exactly what I did. It served me well for two reasons; the first is that I got to have a credential in hand to hold me over while I waited for circumstances to change. The other is that, had I not applied for my A.A., my only credential for years would have been my B.S. from CTU. That's fine and all. But when people ask where I "went" to college I tell them UofS. That's the place where I physically attended classes, counted out my pocket change to see if I had enough money for a good lunch (or if I had to pay for the salad bar and just load it up with enough calories for the rest of the day). My college experience is tied to that campus. Without the A.A. I wouldn't have anything to show that I had ever been there. I think if you transfer to another brick and mortar it might not matter as much. But when you go from B&M to online I think it matters a great deal.
     
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I could have gotten an Associate's on the way to my Bachelor's, but because I did my physical science general ed late in the process, the difference would only have been a few months so I didn't bother. Had I expected that difference to be a year or more, though, and I would have. Even now, I think that someday it might be fun to go back and finish an Associate's in music.
     
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I earned an associate's after my bachelor's degrees. It was (and remains) very "PC" for Air Force enlisted personnel to get a CCAF associate's degree, no matter how many other, higher degrees one had.
     
  11. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I earned my associate's the same time I earned my bachelor's just because it didn't cost me extra. I gave up on trying to earn my associate's from a community college. Community colleges in Texas had an issue with accepting Western International University's written communication class as English Comp II. That's why I'm a big fan of giving courses and degrees typical names. I was in the process of appealing the acceptance at San Antonio College, and I think the chair of the English department was about to accept it, but it was pointless at that point as TESC had already accepted the course.
     
  12. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    That is pretty much the same situation I had. My college experience is tied to the ten years I attended Cypress College (B&M). With my AA in hand, I was able to be hired and trained for Metropolitan Life's Insurance Adjuster/Investigator program/position. Later, I obtained two good government jobs (I am presently working at one) that required an AA plus experience. Had I waited to get my BS, I would have missed out any many good opportunities.
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    In Canada is a bit higher (51%), the result is that most jobs requires at least of the equivalent of an associate degree or technical certificate. High school graduates only find work in retail or factory work, a degree is a must nowadays for most of the skilled jobs.



    Learning - Educational Attainment - Indicators of Well-being in Canada - Canada.ca

    International Picture — In 2010, Canada had the highest proportion of post-secondary graduates (51%) in the 25 to 64 years age group among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G7.
     
  14. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I think the associate's degree has a an unfairly bad reputation these days. People point to the fact that an Associate's is seldom a requirement for a job. And that's true for many career paths. But it can give you a leg up in a job that only requires a high school diploma and it can also sometimes give an employer enough reason to make an exception to a bachelor's requirement for a particular candidate.

    But I also don't think that you should run out and earn one at great expense. I feel like this was one of the biggest failings of the for-profit schools. $30k+ for an associate's is ridiculous. I spent significantly less than that earning my B.S. And if you're in a career field where an associate's is the norm (engineering technology, respiratory therapy, mortuary science etc.) then there's no reason not to pursue the A.A./A.S./A.A.S./A.O.S.

    For me, my associate's did two really great things: 1) allowed me to enter the Navy as an E-3 instead of an E-1 and 2) allows me to identify as a degreed alumnus from the school that I will always remember fondly as the place where I "went to college."

    The first thing meant more money in my pocket, faster enlisted advancement and, subsequently, more ACE recommended credits on my SMART transcript and the second is simply a matter of pride. But a little pride isn't such a bad thing.
     
  15. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    For an Associate degree at a bargain, there are a few schools like Ashworth and Penn Foster where it's hard to get it any cheaper unless you go with a community college, so there are some For-Profits that still offer a good price. Then you have schools like Patten that charge by the month and have a very liberal transfer credit policy, so that's another avenue.

    Testing-out at one of the Big 3 schools is always an option, but that of course is not for everybody.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 13, 2016
  16. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    You'll notice that none of the schools you just mentioned have really made the press for screwing over students. Nor are they cited as examples of how evil for-profit schools are. But your point is well taken.

    When people hear "for-profit" they assume that Everest is representative of that category. Combine that with a lack of understanding of US accreditation and you get all sorts of whacky nonsense in folks' heads.
     
  17. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Exactly, and many schools are making it a point of discussion on their public sites. You look at Patten and they have a write-up that puts their for-profit business designation in a good light in connection with their mission, and I've seen similar things at other schools. I've also seen a number of schools going out of their way to put the words "not-for-profit" up front now.
     
  18. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    My way of thinking is that if the absolute best thing you have to market about your school is that it is "non-profit" that is a sad day for your institution. If the absolute worst thing that can be said about your school is that it is "for-profit" then I'd say you're doing something right.
     
  19. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    It doesn't really matter what people on forums like this think. We're in the very small minority. The general public has a low opinion of for-profit colleges, whether right or wrong. If you're in the business of offering online degree programs, distinguishing yourself from for-profit schools to eliminate any possible confusion is smart marketing.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    If so, SNHU is crying all the way to the bank.
     

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