Transfer Students Are Less Engaged Than Peers, Survey Finds
In NSSE's 2008 annual report, Promoting Engagement for All Students: The Imperative to Look Within (PDF), transfer students did not differ with the peers in the level of academic challenge; however, they did lag behind their peers in four of the five measures of engagement. The five key areas of educational performance measured include: 1) Level of Academic Challenge, 2) Student Faculty Interaction, 4) Enriching Educational Experiences, and 5) Supportive Campus Environment. Conclusions from these survey findings suggest that institutions of all types need to identify strategies to increase student engagement among transfer students. The national survey is based on information from nearly 380,000 randomly selected first year and senior students at 722 four year colleges and universities in the U.S. Full report
Related article: Lipka, Sara (2008). Survey Finds Transfer Students Disengaged, but Some Colleges Are Working to Change That. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Section: Students, Volume 55, Issue 12, Page A31.
Ottawa University
In the 1970’s, Ottawa University, recognized a growing demand for programs suited to the needs and learning styles of adult students. Ottawa was one of the pioneers in adult education in the United States, opening its first adult campus in Kansas City in 1974. Since that time, additional campuses focusing on the needs of working adults have been established in Phoenix (1977) and Chander, Arizona (2008), Milwalkee, Wisconsin (1992), Jeffersonville, Indiana (2002) and Ottawa Online in 2008.
Today, Ottawa offers Bachelor degrees in over 25 majors including Business Administration, Management, Human Resources, Health Care Administration, Public Administration, Information Technology Systems, Police Science/Law enforcement Administration, Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Secondary Education in Art, Music, Dance, English, Biology, History, and Math, Psychology, Human Services, and Communication. Graduate degrees are offered in Education, Professional Counseling, Human Resources, and Business Administration. Additionally, there are various specialty areas within each graduate program degree program.
Ottawa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. Ottawa University has been continuously accredited since 1917. Ottawa’s programs incorporate the University’s insistence upon quality in design and offerings, individual educational planning, service by full-time faculty, and an interdisciplinary approach. Emphasis is placed on flexibility of program offerings regarding location and schedule. Undergraduate courses can be completed in six eight-week terms and graduate courses in four eleven-week terms during each academic year. Each course typically meets once per week in the evenings and weekends.
Ottawa provides scholarship opportunities for Maricopa Community
College District employees. This scholarship reduces Ottawa University’s
tuition rate by $25.00 per credit hour and waives the application fee. Call
602-749-5179 for more details.