Concordia College, St. Paul has created separate divisions for its on-campus and on-line packages in hopes of doubling whole enrollment over the following 10 years.
The personal college now has almost 4,000 absolutely on-line college students and 1,600 who primarily take courses in-person. With the intention to attain 10,000, college leaders hope to take a larger share of the web market in Minnesota and throughout the nation and world.
“We wish each pupil who’s considering of a web-based alternative to consider CSP International,” Kim Craig, vice chairman for enrollment administration, stated of the brand new on-line model.
Eric LaMott, provost and chief working officer, stated the brand new construction was mandatory as a result of every sort of pupil has completely different wants. Concordia now can hone the expertise for conventional college students, who take courses on campus with summers off, whereas higher serving on-line college students who usually begin mid-semester and earn credit year-round.
LaMott stated the creation of CSP International additionally makes the assertion that Concordia needs to be a good huge participant in on-line training, taking market share from the likes of Southern New Hampshire and Grand Canyon universities.
Officers anticipate to see total progress in demand for on-line instruction, each from current highschool graduates and those that need to increase their credentials after beginning their careers.
Though whole U.S. faculty enrollment is down considerably in the previous couple of years — in Minnesota, solely 61 % of 2021 highschool graduates enrolled within the fall, down from 69 % in 2016 — surveys counsel excessive schoolers right now are extra eager about on-line faculties.
In 2020, earlier than the coronavirus pandemic, about 1 in 360 highschool juniors and seniors deliberate to attend faculty absolutely on-line; two years later, that determine was 1 in 140, in line with Eduventures Potential Scholar Analysis.
LaMott stated the pandemic compelled faculties to get higher at educational design, and it legitimized on-line studying and distant work.
“The pandemic has proven that extra distant staff are very comfy in that surroundings,” he stated.
Underneath the brand new construction, Concordia will proceed so as to add round 5 tutorial packages every year by figuring out fields the place staff are in excessive demand, similar to enterprise and well being sciences.