Connections, February 2010

Welcome to 2010. The past year has been a real challenge for many of our students and our alums. Let me begin this message by wishing you all a much better new year.

For Charter Oak, the weak economy has been increasing both the number of students entering the College and the number of students applying for and accepting financial aid. At this point in the academic year, the College has already surpassed the total number of students who received financial aid in Fiscal Year 2009; and the numbers continue to grow. So we are growing, but it is pretty clear that our growth is being driven by economic disruption and the need for adults to improve their workforce credentials. The good news is that helping adults attain degrees is exactly what Charter Oak was created to do. So with every graduate, with every course enrollment, with every certificate we issue, we are helping families cope with the economic turmoil. You can help us serve our most financially challenged students. The Annual Appeal Campaign for the Charter Oak State College Foundation is in full swing. The Foundation is providing $30,000 in grants, this academic year, to Charter Oak students in need. This generosity is made possible by the support we receive from Alums and Friends of the College. We hope you are one of them. You can donate by visiting http://coscf.org/annual.

One of the new developments at the College is our tuition fee waiver for Connecticut’s military veterans. Charter Oak State College has not been named under the Connecticut State Statutes requiring public institutions to provide tuition waivers for Connecticut veterans because the College does not have “tuition.” Instead, it has fees. However, the staff and Board of Trustees agree it is important that the College does its fair share to support our veterans. So, in November, the Board approved a tuition waiver policy, following one instituted at the Connecticut State University System. Our new policy allows a 50% course fee waiver for Connecticut veterans who matriculate at Charter Oak. We are also reviewing our fee structure for active members of the military in order to align it more closely with those of other military-serving institutions.

In another area, the marketing staff is tracking how the College’s media efforts performed in enticing potential students to the College. These tracking reports enabled staff to make better-informed decisions regarding our spring, 2010 marketing efforts. For example, staff found that of six radio stations used last fall, three performed well while three underperformed in terms of luring students to the College’s website. That tracking information allowed us to improve the efficiency of our radio buy for the College’s spring enrollment campaign. In addition, research has shown that although the median age of Charter Oak students remains at 40, one of the College’s fastest growing demographic segments is in the 25-and-under age group. So it won’t surprise you that we are advancing the College’s efforts in the area of social networking. Our staff is blogging on Facebook and LinkedIn, and the College has observed that more and more alumni are using the social networking blogs. Check us out on these sites, and let us know what you think.

As always, feel free to send your thoughts directly to me at eklonoski@charteroak.edu, leave a message at 860-832-3876, or comment here.

Connections, August 2009

I am writing this in mid-July, and Connecticut has been having a cool, rainy summer. The one ‘hot spot,’ however, is the College’s summer online courses. Our enrollment is up 26% over last summer as adult students continue adding online courses and programs to their educational plans. With online course enrollments growing nationally at 12% annually, and at an even higher rate here at Charter Oak, the staff has begun a five year planning process to try to understand how the changes in our economy and the needs of adult learners will affect the College.

Looking forward, we are assuming that there will be an increase in price sensitivity among adults seeking degrees, so Charter Oak’s affordability will be an advantage. In addition, the steady growth in online enrollments demonstrates that students are embracing this delivery method. We believe they enjoy the flexibility and convenience of online coursework (no driving, no parking, and no wasted time), so we are expanding our catalog of courses and our complement of trained instructors. Finally, everyone from President Obama, on down, is emphasizing how important a college degree is to being workforce ready. With the national unemployment rate touching 10%, even adults with good jobs are considering finishing their degree so that they can be as marketable as possible.

So, as we imagine this brave new world, we can’t help but notice that the College offers three key components that should be in high demand: a degree completion program, affordability and online delivery. With these components in place, we believe we are poised for dramatic growth. As such, we should focus on answering this question: What makes Charter Oak special, and what makes its online courses unique?

It struck us that one of the best sources for answers to this question would be our graduates. So I am asking you to let us know what it is about the College’s program that best served you. In addition, I am trying to learn what it is about Charter Oak’s online courses that distinguish them. By the way, I do not assume that either our degree program or our courses are perfect. In fact, at the heart of this exercise is the clear intention to make both our program and our online courses better. So please send us your thoughts about what served you well at Charter Oak and how we can improve ourselves.

We think the College is poised for growth because it is adult focused and emphasizes flexibility, convenience, and affordability. We want to use this opportunity not just to grow our student body but to take our approach to the next level. We eagerly look forward to receiving your input.

Please send your thoughts directly to me at eklonoski@charteroak.edu, leave a message at (860) 832-3876, or comment here.