Online Degree Completion Program

Why the Need?It is increasingly difficult to earn a

comfortable living without a baccalaureate degree.

The adult undergraduate audience is predicted to grow by 21% in the next ten years.

Adult degree seekers bring different needs and expectations.

Wisconsin ranks 8th in number of Associates Degrees, but 34th in number of Bachelor Degrees.

Snapshot of the Adult Learner38.8 years old (mean)Employed full-timeMarried with dependent

childrenPredominantly femalePossess a strong desire to

finish their degree!

Other UW Campuses Are Already Addressing These Changing Demographics!

Existing UW Degree Completion Programs

(Online/Hybrid/Collaborative)◦UWGB 6 Programs◦UWO 6 Programs◦UWSP 2 Programs◦UWS 4 Programs◦UWP 2 Programs◦UWRF 1 Program◦UWW 2 Programs◦UWM 7 Programs

Number of Undergraduate Online/Hybrid/Collaborative Programs at UW – Eau Claire?

BSN @ HomeCollege of Business degree

completion program currently being developed

Bachelor of Professional Studies

What is a Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree?◦ The BPS degree has been established as

an accepted title for liberal arts degree completion programs targeting working adults. The degree program will allow for the creation of an unlimited number of majors designed to serve the target population.

“A multidisciplinary program emphasizing creativity and leadership” http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/bachelors-degrees/bs-prst/index.aspx

[The BPS]…“provides graduates with both theoretical and practical educational experiences tailored to enhance their current professional capabilities as well as prepare them for new career opportunities” http://www.umw.edu/professionalregional/bps/

Curriculum for the Organizational Leadership and Communication

Major (Draft Proposal)Year 1

Fall I (1st 8-week session) BPS 30X Introduction to Organizational

Leadership and Communication CJ 3XX Communication in Relationships

and Cultural Contexts Fall II (2nd 8-week session) BCOM 3XX Business Communication

for Today’s Workforce MGMT 349 Human Resource

Management Spring I (1st 8-week session) SOC 385 Sociology of Work MKTG 330 Principles of MarketingSpring II (2nd 8-week session) BPS 351 Using Data to Make Decisions CJ 3XX Communication in

Organizations: Perspectives and Applications

Summer IS 290 Introduction to Database

Applications IDIS 3XX Literature and Art

Year 2Fall I (1st 8-week session) BSAD 3XX Principles of Management

and Leadership CJ 3XX Communication in Groups

and TeamsFall II (2nd 8-week session) Econ 375 Urban Economics CJ 4XX Organizational Message

Design Strategies Spring I (1st 8-week session) BSAD 3XX Accounting for the

Workforce PHIL 3XX Ethics in Business and the

CommunitySpring II (2nd 8-week session) IDIS 3XX Science and Society POLS 342 Public Opinion and

Political BehaviorSummer HIST 3XX Local History and Global

History BPS 4XX (Capstone)

Points to Ponder…

Student demographics are shifting.Nontraditional/returning students have

nontraditional needs and expectations.We have the chance to be trailblazers—

offering a quality education to students who do not fit the traditional model of the college student.

This growing student population should not be marginalized by for-profit institutions who offer questionable quality at supreme prices.