Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is slated to continue its enrolment success, according to the TRU Accountability Report to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development.
"As TRU-OL reviews the performance measures from 2009-10, and looks ahead to 2010-11, it is confident that its plan for the upcoming year will once again deliver enrolment results that meet the Ministry targets," the report states.
It may seem that this should be a given considering that Open Learning (OL) exceeded the Ministry target by over 5% last year however, there were a number of key factors that came together that helped OL reach this level. This year, the question is, could it happen again?
The answer is complicated as, unlike a traditional campus that relies on multiple registrations from each individual student, OL must recruit a very high number of new students each year just to match the previous year’s results. This is because most students only take one course through OL. The majority of OL course takers only require a single course to aid them in their studies elsewhere and OL is proud to be able to help these students. However, OL cannot completely rely on enrolments through individual course takers alone as the reality is, other institutions will develop new ways to meet the needs of their program students, who are supplementing through OL, and thereby reduce the number of potential OL course taking students.
The answer to this issue has traditionally been to enrol more program students (students enrolled in an Open Learning program). These types of students take more courses towards their OL program each year and for years to come. The influence program students can have was evidenced by last year’s enrolment results, specifically through two programs. Both the Bachelor of Health Science and the Medical Lab Assistant programs had tremendous enrolments in the prior years and subsequently, ongoing enrolment increased substantially last year. At the time, there was a specific need in the marketplace for Medical Lab Assistant graduates but this demand has since satiated resulting in a reduced number of students interested in the program. Consequently, as of October 2010, OL’s ongoing students have dropped by 210 from last year.
Anticipating the reduction in ongoing continuing students, OL developed a recruitment plan to attract additional students. Year-to-date, OL students have increased by approximately 100 over last year, which helps compensate for the enrolment shortfall from a loss of ongoing students. As of the end of September 2010, the net effect has been close to a 3% increase in enrolments over the previous year.
OL would not have achieved last year’s Ministry target without the enrolment activity supported by the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) department. PLAR is a key contributor to the full time enrolment (FTE) numbers reported to the Ministry. This year, OL was off to a slow start issuing PLAR credits; however, a recent surge over the past month has made up some of this ground.
In summary, OL is doing well compared to last year. OL’s main objective for 2010-11 is to bring stability to the Division as it completes activities that were started in prior years while achieving the Ministry target. At the midway point of the fiscal year, and thanks to the efforts of the staff and interest shown by its students, OL is in a good position. This position will continue to stay strong provided that focus is maintained as expected FTEs for the year are very close to the Ministry target.
Return on Investment
Intent to improve his job skills, one OL student returned to education after 15 years.
Time is a terrible thing to waste, especially when that time was spent building an education and gaining valuable work and life experience.
After a number of years of working in an administrative capacity with the local government in Prince George, BC, Keith Meldrum made the decision to go back to school and attain his degree. However, he did not want all that he had learned from his prior education nor that which he’d gained in the 15 years that passed since he’d last been a student, to go unnoticed and unrecognized.
"I did not want to start my post-secondary education all over again," Meldrum said. "Also, I was not willing to forego the two and a half years of post-secondary education I had put into my Engineering diploma."
While Meldrum receieved "amazing support" from his employer, the City of Prince George, in his pursuit of continued education, his goal to return to school and gain his degree was complicated by his busy lifestyle. Married, with a family and working full time as Chief Communications Officer for the Prince George Fire Rescue Service (which means he’s on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week), meant traditional campus-based classes were impractical for him. Yet Meldrum, who was lucky enough to be working for an employer that offered an "incredible employee education program" under an HR Advisor who is "very supportive," was determined to gain a formal education in business management and strengthen his career. As a result of his personal resolve to succeed in post-secondary, Meldrum looked for a program that he could complete via distance and that would recognize his past post-secondary credits.
"I learned about Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning’s Bachelor of Technology program through a monthly e-newsletter sent out by my professional association - the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC," Meldrum said. "This program was what I was looking for; it would recognize the two years of my Engineering diploma."
While originally unsure if distance learning would work for him, Meldrum found that it best fit his busy lifestyle as it allowed him to begin courses when it was conducive to his schedule and work at his own pace.
"The web-based delivery format makes learning and studying very easy and access to the course instructors via TRU email is very good," Meldrum said. "I have found all of the instructors to be very responsive and provide excellent feedback and the online discussion forums provide a good opportunity to interact with my fellow students."
"My OL education will make me better at what I do as I have learned skills that I am able to bring to the workplace immediately and as such, find that the education is instantly applicable as compared to theoretical."