2019: The Future of Post University

Anthony Messina

Post University

EDU505

Post University

• Founded as the Matoon Shorthand School in 1890, a business school that focused on typing, bookkeeping, business writing, and shorthand.

• Located in Waterbury, CT, it has grown into a fully functional campus, complete with D-II athletic programs.

• Offer’s a variety of Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s Degrees.

MISSION STATEMENT“Our mission is to provide students with the knowledge, personal skills and experiences required to become leaders in their chosen careers. We prepare students to become confident, competent, and competitive participants in the global market place.”

Post University Has Evolved• In 1976 began offering an

accelerated program for returning Vietnam Vets.

• In 1996 became the first university in New England to offer an accredited, accelerated, fully online degree program.

• Now utilizes emerging technologies - cloud-computing and mobile-learning - as part of the university experience.

Futuring in EducationFuturing is defined as “the act, art, or science of identifying

and evaluating possible future events” (“Futuring | world”). This is especially important in education because it is a field that is constantly evolving.

Two major techniques to futuring: Scenarios and ScanningA “scenario” is a description of events that might possible

occur in the future (“Scenario | world”). It is a potential future and a plan for how to deal with it.

Scanning is the process of analyzing current trends around the world and forecasting how they can impact the future. According to Sobrero, some major factors that scanning looks at are politics, environment, society, technology and legal (Sobrero, 2004)

Strengths and Weakness of Scenarios (Mietzner & Reger, 2005, p.235-236)

Weaknesses

• Can be very time-consuming.

• Data used from scanning has to be collected and interpreted, which is even more time consuming

• Often leads to black and white scenarios OR the most likely scenarios.

Strengths• Can open minds to new ideas

and/or cause a change in company culture.

• Can lead to recognition of ‘weak signals’

• Can lead to improved communication within an organizations

• Using multiple scenarios helps one prepare for multiple futures, which creates flexibility

The Future of STEM Education

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics• Accounts for more than 50% of U.S. Economic Growth

(Walker, 2012).

• STEM-related fields are expected to add 2.7 million new jobs by 2018 (Walker, 2012).

The “Nontraditional” Learner

Fits into at least one of the following

– Delayed college entry

– Single parents

– has dependents,

– works FT

– attends college PT

– lacks a HS diploma.

Makes up 73% of all undergraduates (Choy 2012).

• For learners over the age of twenty-four,– 56% saw themselves as

employees who study– 26% identified themselves

as students who work (Berker, et. al, 2003, p. 5)

These are students who find themselves right at home with Post University’s career-oriented learning.

Economics in EducationState Universities have recently gone from

“publicly funded”, to “publicly supported”, to “publicly endorsed”. (Curran, 2009)

This essentially means that State funding to public universities has severely decreased, almost to the same levels as private universities.

With lower state funding, universities have been forced to make budget cuts, with many schools opting to cut out funds to new technologies and professional development.

Areas Where Funding is Important• Emerging Technologies

– Mobile Learning– Virtual and Remote Laboratories

• Less expensive, less stressful• Easily Duplicated• Can increase demand for STEM

degrees

• Professional Development

– “At least a third of all tech budgets should be reserved for school staff to become proficient in using and integrating technology into their classrooms” (“NEA Positions,” 2014).

• STEM fields

– Science, Technology,

Math and Engineering

– Accounts for more than

50% of U.S. Economic

Growth (Walker, 2012)

Post University 2019• Post University will offer degrees in STEM-related

degrees. Both on campus and in OEI

• Post will offer classes with virtual and remote laboratories

• Five Steps to Making this happen:– Budget Meeting

– Community Feedback

– Orientation and Training

– Trial Run of STEM classes and virt/remote labs

– Offer a minor in STEM-related field

ReferencesChoosyhomeschooler. (July 20, 2009). Virtlab2. [Digital

Image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/6Gzejm Curran, C. M. (2009). Publicly Funded, Publicly Supported, Publicly Endorsed: The Fate of Public Higher Education. Marketing Education Review, 19(3), 1-2.

Futuring | world future society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wfs.org/node/203

Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight. International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220-239. Retrieved from http://www.lampsacus.com/documents/

StragegicForesight.pdf

References (cont.)

Money Graph. (December 16, 2012). 401(K) 2012 [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/

68751915@N05/6551520247/“NEA Positions on Technology and Education.” (2014). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/30096.htm

Scenario | world future society (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.wfs.org/node/424

"Post University Online Degrees." N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved from http://www.post.edu/online/degrees

Walker, T. (2012). NEA to Expand STEM Teacher Training Program. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2012/10/02/nea-to-expand-stem-teacher-training-program/