(From left: Goldie Blumenstyk, senior writer at the Chronicle of Higher Education; Sukhwant Jhaj, PSU's vice provost for academic innovation and student success; Jeanne Enders, business professor; and Sarah Bradley, professor in the School of Social Work)Portland State University was one of three national universities recognized at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on March 31 for their innovative approaches to improving student success.
PSU leaders spoke at the launch of the “Collaborating for Change” initiative of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and Coalition of Urban Serving Universities. The national project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to transform public urban research universities and help more high-need and traditionally at-risk students earn degrees.
PSU started the ReTHINK PSU project three years ago to address the growing challenges facing public urban universities, including the growth in online education, the rising cost of tuition and increasingly diverse and cost-conscious students.
This campus-wide effort has sparked significant changes to the way PSU delivers education. The university has awarded $3 million to faculty and staff to advance new ideas, launched a new PSU Online website, developed new flexible degrees and started overhauling its advising system to make it more student centered, streamlined and data driven.
The ReTHINK PSU projects include:
• The Four-Year Degree Guarantee: PSU is the first university in Oregon to offer a Four-Year Degree Guarantee to help students graduate on time and save thousands of dollars in tuition and college costs. PSU promises that full-time freshmen who sign an agreement will get the support and courses necessary to graduate in four years — or PSU will not charge them tuition for any remaining required course.
• PSU plans to launch 10-15 new Flexible Degrees that use technology to offer high quality and affordable education to undergraduate and graduate students. Six new degrees are being developed in the first round, including a Bachelor’s in Urban and Public Affairs, a Start-to-Finish Online Bachelor’s in Business and a Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Governance. A second round of proposals is underway.
• A new online Master of Social Work degree offers statewide access to a graduate social work degree. It has increased accessibility for non-traditional students, including students of color, parents, low-income students, students with disabilities, tribal members and students who live in rural areas. The program has admitted two cohorts of students, and the first class will graduate in spring 2017. The high quality course content and the virtual relationships with faculty have resulted in a 95 percent retention rate.
• Super Awesome Degree Maps: With a $105,000 from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, PSU is developing an innovative app that will allow students to customize their degrees, track their progress and calculate their costs on the fly. The new program is a dynamic, mobile friendly tool that helps students make informed and proactive decisions around academic, career and financial planning.
Representatives of Florida International University and University of Illinois at Chicago also spoke at the Washington D.C. event. The four other universities in the initiative are California State University, Fresno, Georgia State University, Temple University and The University of Akron