College Transitions

If you are following the year round recruitment plan then you should be making plans for you December and even January recruitment.

As we begin to start looking at enrollment management and how it can be applied to Oklahoma's technology centers, we must look at the transition to college and career. Today we will talk more specifically about the transition to college.

After looking at your technology centers data, and specifically the Cooperative Alliance data, you should be asking how many students are transitioning to college? The next question should be why are they not?

Theories exist trying to explain an increase or decrease in overall student enrollment. Some cite a downturn in the economy or an increase in available scholarships and financial aid as reasons enrollment increases. The opposites could be said about why enrollment on a macro-scale would decrease.

Looking closer, why are your individual students not enrolling? Is it a lack of a college going culture at the home schoool, technology center or community, are there socio-economic reasons or are they simply not prepared academically or socially?

A fairly new trend in higher education is the Office of First Year Experience. The office exist to help students transition to higher ed offering social and academic support. Many colleges require new freshmen students to take a freshmen orientation course helping them to learn the ins and outs of going to college.

How can these concepts be applied to career and technology education in Oklahoma? Each of the 29 technology center districts has in place a college transition initiative through the Alliances and many students are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity. How do we expand on this?

Would students benefit from a Senior year, second semester course on College Transitions? The 30 minute course, two time a week could introduce students to using an online library, the college application process, how to find campus resources, help filling out the FAFSA and many other important activities students need to be familiar with during their first year in higher education. The course could also include field trips to college campuses that allow students to meet with academic advisors, support services, see where they will live and learn about the social aspect of college through student organizations.

Giving students the tools for a succesful transition is vitally improtant to Oklahoma's economy and our responsibility. How can we increase our successes?