New offerings provide increased flexibility for Graduate and Professional Studies programs at Tusculum College

Tusculum College students will see course scheduling changes in the Graduate and Professional Studies program as a result of a recent student study. The changes aim to improve student experience and completion outcomes.

“While remaining focused and flexible, the new schedule will provide more student-centered offerings, as well as improve transferability and reduce length to completion,” said LeAnn Hughes, vice president of enrollment management and marketing at the college. “We are excited to offer one of the region’s most flexible adult programs.”

Major changes in the schedule will include allowing students to take two courses during an eight week block, as well as allowing for additional online course opportunities. The Graduate and Professional Studies program currently only offers the option for taking one class at a time in a five-week course format.

“The new schedule will provide students the flexibility to choose the pace to completion based on the student’s individual needs, offering both a fast and short track options in which students may accelerate their pace by taking additional courses,” said Dr. Ron May, vice president for Academic Affairs. “However, it will be implemented as an option and students may choose to continue with one night a week.”

Dr. May highlighted that students will have more options, including online and hybrid format course offerings.

According to Lindsey Seal, director of Graduate and Professional Studies enrollment, “Students want options, and not everyone wants to be held to a set time to complete their degree. Our goal is to provide the flexibility for students to shorten or lengthen their program of study to best meet their needs, thus creating the most flexible adult degree completion programs in the region.”

The changes were put into place as the result of a research survey conducted among current students and perspective adult learners in the region.

Upon completion of the survey, representatives from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and Tusculum academic and administrative leadership discussed the schedule options and survey results. The presented schedule was chosen for GPS to begin fall semester 2016.

The survey results indicated the top priorities for adult learners in the region were the availability of majors, flexibility of class scheduling and price. Nearly 80 percent of all respondents were willing to consider online courses to shorten their length to program completion.

“It is part of who we are at Tusculum College to keep in touch with our students and provide them with the best options for finishing a degree,” said Hughes. “With the new formatted GPS course schedule, we have taken another step to easing that process and supporting the efforts of our students and future students.”