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Graduates
of the nations work colleges report a high degree of
satisfaction with their undergraduate experience.
Especially striking were their responses to questions
about what their perceived contribution of their undergraduate
education to their first graduate work experience and to their
current job.
The
work colleges served as a comparison group in a recent study
developed by the Appalachian College Association (ACA) to
learn more about the educational, social, and economic impact
of small liberal arts colleges in the central Appalachian
region. "Participation
in this study was a opportunity to gather data related to our
mission in higher education" said Dennis Jacobs, Director
of the Work Colleges Consortium.
The
Work Colleges Consortium provides a Recent survey data from a
study designed by scientists Earnest Pascarella from the
University of Iowa and Patrick Terenzini at Penn State
University show the educational, social, and economic impact
of small liberal arts schools.
This research was designed for the Appalachian College
Association based in Berea, Kentucky to explore the impact of
private higher education in the Central Appalachian region.
Among
the colleges studied were Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes,
Kentucky; Berea College in Berea, Kentucky; and Warren Wilson
College in Asheville, North Carolina, all members of the Work
Colleges Consortium. In
order to leverage this opportunity to learn about the work
colleges, the Work Colleges Consortium arranged for the
American College Testing (ACT) Group to gather information
from three other work colleges as well.
These Colleges included Goddard College in Plainfield,
Vermont; Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, and
College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri.
In
general, for questions about the retrospectively perceived
contribution of the undergraduate college, private college
graduates showed clear (up to 9%) advantages in 24 of 28.
In the areas of developing ethical standards and
values, appreciating literature and fine arts, developing
self-confidence, and actively participating in volunteer work
to support worthwhile causes, they showed strong advantages
(10% to 34%).
Public
college graduates enjoyed some advantages reporting greater
use of technology (4.1%) difference), more frequent reading of
the newspapers (2.9%), and more watching of television news or
other informational programs (3.9%); and there was 3.2% salary
advantage for the graduates of the public colleges or
universities.
In
a July release from the Appalachian College Association
Terenzini said, "a lot of money goes to support research
on elite and major research universities, but we know much,
much less about small regional liberal arts colleges".
In
a separate report provided by ACT, findings from the non-work
ACA colleges and participating public institutions were
compared to those for the work colleges.
In addition to the advantages articulated for the other
private colleges, the work colleges showed perceived
advantages in terms of career development, working as a team
member, developing original ideas, getting along with people
whose attitudes and options are different from ones own, and
developing management skills.
Reported
college debt for work colleges graduates was significantly
lower with 90% owing less than $7,500 as opposed to 69% at
other private colleges and 85.6% at public comparison
colleges. These
figures reflect not only the advantages of the work programs,
but other institutional commitments as well.
Sterling
College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, the only other full
member of the Work Colleges Consortium did not participate, as
their data would have created inconsistency.
Sterling College has recently evolved from a two-year
to a four-year program whereas the other work colleges have
well established four-year programs. Sterling has been gathering data in other ways and reports
that their students demonstrate advantages in areas like those
in the larger study.
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