Even though Richard Skipper didn’t need a college degree, he felt like he should have one and MTSU offered the perfect opportunity with its Adult Degree Completion program.
Skipper, 34, is in his fifth year as a metalworking teacher at Coffee County High School, but he felt he’d be a better role model for his students if he had a degree of his own.
“For what I do now, I felt compelled to promote education. Even though I’m certified through my professional license,” Skipper said, adding he plans to start on a master’s degree in spring of 2009.
But to get the master’s, he had finish up his bachelor’s degree first and for that he chose MTSU’s Adult Degree Completion Program through the College of Continuing and Distance Learning.
About 14 years ago, Skipper dropped out of college at Carson-Newman, a small private college in Jefferson City, Tenn., after completing two years.
“I had 36 hours (from Carson-Newman) and I had 15 hours I had to have to complete for my occupational license in teaching,” Skipper said. But that 51 hours is still a long shot from the 120 hours needed for a bachelor’s degree.
But MTSU’s program allows adults like Skipper to return to class, either online or on campus, to finish up their degrees at an accelerated pace.
And so far it’s been very successful.
As a pilot program in the fall of 2007, it enrolled 15 students the first semester, but by the end of the year more than 100 students were working toward a degree, said Mike Boyle, dean of continuing education and distance learning.
“We have had hundreds of people call and ask for information about it,” Boyle said. “We expect to have 200 or 300 to enroll this fall.”
The program is geared for working adults, who are looking for advancement in their chosen career. It’s not really set up for a career change, Boyle said.
Boyle explained the program is not for traditional students or even adults who are in a program that leads to a professional license, like nursing or accounting. But if anyone is interested, all they have to do is call.
“The hardest part is picking up the phone and calling me,” Boyle said. He can be reached in his office at 615-898-2177 or visit the Web site www.mtsu.edu/learn/adcp/index.shtml, for general information.
Skipper picked up the phone, called and learned he could finish his degree in a year.
He started the program this summer and will finish it up in the fall with a degree in liberal studies with an emphasis on teaching and learning.
He can finish his degree after only two semesters because of how the program is set up.
Students start out by taking the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program, which uses national standards to determine if college-level credit can be awarded for work experience.
Boyle explained four students so far have found they only needed one class to graduate, after taking the PLA class.
“We don’t give credit away,” Boyle said. The program uses American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines to evaluate life experience and on-the-job training for college credit. “ACE has looked at certain training and decided how much it is worth.”
From there, students may also test out of classes through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and challenge tests.
“Our goal is to get you in and out as quickly as possible,” Boyle said.
Skipper has earned 58 hours toward his degree this summer, thanks to the PLA program and other options.
“I’ve about killed myself but, Lord willing, I’ve done it,” Skipper said.
Students can then structure a course load that compliments their lives and goals with the help of trained advisors.
“We know you’re not an 18-year-old, so we try to accommodate the needs of a working adult,” Boyle said, adding adults need not quit their jobs to return to school with this program.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
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