Scholastica Steps up Efforts For Non-Traditional Students
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DULUTH - In the latest edition of College Connection, we take you to the College of St. Scholastica, where reaching out to non–traditional students is at a level like never before in what's known as CSS Complete.
Scholastica is branching out by starting to accept free Massive Open Online Courses for credit, which are taught by other professors from other schools.
Dr. Larry Goodwin is the president of Saint Scholastica who says, as information technology continues to change, CSS will widen its doors to students with already–developed knowledge from places other than college classrooms.
"So if you read a book on economics, and you come to me and said, I think I understand economics, can I get credit, I would say, I'm going to put you in touch with one of our economists. They'll test you," Goodwin said.
"You know, adult lives are complicated and there are all kinds of reasons very bright, very capable people didn't finish their degrees," explained Beth Doholdk, the vice president of academic affairs at the college.
Doholdk says it's not an anything-goes type of education, but "as long as it's stretching your mind and you can demonstrate that to us and it fits into our particular degree pattern, then we're good to go."
CSS Complete is a very one–on–one approach with "completion coaches" who connect non-traditional students to bachelor degrees without losing the Benedictine values.
"I mean, we're not going to do this as generic college, we are going to do it as the College of Saint Scholastica -- creating new pathways," Goodwin said.
