CHICAGO (WLS) — With the arrival of another academic year, college students are eagerly returning to campuses across the nation.
These students are a diverse mix. Some are teenagers fresh out of high school, stepping into higher education for the first time, while others are seasoned professionals aiming to advance their careers and secure a better future.
This brighter future is characterized by the promise of innovative, 21st-century roles that demand high-tech skills.
So, what strategies are Chicago’s educational institutions implementing to ensure student success in this evolving landscape?
According to Dr. Eddie Phillips, President of National Louis University, the institution has been conducting in-depth market research focused on students’ needs and aspirations for several years.
“What we’ve learned about things that college students are looking for, in this exact order, are time, convenience, cost and quality. With a focus on career success, career readiness and career outcomes,” Phillips said.
Phillips says nationally there’s talk of an “enrollment cliff.”
“There’s fewer 18-year-olds…who are ready to go to college, it’s kind of one challenge we’ve been working against. But there’s also kind of a broader public perception about the value proposition of a college degree. ‘Is the time and the money that I invest in a degree really worth it on the back end when I finish my degree and I go to work?’ We have made a big commitment to make sure that our students are career prepared,” Phillips said.
He says a lot of students don’t have four years to devote to earning a degree.
“Workforce has become a big part of our academic strategy. We have a number of short-term credentials and a program called ‘Accelerate You’ that allows students to get through a credential and get to work in as short as five-to-six months,” he said.
The City Colleges of Chicago have been around since 1911. They consist of: Harold Washington College, Harry S. Truman College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Richard J. Daley College, and Wilbur Wright College.
City Colleges also have five satellite sites, the Washburne Culinary and Hospitality Institute, Sikia Restaurant, Child Development Centers and a radio station, WKKC-FM.
Juan Salgado is the Chancellor of the City Colleges. He says it’s important for their students to understand there is a “marketplace for them. A job that meets their love and their passion.”
“They just have to discover what that is. And at City Colleges, we have a wide offering that will allow them to do that,” Salgado said.
According to Salgado, City Colleges has seen an increase in students.
“We’ve seen our largest increase, since 2021, a 41% increase in Black male enrollment. A 38% increase in Latino male enrollment,” he said.
“Making sure that we’re supporting our students holistically,” Salgado said. “So, we have wellness services for our students. In fact, last year, we served over 10,000 students with therapy appointments. Over 20,000 counseling sessions. So, you have to make sure that your students understand you are going to be there for them academically, career wise, but also with those human needs. And if you do holistic student supports, along with a rigorous curriculum that leads to high demand jobs, populations, that quite frankly when you think about men, have been leaving higher education, come back.”
For more information:
National Louis University
https://nl.edu/
City Colleges of Chicago:
www.ccc.edu/appy or call 773-COLLEGE
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Development, Associate of Applied Science