College attendance has become a necessity for entry into the contemporary workforce. This shift is a direct result of President Obama’s goal of having the largest percentage of college graduates out of all the countries in the world by 2020. With this edict has come an influx of students that may not have attended college as early as a decade ago.
That being said, online colleges are taking the president’s challenge to heart and paving the way for underserved students to earn degrees and a better living. To find out more about this trend, I sat down with Dr. Cynthia G. Baum, president of Walden University. Baum has more than 20 years of leadership experience in postsecondary education, during which she has served as a campus president and regional vice president for a number of institutions.
How does online learning lead to success for first-generation and minority students?
Online education increases access to higher education, an attribute that is particularly relevant for first-generation and minority students. It provides an alternative for students who want to begin or continue their studies at any stage in their life, have family responsibilities to consider or want or need to continue working while earning a degree. For many first-generation and minority students, an online learning environment helps make higher education possible.
As a first-generation college graduate myself, I know what my parents sacrificed to make sure that I could pursue the education I wanted. My parents were bright, hard-working people who had some college education, but neither of them was able to complete their degree. There wasn’t a Walden University for them, where they could go to school and have a full-time job in order to support our family. Online institutions like Walden provide opportunities for students from all walks of life to get an education, advance their careers and make an impact in their professions and communities.
What are some of the benefits of online education for underrepresented populations?
