SNHU's New President Plans to Integrate CBE

[Jonathan Whatley]

As president, [Lisa Marsh] Ryerson said she will continue to build out initiatives she began as provost.

One will standardize the credits associated with Southern New Hampshire courses, eventually assigning credits for proven competencies instead of time for all courses. This new “one competency, one credit” framework, Ryerson said, will make it easier for students to get credit for prior learning — even in courses that are not in the competency-based education catalog.

She said she’ll also continue to prioritize workforce development initiatives.

‘Real equity’: Southern New Hampshire U’s next president shares her vision (Kate Rix, Higher Ed Dive, May 24, 2024)

[ss20ts]

That's funny because they had a CBE program and killed it a few years ago. They also do have a CBE program today but it's not open to the general public. It's through a corporation. It will be interesting to see how they navigate CBE because the most popular programs charge a flat fee which have to be pretty high at SNHU to make up the difference in $$$ or they gatekeep students.

[bjcheung77]

SNHU CBE program was changed to partner with agencies across several states, it's still possible to get into their CBE programs, you just need to apply to a partnership agency in whichever state you're in or closest to. It really doesn't matter which provider you go with as long as they have this partnership, it's a really good program, I think it really made a change for their position as a leader in education, this CBE was merged or modified from their College for America option.

[LevelUP]

This article doesn't say SNHU is moving toward a fully CBE education model.

It mentions that students can skip parts of a course if they demonstrate mastery of the material, making the learning process more efficient and less costly. This model is particularly appealing to adults who have some college experience but no degree. Lisa Marsh Ryerson, the incoming president, plans to continue expanding this approach by standardizing credits for all courses based on proven competencies instead of time spent, which allows for easier credit recognition of prior learning.

So, essentially, you would still be paying the same per course and moving at the same pace; the only difference is that you can skip certain parts of the course if you demonstrate mastery.

I doubt SNHU will fully adopt a CBE model like WGU because SNHU makes a ton of money with its traditional format. The ideal format is two months, which basically boils down to one paper due every Sunday. That's just basic mathematics. TESU and other colleges should consider adopting this format to save money.

If TESU moved to a two-month format, their tuition would drop from $1,668 per course to $1,112 per course.

[wow]

If TESU moved to a two-month format, their tuition would drop from $1,668 per course to $1,112 per course.

That's assuming they would prorate tuition based on the number of weeks, which is a big assumption.