A Legacy of Innovation: SNHU
A Legacy of Innovation: SNHU
In his book, College
(Un)bound: The Future of Higher Education and What it Means for Students,
Jeffrey Selingo (2013) calls out a number of colleges and universities
identified as leaders in innovation, and well positioned for the changing
landscape of higher education. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is
among those listed, and for good reason.
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| Here’s a photo of one of SNHU’s early classes (SNHU, n.d.). |
SNHU was founded in 1932 and was innovative
from the outset, allowing students (including female students) to learn practical
and employable skills; what‘s more, students could begin class on ANY Monday,
attend in the evenings, and pay tuition in installments (SNHU, n.d.).
SNHU started with just 10 day students and 35 evening
students (even then, adults wanted flexible options) in bookkeeping,
accounting, and secretarial courses.
SNHU has innovated from the start, and it continues
that tradition in its current practices. The school offers competency-based
offerings through its College for America (Keane, 2017). These fully online
associate and bachelor’s degrees are currently offered with an annual tuition
price tag of $3000 per year – up from $2500 in 2012 (Keane, 2017; Selingo,
2012), but still a solid deal when compared to the ever-rising tuition at
institutions across the country.
How
does SNHU stay current and affordable…and accredited? One answer may be found
in its in-house R&D lab. The university prefers calling The Sandbox
Collaborative (pictured left) a reinvention lab, and
it acts as an internal consultancy for SNHU (Young, 2017). The Sandbox serves
multiple purposes, among them it is a space where faculty and administrators
can brainstorm and test new innovations and interventions, and where tech
startups can pitch their latest tools to university faculty and administrators
(Young, 2017). You can learn more about the SNHU Innovation Center’s Sandbox
Collaborative here.
It is also worth mentioning that the philosophies of
an institution’s accrediting body can have a direct result on a school’s
ability to innovate, or their inability to do so. Accrediting bodies across the
country differ wildly from one another, and can have significant internal
changes as accreditation standards change over time. According to Horn (2018),
schools that are able to innovate successfully are often those blessed by
geography, which can mean answering to a “cooperative, forward-thinking
regional accreditor” (para. 14). Additionally, an innovative school is often
also blessed by strong finances (i.e., state budget, tuition revenue,
foundation funds, etc.). Innovation comes at a cost, and that cost cannot be
recouped if a project is halted midstream by an accrediting body or lack of
sustainable resources. (Horn, 2018).
For schools wishing to replicate the successes of
SNHU, it appears there are certain elements that must be in place. Perhaps most
importantly is an institutional desire to innovate, and an organizational
culture open to growth and change. Next, resources must be dedicated to the
effort. Innovation comes at a cost in terms of time, effort, and funding. A
school must be willing to dedicate all three of those resources to the pursuit
of innovation. Additionally, a school must answer to an accrediting body that
is open to, and even encouraging of, significant change an innovation. Finally,
I will add one last piece: schools must always pursue innovation with the best
interests of students in mind. If innovation happens for its own sake, and the
students are an afterthought or a peripheral consideration, chances are the
result will be an expensive, failed experiment.
Whether you agree with the points I’ve made, or you
think I’m way off base, I’d love to hear from you.
References
Horn, M. (July 10, 2018). Accreditation’s insidious
impact on higher education innovation. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/07/10/accreditations-insidious-impact-on-higher-education-innovation/#46b87b30147a
Keane, L. (2017). SNHU named the #1 Most Innovative
University in the North. Retrieved from https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2017/09/most-innovative-university
Selingo, J. (November 25, 2012). The uneven value of
academic credit. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/next/2012/11/25/the-uneven-value-of-academic-credit/
Selingo, J. J. (2013). College
(Un)bound: The future of higher education and what it means for students.
Boston, MA: New Harvest.
SNHU. (n.d.). The history of SNHU. Retrieved from
https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/leadership-and-history/history
Young, J. R. (April 4, 2017). One university’s
approach to innovation: ‘You have to go slow to go fast.’ Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-04-04-one-university-s-approach-to-innovation-you-have-to-go-slow-to-go-fast
SNHU's price tag is quite incredible, and I appreciate that they have fully online degrees. I taught online for SNHU for about one year (English). It was wonderful that so many students were given the chance to succeed in a higher education setting. The online courses were pre-developed with set rubrics, however, making it nearly impossible to fail a nearly-illiterate student in an English course. A student who needed remedial help was burdened with course-work above their level, and a professor had to deal with an unfair spectrum. Access here was granted, but in my opinion was not dealt with correctly. I think SNHU's model is certainly on the right track, however.
ReplyDelete-Kristi Capra
Kristi -
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and responding. I can see how the format would not be appropriate for all students. In a perfect academic world, those students would be advised into more appropriate courses for their skill sets and abilities.
L
Lora,
ReplyDeleteAside for offering degree programs to federal employees and their families, the College of America at SNHU is another innovation that makes this university exciting for enrollees. The CoA offers competency based degrees that are project based, allowing students to show what they already have mastered. Associates and bachelor’s degrees are available (SNHU.com, 2017). SNHU has other innovative and cutting edge programs. Evidence of their commitment to progress is spread throughout their news release page and their offerings to 21st century students. Truly, even their web site is crisp, professional, and very personable. Their design team made me want to join their organization with their invitations to chat, call, and get involved and with the myriad of ways a person can become a part of the school.
Dr. G
Lora,
DeleteI'm so happy that I selected your post this week. I am absolutely encouraged and inspired by the innovation and forward-thinking of SNHU. The cost and value of the degrees surprised me. I had no idea there were competency-based options through the CoA. The "Sandbox" idea is an incredible example of innovation. Some institutional leaders fear change and try to constrain new approaches, so I appreciate the leaders at SNHU who embrace diverse perspectives and challenge stakeholders to push the limits. This does not mean that change is instituted rashly or without strategic planning. Young (2017), in fact, insists that the latter occurs as the SNHU motto is "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" (para. 4).
Thank you again for a comprehensive run down of SNHU. I learned some things for sure, and your post dispelled some misperceptions about the school.
All the best,
Catherine
Reference
Young, J. (2017). One university's approach to innovation: 'You have to go slow to go fast.' Ed Surge. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-04-04-one-university-s-approach-to-innovation-you-have-to-go-slow-to-go-fast