As institutions anticipate the enrollment cliff and an increase in post-traditional students, how must they evolve to best support these audiences? brightspot Director Amanda Wirth Lorenzo and Metro State Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Amy Gort answer this question from a national and local perspective: sharing insights from brightspot's national Student Experience Snapshot complemented by strategies from Metro State that has supported post-traditional students for 50 years. These perspectives provide the strategies and tactics to help you adapt your support services, campus, and technology for post-traditional students.

1. 2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success
in Higher Education
Supporting Post-Traditional
Students
National Perspective and
Institutional Strategies
Amanda Wirth
Lorenzo
Director
brightspot strategy
Amy Gort
Provost & Executive Vice
President for Academic
and Student Affairs
Metropolitan State
University

2. 2
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Agenda
1. About Metro State & brightspot (2mins)
2. Audience Poll (2mins)
3. Findings from National Student Experience
Snapshot (8mins)
4. Strategies from Metro State (8mins)
5. Audience Poll & Discussion (10mins)
Learning Objectives
1. Apply national student experience
data to understand post-traditional
student experience
2. Navigate challenges in supporting
post-traditional students
3. Assess case study strategies for
application to individual
institutional needs

3. About Metro State &
brightspot

4. 4
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
About Metro State
Established in 1971 to meet the unmet higher education needs of the Twin
Cities metropolitan area.
“The college for those who have no college.”

5. 5
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Project Objectives
The goals for this project were
established based on initiatives and
activities outlined in Metro's 2020- 2024
Strategic Plan:
Student Success Strategic Commitment:
Set standards for student-centered
support that meets the particular needs of
subgroups of students based on
identified demographic student profiles
as a means to increase degree
completion for all students.
Strategic Plan Activity:
Identify obstacles for students by constructing
a journey map of the student experience for
various demographic groups, including
academic advising, admissions, transfer,
financial aid, and student support services by
the end of FY 2020.
Using the information gathered from the
mapping, develop an action plan based on
best practices to strengthen our support for
and interaction with post-traditional students
to be implemented beginning of FY 2021.

6. 6
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
About brightspot
We are a higher ed strategy firm on a
mission to create more engaging,
equitable, and sustainable student
experiences by transforming college and
university spaces, services, staffing, and
systems.
Together with our clients, we increase
student success, improve research
support, and enable staff productivity
while making institutions more efficient
and effective.

7. Audience Poll: Barriers Impacting
Post-traditional Students

8. 8
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Using Poll Everywhere
Option 1: Text BRIGHTSPOT
to 22333
Option 2: Visit pollev.com/brightspot
in Browser

9. 9
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students

10. Findings from National
Student Experience Snapshot

11. 11
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Student Experience Snapshot
The Student Experience Snapshot is a rigorously researched, nationally benchmarked survey that takes
the pulse of students by analyzing the different dimensions of students’ experience
What is assessed How we ask questions When it is administered
Fall 19 Spring 20
Fall 20 Spring 21
Fall 21 Spring 22
Fall 18 Spring 19
Academic Year 2018-2019
Academic Year 2019-2020
Academic Year 2020-2021
Academic Year 2021-2022

12. 12
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Lagging Overall Satisfaction
Satisfaction was significantly lower in
Fall 2020 than in both Spring 2020
and Fall 2021
While Fall 2021 is improved from Fall
2020, students are still assessing their
satisfaction lower than at the onset of
the COVID pandemic
Commuter students had the lowest
satisfaction in Fall 2021 at 4.85

13. 13
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Academic Programs (e.g., classes,
research, and projects) rank as a top
priority for students over all other
touchpoints in Fall 2021
This is consistent with past
administrations of the survey and
among client administrations
When asked to allocate tuition dollars,
students would spend 54% on classes
and research activities
Academics Always a Top Priority
Academic
Programs
Technology
Student
Services
Campus
Facilities
Campus
Culture
Community
Least important
Most important

14. 14
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
5 of the 10 lowest performing
activities are within the area of
Academic Experiences and are rated
the lowest by far in Fall 2020
Some are high-impact practices or
related to how students are
preparing for careers
Satisfaction interacting with peers in
the classroom is especially low for
transfer students (40%) and students
with disabilities (53%)
Academic Experience Suffering the Most
Percent of students satisfied or very satisfied with the following
elements of their academic experience
Spring
2020
Fall
2020
Fall
2021
Drop
S20-F20
Delta
S20-F21
Interacting with my peers in the
classroom
71% 36% 62% -35 -9
Developing a relationship with my
professors
67% 41% 59% -26 -8
Working on long-term projects 68% 40% 64% -28 -4
Connecting with a mentor for guidance 59% 39% 57% -20 -2
Feeling engaged in my coursework 72% 42% 72% -30 –

15. 15
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Desire a Mix of Course Formats
Students want a mix of different course
formats. While the average ideal balance
includes 37% traditional in-person
classes, it also includes about 15% each
of hybrid, blended and fully online
Post-traditional students want more fully
online with Black or African American
students wanting the least in-person,
more blended and hyflex

16. 16
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Belonging among transfer students
is noticeably lower than non-transfer
students with significant differences
in 4 of the 7 activities related to a
sense of:
● Belonging
● Connection
● Being a leader
● Feeling accepted
Struggling to Build a Sense of Belonging
Percent of students satisfied or very satisfied with the following
elements of their community experience
Non-
transfer
Transfer
students
Delta
Getting involved in student clubs and activities 61% 41% -20
Belonging to a group I identify with* 65% 46% -19
Connecting with other students I can learn from* 67% 49% -18
Playing a leadership role in my community* 56% 38% -18
Hearing and feeling that I matter and am accepted* 66% 53% -13
Going to a center / place that is for my identity 57% 46% -11
Connecting with a peer with a shared experience 69% 64% -5

17. 17
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Academic programs are the
primary channel to engage
post-traditional students
Supporting Post-traditional Students
Providing flexibility in format is
a key value for post-traditional
students
Balance academic focus and
flexibility while fostering a
sense of belonging

18. Strategies from Metro State

19. 19
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Project Phase 1: Understanding Student Journeys
1. Groundwork and Background Research
• Reviewed Background Information
• Conducted Working Group Interviews
2. Speaking with Students Broadly and
Deeply
• Disseminated a Student Experience
Survey (897 student responses)
• Facilitated 4 Thematic Focus Groups
with (50 student participants)
Outcome: Mapping the Student Journey
and Identifying Enablers and Detractors

20. 20
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Metro Student Journey Overview

21. 21
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Priorities: Importance and Performance of Phases
“You’ll be lost
as a first year,
and that’s
normal.”
“We all do
better when
we all do
better.”
“Metro is a
great tool,
but don’t
expect an
instruction
manual.”
Most
important
Least
important
High
Performance
Low
Performance

22. 22
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Priorities: Importance of Touchpoints
Most
important
Least
important

23. 23
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Project Phase 2: Developing Strategies
3. Brainstorming with Working Group
The Working Group prioritized
opportunities and generated unique ideas
and solutions to the most important
student support areas
4. Developing Emerging Strategies
• Compiled ideas to generate 134 unique
strategies
• Refined 19 ideas and surveyed 44
students
• Reflected on Feedback and built out 6
full ideas
Outcome: 6 Strategies

24. 24
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Top Six Recommendations from Journey Mapping

25. 25
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
A faculty focus on integrating career readiness in the classroom (through guest speakers, real world
examples, networking, etc.) Combine your classes and your career!
WHAT A USER WOULD SAY
"When my professor brought in a guest
speaker who works in the field, I got a
clearer understanding of what I could
strive for post-grad. Additionally, I got
a chance to talk to the guest speaker
afterwards, and now feel that I have
that professional connection to go back
to later on. My professor helped me
translate course material into bullets on
my resume. I feel like I’m growing a
network in the field.”
Recommendation: Career in the Classroom

26. 26
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Academic programs and
effective advising serve as a
gateway to other priorities
such as belonging and
community
Academic programs are the
priority for Metro students
Essential to integrate goal
attainment and career support
through this channel
Insights from Metro State Strategies
Critical stages of support
needed in phases of adjusting
and analyzing
Secondary strategies
addressed effectiveness of
meeting with advisors

27. Audience Poll and Discussion:
Support Strategies

28. 28
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Using Poll Everywhere
Option 1: Text BRIGHTSPOT
To 22333
Option 2: Visit pollev.com/brightspot
in Browser

29. 29
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students

30. 30
2022 NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education Supporting Post-Traditional Students
Open Discussion
and Q+A

31. Thank you!