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Paul Marion
President
Tiffin University
June 2008
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Paul earned a bachelor's degree in 1967 from Davidson College and a master's in counseling from Cal State Fresno, while working there in student affairs. After earning a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, he managed their study abroad program in England. He's been a college administrator for forty years, the last six as Tiffin's president. He has also served as president of Franklin College in Indiana, chancellor of the state college system of West Virginia and Arkansas' director of higher education.
Who are your students and where do they come from?
In fall 2007 we enrolled 2,349. They included 1,154 undergraduates on the main campus in Tiffin, Ohio; 480 adults enrolled in bachelor’s degree completion programs offered online and at eight Ohio locations; and 715 graduate students, most of whom are enrolled in the online format. About 85 percent of our resident undergraduates are from states that border Ohio. Our adult degree completion students in Ohio live within commuting distance of one of our sites. Our online students live in 40 states and several foreign countries.
What is Tiffin’s future relative to college-bound high school students?
The number of traditional-age undergraduates enrolled on the Tiffin campus has grown 34 percent in the last four years. Though a decline is projected in the number of high school graduates in Ohio and neighboring states during the next decade, our goal is to achieve a modest increase in the number of Tiffin-campus undergraduates while improving the academic profile of those students who are admitted. In fall 2008, college-bound high school students may enroll in our Associate of Arts in General Studies degree offered in the online format through Ivy Bridge College of Tiffin University.
Discuss your adult enrollment and your delivery methods to them.
Our 480 adult students pursuing bachelor’s degree completion include 293 in 'seated' programs at eight sites in Ohio and 187 in online programs. Some 628 of our 715 graduate students are pursuing their degrees online. We've achieved 88 percent growth among them. Most of the increase is due to preferences among these students for online delivery. But some adults prefer seated classes. They prefer personal relationships with their instructors and with other students. We expect that our online enrollment will continue to increase dramatically as more people become comfortable with it, and as the cost of gasoline makes commuting more expensive.
What is Ivy Bridge College?
It's a new entity that we've formed for students who want to take the first two years of college online, and then transfer to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor’s degree. Ivy Bridge College students will be taught by Tiffin faculty. They will have access to mentoring, tutoring, library and research databases, career development counselors and academic advisors. Each student will be assigned a success coach, and an academic tutoring service will also be available. We are developing transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities. The Ivy Bridge online format is excellent for students who don't have the time and/or money required to live on a college campus or even to commute. It may also prove attractive for physically handicapped students and those who were home-schooled.
What have you learned from offering undergraduate degrees online?
Though many young people are comfortable with the online format, taking an online course often requires greater self-direction and motivation than a seated course. Some young people are not mature enough to handle this properly. On the other hand, adult learners tend to be more self-directed, but many are not as comfortable with the technology. Meanwhile, teaching online courses requires adjustments by faculty members who are used to teaching in the traditional classroom lecture method. We recently staffed instructional designers to assist our faculty members who teach online courses.
Did your experiences working on the World Campus Afloat (now Semester at Sea) and University of Colorado's study abroad provide value in your subsequent career?
Those two experiences were also accompanied by travel in 50 foreign countries, all of which is still paying dividends. My doctoral dissertation was about the impact of study abroad on students’ attitudes and values. I've published several articles on international education in academic journals. We live in a “global village” and work in an international economy. Here at Tiffin, we have a new MBA offering in Romania, and we've expanded study abroad opportunities for our students. We are developing partnerships with two universities in China, and we're boosting the number of international students enrolled on the Tiffin campus.
Does Tiffin University practice success coaching, and how?
Yes. Each undergraduate on the Tiffin campus who is on academic probation is assigned a success coach. Each online student enrolled through Ivy Bridge College is also. Success coaches have weekly in-person or telephone meetings with their students. They help them build organizational and time management skills. They help with problem solving. They also help students stay on task and adjust to college life. In addition to scheduled meetings, success coaches are available by e-mail and text messaging. They are very helpful in our efforts to increase student retention.
How might another U.S. college benefit from partnering with Tiffin?
We presently have 'win-win' partnerships with eight colleges and universities in Ohio, several universities in other countries, and organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen. With each partnership we are sharing costs as well as opportunities to expand a market and better serve students. For example, we are welcoming four-year institutions as partners to enroll well-prepared, diverse Ivy Bridge College graduates after they've completed their two-year associate degrees.
Where would you like Tiffin to be five years from now?
I want to continue our entrepreneurial spirit and grow and prosper as much as we have during the past five years. I am especially optimistic about the enrollment potential for Ivy Bridge College of Tiffin University. I also want to continue strengthening our academic quality and reputation, our partnerships with other institutions of higher education and organizations, and our involvement in international education.