WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 17, 2024) – William Paterson University’s innovative approach to meeting the educational needs of nontraditional adult students through a public-private collaboration with Academic Partnerships (AP) will be the topic of a presentation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Annual Conference, Jan. 17 – 19, in Washington, D.C.
The session, Expand Your Impact: Making Access to Degrees More Equitable Through an Innovative Online/On-campus Approach, is set for set for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, and will be a discussion with Dr. Richard Helldobler, President of William Paterson, and Dr. Tekoya Boykins, Director, Academic Strategic Planning and Support for AP. The two will address audience questions about these strategies in a question-and-answer session after their conversation.
They will relate how William Paterson joined forces in a public-private partnership with AP in 2020, to offer degrees designed to meet the requirements of diverse adult learners with an emphasis on affordability, flexibility, and workforce relevance.
Their discussion will highlight how William Paterson is strategically meeting the needs of students enrolled in WP’s accelerated online undergraduate degrees, which the University added in 2021, based on rising student demand across the region and the University’s nationally recognized experience in helping its highly diverse population of students, many first-generation and immigrants, climb the socioeconomic ladder.
In assessing the demographic enrolling in these online undergraduate programs, primarily women, and women of color–mostly working adults juggling family, work, and social responsibilities–William Paterson will be responding with the innovations they put in place to amplify equitable access.
The theme for this year’s AAC&U conference is, “Shaping and sharing solutions to the most pressing challenges facing higher education today.” AAC&U is a global organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. AAC&U serves its member colleges and universities as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students.
About Academic Partnerships
Academic Partnerships (AP) assists primarily regional public universities in increasing their access and impact by making their academic programs available to students online. Founded in 2007, AP’s mission is to expand access to high-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant education, especially for working and adult students. AP brings single-minded dedication to student success, an integrated set of services, and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partners. For more information on innovative online learning solutions, please visit www.academicpartnerships.com.