Colleges and universities are well known for encouraging people to think in a different way—just not necessarily when it comes to faculty, staff and administration.

But at Portland, Oregon-based Multnomah University, an adult degree completion program launched with the help of Knowledge Elements has meant a paradigm shift for
everyone.  KE offered the foundation by helping launch the effort with already-available classes, with Multnomah personalizing the offerings.

“It’s been an awesome experience,” says Holley Clough, Director of the school’s Degree Completion Program.  “It’s a great accomplishment to introduce this on a traditional campus.”

Multnomah is an intimate Bible college and seminary, she says, and the degree completion program makes up about 10 percent of the population.  Other adult-oriented studies include Master of Arts degrees in counseling, teaching, and teaching English as a second language, and all together, there’s been a significant increase in the number of classes now offered in the evenings to meet the demand of the adult audience.
 
“We had mostly day classes and some evening, but not to the extent we have now,” she said.  “And that meant a change in the types of services we offer, such as having buildings and facilities open in the evenings, as well as having hours available for things like financial aid.”

The paradigm shift also has to do with Multnomah’s reputation in the immediate area, said Clough, who previously was involved with degree completion programs elsewhere and was brought on board at Multnomah for the implementation.  “This has helped us be more relevant to the community.  It’s not that we weren’t relevant before.  But it has met the niche needs of these students in a new and unique way.”
 
As for the faculty and staff, Clough says she’s been impressed with how they’ve gotten on board.  “The ones that are the Biblical and theological experts, they’re the ones that have taken to teaching the program,” she says.  “Usually a degree completion program uses primarily adjunct professors.  But we’ve watched the faculty rise to the level of ownership, not just teaching but making themselves available as mentors, coming alongside these students in incredible ways.”

And Knowledge Elements has offered Multnomah University support throughout the process.

“When a university starts a program like this, there needs to be accommodations in all areas to facilitate good customer service,” she says.  “And that, Knowledge Elements has really done well for me.  They’ve offered great customer service to me, which has helped me facilitate great customer service for our students.”