NLU Alumni Magazine A New Pathway to Student Success NLU responds to growing need to rethink higher education By Nicholas A. Love
Fall 2015 marks the beginning of a shift in the undergraduate experience at National Louis University. This is the inaugural year of the Harrison Professional Pathways Program (Pathways Program). The changing landscape of higher education requires this push into new territory. Many people are familiar with the problem of ballooning tuitions across the country. It’s the problem that gets most of the attention in the news and on social media. The second, lesser-known challenge facing universities is the growing prevalence of adult learners and first-time freshmen with significant family and financial obligations overtaking the traditional notion of what it means to be a full-time college student. With President Nivine Megahed, Ph.D., at the helm, National Louis University is forging on ahead of
these considerable challenges by way of the Harrison Professional Pathways Program, a program aligned with the NLU mission to provide access and opportunity for students through innovative teaching practices. “NLU’s answer to these issues related to access, to affordability and to post-secondary success was the Harrison Professional Pathways Program, and it’s through that program we looked for innovative solutions that would allow us to build out a curriculum that would meet the needs of the new diverse student learner that is seeking to get their education today,” Megahed said. The inaugural students of the Pathways program will be able to earn any one of NLU’s bachelor’s degrees at a significantly reduced tuition rate, while benefiting from flexible, technology-enhanced
curriculum and specialized student support staff.
Innovative Teaching Practices
The most innovative elements of the Pathways program occur during the first two years of the student’s education, where they will encounter a streamlined general education experience. Students will choose between three specialized preparatory tracks: education, business or standard general education. No matter which track students choose, they receive equivalent college credits on their way to an NLU undergraduate degree. In order to accommodate three different modes of general education attainment without compromising the quality of education at NLU, Pathways utilizes specialized technology and curriculum that provides students a more flexible learning experience. Instructors give specific direction to students
“National Louis University has been around for over 125 years. From the very beginning National Louis has been groundbreaking, and this innovative program is continuing that legacy.”
- Stephanie Poczos, Director of New Undergraduate Initiatives
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