University luncheon generates talk of life after college

Ideas on how to better prepare students for postsecondary life were discussed Thursday at a College Conversations Partnership Luncheon.

Hosted by the Southeast Missouri State University Academic Support Centers, which provides programs and services for underrepresented students, the meeting attracted about 50 people and was held in the Show Me Center-North Meeting Room.

The goal was to explore possible partnerships or collaborations to help strengthen support for students in Cape Girardeau. Trent Ball, associate Dean of Students for ASC, said the objective is to make more connections to get resources to students faster. Sometimes, he said, partnerships start at one level, but never get down to where they need to be.

Ball said the group will probably be called back together in April to see what they were able to accomplish and bring in new partners.

Businesspeople, Southeast Missouri State University officials, Central High School staff and community members participated. ASC has offered students who may never have been to a college campus chances to visit Southeast and other campuses and provides support for students and parents on the college admission and financial aid process, Central High School principal Mike Cowan said.

Debbie Below, vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Success and dean of students at Southeast, spoke about the national goal of increasing the percentage of Americans with college degrees, certificates or other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

Thirty-eight percent of Missourians have a college degree. By 2018, 523,000, or 59 percent of the expected 898,000 job vacancies in Missouri will require postsecondary credentials, according to information from the meeting.

To help students focus, Southeast has created degree maps that show what students need to know about a major and its requirements. They are meant to provide a systematic way for students to see what is required academically to complete it.

Below noted that postsecondary completion is needed to maintain global competitiveness and the higher someone's level of education, on average, the higher their income is.

Six tables of participants devised potential goals that could help get more students after high school. Among them are:

* Dual credit scholarships. Dual credit courses allow high school students to take college courses while in high school and earn college credit.

* Acquiring soft skills, such as hygiene, communication, confidence and social media skills.

* Shadowing before interning.

* Preparing for internships while in college.

* Increasing parental support, particularly in the lower grades.

* Providing overexposure to financial aid.

* Finding an advocate for students.

* Having employers talk to students about available jobs and offering tours of their businesses.

* Making it easier for employers to post jobs online through Southeast.

* Assessing work readiness.

According to Complete College America, the percentage of Missouri adults with at least an associate degree by area county are:

Bollinger 15 percent

Cape Girardeau 35.3 percent

Franklin 28 percent

Jefferson 29.5 percent

Perry 22.6 percent

Scott 18.8 percent

St. Charles 46.9 percent

St. Francois 24.5 percent

St. Louis 50.7 percent

Stoddard 18.8 percent

Warren 25.8 percent

Washington 12.8 percent

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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