Brandman Receives Award for its Commitment to Adult Learner Success

IRVINE, Calif. (November 14, 2011) – Brandman University announced today that it has been presented with The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning’s (CAEL) Institutional Service Award.  Laurie Dodge, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor of Institutional Assessment and Planning, accepted the award on behalf of Brandman University on Friday, November 11, at the 2011 CAEL International Conference in Chicago.

“It is wonderful to receive this recognition from such an important organization.  CAEL serves adult oriented institutions throughout the country and this is an incredible honor for our university,” said Gary Brahm, Chancellor of Brandman University.

In presenting the award, CAEL described Brandman as an institution committed to adult student success citing evidence of successful outcomes such as its outstanding rate of graduation, distinguished alumni and low student loan default rate.  Also noted was Brandman’s groundbreaking work with CAEL’s Adult Learning Focused Institution (ALFI) assessment. Brandman was the first institution to use an e-portfolio system to help campuses benchmark their success in implementing the ALFI principles.

Brandman, a non-profit institution, consistently reports a steady average of 70 percent of its undergraduate students will graduate within six years.  Their loan default rates are among the lowest – 2.3 percent (2009) compared to a national average of 8.8 percent. Brandman, part of the Chapman University System’s 150-year heritage of academic success, has graduated a bevy of distinguished alumni including a National Teacher of the Year; two California Teachers of the Year; the 2009 California Educator of the Year; 2007 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year; a national bestselling author; Fulbright Scholar; national news correspondent; two members of the US House of Representatives; several CEOs, chiefs of police and fire chiefs; and 16 high commanding military officers.

Much of this success can be attributed to Brandman’s responsiveness to adult student needs. When adult students indicated that they preferred classes that offered a blend of face-to-face and online learning in their classes, faculty re-wrote every course for the blended format. When adult students requested state of the art nursing programs, Brandman launched The School of Nursing and Health Professions which offers RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree programs as well as Master’s programs in Health Administration and Health Risk and Crisis Communication. The programs are specifically designed for adults – working RNs – and include an online component, short immersion sessions on campus at a state-of-the-art simulation lab and clinical practice internships arranged near the student’s work or home. The School of Education also responded to requests by adult students by approving its first Doctoral program designed for adults – offering course work online and less frequent face-to-face immersion sessions.  For veterans and active-duty military, Brandman draws on its strong military tradition, with five locations on military bases and specially designed programs to meet their unique needs. And when California’s firefighters asked for a convenient way to complete a college degree that would position them for promotions and pay increases, Brandman entered into an exclusive agreement with the California State Firefighters’ Association (CSFA) to provide acceptance of students’ existing community college and other fire technology units as credit toward their degree, along with the flexibility and efficiency of a year-round schedule.

About The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a national leader in the fields of adult learning and workforce development, providing colleges and universities, companies, labor organizations and state and local governments with the tools and strategies they need for creating practical, effective lifelong learning solutions. With a membership of over 600 colleges, universities, corporations, labor unions, associations, and individuals, CAEL is headquartered in Chicago and also maintains offices in Denver, Philadelphia, and New York City. More information is available at www.cael.org.