A nonprofit founded by the state of North Carolina is increasing the number of adult learners at North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
Project Kitty Hawk was funded by the General Assembly in 2021. Its mission is to assist public universities with recruiting and supporting adult learners (25 years or older) in North Carolina who have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
When it started working with NCCU – the first university it partnered with – in October 2023, Project Kitty Hawk brought in 10 students. This fall, 221 students are taking courses at NCCU through Project Kitty Hawk.
Adult learners have different challenges than traditional students who move directly from high school to on-campus enrollment.
“There might be people who want an education but have work, family and elderly parents,” said Kimberly Phifer-McGhee, Ed.D., associate vice chancellor for NCCU Extended Studies and Student Support.
“We hear a lot about higher education affordability, but the biggest thing adult students lack is time,” said Andrew Kelly, president and CEO of Project Kitty Hawk. “Adult learners are not thinking of traditional fall and winter semesters and December break. How can I enroll and complete a degree in the quickest way possible?”
While in-state tuition is low at North Carolina’s public universities, 60-70% of online students enroll in out-of-state online programs, often paying two to three times the in-state tuition rate at a UNC System campus, Kelly said.
In short, adult learners require flexibility. To supply that, NCCU programs supported by Project Kitty Hawk are taught online (all courses are taught by NCCU faculty).
Project Kitty Hawk also:
- Assists NCCU in condensing terms down to eight weeks instead of the typical 16 weeks.
- Markets and advertises the programs to prospective students.
- Recruits students.
- Supplies “success coaches” who regularly reach out to enrolled adult learners.
- Delivers coursework through a technology platform and Learning Management System (LMS).
Fewer Traditional Students
The nonprofit helps NCCU respond to two demographic trends. First, there are an estimated 1 million people in North Carolina who have started college but have not completed a degree, said Kelly, about 300,000 of them in the 25–44-year-old range.
“Of the North Carolina residents enrolled exclusively online, two-thirds are enrolled out of state,” Kelly said. “Compared to other states, that is disproportionately high. Because four-year options in North Carolina have not been built for adult learners, they have to go elsewhere.”
Conversely, the number of traditional high school graduates is decreasing. Sometimes referred to in higher education circles as a ‘demographic cliff’ (Kelly prefers ‘demographic plateau’), adults in North Carolina and across the United States are having fewer children, which means fewer high school graduates who will go to college.
Department of Nursing see Large Increase in Adult Learners
The joint effort between NCCU and Project Kitty Hawk started with the RN-BSN program in the Department of Nursing which allows registered nurses to earn a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing. While not a new program at NCCU, Project Kitty Hawk helped NCCU increase its enrollment.
“Our first course was in October 2023,” said Marquita Lyons-Smith, DNP, director of the RN to BSN program who also teaches online courses. “We had five students. Now we have more than 50. That is the most we’ve ever had in the RN to BSN program.”
While NCCU is not new to online programs – it currently offers 37 online programs to earn bachelors, masters and certificates – the university wants to up its game.
“If we don’t play in this arena of online, we will definitely be left behind,” said Phifer-McGee.
Besides RN to BSN, the university offers four Project Kitty Hawk powered bachelor's degree programs. Those are business administration, information technology, health administration and public health education.
"Through initiatives like Project Kitty Hawk, North Carolina Central University is creating new pathways to success for learners of all ages, including adult students seeking to advance their careers," said Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon, who serves on the board of directors of Project Kitty Hawk. "We are driving innovation in higher education and opening doors to opportunities that transform lives."
Currently, four students enrolled via Project Kitty Hawk are on schedule to graduate with bachelor’s degrees this December.
