ERIC ED543248: Travelers Edge: A Model on the Cutting Edge of Corporate College Access and Success Support

2012·1.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

E D G E
A Model on the Cutting edge of CorporAte
College ACCess And suCCess support
2012
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to extend our appreciation to everyone who participated in this project. the re-
search, analyses and final presentation of this report represent the efforts of many individuals.
We would like to acknowledge the following persons for their dedication to this project:
Marlene ibsen and the rest of the travelers edge team at travelers: Mike
newman, Joelle hayes, Carlos figueroa, tara spain, ivelisse Maldonado,
Cindy garten, tara pollard, nicole hughey, elyse steiner, deb Morris and
rose d’onofrio.
We would like to extend a special acknowledgment to the leaders, staff, and students of
colleges, universities, and access partners who participated in this study for opening their
campuses and sharing information with us about their strategies for success. in particular, we
worked closely with each travelers edge campus liaison who arranged for focus groups and
meetings. All campus representatives, from presidents to administrators, faculty support staff,
and especially students, extended a warm welcome and coordinated their schedules to make
time to meet with us. their participation was invaluable in our efforts to better understand the
many components that make up the travelers edge program.
none of the efforts would have been realized in the production of this report if it were not
for the generous funding and research support from travelers. We thank travelers for valuing
and providing needed support for these types of research projects.
finally, we acknowledge that the responsibility for the content of this report, including any
errors or omissions, lies solely with the authors.
CONTENTS
2 INTRODUCTION 24 program services
25 scholarships
4 BACKGROUND
25 internships
4 travelers
25 Advising and Mentoring supports
4 travelers Community relations
25 travelers mentors
5 travelers edge
26 Campus traveler edge managers
26 faculty support
8 METhODOLOGICAL AppROACh
26 peer support
8 phase i: formative evaluation
of travelers edge 27 Crossroads to Careers (C3)
9 phase ii: Assessing and Mapping 27 the professional development
the travelers edge Model institute (pdi)
27 Venture project
10 A REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
27 extracurricular activities
Corporate Scholarship and Access Programs
27 Continued Challenges
10 introduction: overview of low-income
and first-generation students 27 Managing growth
10 Challenges 27 strengthening the pipeline
11 promising practices 28 structured Mentoring
11 Corporate scholarship & 28 improving Communication
Access programs
28 Connecting students
12 Corporate scholarship/Access
28 travelers edge outcomes
programs (with support Components)
29 College and Career opportunities
12 Corporate scholarships
29 Workforce readiness
(postsecondary level only)
29 network Building
13 scholarship Media Campaigns
29 Career exploration
13 existing scholarships
29 Corporate exposure
13 Corporate Consortium
Access programs 30 transfer and Completion
15 university-Based Corporate 30 Community & family impact
Access programs
30 social integration
16 phASE I FINDINGS: 30 personal development
The Continuing Development of the Travelers
EDGE Program in a Receptive Culture of 34 RECOMMENDATIONS
Program Improvement 34 scaling up travelers edge’s Model
34 replicating travelers edge’s Model
18 phASE II FINDINGS
34 policy implications of travelers
18 partners
edge’s Model
19 pre-college partners
20 postsecondary partners 35 CONCLUSION
24 student Characteristics
INTRODUCTION
travelers transcends being just a partner for exchange of students
or asking for money. they are not simply trying to build their work-
force; we have a larger partnership that has a big impact on our
students.
Central Connecticut State University Administrator
travelers has a high level of expectation, but you don’t have to do
it yourself. You are graded as other employees, and they provide
help when [your performance] is not good.
Travelers EDGE Scholar and Intern
With college tuition costs rising at double the rate of health-care
costs, and a dearth of skilled workers, American businesses are
increasingly worried about having enough educated employees to
power their companies – and fuel economic recovery. Many busi-
nesses are beginning to understand the economic and competitive
imperative to reverse these trends. they know higher education
needs their help – and that they need better-educated workers.
Jamie Merisotis (President, Lumina Foundation)
and Charles Kolb (President, Committee for Economic Development)
2
INTRODUCTION
More and more businesses, large and small, have em- and success support initiatives, a close study is needed
braced postsecondary education as a strategic focus of their program mission and goals, the structuring of
of their corporate, social or citizenship responsibility their practices, the implementation of their activities, the
initiatives. the strategic efforts of major corporations to utilization of their resources (including their financial and
increase college access and success through diversify- human capital), and finally their process for measuring,
ing the American workforce could be a major boon to evaluating and reporting the outcomes of their efforts to
achieving president obama’s 2020 goal for the united impact postsecondary education. the pell institute em-
states to once again have the largest percentage of col- barked upon this study of travelers edge precisely to
lege-educated citizens in the world. the pell institute’s conduct a close assessment of their corporate college
research has shown that in order to reach the president’s access and success program and to get some answers to
national degree attainment goal, the country needs an these concerns. ultimately, our goal is to contribute to a
increase from 41.2 percent to nearly 60 percent of those small yet growing and needed body of literature on ef-
aged 25 to 64 with a college degree. however, our fective practices that rely on private funding to increase
concern is that at the current pace, projections using the low-income, first-generation student success.
u.s. Census Bureau’s Current population survey suggest
that only 46.4 percent of Americans in the target age the pell institute is dedicated to studying the experiences
group will have earned a college degree by 2020, leav- of low-income, first-generation college students at both
ing the nation nearly 24 million degrees shy of the 60 institutional and national levels. Along with our parent
percent target rate. the nation needs an “all hands on organization, the Council for opportunity in education
deck” approach if we are going to be able to make any (Coe), we have a knowledge base of what works in
progress in closing the degree attainment gap toward the programmatic efforts to help disadvantaged students suc-
president’s 2020 goal. programs such as travelers edge ceed. We utilized our expertise on programmatic and in-
are welcome players in helping to achieve the nation’s stitutional college access and success support practices
overall goals to increase college access and success for low-income, first-generation students in our approach
among its citizens. to this study of travelers edge. the pell institute’s research
on low-income, first-generation students demonstrates that
it is intuitive for businesses and corporations to be wor- our nation’s failure to keep pace with other countries in
ried about the nation’s economic competitiveness in the educational attainment among 25- to 34-year-old adults
globalized marketplace. to help close this income-based can largely be traced to our inability to adequately edu-
degree attainment gap, models of college access and cate individuals from families in the bottom half of the
success programs continue to emerge among the cor- income distribution (the pell institute, 2011). While con-
porate sector. for years, many corporations have estab- tributing to or providing private scholarships and offering
lished internship and/or scholarship programs to help internships as a part of corporate responsibility and/or
students attend college by providing some financial community outreach is not uncommon, corporate college
support as well as practical work experience, so they access and success programs coupled with more strate-
can succeed in college then re-populate the workforce gic comprehensive services that make a broader impact
and stimulate the economy. however, little is still known on low-income and first-generation students’ educational
about how American businesses are making the strate- attainment are needed — especially programs such as
gic connection between stimulating and maintaining the travelers edge that collaborate or partner with existing
economy through programmatic efforts to support the na- not-for-profit college access and success providers and
tion’s education reform movement. in order to ascertain education institutions.
the viability and scalability of corporate college access
1 Merisotis, J. & Kolb, C. (2011). A partnership to boost the u.s. economy: Business and higher education, Christian science Monitor. retrieved from
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/opinion/2011/1006/A-partnership-to-boost-the-us-economy-business-and-higher-educaation.
2 the pell institute (2011). developing 20/20 Vision on the 2020 degree Attainment goal — the threat of income-Based inequality in education.
3 ibid 3
BACKGROUND
Travelers
travelers was founded more than 150 years ago and is initiatives that improve academic and career success for
one of the nation’s largest property casualty insurers. A underrepresented youth. the target population is public
component of the dow Jones industrial Average, travelers school children in grades five through 12, in transition
has more than 30,000 employees, 13,000 independent to postsecondary education, and in the postsecondary
agents and multiple market segments across personal, learning environment.
business, financial and international groups. the compa-
ny has operations in the united states, united Kingdom, through its education giving, travelers’ goal is to help
Canada, lloyd’s of london, and the republic of ireland. close the achievement gap between students who are
in Brazil, travelers also has a joint venture partnership the first in their families to go college, and those who are
with JMalucelli, Brazil’s market leader in surety. With its more educationally and financially affluent, by provid-
headquarters in new York City, travelers has significant ing social and economic opportunities for students from
operations in st. paul, Minnesota, and hartford, Connecticut. economically disadvantaged backgrounds. travelers is
able to influence the pipeline of skilled workers by fo-
Travelers Community Relations cusing on preparing underserved students for successful
college admissions and graduation. these students are
travelers Community relations, which supports the travel-
potential customers and business partners who reflect the
ers foundation, is responsible for the company’s corpo-
changing demographics of the united states. in order
rate and foundation giving, employee volunteerism, and
to identify and successfully support these students and
community strategies and relationships. travelers builds
future leaders, travelers invests in developing relation-
its community work on an understanding that “a quality
ships with diverse, multicultural organizations and local
education can break down barriers for underrepresent-
universities that have demonstrated a proven track record
ed students and provide limitless long-term opportunity.”
of building a successful pipeline of talent into the travel-
thus, by focusing on education, travelers seeks to “bet-
ers workforce. the increased enrollment and graduation
ter address community and corporate needs for a skilled
rates of underrepresented students is one of the major
workforce, sustained economies and better quality of
goals of travelers’ investments in scholarships, mentoring,
life.” education is the primary focus of giving, especially
programming and student support services.
4 Pell Institute Travelers EdgE
Travelers EDGE
(Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment)
in order to develop the implementation strategies to larger strategy for the mission of travelers edge. travel-
achieve these goals, travelers relied on the joint efforts ers edge essentially emerged as the programmatic link
of its Community relations and human resources (includ- between travelers’ strategic human resources diversity
ing enterprise diversity & inclusion, talent Acquisition, goals focused on underserved student populations, and
university relations, and hr generalists) teams to help its community relations goals focused on college access
create a deep, long-term, and productive relationship and success (see figure 1). it has strong support at the
with select organizations and universities. the integra- highest levels of the organization.
tion of the goals of each of these units established the
FIGURE 1
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMUNITY RELATIONS TRAVELERS EDGE:
DIVERSITY COLLEGE ACCESS IFS PIPELINE
the related strategic outcome of the travelers commit- travelers calculates the outcomes of their goals for trav-
ment to diversity and building the pipeline to college elers edge by focusing on what it means economically
is increasing the awareness and thus the pipeline for and socially for their target population to achieve educa-
careers in insurance, including finance, claims, under- tional success, which includes the decreased likelihood
writing, information technology, and engineering. thus, of being unemployed and/or incarcerated, the increase
travelers edge folds the company’s commitment to diver- of the capacity to support their families and participate
sity, education and to the sustainability of the insurance as citizens, and the increased likelihood of succeeding
and financial services industries into a larger goal and in school.
strategy which includes supporting the growth and sus-
tenance of the communities in which travelers does busi- in summary, travelers edge strives to enhance college
ness. travelers edge achieves this by providing oppor- access, success and workforce outcomes (see figure 2
tunities for individuals in surrounding communities who on the following page):
have the potential to make a great impact on society.
Pell Institute Travelers EdgE 5
FIGURE 2
ACCESS
Increase the pipeline SUCCESS
of underrepresented
students to college Help students from WORKFORCE
by focusing on underserved communities
helping students: graduate from college Build awareness of
by: careers in insurance and
• Aspire to college financial services by:
• Complete academically • Providing activities to recruit
rigorous courses, and retain students at partner • Engaging employees and
including math, science, colleges executives as tutors, mentors,
business, finance and • Supporting students to achieve and resources for students
insurance skill attainment and • Helping community colleges to
• Select and apply for employment develop an insurance program
college and financial aid • Encouraging colleges to work • Leveraging employees to help
with middle and high school students math skills and
and/or community groups to become aware of the
build the pipleine to college insurance and financial
services industry
to define the resource needs and programmatic exper- themselves and their partners accountable to the success
tise and activities, especially from non-profit and college of the travelers edge pipeline, travelers further breaks
and university partners as well as to measure and hold down their measurable outcomes into college success
and career preparedness outcomes (see figure 2.1):
FIGURE 2.1
• increase awareness of college
COLLEGE opportunities
• Increase preparation for college entrance
SUCCESS • Increase college entrance, retention and
completion of a Bachelor’s degree
• Increase awareness of careers in the IFS
COLLEGE industry and how they apply to Travelers
• Strengthen the pipeline of college students
PREPAREDNESS who are on track for a career in the
IFS industry
6 Pell Institute Travelers EdgE
to achieve these goals, travelers edge offers financial such as internships, training facilities, and recruitment ef-
support, career and business expertise, internships and forts. travelers edge programs are implemented in part-
job shadowing, mentoring and other support. Accord- nership with a network of college access programs and
ingly, travelers identifies the resource investment for the postsecondary institutions serving students in the metro-
implementation of travelers edge to include: travelers politan areas surrounding travelers corporate locations.
Community relations funding, the knowledge and talent the following are the three locations and their current or
of employees and executives, and other in-kind resources former travelers edge sites and partners (see Figure 3):
FIGURE 3
HARTFORD ST. PAUL BALTIMORE
CONNETICUT MINNESOTA MARYLAND
• Conneticut Pre-Engineering • College Possible • Morgan State University
Program* • Page Education Foundation • I-Fund**
• Career Beginnings • Augsburg College • College Bound*
• High School, Inc. • Inver Hills-Century
• Capital Community College Community College
• University of Conneticut • Metropolitan State University
• Central Conneticut • University of Minnesota, Carlson
State University School of Management
** New Partner 2012
* Former Partner
travelers edge works with its college access partners through the partner community college, and then transfer
in each of the cities to target and serve primarily low- to a partner four-year institution and continue their schol-
income, first-generation middle and high school students arship; or directly through the partner four-year institu-
with information about and preparation for college and tion. At the postsecondary level, when students are con-
careers. As travelers edge partners, college access sidered travelers edge scholars, they have access to
staff recruit high school seniors into the program who several levels of support through the program. scholars
demonstrate interest in and/or aptitude for insurance and also have priority for travelers edge internships, which a
financial services (ifs) careers. students then enroll in a high percentage receive, along with mentorship at sever-
partner four-year institution and receive a partial or full al levels within travelers. travelers edge is a high-touch
scholarship, depending on the institution. students may model that strives to provide intensive, tailored support
also enter travelers edge at the postsecondary level along with financial resources.
Pell Institute Travelers EdgE 7
METHODOLOGICAL
APPROACH

The Pell Institute conducted the study of Travelers EDGE in two phases:

I. phase One: Formative Evaluation of Travelers EDGE

II. phase Two: Assessing and Mapping the Travelers EDGE Model

phase I: Formative Evaluation of Travelers EDGE
the first phase included a survey of travelers edge in- for further program improvement. in addition to on-site
tern managers, a literature review of corporate college interviews with program personnel, the pell institute con-
access and success programming, and an initial site visit ducted a brief survey of staff across program sites to fur-
with travelers edge staff to help assess the program’s ther assess program organization, strengths, and areas
components and areas for further study. We first con- for opportunity. the pell institute incorporated an analysis
ducted an initial review of travelers edge through an of primary quantitative and qualitative results, as well as
internal site visit at the company’s hartford, Connecticut, research from the college access and success literature,
campus. We took a formative evaluation approach dur- in a final phase i report which was presented before trav-
ing this site visit to identify what is working best both in elers edge personnel. phase i was carried out between
terms of program structure and support services provided January 2011 and october 2011.
to students as well as to identify areas of opportunity
8 Pell Institute Travelers EdgE