Successful Small Higher Education Institutions Featured in Future U Podcasts

Future U, Jeff Selingo's and Michael Horn's podcast, offers several interesting episodes for those who follow smaller institutions: #11 features Paul Quinn College president Michael Sorrell; #17 is an interview with Pat McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University; and they feature Helen Drinan, president of Simmons University in episode #28. 

Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are Recognized

Education Dive web site recently recognized Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX, as their President of the Year.  Reporter Hallie Busta identifies several recent initiatives at the college from a significant reduction in tuition, to official designation as a federal work college, and a recent large grant that will be used to expand Paul Quinn's urban work college program to fast-growing Plano, TX. 

Busta notes that Sorrell was recognized by Forbes earlier in 2018 as the only college president on the magazine's World's 50 Greatest Leaders list.  Forbes notes that enrollment has grown under Sorrell's leadership and that Paul Quinn is planning to expand his "new urban college model" to other cities.

You can visit the Paul Quinn web site to learn more about the institution.

Review previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Paul Quinn College:

• Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation...March 27, 2017 - "Paul Quinn Becomes First Historically Black College to be Designated a 'Work College.'" The institution also indicates that it will be the first urban Work College. 
• PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../pbs-series-features-paul-quinn-college.htm...Sep 16, 2016 - President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series ...
• Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-and-michael-sorrell.ht...Aug 30, 2016 - Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in …
• Paul Quinn College featured at American ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-featured-at-american.htm...Oct 31, 2015 - Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ...
• Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-colleges-community-gardening.h...Sep 18, 2015 - ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College.
• Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-plans-to-become-work...Feb 18, 2015 - Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune.

Focus on Work Colleges: Lower Levels of Student Borrowing and Debt

The PBS Newshour posted, "Century-old 'work college' model regains popularity as student debt grows," on September 1, 2017, written by Timothy Pratt of The Hechinger Report.  He interviewed students and staff at several of the institutions and offers a picture of what it is like to attend the work colleges and administer the programs.  Pratt's primary focus is on the fact that work college students depend less on borrowing to finance their education and graduate with lower levels of student debt.

Pratt notes there have historically been seven institutions designated as work colleges and all are small institutions with enrollments under 2,000 students.  Paul Quinn College (TX) and Bethany Global University (MN) have just joined, raising the number of work colleges by two.  Silver Lake College (WI) is currently seeking the designation and hopes to do so next year.  

Warren Wilson College (NC) and Berea College (KY) are also highlighted in the post.

You can review several previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Work Colleges:

•  Monday, March 27, 2017, Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation
• Friday, September 16, 2016, PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this Week
• Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are featured in Washington Monthly
• Thursday, August 25, 2016, Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College
• Friday, August 28, 2015, Blackburn College & College of the Ozarks Highlighted as Work Colleges
• Wednesday, July 1, 2015, Weaving Program at Berry College Featured

Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation

Renee Yan reported on March 22, 2017 that "Paul Quinn Becomes First Historically Black College to be Designated a 'Work College.'"  The institution also indicates that it will be the first urban Work College.  You can visit the Paul Quinn College website for more information on the Work Program.

You can also review previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Paul Quinn College:

• Small College Garden: PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../pbs-series-features-paul-quinn-college.htm...Sep 16, 2016 - President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series ...
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-and-michael-sorrell.ht...Aug 30, 2016 - Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in …
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College featured at American ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-featured-at-american.htm...Oct 31, 2015 - Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ...
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-colleges-community-gardening.h...Sep 18, 2015 - ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College.
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-plans-to-become-work...Feb 18, 2015 - Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune on February 17, ...

Huston-Tillotson University Featured for Raising its Community Profile

Colette Pierce Burnette, president of Huston-Tillotson University, is interviewed by Kate McGee of Austin's NPR station, KUT 90.5.  The segment, "East Austin Is Growing And Huston-Tillotson Hopes Its Roots Keep A Community Intact," highlights initiatives designed to raise the profile of the institution by building stronger links to the communities it serves.

Huston-Tillotson traces its roots to Samuel Huston College and Tillotson  College.  The two institutions merged in 1952 to form Huston-Tillotson  College.  The name was later changed to Huston-Tillotson University in 2005.

PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this Week

President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series for the PBS Newshour.  Sreenivasan explores how students prepare for a career while gaining a liberal arts education at the nation's first urban work college.  "The Texas college where students grown into workers," segment initially aired on September 12, 2016. 

You can also follow earlier Small College Garden posts linking to other articles and interviews that focus on Paul Quinn College.

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College featured at American ... Oct 31, 2015 ... Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ... Aug 30, 2016 ... Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX and president Michael Sorrell are featured in the September/October issue of Washington Monthly. In "Labor ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ... Sep 18, 2015 ... ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College. smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ... Feb 18, 2015 ... Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune on February 17, ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are featured in Washington Monthly

Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX and president Michael Sorrell are featured in the September/October issue of Washington Monthly.  In "Labor of Love," reporter Matt Connolly focuses on Sorrell's New Urban College Model.  Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in practice.

The New Urban College Model developed over time to focus on students as they acquire what is needed to succeed professionally and to do so in a way that is affordable and helps elevate surrounding neighborhoods and the institution itself.  The model received quite a bit of publicity from the College Board, The Hechinger Report, and other outlets in early 2015 when Paul Quinn announced that students would be able to graduate with less than $10,000 in college loan debt.

Paul Quinn College was founded in 1872 and is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Schreiner University: Partnership Leads to a Successful Online Program

Maxine Joselow's "A Novel Way to Launch an Online Program," provides interesting insights into the development of Schreiner University's online nursing program.  As a small institution, Schreiner faced the twin hurdles in front of many colleges, limited funds to invest in a new program and lack of expertise.  Joselow reports that Schreiner's approach that features partnerships with iDesign and area hospitals promises greater institutional control over what is offered and the revenues that are generated.  The article was published by Inside HigherEd on August 23, 2016.

Schreiner University is located in Kerrville, Texas and enrolls just over 1,200 students.

New Institution will open in Jacksonville, TX on former Lon Morris College Campus

Jo Anne Embleton reports for the Jacksonville (TX) Progress on July 30, 2016 in "Jacksonville: New university has economic, emotional impact on city," that Carver College in Atlanta will be taking over the former campus of Lon Morris College.  Lon Morris College was affiliated with the Methodist Church and closed in 2013.

The satellite campus will be known as Carver Christian University and will offer four-year degree programs in Biblical studies, psychology and business administration, as well as master's degree programs in Christian education (MACE) and divinity and doctoral programs in ministry and theology.

Paul Quinn College featured at American RadioWorks

Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The reinvention of Paul Quinn College."  The page includes a link to a podcast that is part of the larger series on HBCUs, The Living Legacy Black Colleges in the 21st Century.

Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening Initiative Featured on ESPN

ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College.  President Sorrell discusses the institution's community farming initiative and their plans to open a restaurant and grocery store that will serve the surrounding neighborhood.  

Paul Quinn was founded in 1872 in Austin, TX as Connectional High School and Institute.  It was founded by pastors and is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  The institution moved to Waco, TX in 1877 and assumed the name of Waco College.  The name was changed to Paul Quinn College in 1881.  Paul Quinn made another move in 1990 and currently operates on the campus of the former Bishop College.