As a college sports nut, I love this time of year. College basketball’s Final Four — do I need say anymore? We’ve whittled our way down from 65 teams all the way down to just two. Memphis and Kansas will do battle tonight and tip-off is scheduled for a little after 9pm EST.
I must confess that when Xavier and Texas lost my brackets were toast so I am just enjoying the ride at this point. My wife, Melody, on the other hand is a secret Memphis fan and loves their coach, John Calipari. Her love for Memphis comes from a New York City trip we were on several years ago when I was EVP at InService America. One of my clients was the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the finest charities in our land. Each year they host a men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden and I was fortunate for several years to attend. I would take my wife with me because not only does she enjoy basketball (I’m so lucky!) but New York City during the holiday season is a magical place to be. During this one trip, she, being the coffee addict that she is, was in line at a Dunkin Donuts near Grand Central. She struck up a conversation with the server and told her that she was in New York for a basketball game. From behind her a man asked, “What game are you here to see?” Yes - it was Coach Calipari. She tells me he spent about ten minutes just asking questions about our kids and talking with her about his early coaching days in Virginia.
Okay, now how am I going wrap this into online learning? This is a stretch but what are the Final Four reasons why an adult learner is movitivated in enrolling back in school? Based on my personal experience, research that I have read, and interactions that I have had with my online students, the Final Four reasons are:
- Personal enrichment
- Looking to improve performance, rank, or pay in current job or profession
- Changing careers or preparing for a new job in current field
- Completing a degree begun in year’s past
I have run across more reasons like taking advantage of a company’s tuition assistance program or earning special credentialing or licensure, but the Final Four listed above are the cream of the crop.