From 2009 to 2017, Dr. Heather Knight served as president of Pacific Union College (PUC). While there, she spearheaded an enrollment increase of more than 300 students in four years and improved freshman retention rates by 14 percent. As president, Dr. Heather Knight also launched PUC Online, which allowed students to complete their bachelor of science in nursing online.
The number of students participating in online learning continues to increase. The latest federal data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) demonstrated that more than a third of college students took at least one online course in 2018. Additionally, the data showed that from 2016 to 2018 online learning enrollment increased by 3.6 percent, despite the fact that overall enrollment during the same time period decreased by 1.1 percent.
The flexibility of online education is a driving factor in online-course enrollment. Best Colleges’ 2019 Online Education Trends Report stated that more than 50 percent of students taking courses online have children, and that half are employed. Additionally, many students take online classes from schools that are too far away for them to attend in person.
Heather Knight 