--- title: 2021 State of Continuing Education Survey Highlights Growing Engagement Gap description:   Ninety percent of higher education institutions are delivering subpar digital engagement—impacting enrollment and retention numbers—according to this yea image: https://moderncampus.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/old-library-modern-campus-4.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://moderncampus.com/blog/2021-state-of-continuing-education-survey-highlights-growing-engagement-gap.html#main-content) [![modern-campus-primary-color-r](https://moderncampus.com/hubfs/modern-campus-primary-color-r.svg) ](https://moderncampus.com/) - Products Web Content Management - [Web Content Management | CMS](https://moderncampus.com/products/web-content-management) - [Career Planning | Career Pathways](https://moderncampus.com/products/career-pathways-planning) Connected Curriculum & Co-Curricular - [Catalog Management | Catalog](https://moderncampus.com/products/catalog-management) - [Curriculum Management | Curriculum ](https://moderncampus.com/products/curriculum-management) - 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Nearly 60% of respondents said they could only deliver on the high expectations of non-degree students by relying on significant manual staff effort, and 10% of respondents said their tech stack is not at all designed to support the needs of non-degree students or programs.   In fact, one anonymous survey respondent highlighted their lack of technological functionality as a severe obstacle to serving students during the pandemic.   “[Continuing Education was] rendered undeliverable since we do not have access to an online enrollment management system,” they wrote.  In some cases, this lack of technological capability is especially dire. About 31% of respondents said they couldn’t even pull a piece of critical business information—how many non-degree students they enroll—without asking multiple people (if at all).  ## **Flexible Credential Models Provide Opportunities for Lifelong Learner Engagement**   This year’s study also highlighted some exciting opportunities for growth on the horizon for higher education institutions. These opportunities also highlight the potential for much closer alignment between non-degree divisions and main campuses:  - Almost 80% of respondents said their institution plans to grow their portfolio of stackable credential offerings, which allow students to progress toward major credentials at their own pace while working.  - Three-quarters of respondents said their institution plans to grow their microcredentialing portfolio, expanding the array of sub-degree credentials—including certificates, certifications, and digital badges.  This shows that higher education institutions broadly are recognizing the opportunity provided by non-degree education, and aligns with some of the broader trends we’ve noticed across the industry in recent years. After all, a [majority of adults](https://cci.stradaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/Report-September-16-2020.pdf) considering enrolling in a higher ed offering say they prefer non-degree credentials, and degree enrollment industry-wide dropped by [3%](https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/blog/fall-2020-undergraduate-enrollment-down-4-4-graduate-enrollment-up-2-9/) in 2020 (despite the [recession](https://ousearch.omniupdate.com/texis/search/redir.html?query=recession+playbook&pr=moderncampus&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=750&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=750&rlead=750&rdepth=31&sufs=1&order=r&uq=&u=https%3A//moderncampus.com/whitepaper/updating-the-higher-education-playbook-to-stay-relevant-through-future-recessions.html&__hstc=226520770.e51a0c08b445fbd539f77021fcffab22.1614690363252.1615218785759.1615225104470.15&__hssc=226520770.4.1615225104470&__hsfp=2529929903)!).   However, the study also highlighted a gap between non-degree divisions and main campuses that needs to be addressed in order to truly expand stackable and microcredential capabilities.  ## **A Gap Between Continuing Education and Main Campus**  The 2021 State of Continuing Education survey highlighted a gap between non-degree divisions and main campuses that needs to be addressed by action—not just words.   Encouragingly, 76% of respondents said they had senior leadership buy-in to scale and expand non-degree courses and programs at their institutions.  However, when asked the major challenges standing in the way of non-degree growth, nearly 60% of respondents pointed to obstacles created or exacerbated by a lack of actionable support and investment from senior institutional leaders. Nearly 20% highlighted a lack of acceptance or support of non-degree education, almost 16% flagged a lack of staff capacity, 14% noted a lack of financial support and 8% pointed to inadequate technology.  “To really play in this space, you have to resource it,” said Rob Westervelt, vice president for strategy and innovation at Lindenwood University.  ![State of CE](https://moderncampus.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/state-of-ce-cover-2.png?width=400&height=518&name=state-of-ce-cover-2.png) ## **Serving Modern Learners Requires Active Focus on the Engagement Gap**  The engagement gap between higher education institutions and the students they serve has been growing for decades, and widened due the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession that followed.  In order for colleges and universities to stay relevant and deliver the impact their communities demand, it’s essential for institutions to establish a new operational normal that positions them to meet and exceed the expectations of the students they serve.   Verbal commitments to microcredentials and stackable education is a powerful start, but it must be backed up by action and investment. That’s the only way higher education institutions can meaningfully allow their non-degree divisions to help them innovate and expand.   [**To dive deeper into this research, please download The State of Continuing Education 2021: Exposing the Modern Learner Engagement Gap****.** ](https://moderncampus.com/research-paper/state-of-continuing-education-2021.html?marketing_channel=Blog)   #### The State of Continuing Education 2021 The annual State of Continuing Education survey highlights trends, challenges and opportunities shaping CE, which tends to serve as a bellwether for the rest of the higher ed market. [Download now](https://moderncampus.com/research-paper/state-of-continuing-education-2021.html?marketing_channel=Blog) --- Last updated: March 9, 2021 [![When PDFs Multiply: How Institutions Can Get Accessibility Back Under Control](https://moderncampus.com/hubfs/When%20PDFs%20Multiply%20How%20Institutions%20Can%20Get%20Accessibility%20Back%20Under%20Control.png) ](https://moderncampus.com/blog/when-pdfs-multiply-how-institutions-can-get-accessibility-back-under-control) [When PDFs Multiply: How Institutions Can Get Accessibility Back Under Control](https://moderncampus.com/blog/when-pdfs-multiply-how-institutions-can-get-accessibility-back-under-control) [Learn More →](https://moderncampus.com/blog/when-pdfs-multiply-how-institutions-can-get-accessibility-back-under-control) [![Rethinking Credentialing in Higher Education for the 21st Century](https://moderncampus.com/hubfs/Rethinking%20Credentialing%20in%20Higher%20Education%20for%20the%2021st%20Century.png) ](https://moderncampus.com/blog/rethinking-credentialing-for-the-21st-century.html) [Rethinking Credentialing in Higher Education for the 21st Century](https://moderncampus.com/blog/rethinking-credentialing-for-the-21st-century.html) [Learn More →](https://moderncampus.com/blog/rethinking-credentialing-for-the-21st-century.html) [![Lifelong Learning Trends: The End of Linear Education](https://moderncampus.com/hubfs/Lifelong%20Learning%20Trends%20-%20The%20End%20of%20Linear%20Education.png) ](https://moderncampus.com/blog/lifelong-learning-trends-the-end-of-linear-education) [Lifelong Learning Trends: The End of Linear Education](https://moderncampus.com/blog/lifelong-learning-trends-the-end-of-linear-education) [Learn More →](https://moderncampus.com/blog/lifelong-learning-trends-the-end-of-linear-education) ## Connect with us to learn how Modern Campus can drive transformation at your institution! 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