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College Background
In Fall 2020, Newberry launched its first program with Rize in Computer Science. As of Spring 2024, Newberry has 20 new students enrolled in Computer Science. Building on the success of the first program, Newberry grew its partnership with Rize to 9 programs, including Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Nutrition, Public Health, and Project Management which will begin enrolling students this fall. Since inception, a total of 246 students have participated in these high-demand programs all of which were not available 3 years ago.
“As a family we must create an environment where students can find their purpose. The partnership with Rize adds a degree of breadth and program relevance that we could not achieve on our own. Rize is a game-changer for Newberry College” - President Scherrens
Newberry College, a small private institution in South Carolina, prides itself on making a significant impact in the lives of every student that enters its community. With 40% of its student population being first-generation college students, President Maurice Scherrens emphasizes the importance of every student's success, "What I enjoy most – I know we are making a difference … at Newberry, every student counts."
From President Scherrens to Dean of Sciences, Mathematics & Pre-Professional Studies Bret Clark, a Newberry faculty member of almost 30 years, the message is clear: Newberry is a family. He elaborates, “This is a great place to be. It’s a family atmosphere. Students and faculty, we look out for each other. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.” Sandra Smith, Newberry’s Faculty Administrative Assistant, a 2008 Newberry graduate, and a proud mother and grandmother of Newberry students, underscores, “Newberry is a special place. We are a family. What we do here is so important. I love what I do. I love the people I work with, especially the students.”
In addition to the staff, professors at Newberry care deeply about their students and share the responsibility of getting students to the finish line. They embody a favorite saying of President Scherrens: “The winner is not the first one across the line. The winner is the one who brings the most with them across the line.” Director of Health Sciences Tracy Cook is one such faculty member who loves Newberry’s unbelievable commitment to the student experience. She explains,
"Newberry wants us (the faculty) to be a part of that student’s success story and help them find their purpose … contributing to the community goes beyond just an education and a career."
"You’ve got to find a new model” - President Scherrens
Despite its deep commitment to students, Newberry faces the same pressures that many small, private institutions are facing, including an outdated financial model and the need to quickly expand their program offering to include high-demand degrees like Computer Science or Cybersecurity.
President Scherrens expounds, “The financial model for small private colleges is broken. I know it’s broken. It’s broken because we’re 94% dependent on tuition fees, room and board.” Dr. Clark adds, “The status quo isn’t going to work. Small colleges are going to have to fight to be successful. Colleges bigger than us are closing down.” Both understand that in order to face these challenges, they have to be innovative and “find a new model”. President Scherrens – “we can do something that’s a little bit different, and Rize is a little bit different.”
"9 new programs in 3 years” - Dr. Clark
In Fall 2020, Newberry launched its first program with Rize in Computer Science. As of Spring 2024, Newberry has 20 new students enrolled in Computer Science. Building on the success of the first program, Newberry grew its partnership with Rize to 9 programs, including Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Nutrition, Public Health, and Project Management which will begin enrolling students this fall. Since inception, a total of 246 students have participated in these high-demand programs all of which were not available 3 years ago.
Through these 9 new program offerings in high-demand fields, Newberry is able to provide its students “a pathway we didn’t have otherwise” (President Scherrens). Specifically for Computer Science, Dr. Clark recognizes, “The reason we wanted to start Computer Science was because it was such a critical need. So many of our students were asking for it. We didn’t have the resources to go out and hire a computer scientist. So Rize was a perfect match to get this program off the ground.”
Not only did this collaboration provide current students with opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise, these high-demand programs have attracted prospective students to Newberry. President Scherrens explains,
"In a very short period of time, three of our top 15 majors are Rize majors. We already have 165 students who have been admitted who declared a Rize major and 22 students have already deposited. That number will grow by the time of actual enrollment for the fall 2024 semester."
Clyde, a recent Newberry transfer student, reflects on why he chose Newberry: “Newberry was close to home, and I wanted a Computer Science degree. That is why I chose Newberry.”
Grayson, a current sophomore student-athlete, was interested in coming to Newberry to play football but wouldn’t have chosen Newberry without a Computer Science program. In his own words, “The reason I chose Newberry was they also had my major that I wanted to pursue a career in … I really am interested in Computer Science and you can't play football forever … Computer Science was definitely a big factor in me coming here.”
The support from Rize was instrumental in the success of these programs. Sandra Smith receives weekly attendance reports, assessment reports, and her Rize partner success lead reaches out whenever there’s a student in academic trouble. She describes, “When I first started working as the liaison between our students and Rize… I was completely blown away. The Rize support team was right there, working to get me a solution in a timely manner. I have enjoyed working with Dylan and with Elizabeth and Chris. They are just amazing. The support has just been phenomenal.”
“Rize is the best online class I’ve taken” - Sophomore at Newberry
Admittedly, Dr. Clark was initially hesitant to offer his students online courses because he felt that learning online went against the Newberry motto of personal attention. However, after offering Rize courses and listening to his student’s feedback, he quickly discovered “Rize gives that personal attention that we are striving for … it’s small class sizes. The professors are available to them when they reach out.”
Clyde: “My favorite Rize professor, he taught Programming For Everyone 1 & 2, an intro to Python, has been one of my favorite teachers of all time.” Grayson:
"I really like my professors on Rize. They're always willing to help and work with me when I'm having trouble or having problems submitting an assignment … I really do enjoy the Rize classes."
In addition to the professors, Clyde and Grayson both love the discussion boards and hands-on projects. Grayson explains that project-based learning is preparing him for real-world opportunities: “There are big projects that you will take on in the Rize courses. I think it actually can really elevate you in Computer Science because one of the big things that I've noticed with job openings is they want to see your personal projects and stuff you're able to create … I think Rize does that really well.”
Both have experienced online courses in other formats and note that online courses are certainly here to stay.
Grayson: “I've taken online classes [at other institutions] before and I will say, I actually really like Rize. I think Rize is the best online classes that I've taken. I really like the Q and A form and all the resources they offer.”
Clyde: “Rize is very organized, and I like that compared to other classes that I’ve taken online.”
“We are going to be able to bring somebody on campus” - Dr. Clark
The positive student experience with Rize programs has also had a positive impact for Newberry faculty. The faculty see it as an additional value in the student’s education. Newberry faculty such as Tracy Cook continue to care deeply about the high quality education of her students:
"I'm excited about experienced instructors here at Newberry [through Rize] because we are a small community and trying to get somebody to come here to teach or even to get the word out to experienced instructors about online opportunities, it's just not an easy feat."
Moreover, though not immediately apparent, Dr. Clark has found that jump starting programs with Rize creates a potential option for more faculty opportunities. He states, “Now that the Computer Science program has grown and we’ve been able to get Cybersecurity and IT added on, hopefully next year we can bring somebody on campus to possibly teach some lower level classes and be advisors for all these students.” This proof-of concept method has also been true for Neuroscience: “We’ve added Neuroscience and though not as extensive as Computer Science, Cyber and IT … if this grows to a certain point, then we are going to hire a neuroscientist… and we’ll have an established cohort of students.”
“Providing our students the cutting edge” - Director Cook
Looking ahead, Newberry College plans to continue putting its student needs at the center by innovating and offering hybrid models of education that combine the unique Newberry family experience with high quality online programs in partnership with Rize.
In the last year, Tracy Cook has championed the beginnings of Public Health and Nutrition at Newberry with Rize. As a first generation student herself, she has a contagious passion for helping this generation of students find purpose in their education, and she believes Public Health and Nutrition will be a key pathway for students to make a meaningful difference in their careers and communities. On Newberry’s partnership with Rize, Tracy emphasizes the importance of staying on the cutting edge for her students: “Rize is going to be able to stay ahead of it in a way that I can’t. That's going to provide our students opportunities on the cutting edge. Whatever is the trend, or what's going out in the industry, they're going to be ahead of it … our students are going to get that.”
Based on student feedback, Dr. Bret Clark knows that “more and more students are looking for virtual options.” He and President Scherrens alike see Newberry moving towards a “hybrid type model” where students have the ability to be on campus, take the majority of their classes face to face, but also have a few classes here and there where there’s flexibility to take classes online. Dr. Bret Clark: “I think if small colleges are going to survive, they’re going to have to start thinking outside the box and doing things like Rize.” President Scherrens concludes:
"That’s what Rize does. Rize gives you that flexibility and agility."
Download Newberry's story here. If you’re interested in learning more about Newberry’s story or how you can partner with Rize, request a call with our Academic Partnerships Team.
