Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Betsy Rogers and I am the Student Support Coordinator for the College of Extended Education & Global Engagement at Cal Poly Humboldt. I advise undergraduate students in Leadership Studies as well as graduate students in the Certificate of Faculty Preparation program. I am passionate about helping adult learners complete their degrees and learn the tools to successfully navigate the university system.
I have worked in student services in the UC and CSU systems since 2002, most recently as an academic advisor at Humboldt since 2016. I earned a B.A. in nature and culture, and an M.A. in education, both from the University of California, Davis. My master's research on identity development in young leaders makes Leadership Studies a great fit for me. At UC Davis, I managed the “Learning by Leading Program™,” a large-scale environmental internship program, and taught for the Leadership Academic Theme Program.
I absolutely love working at Cal Poly Humboldt, and exploring our spectacular wild regions with my husband and kids. I grew up on my family’s dairy farm in North Idaho and love backpacking. I also love gardening, raising animals, attending community events, traveling, yoga, and reading.
What is the Leadership Studies degree at Cal Poly Humboldt?
Leadership Studies is a unique degree designed for working adults to take one class at a time to complete their bachelor's degree fully online, while maintaining their working and caregiving responsibilities. It began at Humboldt in 2014, before there were many online degree offerings in the CSU system. Now online degrees are much more common.
Students can receive federal financial aid (grants and loans) to complete this B.A. degree at Cal Poly Humboldt, and we are very flexible in case students need to adjust their schedule or take time off when life happens. We welcome two cohorts each year (fall and spring semesters) and there are about 25-35 students in each cohort. The class size is very small, and the experience is personalized – students get to know each other and their faculty really well.
This program has always been ahead of the curve, and it still is. Across California, nontraditional adult learners are making up a larger proportion of today’s college students. The faculty in Leadership Studies believe their students’ life experience, job experience, and maturity are assets and they’ve designed the curriculum around practical, real-world projects that help our students to advance and achieve in the workplace while completing their undergraduate education.
How does your role support students in the LDRS program?
I work with students at all stages of their degree completion journey. As they prepare for the program, I help them to maximize their applicable transfer credit and lower division coursework from other institutions and community colleges. I offer hands-on application support and individualized advising as they apply, go through online orientation, and register each semester.
Once they’re at Humboldt, we meet over Zoom or the phone to create concrete degree plans and work toward the ultimate goal of graduating by navigating the various administrative processes on campus. Many of the students fall back in love with school after having been away from it for a while! When they begin researching graduate school or career transitions, I assist with career advising as well.
With assistance from our peer advisor, we also support students through an online “Advising Corner” resource and help them to connect with the many virtual support services at Cal Poly Humboldt. They are undergraduate students, and we want them to feel a part of campus life! We also support their sense of community within their cohorts with a Discord group, weekly program updates, social media pages, an online portfolio, student surveys and spotlights, and outreach to our alumni. It is really fun to watch this student community evolve and grow into a robust network of leaders.
If students change their plans or need to adjust for any reason, I work with them to either fast-track their degree or take educational leave. My approach is holistic so everything is on the table for discussion, and I love getting to know my students really well. It is a very rewarding and enjoyable job!
What can you tell us about the students in the Leadership Studies program?
I am inspired every day by these students. They have so much grit, commitment, passion, intelligence, and responsibilities. It is not easy to return to school, especially while working full time and supporting others. Many of our students are managers, supervisors, and leaders at their day jobs – they have very full lives! And yet, they take their education very seriously, they ask for help, and they are grateful for the support. I am impressed with their academic achievement – we have strong retention and graduation rates in our major, and many students who earn honors each semester.
Over a five-year average, the Leadership Studies majors are 52% first generation in college, 37% Pell Grant recipients, and 56% students of color. They live all over California, and some are from out-of-state. Their industries vary widely: corporate, non-profits, government, social services, healthcare, education, fire fighting, law enforcement, and small business owners. They bring incredible diversity to the classroom, and that benefits everyone’s learning.
How have you seen students’ lives be impacted by enrolling in the LDRS program?
Overall, Leadership Studies is an incredibly empowering program. Our students come to know and believe in themselves, and bring that confidence to their teams and their communities. They learn how to better support others and be better leaders. It is much more than a degree completion program – it also promises personal growth and professional development. I’ve seen students completely transform their lives in this program. They start to dream bigger, reach farther, and lean into new opportunities and challenges. We have their back 100% of the time, but really, the students are the ones doing the heavy lifting. They make themselves and the program stronger.
What have you learned from your students?
I am humbled by my students, and in awe of them. Their work ethic, drive, and determination are inspiring. One thing that really stands out to me about adult students, is how intentional they are about building a support network. It takes sacrifice and strong time management to go back to school and to keep up with family life, community commitments, and the demands of a job. Everyone needs to be on board.
For instance, their entire family is involved in their education. I hear many stories of how supportive their partners are, and how involved their young kids are in their college education. I think this sets a wonderful example for the entire family! Some of our students choose to go back to college once they’ve sent their own kids off to college. Sometimes the parent graduates sooner, since this is a two-year program!
Also, since many of our students use their workplaces as a context for their class projects, their team members, boss, and other stakeholders are also involved. Many students receive a stipend from their employer to help with tuition, since the return on investment is pretty strong for an employee who is growing in leadership skills and capacity.
