Adult Degree Completion program at UW-River Falls reaches milestone

November 27, 2017-- Seven years ago, adult learners who wanted to start a college education experience or finish uncompleted degrees didn’t have many local options.

How times have changed.

This fall, the Adult Degree Completion (ADC) program at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls graduated its 100^th student – a great success story for a program that was almost literally built from the ground up.

The ADC program focuses on providing services essential to helping non-traditional adult students earn a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration. Most students are employed full-time and balance family and career responsibilities while attending classes at the UWRF Hudson Center in Hudson.

“I’m a face-to-face person and River Falls met my needs,” said 2017 graduate Sheryl Wirth. “The experience of mixing with traditional and non-traditional students was great. I got to hear a variety of new perspectives. The confidence the program gave me allows me to tackle just about anything.”

Michael Bilden, ADC program director and assistant dean for adult students, has advised all 100 graduates.

“Students come to this program focused on accomplishing an educational goal that they may have started quite some time ago or very recently,” Bilden said. “We are student-centered and focused on cooperatively designing a strategic plan with students that allows them to reach that goal.”

The program offers individualized strategic program advising and planning, flexible credit transfer options, and condensed-format courses at the UWRF Hudson Center.

To learn more about the Adult Degree Completion program, visit www.uwrf.edu/adc, email michael.bilden@uwrf.edu, or call 715-425-0697.