Franklin University Reimagines Placement to Remove Barriers for Adult Learners

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Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
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Email: [email protected]

AI-supported Guided Self-Placement pilot explores how institutions can increase access while maintaining academic rigor

Franklin University is challenging one of higher education's longest-standing enrollment practices: placement testing.

Presented at the Collaboration Conference, hosted by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO) by Dr. Kody Kuehnl, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Technology, and Dr. Lynne Rouzer, senior vice president of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, Franklin's new research initiative explores whether institutions can improve student access and matriculation without compromising academic standards.

The effort began with a simple question. As an open-enrollment institution serving adult learners, Franklin University strives to remove unnecessary barriers to higher education. Yet approximately one in five undergraduate applicants were required to complete English and/or mathematics placement testing before enrolling. Institutional data revealed that the testing process often became a point of attrition, particularly for students returning to college after years away from formal education, prompting the university to reconsider whether traditional placement practices were supporting or even hindering student success.

"The question was never whether we could eliminate placement testing," said Rouzer. "The question was whether we could preserve student success while removing unnecessary barriers that prevent students from ever reaching the classroom."

To address the challenge, Franklin developed an AI-supported Guided Self-Placement (GSP) model that combines structured student reflection, authentic course expectations, agentic AI guidance and advisor conversations before final placement decisions are made.

Rather than relying solely on testing, students actively evaluate their readiness and participate in determining their academic starting point.

"Guided Self-Placement is ultimately about student agency," said Kuehnl. "It invites students to become active participants in determining their academic starting point rather than passive recipients of a placement decision."

The initiative also includes direct enrollment opportunities in developmental mathematics and alternative pathways for English placement, reducing delays that can often serve as an impediment to enrolling.

Importantly, Franklin's work is grounded in research rather than assumption. The University designed a controlled pilot study to evaluate course success, persistence, placement accuracy, student satisfaction and enrollment outcomes compared to traditional placement methods.

Early results are promising. Students completed the Guided Self-Placement process at significantly higher rates than traditional placement testing, and participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

As institutions nationwide search for ways to better serve modern learners, Franklin's pilot offers a practical example of how technology, student agency and evidence-based innovation can work together to remove barriers while maintaining quality.

FACT BOX
The Challenge: Approximately one in five Franklin University applicants require English and/or mathematics placement before enrollment. Institutional data identified placement testing as a significant point of attrition, particularly among adult learners returning to college after time away from formal education.
The Innovation: Franklin developed an AI-supported Guided Self-Placement model that combines structured reflection, authentic course expectations, agentic AI guidance and advisor conversations to help students make informed placement decisions.
What Makes It Different: Rather than relying solely on placement tests, the model emphasizes student agency while preserving academic rigor through required advising and institutional oversight. The initiative also includes alternative English placement pathways and direct enrollment opportunities in developmental mathematics.
How Success Is Measured: The university is evaluating matriculation rates, gateway course success, student persistence, placement accuracy, student confidence and overall satisfaction compared with traditional placement methods.
Early Results: Students are completing Guided Self-Placement at higher rates than traditional placement testing, with positive feedback and encouraging early enrollment indicators.
Why It Matters: The pilot demonstrates how higher education institutions can use AI responsibly to reduce enrollment barriers, improve access for working adults and support student success without compromising academic standards.

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).

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