Today’s Learner
The age of the 18- to 22-year-old residential student as higher education’s main demographic is over. Today, higher education institutions must serve a rich student population with unique demands and specific needs. Colleges and universities must work harder than ever to understand and serve today’s students.
Making Sense of the Rising Completion Rates Across Postsecondary Institutions
Doug Shapiro | Executive Research Director, National Student ClearinghouseFrom financial means to mobility, a number of variables can determine whether a student will persist through a program and graduate within a reasonable timeline. In this interview, Doug Shapiro…
Meeting the Needs of the Changing Higher Education Enrollment Landscape
Jenny Rickard | President and CEO, The Common ApplicationThe number of students attending American colleges and universities is projected to rise from 19.9 million in 2018 to 20.5 million by 2027, according to the National Center for Education…
Expanding Beyond the Classroom: Adopting a Holistic Focus on Student Formation
P. Gerard ShawHigher education continues to evolve. Recognizing the needs of society, it has grown from its monastery roots where universities prepared monks who needed to know how to read, write, and…
Reshaping the College to Avoid Failing the Modern Learner
Alan KadishNon-traditional students are here to stay. Some 41 percent of students enrolled in higher education are 25 or older. The National Center on Educational Statistics forecasts that the adult student…
Our Graduates Are Underemployed… So What Are We Doing About It?
Melissa Vito | Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives and Student Success, University of ArizonaA few weeks ago, a colleague and I were discussing a recent study, which found approximately 43 percent of recent college graduates are underemployed in their first jobs. While this…
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness for Adult Learners
Kristen LeeAcademic achievement is tied, inextricably, to mental health. But in a world of deadlines and course readings, mental health can be severely overlooked.In this interview, Kristen Lee talks about the…
Connecting the Disconnected: Fostering a Sense of Community Among Adult Learners in Higher Education
Fred Holman | Vice Provost of Extended Studies, University of Nevada, RenoOver the past fifty years, socio-cultural and cognitive models of development have held that people learn over the course of their lives, and, as a result, seek educational opportunities throughout…