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.
Reshaping the College to Avoid Failing the Modern Learner
Alan Kadish | President, Touro CollegeNon-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 | Vice Provost for Academic Innovation (Interim), UT San AntonioA 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 Lee | Associate Teaching Professor in the College of Professional Studies, Northeastern UniversityAcademic 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 and Community Engagement, 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…
Supervising Non-Traditional Students Within a College Student Employment Setting
Stephen Cucchiara | Director of Student Activities and Community Service, University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsTraditional-aged student admission in higher education is being paced by an ever-growing population of non-traditional students. About 74 percent of all 2011-2012 undergraduate students possess at least one characteristic consistent…
How to Create an Institutional Environment Designed for Traditionally Underserved Learners
Mitchell S. Nesler | Officer in Charge, SUNY Empire State CollegeSeeing the tears in Hector’s eyes reminded me of the power of the work we do at SUNY Empire State College. In a video of the college’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration…
Showing Love and Respect: Eight Ways We Improved Access and Support for Transfer Students
Todd Rinehart | Vice Chancellor for Enrollment, University of DenverNationally, nearly 40 percent of college students transfer at least once before they complete their degrees. For many years, these students were taken for granted. They didn’t receive the same…