Is The Adult Student the New 'Traditional's Student?

Is the Adult Student the New 'Traditional' Student?

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Expert:
Karen Haley
Assistant Professor, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University

Karen Haley is an assistant professor in Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. She received her M.Ed. in Student Personnel fr...

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Host:
Andrew Hibel
Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, HigherEdJobs.com

Andrew Hibel is a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the leading academic job board, HigherEdJobs.com. After starting their first jobs in h...

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There are many varying definitions of the terms adult learner and non-traditional student. A fact that can be agreed on, however, is that the number of students falling into these categories has been on the rise over the past several years and at most institutions, this demographic outweighs the number of traditional students who enter directly after high school. Are colleges and universities recognizing this change, and what are staff and faculty doing to help adult learners and all students succeed with the increasing pressures of balancing personal and academic lives? In this month's HigherEd Careers interview, we are fortunate to have Dr. Karen Haley, assistant professor in Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University share her thoughts on the topic of the adult learner.

After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.

Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Dr. Haley, you are an assistant professor in the Department of Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. What interested you in this area of higher education and what is your favorite part of working in this field?

Karen Haley, Northern Illinois University: After graduating from college (the first time) I met with a career counselor who helped me think about who I was and where I would best fit within the world of work. It didn't take long to decide I wanted his job! I returned for my master's and found a whole new world of student services. While I haven't directly pursued a position in career services, I have found that I incorporate helping others find their paths into every position. After working in residence life, orientation, and retention at universities across the U.S., and a stint in the corporate world, I returned for my doctorate in Adult and Higher Education. I love being on a college campus and working with graduate students who are passionate about working with undergraduates.

Hibel: In this interview, we will be discussing the topic of the 'adult student' who is also sometimes referred to as a nontraditional student. Can you explain further the definition of nontraditional in terms of adult learners?

Haley: You can find many definitions for nontraditional students depending on the institutional context. Some define the adult student as one over 25 years of age, as financially independent, returning to college after time away, or not starting college directly after high school. At many colleges, particularly community colleges, this defines most of their student body; whereas at others, the traditional student still is in the majority. What we do know is that traditional students no longer make up the majority of students in U.S. higher education.

Hibel: An adult student may face different types of challenges compared to a traditional student who enrolls at a higher education institution directly after high school graduation. What may be some of these challenges and what are your suggestions to staff and faculty to help adult students succeed at a college or university?

Haley: You have asked two big questions! First, the challenges of adult students are varied. Generally, they have responsibilities outside of their educational activities, including family, jobs, and an already established social life. How they negotiate all their responsibilities will influence their success as a student. In addition, they may be first generation students (their parents did not attend college) and have limited resources about the processes of higher education. So their challenges are about time, money, and ongoing motivation.

What can we do to support adult students? As faculty and staff, we need to understand that adult students have lives away from college and may not be as connected to the campus as our traditional students. However, we also want to be sure to challenge adult students to become engaged in their learning so they get the most out of their education. Specific services for adult students include extended office hours, designated lounge or study space, evening classes, childcare, financial advising, and a learning environment that supports all types of learning styles.

Hibel: From your own experience, what has been a bigger obstacle to overcome in enrolling in college -- the situational (including family) or the financial challenges?

Haley: In the past, I would have said that it would be difficult to choose between the two, but in this economic environment, I am going to say that it is the financial challenges. Some of those challenges come from not understanding that there are grants and loans available to help support them, and the rest come from just financial hardships in general. If you are out of a job, how can you spend money you don't have?

Hibel: According to a publication from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), "Today almost three-quarters of undergraduates are in some way nontraditional, with more than one-third of all students being 25 years or older." 1 Based on these statistics, do you think colleges and universities need to adjust the way they approach their student body and, if so, are they?

Haley: I do believe this is important, and we can start in our graduate preparation programs. There are several graduate programs that combine adult and higher education, which I believe shows their commitment to the adult learner. Adult education and higher education are two separate fields; however, they both are about student learning. Adult education philosophies and theories can inform the practice of faculty and staff in higher education by broadening our definitions of students and how they learn. So, yes, I do think we have to change our assumptions about our students.

Hibel: In a recent National Public Radio interview, it was stated, "The typical college student in America has a job, a family, is enrolled part-time, or some combination of all three." This statement was then followed up with the question that I would like to ask you, "How do those students change the face of higher education?" 2

Haley: Most of our students, even traditional-aged, work somewhere, either in the restaurant next to campus, an office on campus, or perhaps at an industrial plant 30 miles away. While a 20-hour a week job helps students to learn time management and focus on the tasks they need to complete, a 40-hour a week job may not allow them to attend college full time or engage in out-of-the-classroom activities. We know that part-time students do not have the same connections to the institution as those full-time students and those who start college living on campus. Is it a bad thing that students may not be as connected? Not necessarily, as they may still be meeting their educational goals. However, it may mean that traditional (that word again) activities may take on less meaning. For example, a social event may draw fewer students and a community service event may draw more students.

Hibel: From the perspective of a professor, how does the adult learner change the classroom and/or the campus experience?

Haley: Add a family to a full-time job and these competing responsibilities may limit a student's ability to view the classroom as their only focus. However, what these students do bring is a world of experience that helps them put their learning in context. If they have been out of school for a while, then they bring an increased motivation to focus on their education and complete their degree as quickly as possible. Adult students have concerns about coming back into the classroom and I find that initially, they may be a bit more reticent about participating in class discussions. However, it doesn't take long before they are not only actively engaged, but leading the rest of the class.

Hibel: The Southern Regional Educational Board developed a list of factors that it thinks are essential to meet the needs of the adult degree completion population. These are: online or blended delivery; accelerated or compressed terms; adult-friendly policies; and supportive credit transfer and prior learning assessment. 3 Do you agree with these factors and, if so, why d

Is the Adult Student the New 'Traditional' Student? - HigherEd Careers - HigherEdJobs