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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 do you think these are important to the adult learner?
Haley: I do think all of the factors you have identified are important for adult learners. Articulation agreements between community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities have always been important as we want to encourage, rather than discourage, all students to go beyond an associate’s degree. The ease of transferring credit helps all students, including disadvantaged populations and adult students who may need to start at a community college for financial reasons. The appeal of online or blended delivery of degree programs is the flexibility, meaning that students can study from home on their own time without driving to a campus that might be hours away. Online courses provide a different learning environment that may not suit all adult students and we cannot assume that all adult students have access to high speed internet. I think that having these options is a great way to expand our educational offerings to all types of students. The more learning options we have, the more likely we will meet the needs of students and provide higher education for a larger part of our population as President Obama has recommended.
Hibel: When a classroom is mixed with traditional and nontraditional students, do you think there are any types of negative tension versus positive dynamics felt between the two groups? Do you think these feelings are different if it is a distance education classroom compared to a traditional classroom?
Haley: There are positives and negatives from having mixed classes. However, I think there is less tension if an institution is committed to its adult learners. Colleges that have a large adult population will probably also have more services for them and acknowledge that they are an integral part of the student body. I have only taught a graduate course online, so I can only speak to that experience, but it seems that the same interactions happen online as in the face-to-face classroom. While everyone starts out as a little more anonymous in an online class and you can’t tell the traditional from the nontraditional, the life experiences quickly become apparent on the discussion boards. One might think that the younger students would have the edge on technology, which they do, but the older students have more experience and can more easily place their learning in context. In the end this also helps the younger students to make sense of the material. The advantage of online interactions is that everyone can take the time to think through their responses and contribute in their own time and manner.
Hibel: As mentioned in the Policy Matters Publication created by AASCU referenced earlier, “Adults generally tend to have different educational goals and learning styles than traditional students, with a particular focus on how their courses relate to their lives and jobs. Colleges need to recognize these differences and capitalize on them as strengths that adults bring to the classroom.” Do you think colleges are doing their part to truly identify different goals and learning styles? If not, what more can college personnel do to capitalize on these strengths that adult students bring to the classroom?
Haley: I don’t think we can generalize and say anything about all U.S. colleges and universities. We have such a wide variety of educational opportunities and some do a better job than others, especially those that cater to adult learners. Of course, we can do more to capitalize on the strengths of adult students by allowing them to bring their vast experience into the classroom. Of course, this works better in courses where there is more than one right answer or more than one solution to the right answer! However, even putting math and science into real life contexts helps adult students understand and retain the material.
Hibel: Shifting the focus to careers, what advice would you give to someone who is considering working in higher education and more specifically, working with nontraditional adult students?
Haley: There are many opportunities to work with students on a college campus that do not require an advanced degree. These positions offer exposure to the college environment and direct contact with students as a way to make a career choice. However, if you are considering a career in student services or academic advising, a master’s degree is necessary for advancement. Most of the master’s degree programs are housed in a College of Education and are called Higher Education Administration, College Student Personnel, Student Development, Student Affairs Administration, or Adult and Higher Education. These programs offer not only an academic program, but also have graduate assistant positions within student services to support you during the program and give you professional experience in the field. If you are looking to work with nontraditional adult students, be sure to look for a program that offers courses on adult learning and development.
Hibel: What are the major challenges and rewards that an individual could expect when working with adult learners?
Haley: While adult learners are pulled in many directions and may not have the same amount of time to commit to class projects and building relationships with their classmates, I have found that adult learners in higher education are intrinsically motivated. They are there because they want to get a degree and get out in their field. Mentoring is a big part of my role as a faculty member and I find that they are incredibly receptive to career guidance and value my connection to them as future professionals.
Hibel: At the start of this conversation, you spoke about your interest in helping people find their career path. We often ask experts about their best advice to current job seekers. Given your professional experiences, and today’s employment environment, what would be your best tactical advice to a job seeker today?
Haley: I think the most important step for people looking to start a career in higher education administration is to get a master’s degree. However, it is not just getting the degree that is important. It is the exploration done while in the program that will get you the first professional position. Doing internships in several different offices, getting a graduate assistantship, working with faculty on a research project, will help develop your skills and knowledge and make you more marketable. In essence, the same things that will help any individual in any career choice. And of course being passionate about the students we serve is vital!
Hibel: Excellent advice! I could not agree with you more. I started my career in higher education with an internship at the University of Illinois Foundation. It was an experience that changed my life!
Haley: Exactly! And you found whether it was a good fit before you took the first job.