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The New Majority Best Practices in Adult Support Strategies

The New Majority Best Practices in Adult Support Strategies. Leslie Tucker – Academic Advisor Patty Robinson – Student Services Counselor The University of Akron 2011. The New Majority.

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The New Majority Best Practices in Adult Support Strategies

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  1. The New MajorityBest Practices in AdultSupport Strategies Leslie Tucker – Academic Advisor Patty Robinson – Student Services Counselor The University of Akron 2011

  2. The New Majority “As (these) trends continue, higher education must be prepared to understand this cohort of students and provide the academic support services that they need to succeed in reaching educational, career, and personal goals.” Bland, 2004

  3. The New Majority The Adult Learner • What are our intended learning outcomes? • Professionals participating in this session should: • Understand why adult learners are becoming the new majority. • Develop a working definition of the adult learner. • Recognize significant characteristics of this population. • Apply adult developmental theory to the higher education transition. • Be aware of strategies to support adult learners. • Identify a focus area for improvement within their individual institution.

  4. The New Majority • Why focus on the adult learner? • Ohio’s Third Report on the Condition of Higher Education: Student Centered Initiative is to have 230,000 more students by the year 2017. Ohio Board of Regents, 2010 • The University of Akron’s Ten Year Strategic Plan focuses on increased enrollment and completion rates by accommodating adult learners. The University of Akron, 2011 • The Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has developed guidelines for effective Adult Learner programs and services to ensure student success. Hardin, 2009

  5. The New Majority • Why focus on the adult learner? • Research in the area of student success concludes a high importance of strong relationships between students and faculty and staff. NACADA, 2010 • 6.8 million people entering higher education institutions are twenty-five years old and over. • The GI Bill. • Completion rates vary from 15% to 36% among adult learners. Ritt, 2009

  6. The New Majority • Who is the adult learner? • Adult students are often referred to as nontraditional students; yet not all nontraditional students are adult students. • The term nontraditional can include traditional-aged students who share common characteristics with their adult counterparts. • Many characteristics put them “at-risk” of obtaining academic success. Brock, 2010

  7. The New Majority • What “at-risk” characteristics do adult learners bring with them to college? • Enrolled part time • Work full time • Financially independent • Financially responsible for others • Family responsibilities • Academic deficiencies • Delayed enrollment DiMaria, 2009

  8. The New Majority • What barriers do adult learners face as they enter higher education? • Institutional Barriers • Proximity to home and work • Course availability • Extended office hours • Accurate academic advising • Situational Barriers • Role conflict • Time management • Family and work problems • Finances

  9. The New Majority • What barriers do adult learners face as they enter higher education? • Psychological Barriers • Coping skills • Lack of self-confidence and poor self image • Anxiety about schooling based on prior experience • Negative beliefs or expectations about outcomes • Educational Barriers • Under prepared academically • Developmental coursework • Brock, 2010

  10. The New Majority • What does adult developmental theory say? • Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (1981;1995) was developed to help professionals understand and offer interventions for adults in transition. • What is a transition? • Change in roles, relationships, or routines • What coping mechanisms can the student draw on? • Situation, self, supports, and strategies • What techniques can the academic advisor apply? • Ask questions and supplement answers Evans, Forney, & Guido-DeBrito, 1998 Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010

  11. The New Majority • Research on adult support systems and student success? • State of Ohio support strategies: • Lorain and Owens Community College “Open Doors” Demonstration Sample Size: 2,100 Largely non-traditional students Regular, intensive, and personalized advising Advisor to student ratio 1 to 160 Brock, 2010

  12. The New Majority • Research on adult support systems and student success? • Appreciative Advising Instrument • The University of South Carolina Five phases- disarm, discover, dream, design, deliver Optimize educational experience Student and advisor crafts an “action plan” Student Academic Services, 2008

  13. The New Majority • Most highly developed academic advising programs: Best Practices • Pennsylvania State University “Education Planning Survey” Identifies self exploration opportunities Personal strengths Education, careers, and life goals • University of Wisconsin “ First Year Advising Program” Protocol for connecting early and often with students “Check-In” process “Pre-Advise” appointment The “Advise” appointment NACADA, 2010

  14. The New Majority • Student Success • Kuh states that student success must be defined broadly to include: • Academic achievement • Engagement in educationally purposeful activities • Satisfaction • Acquisition of desired knowledge, skills, and competencies • Persistence • Attainment of educational goals • Post-college performance Campbell & Nutt, 2010

  15. The New Majority • What would you do given a higher education scenario? • Through audience collaboration, adult learner support strategies will be applied.

  16. The New Majority The New MajorityThe New MajorityThe New MajorityThe New MajorityThe New MajorityThe New MajorityThe New Majority How can the information shared today be applied at my institution?

  17. The New Majority • Assessment • Did you identify . . . • Why adult learners are becoming the new majority? • A working definition of the adult learner? • Significant characteristics of the adult population in higher education? • How Schlossberg’s adult developmental theory relates to the higher education transition? • Strategies that can support adult learners? • A focus area for improvement?

  18. The New Majority Bland, S. (2004). Advising adults: Telling or coaching. Adult Learning, 14(2), 6-9. Brock, T. (2010). Young adults and higher education: Barriers and break thoughts to success. Academic Research Complete (20)1, 109-130. Campbell, S. & Nutt, C. (2010). The role of academic advising in student retention and persistence. Manhattan, KS. Council for Adult & Experiential Learning. (2000). Serving adult learners in higher education: Principles of effectiveness. Chicago, IL. DiMaria, F. (2009). Keeping our engaged at-risk kids in college. Eddigest, 52-63. Hardin, C. (2009). Adult students in higher education: A portrait of transitions. New Directions for Higher education, 144, 49-63. DOI 10.1002/he.325 Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Schlossberg’s transition theory. Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F., Patton, L.D. & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Ohio Third Report. (2010). Third report on the condition of higher education in ohio. Ritt, E. (2009). Redefining tradition: Adult learners and higher education. Adult Learning, 16 , 12-21. Schlossberg, N. K., Waters, E.B., & Goodman, J. (1995). Counseling adults in transition (2nd ed.). New York: Springer. Student Academic Services. (2008). University of North Carolina Academic advising. http://web.uncg.edu/adv/advising/ The University of Akron. (2011). Strategic plan: Vision 2020. http://www.uakron.edu/provost/across-the- commons/spring- 2010/strategic-plan.dot

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