Adult student learners are increasingly dominating and changing the landscape of higher education today. In 2007 the U.S. Department of Labor reported that approximately 44 percent of adult learners over the age of 24 can be found on American college campuses. However, these students are invisible and their needs often go ignored in terms of the services and programs that are available on campus that are meant to cater to traditional aged college students. Due to their large presence on campus it is important for student affairs professionals and college administrators to understand who these students are in order to better serve them and help enhance their collegiate experience. This paper will first define the adult learner in terms of both demographic and personal characteristics. Several key motivating factors are discussed next in terms of what is driving adult learners to pursue college degrees. And finally, several recommendations are identified in reference to support services that need to be given special attention to by student affairs administrators and professionals so as to help adult learners succeed.
A profile of the adult learner according to Johnstone and Rivera (1965) and as cited by Merriam and Brockett (1997) that still holds up today defines the adult learner as typically under 40 years of age, is known to have completed a high school diploma, works full time in a white collar job making an above average income, is married with children, lives in an urban area, and is found all over the country, although primarily on the West coast, and finally both men and women have been found to participate equally in pursuing a formal education.
In addition to demographic characteristics of the adult learner it is also important to recognize that adult students are much more complex than the typical first time in college student and this is due largely to maturity and having more life experience. Adult learners for instance are more motivated to learn and most often their motivation is intrinsically driven such as to improve quality of life and increase their self-confidence. Grades and higher salary rates are more often than not irrelevant in the pursuit of a higher education degree (Slotnick et al., 1993). Adult students know what they want and have specific goals and learning objectives in mind in continuing their education. These students also know who they are as a result of their life experiences and the many hats they have worn in their lifetimes. Adult learners are self-directed and independent and prefer to learn at their own pace and have control over what they learn and how they learn it.
Being aware of what is motivating adults to return to college is key in providing appropriate and timely services to help these students achieve their academic goals. For instance, Kasworm et al., 2010 found that more and more adults are putting off marriage and having children and are engaged in making several career changes over their lifetimes. Longer life expectancy is influencing individuals to forego retirement until their later years. Retirement timelines are also being stretched as a result of the need to work due to a poor economy and the need to make more money. Furthermore, adults are finding that it is getting more challenging to meet workforce trends that are highly influenced by technology and global business affairs (Kasworm 2003). And finally, there are those adults who return to college just purely out of leisure with the intent to learn for pleasure and personal growth.
Based on the demographics, characteristics, and principle factors motivating adults to enroll in higher education, the following are some of the services that student affairs practitioners and campus administrators need to focus on in order to best serve this student population on campus. First the office of admissions can make the enrollment process easier and smoother for these students by asking crucial questions in initial interviews with adult students as to the student’s degree objectives. By doing so, the admissions counselor can determine if the student will be better served by pursuing a degree or enrolling in a certificate program. Other important programs should focus on the initial entry of the student such as orientation services that can identify the key resources on campus geared toward meeting the needs of adult students. Financial aid, counseling services, academic advising, study skills workshops, IT and distance learning, and veterans services should also be structured to include programming relevant to adult learners. Campus wide, post secondary institutions based on their academic make-up and the presence of adult learners on campus should implement extended operating hours, consider establishing a central unit on campus serving the needs of adults students and create support groups (Fairchild, 2003; Rice, 2003; Slotnick et al., 1993).
Research has shown that adults are more motivated in pursuing a degree. This may imply that they are more likely to persist and achieve this goal but due to their complex personal lives persistence can be difficult and often times achieving a degree can take much longer than planned (O’Conor, 2009; Capps, 2010). Adults make up a large portion of the student population on college campuses today, ignoring this population is not in the best interest of higher education institutions. The continued lifelong pursuit of adults to engage in education has given rise to for profit private education institutions who are welcoming these students with open arms, an invitation that is not being overlooked by adult learners. It is to the benefit of institutions of higher education to provide a campus environment that is welcoming and supportive of adult learners so as to retain their presence on campus. Furthermore, adult students further enrich a collegial campus environment because of the experiences they bring with them and their diverse make-up. Adult learners are represented by women, military veterans, and international students, just to name a few. The diverse and complex personal lives of adults demand that colleges and universities address their needs differently. Adult students are limited in terms of time as they are balancing family, work, and school. In order to help adult students persist and be successful in college, institutions of higher education must implement programs that keep these students motivated and that provide them with the necessary academic tools to attain their educational objectives.
References
Capps, R. (2010). A grounded theory of adult student persistence (Doctoral
Dissertation, University of Utah, 2010). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertation
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Fairchild, E.E. (2003). Multiple roles of adult learners. New Directions for Student
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Kasworm, C.E. (2003). Setting the stage: Adults in higher education. New Directions forStudent Services, 102, 3-10.
Merriam, S.B., & Brockett, R.G. (1997). The profession and practice of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
O’Conor, M.A. (2009). Degree attainment among adult learners. (Doctoral dissertation, Loyola University Chicago, 2009). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database. (UMI No. 3366140).
Rice, P.J. (2003). Adult student services office. New Directions for Student Services, 102, 53-57.
Slotnick, H.B., Pelton, M.H., Fuller, M.L., & Tabor, L. (1993). Adult learners on campus.Washington: Falmer Press.
Smith, C.M., & Taylor, K. (2010). Adult Development. In C. E. Kasworm, A.D. Rose, &
J.M. Ross-Gordon (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education.
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U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. (2007). Adult
learners in higher education: Barriers to success and strategies to improve results.
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