Deborah R. Barnett. Introduction. It is no secret that the population known as the non-traditional student is no longer nontraditional.

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1 The Adult Learner Focused Institution: A Review of Midwestern Institutions and the Use of the Principles of Effective Practice for Serving Adult Learners Deborah R. Barnett Adult learner enrollment in higher education continues to increase and educational institutions that intentionally place a priority on this potential student population will be in the best position to not only serve these students but to earn a piece of this growing market. Research by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL, 2000) revealed nine principles which outlined best practices for institutions seeking to serve adult learners. Although this research has existed for over a decade, the number of institutions that communicate a focus on adult learners is slim. This study will highlight Midwestern institutions that appear to be implementing CAEL s best practices related to the adult-learner focused institution. The study will also reveal what colleges and universities can do to put CAEL s research into practice in order to better communicate their commitment to serving adult students and to meeting the needs specific to this growing population. Introduction It is no secret that the population known as the non-traditional student is no longer nontraditional. Adult learner enrollment in higher education continues to increase and educational institutions that intentionally place a priority on this potential student population will be in the best position to not only serve these students but to earn a piece of this growing market. The issue of incorporating an adult learner focus through the CAEL principles summarized in Table 1 is significant to how institutions communicate their priorities to potential students and how that mission, in turn, directs the decisions made about the focus of educational programs and services. The information obtained from the evaluation of Midwestern institutions of higher education will be valuable in advising and directing other institutions that may have a desire to further prioritize adult populations. Even if educational institutions place a priority on attracting and serving the adult student population, how do they communicate that priority? Market research (Aslanian & Giles, n.d.) has determined that it is no longer enough for institutions to just exist and hope that adult students find them and understand what they have to offer. Most adult students will investigate educational options through the internet, primarily focusing on the college/university website. Aslanian and Giles commented, Institutions that want to attract adult students need to invest well in these technologies (n.d., p. 10). In addition, with budgets tightening across the nation, the institutional website can be an inexpensive means of communicating programs and services to the adult learner looking to further their education. So, CAEL has outlined specific strategies to serve adult learners; research indicates that the institutional website is a key tool for communicating programs and services; websites serve a key role in the decision making process for the adult student; and, given challenging economic times, the website is a cost-effective tool to attract and communicate with the adult student. But, is the research converting to practice for educational institutions seeking to attract the adult learner?

2 Table 1. Summary of CAEL s Principles Outreach Overcomes barriers of time, place, and tradition Life & Career Planning Assesses life and career goals prior to enrollment Financing Provides payment options and financial flexibility Assessment of Learning Outcomes Offers credit for prior learning Teaching-Learning Process Uses various adult instructional methods Student Support Systems Promotes support systems: academic, social, institutional Technology Uses technology to enhance educational experience Strategic Partnerships Develops employer and other partnerships for students Transitions Helps students transition into and out of programs Methodology The U.S. Department of Education s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (2011) was used to identify accredited colleges and universities from five Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Of that list, specialized institutions such as cooking schools, cosmetology schools, etc. were deleted from the database in order to provide a list containing public 2-year institutions, public 4-year institutions, private 2- year institutions, and private 4-year institutions. The final list to be evaluated was comprised of 337 institutions. The website of each of the 337 institutions was viewed to narrow the list to include only those that would be considered a one-click institution related to information specific to adult student programs and services. The definition of one-click is an organizational website that, when visited, takes only one-click of the mouse to locate information relevant to the need of the visitor. In the case of this research, a one-click institution would be an institution with a website that, when visited by a prospective adult student, could provide information relevant to adult programs and services within one click from the home page. The key words used to identify adult student programs from the home page in this search were adult, non-traditional, and accelerated. Once the one-click institutions were identified (see Appendix A), a final website view was conducted among all one-click institutions to determine which of the nine CAEL principles (2000) were present and being communicated to the potential student. In addition, the methods institutions were using to implement these principles were recorded along with the language used to communicate the commitment to serving adult students seeking higher education. Findings One-Click Institutions Of the 337 Midwestern institutional websites viewed, only 66 (20%) could be categorized as a one-click institution as previously defined (see Table 2). While the other 80% of institutions may have had programs and services for adult learners, the information was not readily available from the institutions home page when searching for the words adult, non-traditional, or accelerated. This creates a problem for potential adult students who, as research has indicated, utilize websites as their primary source of information when choosing a college or university (Aslanian & Giles, n.d.). In addition, one of the barriers frequently associated with adult learners is time, or the lack thereof. If information regarding adult programs and services is buried in

3 pages of links, the adult learner simply might not have the time to pursue the information and might abandon the search of that particular institution thus resulting in a prospective student who might decide to seek options at another school. Of the 66 (20%) of institutions categorized as one-click, the state of Illinois had the largest number of one-click institutions while Wisconsin represented the state with the largest percentage (37%) of one-click institutions related to adult programs and services. Table 2. Midwestern Institutions/One-Click Institutions State Total Institutions Total One-Click Institutions Percentage (%) (Adult-Learner) Illinois % Indiana % Michigan % Missouri % Wisconsin % Communication of CAEL Principles Of the 66 one-click institutions identified in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin, only one communicated a commitment to all nine CAEL principles for an adult-learner focused institution as defined in Table 1. The majority of institutions only communicated a commitment to one or two CAEL principles. The most frequently communicated principles were Outreach and Assessment of Learning Outcomes (see Table 3). Table 3. Institutional Communication of CAEL Principles CAEL Principle Number of Institutions Percentage of Institutions Outreach 57 86% Life & Career Planning 22 33% Financing 22 33% Assessment of Learning Outcomes 28 42% Teaching-Learning Process 14 21% Student Support Systems 17 26% Technology 11 17% Strategic Partnerships 6 9% Transitions 3 5% Implications for Practice As mentioned previously, the 80% of institutions not identified as one-click institutions may have had programs and services for adult learners, but the information was not readily available from the institutions home page when searching for the words adult, non-traditional, or accelerated. The same holds true for the representation of CAEL principles among the 66 institutions identified as one-click. Many of the institutions indicated that they were committed to adult learners, had programs for adult students, etc. One even made specific mention of programs being structured by CAEL standards but only three of the standards could be identified according to the website. Therefore, although CAEL principles may exist at these institutions, potential students may not be aware because of the lack of clear communication.

4 Since potential adult students use internet searches/websites as their primary resource for obtaining information about colleges and universities, those seeking to attract adult students would be ahead of the game if they committed to CAEL principles and effectively relayed that commitment through their website and other communications. Connecting the research and practice related to how adults locate information and the programs/services that benefit them would be a logical step for institutions that place a priority on the adult student population. Conclusion Although institutional websites were the primary source of communication evaluated in this research, it would be prudent for institutions to evaluate all streams of communication geared toward adult learners to ensure that the program/services they are offering and the principles they are adhering to are communicated clearly and adequately. To further this conversation related to CAEL principles and communication of those principles, the conference presentation will highlight best practices found among the 66 one-click institutions as it relates to the CAEL principles of outreach; life and career; financing; assessment of learning outcomes; teaching-learning process, student support systems; technology; strategic partnerships; and transitions. The objective would be to not only highlight what Midwestern institutions are doing to better serve the adult student population but to also serve as a catalyst to generate conversations among conference attendees as to what strategies can be incorporated by their institutions to better meet adult student needs. References Aslanian, C. and Giles, N. G. (n.d.). Hindsight, insight, foresight: Understanding adult learning trends to predict future opportunities. Retrieved from com/cmspages/getfile.aspx?guid=119845f5-ed a32e-9761e930d300 CAEL. (2000). Serving adult learners in higher education: Principles of effectiveness. Retrieved from Summary%20of%20Alfi%20Principles%20of%20Effectiveness.pdf U.S. Department of Education. (2011). Database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs [Data file]. Retrieved from Deborah R. Barnett, Doctoral student, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Department of Workforce Education and Development, dbarnett@siu.edu Presented at the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, Lindenwood University, St. Louis, MO, September 21-23, 2011

5 Appendix A List of One Click Institutions ILLINOIS Benedictine University ben.edu College of DuPage cod.edu Chicago State University csu.edu Concordia University Chicago cuchicago.edu DePaul University depaul.edu DeVry University devry.edu Elmhurst College elmhurst.edu Greenville College greenville.edu Joliet Junior College jjc.edu Kendall College kendall.edu Kishwaukee College kishwaukeecollege.edu Lewis University lewis.edu MacMurray College mac.edu McHenry County College mchenry.edu Moraine Valley Community College morainevalley.edu North Park University northpark.edu Parkland College parkland.edu Rend Lake College rlc.cc.il.us Robert Morris College robertmorris.edu Rock Valley College rockvalleycollege.edu Shimer College shimmer.edu Southeastern Illinois College sic.edu Southern Illinois University Carbondale siuc.edu Indiana University Purdue Ft. Wayne ipfw.edu Purdue University North Central pnc.edu Trine University trine.edu MICHIGAN Jackson County Community College jccmi.edu Adrian College adrian.edu Aquinas College aquinas.edu Spring Arbor University arbor.edu Baker College baker.edu Davenport University davenport.edu Grand Valley State University gvsu.edu Lake Michigan College lmc.cc.mi.us Rochester College rc.edu MISSOURI Avila University avila.edu Culver Stockton College culver.edu Evangel University evangel.edu Fontbonne University fontbonne.edu Lindenwood University lindenwood.edu Southwest Baptist University sbuniv.edu Saint Louis University slu.edu WISCONSIN Carthage College carthage.edu Concordia University Wisconsin cuw.edu

6 Spoon River College src.edu University of St. Francis stfrancis.edu Saint Xavier University sxu.edu Trinity International University tiu.edu William Rainey Harper College harpercollege.edu INDIANA University of Indianapolis uindy.edu Bethel College bethelcollege.edu Calumet College of St. Joseph cosj.edu University of Evansville evansville.edu Huntington University huntington.edu Edgewood College edgewood.edu Marian University mariancollege.edu Marquette University marquette.edu Silver Lake College sl.edu University of Wisconsin Colleges uwc.edu University of Wisconsin Milwaukee uwm.edu University of Wisconsin Oshkosh uwosh.edu University of Wisconsin Madison wisc.edu Viterbo University viterbo.edu Waukesha County Technical College wctc.edu Wisconsin Lutheran College wlc.edu Indiana Wesleyan University indwes.edu

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