In spring 2010, institution-wide budget cuts resulted in several layoffs at Framingham State University (FSU), including the position of Associate Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE). In his position as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of DGCE, Scott Greenberg asked their Vice President for…

Studies of student persistence at the undergraduate level are numerous and well known to those in the field, but at the graduate level, they are far more limited. The latter generally focus on doctoral candidates or those enrolled in professional programs. Master's-degree candidates, especially those who pursue a degree on a part-time basis at a…

This article describes a model that can be used to analyze student enrollment data and can give insights for improving retention of part-time students and refining institutional budgeting and planning efforts. Adult higher-education programs are often challenged in that part-time students take courses less reliably than full-time students. For…

This article focuses on how Kansas State University (K-State) built partnerships with all 19 community colleges in Kansas and streamlined the process of providing place-bound adult students with access to complete a bachelor's degree while continuing to live, work, and serve in their home communities. Kansas State University (K-State) has been an…

In recent years, terms such as "social media" and "social networking" have become staples in the university continuing education marketer's vocabulary. This article provides both a working knowledge of the social media landscape and practical applications of the concepts using a case study approach from a Midwestern university. Throughout are a…

Opportunities for intergenerational learning abound on college campuses. The advantages of these experiences for both young and mature learners are well documented, particularly in the context of service learning, civic engagement, and other experiences outside the classroom. Less well documented but no less compelling are the advantages of…

The paper examines the issue of educational pathways, including a brief overview of the higher education regulatory framework and market forces in Australia, particularly as recent policy reforms and political aspirations affect them. It highlights the key challenges and outlines a potential model for integrating vocational and higher educational…

This article presents an interview with Mary Bitterman and James Narduzzi. Mary Bitterman, former President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, is President of The Bernard Osher Foundation and Immediate Past Chairman of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). James Narduzzi is Dean of the University of Richmond's School of Continuing Studies.…

This article describes two models for enhancing the social integration of nontraditional students in academic programs. The first explains ways to develop onsite communities for both graduate and undergraduate degree-seeking students at New York University. The second model is used with undergraduate students at Washington State University seeking…

Current models of university continuing education resemble traditional higher education and do not meet the needs of people in or near retirement. Constraints on change include a mindset focused on formal education as career development, the need for programs to be self-sufficient, and a reward structure that does not support programs for older…

Responses from 60% of 1,280 graduates of an extended degree program (1977, 1980, and 1983) revealed the following effects of the program: 85% increased pay, 80% increased job responsibilities, 80% improved job satisfaction, 88% improved job skills, 81% experienced increased status or respect, and over one-third changed careers (especially the 1977…

Adults who did not enroll after beginning a community college admissions process (n=93) were compared with 198 who did. "Disengagers" cited cost, lack of financial aid, and uncertain goals as disincentives. Those who disengaged later in the process cited difficulty concentrating and the perception that the college did not care about their success.…

Data from 270 University of Maryland University College students, 1,452 stopouts, and 687 nonreturning students were used to examine differences in maturity and educational goals. Age was a significant variable in determining attendance and academic performance. Adults over 30 had higher grade point averages and considered stopping out normal. (SK)

Attempts to attain academic respectability for continuing higher education hinged on two arguments. The campus equivalence approach asserted that extension programs had equivalent rigor to campus programs. The adult learning approach argued that different qualities of adult students necessitated different criteria and goals reflecting adult…

This description of the financing of higher education in the public sector raises critical questions of democratic control and financial accountability. Focus is on the Advanced Further Education Pool set up in England and Wales in 1958. (Editor/LBH)