The current focus on all things "green--greener--greenest" has found its way into the realm of continuing higher education through a proliferation of courses and programs. A recent Internet search on the phrase "sustainability certificate" produced over 7,600 results, reflecting a strong perceived or real demand. In this article, the author traces…

When some people think of nonprofit organizations, they think of small charities that are short-staffed, often struggle financially, and provide basic human needs to the most vulnerable in the society. Others think of organizations that support the civic and social infrastructure of communities, states, and nation, and serve as a vital component…

For many Americans, September 11, 2001, was a cognitive and emotional turning point. In the days and months after that fateful day, some people focused inwardly and saw all non-Americans as suspect and dangerous. Others focused outwardly and believed that greater international integration and knowledge of other cultures were essential for moving…

Since the signing of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in August 2008, providers of distance education courses and programs have been looking into procedures and technologies that will satisfy the accrediting agencies responsible for enforcing the law. Continuing education administrators are at the forefront because of the pervasiveness…

In this economy, college and university continuing education units will not automatically reap the benefits of returning adult learners as in past recessions: this economy caused a drastic reduction of resources available to the workforce and for personal revenue. As a result of decreased personal income and workforce training funding, competition…

Many college and university summer session deans and directors face significant challenges in providing quality summer courses. At research institutions, for example, the number of regular tenured and tenure-track faculty who want to focus on research, scholarship, and other activities during summer, affects the composition of the summer session…

Every aspect of higher education today is pressed to become more accountable and more transparent. The field of continuing education (CE) is no different. CE professionals, responsible for the operations of university-based CE units, are constantly challenged to use data and "evidence" to make and justify decisions. Indeed, one measure of the…

Without question, the current economic downturn is at the forefront of conversations in continuing higher education. Yet as recently as March 2008, this was not the case for continuing education (CE) professionals, according to surveys conducted by University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). In 2007-2008, each of UCEA's four commissions…

This case study demonstrates how building a flexible portfolio of services allowed a continuing education (CE) unit to thrive during frequent leadership changes. The case is set in a small state college, State Technology Institute at Mohawk (STIM), which experienced nine leadership changes in as many years. The names of the institution and its…

From all sides, academia is being prodded to be ever more innovative. Not only are faculty expected to create knowledge from which solutions for our social, physical, and economic ills will spring, but all segments of the university must deal with new modes of communication, new business models, and even new ways of processing thought. This…

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…

Outreach, engagement, community involvement, student engagement, and economic development--the concept takes many related forms; but they all point to the fact that higher education institutions are responding to society's increasing requirements for accountability. Colleges and universities large and small, public and private have emerged from…

In this article, the author focuses on three major generational groups in the US: Baby Boomers (born between 1943 and 1960), Generation Xers (born between 1961 and 1981), and Millennials (born between 1982 and 2003), examining what the preferences of each group are for continuing higher education and how market research can be employed, by…

Higher education--and continuing education as one arm of that enterprise--is not just an economic engine; it contributes directly and in a multifaceted fashion to the common good. It generates and makes accessible a great deal of the knowledge that drives the economy; it helps develop an understanding of the society and the world for millions of…

From its inception, Penn State has played a role in Pennsylvania's economy. As a land-grant university, it has functioned as a change agent, transferring research and knowledge to increase farm yields, encouraging business and "the mechanic arts," and transmitting technology to the general population. While the university still does those things…