What type of individual pursues a nontraditional doctoral degree? Although answering this question is the main purpose of this chapter, there is an underlying story that provides context for how and why these individuals came to pursue a doctoral degree. The tremendous growth in the number of doctoral students and doctoral degree-granting…

As a unique academic offering, the nontraditional, distance-delivered doctorate poses particular issues for faculty members who choose to teach in such a program. Among these issues are compensation, administrative support, technology, innovation, time demands, workload, and promotion and tenure. In this chapter, the authors identify and provide…

Innovation in doctoral degree program development and delivery provides an effective counterpoint to the expert-apprentice model established in the Middle Ages. The author outlines the importance of innovation in reaching adult learners and describes an innovative hybrid PhD program designed to allow aspiring doctoral adult-age students to pursue…

The road to a new degree program is rarely smooth. The author describes the lengthy and bumpy path to the successful creation of and approval for the first nontraditional doctorate offered at Georgetown University, the Doctor of Liberal Studies Degree (DLS). The new Doctor in Liberal Studies (DLS) required applicants to have a master's degree or…

Emerging from the 1960s and a focus on transformative learning, Walden University is a pioneering program for adult learners. The authors outline how Walden's doctoral program engaged mid-career professionals in student-designed inquiry and applied scholarship. They first discuss the founding of Walden University. Then they describe how the…

What lies ahead for nontraditional doctorate programs? What issues should concern administrators, faculty, and scholars? Faculty and administrators raised concerns that the marketplace demand for "nontraditional doctoral programs" would pollute the academic purity and sanctity of traditional programs. The authors provide some considerations for…

This article presents issues related to disabled military servicemen and women who are transitioning to civilian life. The emphasis is on the experience of veterans serving in the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as they reintegrate into civilian workplace and learning environments. The authors begin with an…

This article provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 2008 amendments to the act (ADAAA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The article describes the major sections of the ADA, addresses the changes brought about to the ADA and Section 504 as a result of the ADAAA, reviews the outcome of…

Disability is not something one experiences in isolation of other characteristics. Sociocultural characteristics, such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability, interact with each other in various combinations forming unique adults. When interacting with other characteristics, disability can dominate the other…

This article invokes the spirit of "Sophia" as metaphorical guide for an ongoing reclamation of wisdom spaces and describes a path for educators and practitioners that can assist in the recovery of wisdom in the face of increasing pressures of measurable outcomes within the field of lifelong learning. The authors first examine wisdom…

Nearly half the U.S. population copes with a chronic disease or condition. A chronic disease is "one lasting three months or more that generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication." Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are the most common chronic diseases in developed countries. By 2030, it is estimated that…

Building health literacy skills among adult learners has the potential to contribute to efforts to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes. Adults with limited literacy skills are more likely to be underserved by health services and at risk for poorer health. Recognition of the need for stronger health literacy skills and a desire…

Goals of cultural competence are commonly described as creation of a health care system and workforce capable of delivering high-quality care to all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, or language. While this "system" is made up of individuals, it also has a life of its own, as with all institutions. In this chapter, the…

Community health education does more than educate communities about health. In the most basic form, community health education seeks to enable citizens to assume responsibility for their own and their community's health through an understanding of their community's health problems and the societal influences that act upon them. Many community…

Adult professionals are continuing their learning over the lifespan entering graduate school in their thirties, forties, fifties, and, even sixties. Knowledge is the new economic currency today and the increasing rate at which new knowledge is generated in the global world requires continuous learning. The author describes Fielding Graduate…