Colleges and universities have seen the unprecedented growth and formation of non-traditional adult degree programs in the twenty-first century. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2016), enrollment by students age 25 and older reached 8.2 million in 2014 and is projected to reach 9 million by 2020. With the percentage increase of adult students age 25 and over predicted to be greater than that of students age under 25, a survey of the landscape of adult higher education and its respective challenges is timely (NCES, 2017b).
In an overview of the current challenges in adult higher education, a team of branch administrators share their theoretical insights and practical experience. Various trends coloring the context of adult higher education will be discussed first, including globalization, the information society, technology, and generational differences. In addition to these current trends, specific educational challenges will be discussed, particular to non-traditional learners, cultural issues, and online instruction.
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McGill, J., Alexander, M., Grubb, B.A., Gunter, T., Sizemore, C., & Kind, J.L. (2017). Surveying the Landscape: Contemporary Challenges in Adult Higher Education. Access: The Journal of the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators, 3(1), Article 2, 16-31.
