CJUCE Online: Fulfilling One of its Major Purposes (original) (raw)
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The Adult Learner: A Change Agent in Post-Secondary Education
2010
While online universities and career colleges are experiencing increasing enrollment trends, the enrollment for traditional universities and colleges appears to be declining. Recent data shows that there is a slight decline in enrollment to the tradition 4-year college, while there is a steady increase within the technical and vocational institutions (Institute for Community Inclusion, 2006). This paper will explore the rise in demand of postsecondary education and how one small Catholic college in the upper mid-west, The College of St. Scholastica, is responding to this demand from adult learners. Introduction Statement of the Problem While online universities and career colleges are experiencing trends in increasing enrollment the enrollment for traditional universities and colleges appears to be declining. Recent data show that there is a slight decline in enrollment to the tradition four-year college, while there is a steady increase within the technical and vocational institutions (Institute for Community Inclusion, 2006). The reasons behind these findings are multiple. Some researchers cite the exponential rise in costs related to tuition, room and board and various other fees associated with to institutional costs, while others attribute the shifting demand to the increase in online learning opportunities and an already college educated work force (Karoly & Panis, 2006). Since the 1970's, the U.S. economy has gone through a conversion from a primarily manufacturing based economy to one that is information based (Reich, 2010). This transformation seems to have had a significant impact on the needs and demands placed on the current and future workforces. This places the future economy in a position of needing to retrain and educate the current and future work force, but in manner that is quick, effective, and relevant to the market, all while being cost effective. The justification for not going to the traditional post-secondary educational institution is one that is rooted in logic. Some that wish to begin a career feel that the cost of the traditional option of post-secondary education (two-and four-year institutions is too costly, resulting in: 1) student loans that require long-term payments; 2) a feeling of uncertainty related to future professional prospects; and 3) a basic lack of desire (Rahman, Situ & Jimmo, 2005). While there are other, more long standing reasons why some do not attend a post-secondary option, the exponential increase in tuition costs is one of the most dramatic and long term problems college graduates will deal with (Reich, 2010). This issue of high tuition cost, resulting in large student debt, will not only impact enrollment rates and the overall work force, but will also affect the long term economic future of the U.S. economy (Reich, 2010). Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to investigate the College of St. Scholastica's current strategic plan for market diversification through the examination of public data while analyzing this information against the current trends in adult and continuing education. Historically, the back bone of any economy has been a strong system of education (Reich, 2010). Today the U.S. economy is moving to a more information based system, resulting from global competition, not just local and regional completion as we have seen in the past. As the country moves toward a need to create a highly skilled workforce, the U.S. is seeing a decline in the production of post-secondary graduates with a rank of 12th in the world (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). It is only natural to assume that policy makers hope to create the same economic prosperity previous generations have seen, but for this to happen there must be an educated workforce available to meet the demands of the changing economies of the world. Statement of Research Question What will be the future role of The College of St. Scholastica in the face of competition from career colleges and forprofit online learning environments? Definition of Terms Throughout this study, several terms will be used to discuss the impact of education within the economy, including: Post-Secondary Education: Two and four year schools that provide academic training with the goal of awarding a degree or certification (Davis, 2008).
Reinventing Universities: Continuing Education and the Challenge of the 21st Century
Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 2013
Canadian universities are in the midst of a lengthy period of financial uncertainty and public pressures to change, circumstances that add to the pressures on continuing education units and create opportunities for innovative change. The emergence of MOOCs, demands for research relevance, and concerns about the employability of graduates have forced campuses to consider new approaches, implement alternative financial models, find additional revenue, and search for efficiencies.In this environment, continuing education professionals have significant opportunities to provide to the campus-wide university, even after years of being marginalized on many campuses. Continuing education units work with external audiences and clients, have experimented with new revenue sources, have explored and evaluated distance delivery/ technology-based methods, and have become accustomed to living with constant change.While it will be difficult for continuing education units to attract campus-wide atte...
About Us: Expressing the Purpose of University Continuing Education in Canada
Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 2013
This article explores claims made on websites of CAUCE members about the purpose of university continuing education. CAUCE members often claim a role in addressing the needs or goals of learners seeking professional development, personal enrichment, or the furthering of knowledge and skills. They claim to deliver programs and services that promote lifelong learning for adults, whether as individuals or as members of communities and organizations. These programs and services are characterized as enabling access to quality education in flexible and innovative ways. The work of continuing education is often presented as a means to link universities with communities and with external agencies. This article describes these public claims made by Canadian university continuing education units and endeavours to promote informed reflection and dialogue about the purpose of those units.
1992
The revised edition of the AERC '92 Proceedings differs from the original version in four respects: 1) a paper presented by Margaret A. Shaw, NW, which arrived too late for inclusion in the original Proceedings has been inserted into the revised edition; 2) five papers presented at the International Graduate Student pre-conference have been included as Appendix I; 3) a resolution approved by the AERC '92 attendees, regarding the book by John M. Peters, Peter Jarvis and Associates (Eds.) Adult Education: Evolution and Achievements in a 12eyeloging.field_of Study. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991, is included as Appendix II; and 4) some typographical and reference errors were corrected.
Canadian Adult Education: Still Moving
adulterc.org
Two of Canada's veteran adult educators have recently discussed what they claim as the "death" of the Canadian adult education movement. In this paper, we challenge this claim and provide evidence to show that adult education in Canada remains vigorous and vital, expanding in some areas and overall still deserving of being called a movement. Two of Canada's long-standing adult educators have recently contemplated what they claim as the "death" of the Canadian adult education movement. Specifically, they state, "in the span between the late 1920s and the mid-1990s, the Canadian adult education movement grew and flourished for a time but is now no more" (Selman & Selman, 2009, p. 15). We disagree. Certainly, since the demise of the Canadian Association for Adult Education in the 1980s, adult educators' influence on government policy-at both national and provincial levels-has waned and, despite the recent flurry of energy created by the Canadian Council of Learning and its Adult Learning Knowledge Centre, it has not proved viable to found another organisation that reflects the full breadth and diversity of Canadian adult education or the extent of its reach. Despite this, we feel that announcing the death of Canada's adult education movement seems not only premature but highly inaccurate. From our perspective, adult education in Canada remains a vigorous and vital activity and one that still fully justifies being called a movement. We're not alone in our assessment. In 2001, a team from the Organisation of Economic Development conducted a survey of Canadian adult learning. As their report (OECD, 2002) makes clear, almost 30% of Canadians participate in some form of adult education: Canada has many programs to be proud of, and many models in adult education that could provide inspiration both to other providers within Canada and to other countries. The sheer size of the country, the variations among provinces, and presence of both provincial and federal initiatives means that the country has a vast amount of experimentation and innovation. (p. 8) This view is supported by the latest background report on the development and state of adult learning and education in Canada (Council of Ministers of Education Canada, 2008) which documents Canada's enduringly rich tradition of adult education and learning and the wide range of learning opportunities for adults. And for the past 10 years, Canada has celebrated International Adult Learners' Week (IALW) with events from coast to coast showcasing a stunning tribute to the continuing vitality of adult learning in Canada. (Canadian Commission for UNESCO, 2010). As these reports indicate, more Canadians than ever are engaging in some form of organized adult education in a wide variety of courses and programs. Indeed, areas such as indigenous adult education and the HIV/AIDS movement are showing exciting growth through the work of new activists, practitioners and scholars.