How UW-Parkside’s Dedicated Center Helps Adult Learners Thrive
UW-Parkside’s Center for Adult and Returning Students offers personalized assistance, academic guidance, flexible program options, and credit for prior learning so adult learners can persist to graduation.
At the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a ReUp partner, adult learners over age 25 comprise about 20% of its 4,000 students. Recognizing that these learners often face different challenges than their traditional counterparts and balance multiple responsibilities, the school explored ways to better serve them. The solution needed to benefit adult learners so they could persevere in their chosen academic program and support enrollment as the school grapples with shifting demographics and the enrollment cliff.
After researching what other schools were doing, and with guidance from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the university created the Center for Adult and Returning Students (CARS). The mission is to enroll more adult learners and support them as they pursue educational goals amidst life’s competing priorities.
Meeting adult learners where they are
As UW-Parkside’s partner, ReUp outreaches the school’s list of adult learners who left without graduating, concentrating on those who have been out longer than one year. With a unique approach that blends marketing, predictive analytics, program recommendations based on what we know about a learner, and success coaching, ReUp supports adult learners as they work through barriers to returning to higher ed and explore their options. On average, ReUp has 28 touchpoints with a learner before they re-enroll.
Each adult and returning learner who enrolls at UW-Parkside receives a welcome email from the Adult Student Enrollment Counselor that includes an invitation to meet. Prospective learners are often referred to CARS by university faculty and staff if the learner has expressed a need for support as they make decisions and move through the enrollment process. CARS addresses the academic, advising, scheduling, career development, and financial support needs specific to adult learners. “Many of our adult students have lives beyond school,” Lisa Marie Barber, Professor and Academic Director at UW-Parkside, explained.
“It makes sense to focus on students who had to step away for a while and now need some sensitivity towards their other life responsibilities. It’s about guiding them, showing them what’s possible at Parkside, and being that go-to resource and advocate.”
— Lisa Marie Barber
Professor and Academic Director, UW-Parkside
Among the services the center provides is guidance on which academic programs would be the best fit. Krista Adams, Adult Student Enrollment Counselor for CARS, works with prospective and newly enrolled adult learners. She said learners often want to know how to graduate quickly, so she explores the possibility of credit for prior learning. This includes work, internship, military, and volunteer experiences. Adult learners often have a wide variety of these experiences, but aren’t aware they can get academic credit for them. The Center also talks to returning learners about opportunities for financial aid and a grant the school created specifically for this population.
Krista helps identify degree programs that align with learners’ career aspirations and maximizes their existing credits. In addition to seven fully online bachelor’s degree completion programs, UW-Parkside created greater flexibility for learners through its online Associate of Arts and Sciences and Leadership and Personalized Studies Associate and Bachelor of Arts programs. These programs are designed to help learners move quickly and with the greatest flexibility.
“I worked with an adult learner who had 108 credits when his school suddenly closed,” Krista said. “He wanted to finish his degree because he watched his daughter graduate from Parkside and that made him want to do it too. I did a transfer evaluation for him, and because of the specific requirements to complete his degree in business management, he would have had to complete 60 more credits. But our Leadership and Personalized Studies Bachelor of Arts program allowed us to count his elective credits towards the degree. It turned out he would be able to graduate after taking about 40 credits.”
She noted that this is just one example of how the center can look at an adult learner’s unique situation, determine their goals, and find a way that Parkside can offer them what they need. Often the solution is something the learner never would have considered because they didn’t know it existed.
Bridging the preparedness gap
For many adult learners, returning to school means acclimating to a new educational environment. CARS recognizes that they may not be familiar with current academic demands or digital platforms. “We have many adult learners who are successful, but one of the challenges is those who aren’t prepared for the college experience,” Lisa Marie said. “They really don’t know what college will demand from them or what this experience will be.”
Lisa Marie said unquestioned assumptions from institutions can lead to challenges for adult learners. For instance, that everyone is familiar with higher ed environments, or that everyone is technically savvy. CARS finds that’s often not the case and addresses this by spending significant time with learners so they become comfortable with online platforms and learn to view online work as a responsibility, just like going to a physical classroom. This support is crucial, as online learning is both attractive and necessary for learners who need the flexibility it provides. ReUp Success Coaches also support adult learners through graduation, guiding them to resources and serving as a sounding board as learners navigate higher ed after years away.
Embracing flexibility and creativity
In 2022, more than two in three adult learners in the U.S. were employed either full or part-time while pursuing their degrees. A large part of CARS’ mission is to acknowledge and value these work experiences and the school’s flexible programs are designed to accommodate these realities.
“I oversee two flexible programs, including Leadership and Personalized Studies, and we do internship credit for jobs learners have or for their volunteer work,” Lisa Marie said. “We don’t make it an arduous process. It’s become part of my regular advising discussions to ask, ‘Hey, do you have a job that you’re doing right now?’ They will say, ‘Oh, I’m not really doing anything that should get credit.’ But once we talk it through they see that it’s not true—they should get credit, and we can help with that.”
Lisa Marie shared an example to illustrate how CARS is able to find unique solutions to keep adult learners engaged. A learner who had experienced many hardships in her life was trying to balance work, school and caring for her children. She told Lisa Marie that, although she was doing well in school, it was difficult to complete her degree in the amount of time she wanted because she needed a job to help support her children. Lisa Marie knew that the registrar’s office at Parkside needed someone to fill a work-study position. The learner was able to get the position and receive internship credit for the work. The office hired the learner for an additional year and she ultimately decided to go on for a bachelor’s degree after earning her associate’s degree.
Advocating for adult learners across campus and beyond
Adult Student Enrollment Counselor for CARS, UW-Parkside
CARS plays a vital role as an advocate for adult learners throughout campus by maintaining strong relationships with academic advisors and faculty. Faculty support is instrumental, with many incorporating policies that accommodate adult learners’ unique needs, such as allowing children in class, flexible deadlines, or what to do if a student needs a leave to care for a family member. In addition to UW-Parkside’s formal Credit for Prior Learning program, some faculty have implemented credit for prior learning within their courses, so if a learner has experience with something, whether through work, an internship, or life experience, it can be incorporated to support their coursework.
Through an annual student exit survey, the center takes proactive measures to re-engage learners who left the school within the past year. So far, the initiative has received over 150 responses, giving staff the opportunity to offer online programs or help learners get started with an associate’s degree. “Sometimes they discover they have enough credits to earn their associate’s degree already,” Krista explained. “They just need to declare and apply for graduation, and they get their degree. Then they have that portable credential that they can take to any university. Also, it helps them at their job. I’ve worked with students who reached out after hearing from me and said, ‘I’m ready to do this in one semester.’ I contact them, help get them re-enrolled, and they continue.”
Next steps
CARS plans to expand its student exit survey and evaluate students who haven’t yet worked with ReUp, assessing their credits to see if they’ve already earned an associate’s degree. They are also revamping their Credit for Prior Learning portfolio program and are exploring financial aid solutions for learners with unmet essential needs. A collaboration with student service providers on campus aims to make services accessible during evenings and weekends when many adult learners can do their coursework.
By continuously updating policies and enhancing support, UW-Parkside is committed to improving the experience for adult learners, helping them stay enrolled, and attracting more to the school.
For more inspiring stories about ReUp partners and successful adult learner strategies, view the full library of case studies.
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