ACHE 86th Annual Conference and Meeting - October 14-16 2024

30-Minute Presentations

Adult students are increasingly engaging in higher education, yet experience college differently than their traditional peers, especially those enrolled in fully online programs. If higher education institutions hope to see these students achieve their degree attainment, they need to support them in innovative ways that acknowledge their college transition, needs, and wellness.

This session will introduce the University of Louisville Organizational Learning and Leadership undergraduate program’s unique online asynchronous course, Individual Strategies for Success. Designed to acquaint adult students to the university and develop skills for success, the course uses conceptual anchors of Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (1981), Maslow’s Hierarchy (1943), and SAMHSA’s Dimensions of Wellness (2016), to empower students to take stock of their college experience, identify needs or opportunities impacting their journey, and consider how their experience relates to their overall sense of wellness and success. Their goal is to utilize reflection to design a personal action plan that incorporates resources/supports they can engage and strategies to implement to reach their goals, in a way that honors their individual personal experiences.

This interactive session will delve into teaching and learning practices that effectively engage adult students, including those that leverage digital technology. The presenters will share key lessons learned along the way for continuous improvement, offering insights into fostering an environment conducive to the success of adult learners.