Exploring+the+impact+of+adult+students+on+communities+-+A+panel+to+identify+research+questions+and+agendas

**Exploring the impact of adult students on communities: A panel to identify research questions and agendas** Susan Reed, Associate Professor, DePaul University [sreed@depaul.edu] Barbara Holland, Higher Education Consultant & Senior Scholar, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis [holland.barbara@gmail.com] Catherine Marienau, Professor, DePaul University [cmariena@depaul.edu] Gail Robinson, Director of Service Learning, American Association of Community Colleges [grobinson@aacc.nche.edu]



**Keywords:** Adult students, non-traditional students

**Track:** Community outcomes and impact

**Format:** Panel presentation
 * Date & time: **Friday 10:50-12:00
 * Location: **Salon 2

**Summary:** As residents of the very communities with which colleges and universities collaborate through community-based learning, adult students are in a unique position to help strengthen partnerships with the understanding of the community culture and issues that they may bring to the project. This panel will draw upon the literature on community impact as well as reanalysis of research with older and working students to consider what future research would indicate whether adult students develop longer term relationships with community partners, are more comfortable working with staff in communities, and bring a greater level of cultural competence to the community-based project.

This panel represents a range of institutional types in higher education that serve nontraditional undergraduates. Colleges and universities that serve adult students are looking for policies and practices that promote learning and retention of this population. Such institutions have been advised to look for learning opportunities that include problem solving outside of the classroom, including internships and community-based or service-learning (Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, 2010). Such methodologies appeal to the more practical, working student and enhance their learning by relating concepts and theories to real world issues. This panel is designed to offer direction to researchers in contributing knowledge to this effort.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">By adjusting practices to enhance the experience of adult students in the community, institutions of higher education may strengthen their own partnerships with community-based organizations and those organizations may make connections with adults who remain engaged with their efforts after the class is over. Drawing on adult learning principles, programs and courses may be redesigned to enable and enhance the potential of adults’ impact upon the community. Much more empirical evidence is needed of adult students’ and community partners’ perspectives on their interactions as well as the efficacy of current and innovative practices to promote sustained engagement and impact.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**References:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (2010).//Urban universities: Anchors generating prosperity for America’s cities//. Retrieved from [].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Cruz, N.I. and E.E. Giles, Jr. (2000) Where’s the community in service-learning research? //The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 1,// 28-34.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2002). //Special analysis: Nontraditional undergraduates// (NCES 2002-012) Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.(2003). //Work first,// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">//study second: Adult undergraduates who combine employment and post secondary enrollment// (NCES 2003-267) from [|__http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003167.pdf__]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Sandy, M. and B.A. Holland (2006) Different worlds and common ground: Community partners perspectives on campus-community partnerships. //The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 13//(1) 30-43.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Worrill, L. (2007). “Asking the community: A case study of community partner perspectives.” //Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning//, //14//(1), 5-17.

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