How are Christian colleges going to respond to increasing pressures from the government, for-profit competitors, and our constituents to make the best use of limited resources? According to Peter Stokes, vice president and senior research officer of Eduventures, Adult education is on the national agenda like never before, and demographic trends point to a growing market for adult-focused undergraduate and graduate programs. At the same time, market competition is increasing as new entrants and online innovators challenge established providers for market share.
At the upcoming
CCCU Center for Research in Adult Learning conference, Dr. Stokes will help attendees think about new markets and new ways to deliver Christian higher education. It is becoming clear that there is no longer a one-size-fits-all adult education strategy. Several institutions in the CCCU are approaching their adult markets in unique ways. Some are deciding to create their own learning management systems and greatly expand online offerings. Others are sticking to more conventional on-ground, term-based, open enrollment models, while still others have cohort-based non-term models. New opportunities are emerging as the recession is bringing new types of students to Christian colleges. At the conference Dr. Stokes and his colleague, Maggie Zweiben, will help institutions frame the important decisions that need to be made in order to effectively respond to new trends in higher education.
Breakout sessions will showcase ways institutions are innovating new approaches to adult learning. Topics include online chaplaincy, web 2.0, integration of faith and learning, moral development of adult students, organizational structure of adult programs, community building and service learning.
Hear more about coming trends in adult learning from Peter Stokes and others at the
conference on May 23-25 in Indianapolis.