Higher education for non-traditional (adult and online) students has been described in terms of enrollment growth rather than outcomes. To help cement the value proposition of higher education for non-traditional alumni, this session will present the results of a study, the first of its kind, to better understand the views and experiences of this population. Armed with this data from some of the most prominent institutions in the nation about their experiences with academic, career, personal satisfaction, and affinity issues, Directors and V.P.s of Distance Learning, Continuing Education, and Development will be able to:
• Provide evidence necessary to garner support from stakeholders
• Define and measure specific learning outcomes of non-traditional students
• Align the value of non-traditional delivery modes with President Obama/Lumina Foundation's educational attainment goals
• Understand what constitutes meaningful, impactful enrollment that leads to desirable outcomes
• Enhance the guidelines for program evaluation and improvement
• Improve the overall quality of the student experience