A Fish Out of Water: Challenges

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A Fish Out of Water Challenges Successes in
Working with Adult Learners
John Fenelon Lisa Youretz College of
Professional Studies Marquette University Milwauke
e, Wisconsin
2005 NACADA National Conference Concurrent
Session/286Las Vegas, Nevada
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A School of Fish

• Marquette University
• 7,800 undergraduates 11,000 total students
  including dental, graduate, and
  
  law schools
• Admitted 1,803 new
  freshman
• College of
• Professional
• Studies (CPS)
• 199 undergraduates
  63 graduate students
• Admitted 61 new adult learners

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A School of Fish

• Marquette University
• Average class size 23 students
• CPS
• Average class size 10-15 students

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A School of Fish

• Marquette University
• Alumni 100,000 members worldwide
• CPS
• Alumni 229

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A School of Fish

• Marquette University
• All states and 80 countries represent
  undergraduate student population
• Undergraduate Ethnicities 87 European American
  5 African American 8 All Others
• All states and 56 countries represent graduate
  student population
• Graduate Ethnicities 90 European American 10
  All Others
• CPS
• Ethnicities 66 European American 24 African
  American 10 All Others
• Average age 37 years old
• Gender 61 Female 39 Male

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Swimming Upstream
What are some of the institutional barriers that
hinder your adult programming efforts?
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Swimming Upstream

• Sense of Community
• Limited Majors
• Limited Online Course Offerings
• Limited Evening/Weekend Office Hours in Other
  Departments
• Educating the Rest of the University

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Swimming Upstream

• No/minimal involvement with Universitys
  undergraduate Admissions, Marketing, or Alumni
  Association
• Limited Scholarship Offerings
• Lack of Full-Time Tenured Faculty
• No Portfolio Credit/Experiential Learning
  Assessment Opportunities
• Part-Time Studies Program

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Up to our Waders in Adult Learners

• Challenge Sense of Community
• Solutions
• Non-Traditional Student Celebration/Town Hall
  Meetings
• Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) Honors Ceremony
• Orientation
• Off Campus Visits
• Email News Blasts
• Interactive Advising Web Site
• The Second Edition Newsletter
• Challenge Limited Majors
• Solutions
• ORLE Undergraduate Concentrations
• Increased Master of Arts Specializations
• Challenge Limited Online Course Offerings
• Solution Hybrid/Blended Courses

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Up to our Waders in Adult Learners

• Challenge Limited Evening/Weekend Office Hours
  in Other Departments
• Solutions
• CheckMarq, Online Student Information System
• College Writing Assistant
• College Chaplain
• Example Career Services Center
• Challenge Educating the Rest of the University
  
• Solutions
• University Involvement in Campus-wide Committees
  and Events
• Workshops
• Example Counseling Center
• Challenge No/Minimal Involvement with
  Admissions, Marketing and Alumni Association

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Up to our Waders in Adult Learners

• Solutions
• Admit and Graduate Students 5 Times per Year
• All Advisors are/were Returning Adult Learners
• CPS Alumni Steering Committee
• Exit Interviews
• Challenge Limited Scholarship Offerings
• Solution Adult Study Grants and College
  Scholarships
• Challenge Lack of Full-Time Tenured Faculty
• Solutions
• Hired 2 Full-Time Non-Tenured Faculty Members, 1
  Graduate, 1 Undergraduate
• Alumni Instructional Assistants

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Casting a Line Reeling em In

• Hired College Writing Assistant
• Math and Writing Workshops
• PRST 1 Foundations Seminar
• Saturday Advising Table and Off-Campus
  Advising Visits
• Developed Interactive Advising Web Site
• Redesigned CPS Web Site
• Created Online RSVPs for Orientation

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Casting a Line Reeling em In

• Student Mid-Term Progress Reports
• Developed Student Handbook
• Direct, Personalized Communication from the Dean
• Direct, Personalized Advisor Postcard
  Communication Campaigns
• Increased Sense of Community
• Improved Off-Site Course Scheduling Options
• Track Retention Rates

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Additional Fish to Fry

• Re-establish Alum Mentoring Program
• Develop Math Assessment
• Develop Remedial English course
• Establish Internship Course/Opportunities for
  Credit
• Offer Career Exploration Nights
• Appropriately Advise Part-Time Studies Students
• Continue to Educate the Rest of the University
• Continue Student and Alumni Involvement
• Assess Academic Advising Services

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Thank you!
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Contact Information
John Fenelon, Adult Student Advisor (414)
288-5620 john.fenelon_at_marquette.edu Lisa
Youretz, Director of Adult Advising
Services [phone] lisa.youretz_at_marquette.edu
Marquette University College of Professional
Studies P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53201-1881 Fax [phone] http//www.marquett
e.edu/cps
2005 NACADA National Conference Concurrent
Session/286Las Vegas, Nevada