Solving The Adult Learner Problem

This U.S. News opinion piece makes a well-articulated call for higher ed to step up its adult learner game. I'm in full agreement with the call to action, but I think it's an unequal problem among public and private universities. And it's particularly troubling for tuition-dependent mid-tier privates holding onto decaying models of perceived brand equity and selective admissions.

Tuition-dependent privates have built their financial models around 18 to 22 year olds living in a dorm, eating in the dining hall, and paying inflated tuition for the privilege. That model was wobbling before the demographic cliff. Now it's in a death spiral. So when I read, "colleges need to serve adult learners better," I attach the addendum that private universities need adult learners to survive. The issue with may addendum is that most of these institutions are embarrassingly bad at serving the adult learner population. 

The solution, of course, is found within the schools and colleges of professional, continuing education & online education (PCO/Es) within these universities. These are the academic and service units designed and built for adult learners. They have decades of experience running flexible and shorter terms; models for awarding credit for prior learning, curriculum designed around stackable credentials, and advisors who understanding adult learner needs and behaviors. The irony is that many of these universities sadly (and ignorantly) select to ignore their PCO/E units, having historically treated them as some kind of side hustle. It's increasingly difficult for me to imagine a senior leader who suggests their tuition-dependent private university's best path forward starts with their PCO/E unit. I'm sure such a leader exists, but it would certainly be someone willing to admit the old model isn't sustainable and the answer isn't going to be found in word salad PowerPoints created by hack consultants.

The private universities serious about exploiting the adult learner opportunity (and addressing the enrollment crisis facing all of higher ed) will put their PCE/O units on point for growing alternative enrollments and revenues, with real authority over how the rest of the campus needs to adapt. Once again, this wouldn't be hard, it just requires the will to do it.