The purpose of this qualitative single case study is to understand the perceptions of a "hot group" termed by Lipman-Blumen and Leavitt that existed at a state public institution of higher education established to serve adult learners. Additionally, this research shows what can be learned about the organizational culture needed for hot…

The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between age and media literacy for postsecondary civics students in the northeastern United States. This study was significant by the methodological, theoretical, and practical implications it presents for educational approaches in teaching media literacy to…

The issue of proximity for adult students has become increasingly salient as age demographics shift in higher education and states propose initiatives to increase adult degree completers. One way of alleviating proximity barriers for adults at universities has been to increase online courses and degrees. Nationally, online education experienced…

Adult and nontraditional learners are a fast growing student populations in higher education (Wyatt, 2011) and currently make up approximately 37% of undergraduates currently enrolled in higher education in the United States (Bergman, 2020). Despite their prevalence, empirical studies continue to demonstrate that policies, programs, and practices…

Social justice development is likely influenced by a range of contextual experiences. We examined the ways in which emerging adult students' experiences with families, peers, and religious congregations were associated with their own social justice outcomes. Participants (N = 288; 65.4% = women) completed a survey of social justice attitudes,…

This multi-case study explored the experiences and perceptions of student veterans in a college setting and who work or regularly spend time in the student veteran center. Through in-depth interviews, student veterans described their experiences on campus and the extended campus community. Further, participants discussed their experiences and…

As student veterans and service members (SVSM) continue to pursue post-secondary education, the body of literature contains multiple studies of transition and acculturation, but little empirical assessment of programs and services to support SVSM and address factors of student success, including academic achievement, engagement in educationally…

Educational technology facilitates convenient access to online programs for adult students but also presents challenges. Using a conceptual framework of Knowles' andragogy process of program development and learner interaction theory, this study examined ed tech in an online degree program designed to serve adult students. Participants included…

In this dissertation, I study the relationships between financial aid, student characteristics, persistence, and completion in three separate chapters. In all three chapters, I use detailed, student-level administrative data from the UNC System beginning in the Fall 2013 semester. The first chapter is entitled "Tuition Reduction and Student…

This paper reflects on Freire's discourse on liberating education and adult educators' educational roles with community groups in transforming communities. Mineral-rich communities in Ghana are in danger of losing water bodies, rich arable lands, and forest vegetation cover through "galamsey," which refers to the gathering of rich…

As the adult learner population in higher education continues to increase, there has been a renewed focus on how to best serve this student population in recent years. While adult learners are more likely to take online classes and to enroll part-time, engagement and retention efforts have not heavily focused on part-time online adult learners,…

The American higher education industry is undergoing severe changes, including financial exigency, decreased state/federal assistance, and increased tuition. While the former changes are relatively apparent, one other change deserves more attention -- the growth of adult learners, specifically females. The seeming lackluster response by…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the military and veteran services offices in public institutions are supporting student veterans in their higher education journey. This study was aimed to allow Chief Military and Veteran Services Officers (CMVSO) in 4-year public institutions to identify challenges and opportunities in…

While there is research in the online environment on women's experiences (Muller, 2008), and African American/Black students more generally, (Kuo, 2014; Okwumabua, 2011), there is a critical gap with regards to the experiences of African American/Black women (Young, 2020; Ashong & Commander, 2012; Okwumabua, 2011). To address this gap, this…

California faces a shortfall of over two million degrees and certificates to meet employers' needs and promote economic mobility for its residents, but an impending wave of prospective students may satisfy this demand. This report describes the 5.1 million California adults ages 25 and older, representing nearly a fifth of the adult population,…