The California Community Colleges (CCC) system has adopted an equity-imperative approach to systemic reforms. As part of this effort, and to meet the state's workforce demands of the future, the system has focused on better serving the needs of adult learners, those between the ages of 25 and 64 with some college but no degree. The current impact…

Argues that instructional development provides an efficient model for planning programs for adult learners. Outlines three stages of instructional development: analysis of needs, goals, course content, learner characteristics, and the learning environment; development of instructional strategies and delivery systems; and program evaluation. (CAM)

In Britain, the growth of mass higher education, the need for diverse educational opportunities, and the drive for vocational qualifications and relevance are spurring the need for change and innovation in further and higher education. An adult-centered approach and permeable boundaries between providers can help meet the demand for open access…

In the 1980s, nontraditional education is becoming an outdated term, because elements of such education have been integrated into most colleges and universities. The major innovation within nontraditional education is the external degree. Valley developed six major models of external degrees: administrative facilitation, modes of learning, the…

Looks at three dimensions of the role of community services/continuing education: direct service to special-needs target groups, testing ground for program and curriculum development, and contributions to the parent institution. Offers three possible scenarios for the future of this community college function. (AYC)

A participatory approach to adult literacy education aims at getting the learner to function at the highest level of responsibility possible regarding program activities; it demands an active approach. Characteristics of a participatory literacy program include the following: activities that emphasize what learners already know, learners…

Professionalism and flexibility in learning are considered in five seminar papers. In "Recommendations for Learning," Donald Bligh offers 17 recommendations for learning, based on the final discussions of a seminar of the Society for Research into Higher Education. The principles of professionalism and flexibility are applied to course…

Opportunities exist for colleges willing to experiment with new ideas and keep pace with technology. Possibilities for enrollment growth exist in the changing population, including adults, minority groups, foreign students, part-time undergraduate and graduate students, and women seeking higher education. (Author/MSE)

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin was created as an upper-division and graduate institution for community college transfer students. It instituted many innovations, including elimination of departments, integration of undergraduate/graduate education, year-round enrollment, contract study, modular classrooms, a faculty trained at…

Recent developments in graduate programs are discussed in 15 papers from a 1982 conference cosponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools and the Graduate Record Examinations Board. Attention is directed to issues associated with program presentations, program innovations in various disciplines, and industry/university cooperative graduate…

Adults often prefer self-directed learning over teacher-directed, classroom-oriented learning. They feel that their life experiences and self-initiated projects teach them more than they can learn in a formal classroom situation. Persons usually do not pursue such self-directed learning, however, because of conflicting role requirements, a lack of…

The future of higher education, especially that of the community college, is discussed. The role of the community college in advancing new concepts--such as open admissions, equal opportunity, and community involvement--is recounted. The development of higher education in the United States is traced, and problems created by the recently instituted…

Proceedings of the 1981 Creative Responses Conference, which explored approaches to the rapidly changing realities of postsecondary and higher education, are presented. The following major addresses and authors are included: "Hard Times: Constraints or Opportunities," Dale Parnell; "Leadership in the Challenge of Global Competition," George B.…

The four conference papers presented here examine specific strategies and programs by which colleges and universities can design and adapt programs for adult students. In "Strategies of Adaptation" Rosalind K. Loring notes six major types of adaptation to which traditional, four-year schools have resorted (flexible schedules, simulated…

Metropolitan State University (Minnesota), intended to serve largely mature community college transfer students in the inner city, gives students responsibility for planning their own individualized course of studies, with a competence-based focus. Community-based faculty, classrooms, and library resources are essential elements. (Author/MSE)