Is Opportunity knocking?
The 94th University Continuing Education Association held its annual conference in Boston last week, and I had the pleasure of attending the conference as a participant, as well as the opportunity to visit with many in the adult student world of continuing education. The talk at the tables and in the sessions was interesting. First, the conference attendance was down. Tight or non-existent travel budget kept many regular participants of this conference away this year which I certainly a sign of our challenging economic times. Second, most of the attendees I spoke with shared stories of budget cuts, in some cases pretty significant budget cuts at their respective institutions. And yet, out of this discussion of challenging economic times there seems to be a slight glimmer of, dare I say hope, in the eyes of those who have dedicated their higher education careers to serving the adult student.
Several conference participants shared with me an interesting phenomenon that is happening at their institutions. Reports of an increased interest in what is going on in the adult student market were fairly common as I spoke to individuals from all over the country. Now many long term professionals in this area were quick to identify that this “interest” in their departments is tied to financial shortfalls at the institutions but none the less, many are seeing this as an opportunity. One gentlemen shared with me that he has viewed this as a chance to ask for additional departmental resources to help recruit more adults into his programs, and that his administration has responded positively. Regardless of the institutions motivation, he is viewing this as a chance to build his program, and he has. His enrollments are up despite the fact that the rest of the institution is struggling.
There were many great things learned at the conference last week but perhaps the most beneficial that I can share with all of you is the message to not be afraid to take advantage of an opportunity that may be in front of you, and your program. Now may very well be the opportunity for your adult student program to shine in a way it has never done before. It may also be a time to leverage resources within your institution to make that happen. Don’t be afraid to ask. I know you have asked before, but remember the whole situation at your institution has more than likely shifted; this may be the perfect time to pose the questions again. Good luck!
Photo by: UCEA
