Dive Brief:
- As colleges and programs increasingly try to cater to the needs and interests of adult learners, many institutions' websites and application processes may be unattractive to older potential students, according to a new report from DWS Associates. The potential pitfalls (and opportunities) schools have to make a good impression range from website design to insisting on automated follow-up e-mails.
- To attract adult learners, schools should emphasize efficiency and speed of achieving a degree or credential, as adult learners often have other professional and personal commitments. An effective landing page with a straightforward assessment of a program's strengths is preferred, as is immediate contact with these potential students during every step of the application process to deliver next steps clearly and concisely.
- The report stressed it may not be necessary to expend more resources on delivering on these shifts in presentation and approach, and the authors of the report also suggested that schools interested in revamping their outreach and application procedures gain input from adult learners to ensure the changes would be viewed as positive ones.
Dive Insight:
Though the report emphasizes altering a school's approach to offer a greater appeal to adult learners does not necessarily require an increase in resources or staff, it may be beneficial for higher ed institutions to consider reconfiguring staff or hiring a dedicated individual to concentrate on outreach for adult learners, especially considering that they are making up an increasingly larger portion of the student applicant population. Colleges and universities are also already realizing the need to feature more adult students in their promotional materials in order to make the campus atmosphere seem more inviting to potential adult learners. Having an individual on staff who can coordinate the intersection of outreach, marketing and campus interactions with the specific needs and interests of adult learners can help universities maintain a competitive edge as the adult learner population continues to grow.
As higher ed institutions continue to amend their application processes, it is important to ensure that flexibility is top-of-mind, especially for a student population which likely has far more responsibilities than a student at a younger, more traditional college age. In a recent Education Dive interview, Michael Cottam, the Online Learning Director for Webster University, asserted the importance of keeping class and completion schedules flexible for students. Institutions should try to ensure that they keep application processes flexible as well and try to frame it as a gradual procedure as opposed to a process consisting of unwavering due dates for completed materials.