UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Beginning this week, the Commission for Adult Learners (CAL) will be distributing a survey to all Penn State adult learners. The survey is designed to help the CAL determine what services and information adult learners need to successfully navigate their academic journeys. An email will be sent to all adult learners regardless of campus requesting participation in the survey along with the survey link.
Adult learners are students the University identifies as:
- 24 years of age or older; or,
- a veteran or actively serving member of the armed services; or,
- returning to school after four or more years of employment, homemaking, or other activity; or,
- assuming multiple adult roles, such as parent, spouse/partner, employee.
During the 2019–20 academic year, 19% of all Penn State students were adult learners. They exist on all of the University’s campuses and are a growing segment of the student population. Their situations are extremely diverse – most are employed, many are married and some have children. There is also a significant number of the group who are single parents. Unlike traditional-aged students, most are personally responsible for their tuition.
Eugene McFeely, co-chair of CAL’s One Penn State sub-committee, said, “Our goal is to determine not only the degree to which adult students are satisfied with Penn State’s existing services, but to identify ways in which we can better serve them.”
To that end, the survey will include several open-ended questions allowing respondents to provide their perspectives on what currently works, what does not work and what they believe Penn State could do to better support their efforts. The survey will conclude on Friday, April 23.