Get REAL will help VA Western become an ALFI- Adult Learner Focused Institution. Does that mean our aim is to minimize the importance of traditional learners? Of course not! It means that we need to be strategic in designing specific ways to engage, enroll, and successfully serve adults and other non-traditional learners. They often have competing priorities which present challenges to finding the time and resources necessary to pursue and complete an education. To successfully support these learners we may need to think outside the box.  Get REAL is an opportunity to brainstorm and implement programs and procedures that meet the unique needs of these students, many of whom are Pell eligible students, first-time students, and veterans.

So what does it mean to be an ALFI? We can assess our adult student support efforts through the lens of CAEL’s ten principles for effectively serving adults. Click this link to find out more cael.org/higher-education-ten-principles. Stay tuned. Over the next few weeks we’ll dig a little deeper into these principles and some best practices.

Don’t forget–if you have thoughts or ideas that might further adult learner success at VA Western, please share them on the Get REAL/Strategic Plan site.