Dr. Marlaina Kloepfer
IS ONLINE COLLEGE FOR YOU? WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS?
MARIA GEFFERS
Tell us about what you do and why you decided to pursue a career in higher education.
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
I am a practitioner scholar, which means I work in the field of higher education, and I am specifically interested in contributing to our literature and understanding the graduate student experience. I’ve been in this field for over 10 years. I’ve worked with undergrad, graduate, and adult learners in private and state institutions. Those have specific disciplines and institutional cultures, which influence the student experience. I fell in love with adult learning theory and studying the adult learning experiencing during grad school. It’s very therapeutic.
When you read literature describing what you’re going through, you realize what you’re going through is normal. The questions you ask yourself while trying to get a degree are normal. It’s important to have people who are knowledgeable about adult learners because they are different from traditional age learners and traditional age college students. There are a lot of people studying and thinking about adult learners, especially as we see the demographics change. In the state of Pennsylvania, the 18- to 22-year-old age demographic is decreasing. Institutions are looking for adult learners, how to connect with them, and how to welcome them to campus.
MARIA GEFFERS
You’ve written a couple articles about adult education in different fields.
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
Yes, because this population is increasing, institutions, disciplines, and professional organizations are hungry to learn more about them. We know the experiences of a nursing student and a graduate student in an MBA program are very different. The experiences of an MBA graduate student and an MA student are very different. The experiences of a traditional undergraduate program and night school are different. There are a lot of things we are looking to understand about the student experience. We want to take those lessons and make institutions more welcoming to the student population.
MARIA GEFFERS
What are some advantages of returning to school as an adult who is a practicing professional? Are there advantages to going to college later in life?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
When people return as adult learners, they are usually more self-aware. They understand what they like and don’t like. They can be more strategic and focused on the program they’re studying. They also understand why education matters. They understand the costs of time, energy, and money. Adult learners are a little more invested and looking to make larger changes in their lives. It’s not a stopgap where they are hanging out and figuring things out while studying.
They usually have a specific and big goal. With that, they approach relationships differently. The interactions they have with faculty and colleagues are very different because they have a specific goal in mind, whether they are trying to get a degree or get a credential to help them move up in their career. An 18-to-22-year-old has a different understanding of life and self, even if they are mature.
MARIA GEFFERS
Can you tell us the different between earning a degree and coming back to college to earn credits, a certification, or credentials?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
There are many options available to students and adult learners. A lot of badging programs have come out. Even Google is offering more badging credentials which are great to jump-start your resume or LinkedIn profile. Those are very different from a certificate program or getting your bachelor’s or master’s degree. A certificate, bachelor, or master’s program will be credit bearing and they are offered through accredited institutions. People should ask questions when they’re trying to figure out the path that’s best for them. They always want to make sure they are attending an accredited institution. Because these are credit bearing, they will influence whether you are eligible for financial aid. Many badging and certification programs are not credit bearing, and therefore are not eligible for financial aid.
There is no wrong path. Whatever their journey or goal is will help them determine the best pathway for them. To earn a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree, people usually need to earn 124 to 126 credits. A master’s program is usually around 36 credits. You must complete your undergraduate degree to complete your master’s. People simply need to ask the right questions of the institutions and of themselves. They need to know why they are pursuing more education. If it’s to fill in a skillset gap, they may only need a badging or an additional credentialing program. Maybe they’re already working somewhere, and their company wants them to have a master’s degree. There are a lot of different options out there.
MARIA GEFFERS
How accommodating are universities to returning students or adult learners?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
Some of them are very accommodating and have this mission of serving adult learners, and some are starting to catch on. The way they deliver academic offerings and support programming must have a mentality shift. If you serve adult learners, usually you must be more available during the evening because adult learners tend to work full-time. The institutions must have those later shifts. We’ve seen this a lot with childcare. Many of the institutions are bringing back childcare centers. That’s a big sell for a lot of adult learners who might have to bring the family when they come to evening classes or to study later in the day in the library.
Some people do it well and some don’t. These are the questions you want to ask when you meet with your admissions counselor, your academic counselor, and your financial aid counselor. Adult learners will study with a different schedule than traditional full-time day students. How you’re covered with financial aid matters as well as how you earn your credits. Are they in an accelerated program or do they have a traditional semester timeframe? Knowing this will help people plan their schedules and understand if this an opportunity they are able to achieve.
MARIA GEFFERS
I know when I went back to get my master’s the entire family had to be on board. Everyone must be willing to make sacrifices including your husband and children. Things at home don’t work as smoothly as when you could be there all or most of the time. It is a big time commitment.
Many returning students have full-time jobs and a family, while carrying full-time course loads as well.
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
That’s why it’s important to have a program with a support system and networks built into it. People who go back to school have a lot of different identities when they’re studying. One of them is their personal identity. If they’re the only one in their family who’s studying in the evening or who is pursuing a degree, it can feel very alienating because they’re talking about experiences some of their family members or friends can't understand. They don't know how to show support but that doesn't mean they're any less of a friend or family member. This is such a specific experience and a transformation for people to go through. In their educational journey it’s helpful to have a network of support in their program.
That way adult learners can have conversations with colleagues and advisors that they can’t have at home. A big part of my mission and passion is to normalize the experience of going back to school as much as we can. There are things we know will happen and there will be challenging moments. Many people have imposter syndrome.
MARIA GEFFERS
Can you explain what that is?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
Imposter syndrome can happen during all aspects of life. We even see it in K-12 students as well as professionals.
Imposter syndrome is anytime people feel like they don’t belong, or their success was a fluke. It can keep people from progressing in their educational journey. If they constantly feel like they don’t belong, or that they shouldn’t be there, that will affect the way they approach career development services or their relationship with their advisor. Programs that understand this experience will be better at supporting them in their journey. The institution can help solve things we know will happen.
MARIA GEFFERS
Many returning adult students feel like they’re not smart enough or they’re there by mistake. Now, many colleges are offering senior citizens pre-education. What are your thoughts on that?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
That's a wonderful opportunity for community members to re-engage with campuses. The program, however, must be accessible. It’s wonderful to offer the courses, but if they aren’t offering them at times of the day that make sense for senior citizens, or involve a lot of technology, those aren’t necessarily accessible. There is a lot of programming and thinking behind the scenes that goes into pre-education for senior citizens. It’s wonderful, however, when I’ve worked with different programs where it’s more about finding senior citizens who can meet the requirements of the program.
TOM GEFFERS
When you get a doctorate in education, you’re an adult by the time you finish. What do you like best about being a success coach and working with adults?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
I feel like I'm running a marathon with 60 or 80 of my closest friends, which means I feel like I’m running alongside them. I'm not necessarily doing the course with them, however, I'm there from start to finish for the trips, the sips of water, and the twisted ankles. That's my favorite part. It’s tough and I can relate. I have a fresh perspective, which normalizes it when I need to tell them what they are going through is tough. It’s going to hurt because it’s so different. I love being able to talk about the experience in a personal way and being along for the ride with them.
They understand that I understand the entire experience; the good and the bad, and the wins and the losses. I have a skillset I can share with them to make their journey a little easier. I can always see the transformation. Whether it’s a professional person coming in for a short credential or a full-time student, they’re going to change. We’re constantly changing a little bit. The more I normalize that and talk about it makes it easier for them to experience that transformation.
TOM GEFFERS
You have your finger on the pulse of adult education. A lot of colleges are having difficulty filling seats with students and adult education is on the horizon for them. Are other colleges doing the right stuff to get into this market?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
A lot of institutions are hungry. I would equate it back to what happened a couple of years ago with international enrollment. Institutions saw a big population that was untapped and went after them. Adult learners are the same. We see in our own state they’re focusing on degree completers, which sounds amazing because there are so many people who started college and never finished. The institution must build that system around them, so it can help them finish and be true to their degree.
There is a lot of practice and goal setting, but not the thoughtfulness that this population requires. When the institutions think about career development, they must take into consideration adult learners have a different relationship with their career development office than the traditional student. They might need a little help building a resume, but they aren’t going to resume-building workshops. They want to know tactical things about how to continue to progress in their career. Instead of introductory conversations that happen in a career office, they need richer and deeper conversations and networking help.
I’m hoping to see institutions be more thoughtful in how they deliver. We’ve been in a world of Zoom because of the pandemic and need to consider the lessons we’ve learned about accessibility for adult learners. We could do more on Zoom for career development, tutoring, and writing. Adult learners interact with these services differently than traditional students. I’m hopeful. It’s a great population and it’s an underserved population. I would hate for institutions to chase adult learners only to be unsuccessful because they weren’t thoughtful with their design.
TOM GEFFERS
Do you have any stories you want to share about people who you have helped succeed as an adult learner?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
It is a transformational experience to go for any type of education, whether that's undergrad or grad. I love seeing people start a new program or discipline they didn’t have in their undergraduate degree. They knew they had an interest but didn’t know what that interest meant. Through their program and experiences, they're starting to develop a scholarly identity. They must do research, so finding that part of themselves and what they want to contribute is important.
Witnessing students go through that and seeing how it influences their professional identity is rewarding to see. Maybe they got a promotion or maybe they’re presenting at a conference because of a project, coursework, or a relationship with a faculty member. They developed something in the classroom they get to take over to their professional work. I love seeing the back and forth which is a big part of adult learning. I don’t want to have two separate experiences. I want to be able to dance between the two because it will be more meaningful and help me make more connections. True learning happens when you’re able to make connections.
MARIA GEFFERS
If someone is interested in returning to college, what is the first thing they should do?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
It’s important for people to know their goals. No matter who they meet with, the first question an admissions counselor or an academic advisor will ask is what your goals are. I’ve had many students who don’t know the answer to the question, which is okay, but then I don’t know how to talk to them about their program. I need to know what brought them there. Did they come because of the reputation, or because it’s local? Having a moment of reflection and understanding of your goals is the most important thing. They should do their homework, get on the websites, look at the social media, and see what the students are saying about the institution. Do they have similar interests? Are they able to help people grow in their profession?
I was working with a nurse who came back for a graduate certificate, and she said it was the certificate that helped her progress. She wasn't even going to apply for this job but she went for it anyway. It was because she had this additional credential that she was able to make that move. Look at the institution and make sure the stories it tells align with your goals. Are they marketing to adult learners or are they still focusing on traditional students? When you get there, you want to know who your peers will be. If you’re the oldest person in the classroom, that can be uncomfortable for some people.
TOM GEFFERS
When I was in college long ago, I remember there was always an older student sitting in the back of the class who got the A.
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
That happens, and if you don’t want to be that person, you might want to look at the demographics of the institution to help with your own comfort level. We’ve come a long way with adult learning and integrating adults into daytime classes. It's changed so much. You need to know what your why is. Why are you doing this? Are you doing it for professional or personal reasons? There are still a lot of adult learners who are on a personal journey. They may not be able to tell you, "I want this job," or "I'm transitioning from careers," but they're going to tell you, "I love to learn. I did this program as an undergrad, and I always had this hunger to look at philosophy." If you can talk about your goals, you can better advocate for yourself during the search process.
TOM GEFFERS
Is the outlook for adult education positive at this point?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
Yes, because the demographic is there. There is a lot of competition, however. As an adult learner, you have a lot of decisions to make. Do you want to do brick and mortar? Do you want to learn online? Do you want a hybrid of the two? There are a lot of options and opportunities for growth, but there are also opportunities to get stuck or not find the right fit. You must be a more educated student when you’re shopping around for the right fit.
MARIA GEFFERS
You need to ask questions and connect with the right people in the institution that you're looking at because that's important to find out if it's a good fit.
TOM GEFFERS
Is there any advice you’d like to give or anything you want to share we didn’t think to ask?
DR. MARLAINA KLOEPFER
It’s important for people to remember it’s a journey. If this is their second go-around, they need to know there’s an orientation and a whole process to help them find their footing. Only they will know how long it will take for them to settle in to their own pace and experience. They should be gentle to themselves. It's going to be rocky in the beginning but know you can ask for help. Ask for help from family members if you need help around the house. Ask for help from your instructor. There's a lot of help available. The biggest hurdle for adult learners is they don’t want to ask for help. They need to know they will need help at some point and to be open to that. Acknowledge that this is a new experience and be willing to ask for help. Don’t feel negatively about it.
TOM GEFFERS
You’ve shared a lot of valuable advice for a growing segment of the student population.
