UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will hold focus groups with its adult learners this semester to learn more about how the University can improve the quality of their student experience.
The effort is being led by the Penn State Commission for Adult Learners, a group of faculty and staff who advocate for adult learners.
The focus groups are a result of a survey the commission sent in the spring 2021 semester to more than 23,500 adult learners across all Penn State campuses. The University considers an adult learner as a student who is 24 years of age or older; a veteran of the armed services or active-duty military; returning to school after four or more years; and/or someone who assumes multiple adult roles, such as parent, spouse/partner, and employee.
More than 1,600 of the students responded to the survey, which asked a variety of questions about the quality of their educational experiences.
The survey included open-ended questions allowing the students to provide their own perspectives on what works, what does not work, and ways Penn State could better support their academic pursuits.
“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,” said Eugene McFeely, the co-chair of the commission’s One Penn State Moving Forward subcommittee, who also is the senior director for Penn State Veterans Affairs and Services.
More than 500 students responded "yes" to a question that asked if they would participate in a one-hour focus group, virtually or in person, to discuss their experiences as an adult learner.
The subcommittee will use the results of the focus groups to create recommendations to share with the University community.
“We want to use these meetings as a vehicle to go beyond merely collecting data, but in addition, to use that data to improve the environment in which adult students learn,” McFeely said.
The committee expects to complete its work by April 30.