Academic Transformation: A Design Approach for the New Majority

Much of higher education was originally designed to meet the needs of full time 18-22 year-old students who enter directly from high school. However, the New Majority of our students are older, likely to swirl among institutions, and have significant adult responsibilities outside of the classroom. Academic Transformation: A Design Approach for the New Majority is a call to transform colleges and universities to meet the academic and student experience needs of New Majority students and for adult educators to become advocates, allies, and resources for needed reforms. Book contributors, including faculty, staff and administrators at public, private and community colleges, provide insights for this transformation. Taking a personalized approach based on a wide range of experiences, the contributors provide a framework for cross-campus conversations and collaborations to help stakeholders across the institution to understand New Majority learners’ strengths, needs and challenges within an increasingly competitive educational market. The text begins with a description of New Majority learners, explores enrollment management and student experience considerations, articulates a retention model and adapted high impact practices to support student success, navigates technology considerations, and addresses the impact of academic transformation for New Majority learners on higher education finance.

Dr. Eric Malm is an Associate Professor of Economics and Business Management and Chair of the Business Department at Cabrini University in Radnor PA.

As a faculty member and administrator, Dr. Marguerite Weber has more than 30 years of experience designing, implementing and assessing student success systems at universities and community colleges.