In partnership with Lumina Foundation and Achieving the Dream (ATD), Equal Measure is the learning and evaluation partner for the Prioritizing Adult Community College Enrollment (PACCE) Initiative. Twenty colleges were awarded grants and technical assistance for the initiative from October 2021 through May 2023.
The PACCE initiative was designed to identify and scale promising strategies for increasing the enrollment and reenrollment of adult learners in high-quality credit and non-credit programs. This vignette delves into some of Fulton-Montgomery’s strategies for adult learners.
Actionable Insights
In 2023, Equal Measure visited Fulton-Montgomery (FM), a State University of New York (SUNY) Community College. We set out to learn about their context, approach and early implementation of promising adult learner strategies. Some of the actionable insights we took away include:
- Adult Learners at FM. FM understands its community and the adult learners it serves. It builds relationships with regional employers to ensure it is creating successful career pathways for adult learners.
- The Collaborative Career Learning Program (COCAL). FM creates individualized career pathways and short-term credentialing, allowing adult learners to tailor their coursework to align with regional internships and employment opportunities.
- FM’s Institutional Culture. FM has the benefit of a small, tight-knit college community. Possibilities blossom when staff, faculty, and leadership take an all-hands-on-deck approach toward improving learner experience and outcomes.
- Mindset and Practice Change. Strong programs intended to improve adult learner outcomes benefit from mindset and practice change. Greater change is possible when practitioners are conscientious about learner challenges and differences.
DOWNLOAD THE VIGNETTE
PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:
- Alice Soo-a Choe
- Victoria Worthen Lang
- Katie Mosher
- Steph Skinner
- Kelly Sloane
“We’re used to just one viewbook for traditional high school students coming into college. And you go two years here and transfer to a four-year school, and this is how it goes. But it’s not what people want, especially the adult learners in our area, which is a huge population that is underserved.” —FM Staff