Presented with Penn State Lehigh Valley Staff at 2009 Hendrick Conference.

1. Jessica L. Kirkwood, Coordinator of Career &
Internship Services
Debra Mynar, Adult Learner
Penn State Lehigh Valley

3. Penn State Lehigh Valley
 Approximately 850 students enrolled
 Five Bachelor degree programs
 Three Associate degree programs
 Two minors
 Adult Learner population of approx. 22%

4. Adult Development Theories
 Erickson : 3/8 stages of psychosocial
development focus on adulthood
 Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity
vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair
 Schlossberg: transitions & adult
development
 Belenky, Clichy, Goldberger, & Tarule
(1986): women finding a “voice”
Reeves, P.M. (1999)

5. Programming Topics & Adult
Development Theories
 Financial Planning
 Generativity vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair
 Technology
 Schlossberg
 Networking/Mentoring
 Intimacy vs. Isolation
 Empowerment of Women
 Belenky, Clichy, Goldberger, & Tarule (1986)

6. Goals of ALSS
 Increase recruitment, retention, and satisfaction of
adult learners at Penn State Lehigh Valley
 Connect adult learners to the campus community
through the development of relationships with each
other
 Help adult learners develop their own “identity” and
support system on campus
 Provide programs of interest that will increase
learning (knowledge) & participation of adult learners
in out-of-class (co-curricular) activities

8. Adult Learner Advisory Council
 Developed to provide feedback and
suggestions for the ALSS program
 Requirements:
 Attend two meetings each semester
 Attend one ALSS event each semester

9. ALAC Membership
 16 adult learners
 5 faculty
 4 staff members

10. Collaborations & Support
 University Relations
 Digital Commons
 Alumni Relations
 Penn State Alumni Career Services
 Student Affairs
 Faculty/staff
 Area professionals/community members

11. Marketing, Advertising, Promotion
 Invitations sent via postal mail to all PSLV adult learners
(Fall 160, Spring 142)
 Invitations emailed to all PSLV adult learners
 Active participation of adult learners in programs
(presenters)
 14” X 8.5” colored posters
 PSLV Newswire
 PSLV News & Events on homepage
 PSLV online campus calendar
 Career Services website (Events page)
 Table tents
 PSU LV Adult Learner group on Facebook
 Student Affairs emails to students regarding
campus events
 Emails to faculty & staff to promote events Adult Learner Success Series:
Nittany Networking Event
 Word of mouth Allentown BrewWorks,
 Promotion by Adult Learner Advisory Council Hamilton Room
February 26, 2009

13. Financial Planning for the Future
Focusing on money management in the current economic climate, as adult
learners face multiple challenges such as supporting a family, funding their
education, debt, job loss and retirement
ATTENDANCE: 50 adult learners, faculty, staff, evening business class

14. Investing, Budgeting & Decreasing Debt
 Kevin Brosious, CFP, CPA, PFS
 Founder & President of Wealth
Management, Inc., a financial
planning and registered
investment advisory firm
 Adjunct professor at both Penn
State Lehigh Valley and DeSales
Universities teaching personal
finance, investments and other
business courses

15. Saving Strategies &
Finding the “Right” Financial Planner
 Ray Hitti
 Marketing Manager for
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
 10 years with John
Hancock Mutual Life
 Adjunct business
professor at Penn State
Lehigh Valley

16. Empowering Adult Learners
through Technology
Combining technology and
networking to increase
community identity among
adult learners by providing
alternative methods of
connecting.
ATTENDANCE:
16 adult learners, faculty and staff

17. Empowering Adult Learners
through Technology
 PSU-LV Adult Learners
on Facebook
 Tricia Clark –
Instructional Designer
 Eileen Grodziak –
Digital Commons
 Jessica Kirkwood –
Coordinator, Career
Services
 Debra Mynar – a
student’s perspective

18. Empowering Adult Learners
through Technology
 LionLink
 Professional networking program for PSU students and
alumni offered through Alumni Career Services
 Connects and establishes relationships with alumni for
career information, advice and more connections
 Networking etiquette

19. Empowering Adult Learners
through Technology
 Nittany Lion Recruiting
 PSU on-line internship and job posting system
 Create a profile
 Post a resume
 Search for internships
 Search for part-time and full-time employment opportunities

20. Empowering Adult Learners
through Technology
 Blogging
 Kate Morgan - Director,
University Relations
 Sharin Crivellaro – a
student’s perspective
 The blogs at Penn State
 Alex Burdine – a
student’s perspective
 Blogging for $

21. Nittany Networking Event
WE ARE PENN STATE!
Bringing adult learners
and alumni together to
build a bridge for
mentoring and
networking
ATTENDANCE:
68 adult learners, faculty,
staff, alumni and guests

22. Nittany Networking Event
 A joint effort of:
 PSU-LV Career Services
 PSU-LV Alumni Society
 PSU Alumni Career Services
 Tips on effective networking
 Jennifer Wetzel & Misty Pavlic,
PSU Alumni Career Services

23. Nittany Networking Event
 William Baker – Owner,
Dunderbak’s Cafe
 Director of National
Restaurant Association

24. Women & Work
Developing an
understanding of women
as leaders and learning
about opportunities for
women in local
organizations
ATTENDANCE:
Adult Learner Success Series:
14 adult learners, faculty, staff Women & Work
Penn State Lehigh Valley
and organization representatives May 7, 2009

25. Women & Work
 Dr. David Livert
 Asst. Professor of Psychology
 Lorraine McClure – a
student’s perspective
 Asst. to Director of Student Affairs
 May B.S. Business graduate

26. Women’s Organizations
 Business & Professional Women’s Club of the Lehigh
Valley
 To achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy,
education, and information
 League of Women Voters
 A nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and
active participation in government, works to increase
understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public
policy through education and advocacy
 CareerLink
 Connects communities, organizations and individuals to new ideas,
technologies, talent, jobs, and opportunities

28. ALSS Program Survey
 Likert 4 point scale = 5 questions
 Assessed knowledge, interaction, connectedness, and
likelihood of future participation
 One open-ended question
 One multiple choice question
 30 surveys completed

29. ALSS Survey RESULTS
Program Know Interact Connect Know Particip Program
Check Avg
Financial 3.73 3.25 3.25 3.58 3.75 3.51
Planning
Technology 3.38 3.00 3.13 3.25 3.38 3.23
Nittany 4.00 4.00 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.70
Network
Women & 3.63 2.86 3.25 3.63 3.50 3.37
Work
OVERALL 3.62 3.14 3.23 3.5 3.57 3.41/4.0

30. ALSS Survey RESULTS
 What programs/services/events will increase
satisfaction levels? (multiple choice)
 Adult learner organization (23)
 Professional development (17)
 Lecture series (16)
 Family-friendly activities (7)
 Other (1 – mentoring)

31. ALSS Survey RESULTS
 How can PSLV enhance the co-curricular experience &
increase investment in campus community?
 “These workshops and discussions are a great
beginning.”
 “By continuing to build relationships on the level of an
adult learner and offer them more programs which will
be helpful to them in their everyday lives.”
 “I’ve enjoyed hearing the personal stories that have been
shared through these sessions. Thank you.”
 Specific topic suggestions: more detailed & active
Facebook group, time management, Second Life, direct
mentoring

33. Group Discussion
 What programs or activities are most likely to attract a
large percentage of such a diverse population of adult
learners?

34. Suggested Improvements
 Actively utilizing adult learners and/or Adult Learner
Advisory Council to plan & implement programs
 Participation in SGA
 Development of Adult Learner Organization
 Collaboration with departments
 Student Development Team (Student Affairs)
 Alumni Relations
 Faculty buy-in

35. Reeves, P. M. (1999). Psychological Development. In M. C.
Clark & R. S. Caffarella (Eds.), New directions for adult
and continuing education: Number 84. An update on
adult development theory: New ways of thinking about
the life course (pp. 19-27). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass
Publishers.