Adult learners at Wichita State University are taking advantage of a new program that will help them navigate the school day.
Adult Learner Community and Connections connects students with peers who can guide adult learners through health-related courses and help them access college resources.
Pamela O'Neill and Amber Anderson, deputy directors of the Office of Online and Adult Learning, said they created the program to address a gap in resources for adult learners.
“We hear time and time again that they need resources, they need to feel a sense of belonging,” O'Neill said.
O'Neill and Anderson created a video to pitch their idea and entered it into the contest. Urban Adult Learner InstituteThey won a grant and used it to launch “Community Connections” as a one-year pilot program.
Cynthia Pizzini, a marketing student, said she initially found it difficult to stick to her studies when she left her full-time job to attend school.
“There were a lot of resources out there, but I always had to go find them myself. I'm always on campus, so I could imagine how hard it was for someone online,” she said.
“Navigating our website can be a little daunting, it can be hard to find the information you need and you may not know who to call, especially if it’s an emergency.
So when this program was announced, she jumped at the chance to help her peers.
“I said, 'Sure, I'll do it,'” she said.
Pizzini said he hopes the program will address some of the challenges he experienced and keep adult learners motivated.
“The biggest step is getting back, so you don't want another obstacle or multiple obstacles to get in your way and make you think, 'Oh, this is too hard. I'm not going to do this,'” she said.
The second half of the program is an eight-module course that focuses on different types of wellness: social, emotional, physical, etc. The office has worked with other student services to outline resources available to students related to these components.
“If you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed, we all know how negatively it can affect your health,” O'Neill said.
Students will earn prize incentives upon completing modules. Prizes for course completion will be merchandise from the Shocker Store.
“Adult learners sometimes feel like they don't belong here, maybe in their own mind, and we want to show them that they do belong here,” O'Neill said.
O'Neill and Anderson said they plan to continue connecting with the community beyond this year.
“(The next step) is to get feedback from our peer ambassadors, the departments we work with and the students,” Anderson said, “and then recalibrate and try again.”