“I’m Not Letting Nothing Stop Me This Time”: Transitions Among Adult Learners Using the Tennessee Reconnect Grant

Objective: States increasingly create promise programs to increase college enrollment and degree attainment. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of adult learners using the Tennessee Reconnect Grant (TN Reconnect) as they transitioned to becoming college students. Methods: Drawing upon interviews with 23 adult learners, this longitudinal qualitative study applied Schlossberg’s Transition Theory to explore the experience of transitioning to college. Results: Findings revealed students who used the TN Reconnect, many of whom were first-generation and low-income students, faced insurmountable barriers that contributed to their decision to initially not enroll in college or drop out of college. Access to TN Reconnect provided an unexpected opportunity for them to return to college. However, participants still faced barriers often associated with adult, first-generation, and low-income students. Contributions: Findings suggest state and institutional policy, and practice must adapt to fit the unique needs of adult learners to maximize degree completion outcomes. As currently structured, promise programs may not provide substantial benefits to student groups who face significant barriers to success, such as adult learners. State policymakers must explore the benefits of adopting a more equitable policy structure and/or implement additional services and resources for adult learners.

Responding to Covid‑19: Experiences of Ashesi University’s Student Affairs Team

The Covid‑19 pandemic has revealed the abilities or lack thereof of many higher education institutions to adequately support the academic and co‑curricular needs of students in times of crisis. In this reflective practitioner account, Schlossberg’s Transition Theory is used to analyse the transitional experiences of students amid the Covid‑19 pandemic and how the Office of Student and Community Affairs (OSCA) team at Ashesi University successfully supported students as they navigated the academic semester. One-to-one interviews with department heads of the five OSCA units were conducted alongside focus group discussions with a cross-section of 17 students. The findings suggest that (i) advising, (ii) engagement, and (iii) timely online support interventions contributed immensely to students’ success in transitioning from in‑person to remote learning.

Developing Social Emotional Learning Competencies Through Virtual Internships

This chapter explores the experiences of four virtual interns working with organizations tackling social issues in Ecuador, Morocco, South Africa, and Vietnam. These internships provided a unique opportunity to develop and apply the social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Schlossberg's transition theory provides a framework for transitioning to another culture and cultural mapping is used as a tool to identify, plan, and mitigate differences in cultural orientations between interns and colleagues in their host countries. The chapter draws upon student narratives and reflections, and supervisor feedback to capture what they learned and the challenges they faced as they completed their virtual internships. The results contribute to the literature related to the development of SEAD competencies through virtual internships for high school and college students.

Exploring the experiences of adult learners in a transition program

Transition programs have emerged as a support for adult learners seeking college education. Adult learners’ perspectives are missing in the literature on transition programs. To better support adult learners in transition programs, it is essential to understand their experiences and perspectives. Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Anderson, Goodman, & Schlossberg, 2012) and Cross’s (1991) student barrier categorizations as a framework, this narrative study investigates the experiences of five adult learners enrolled in a transition program. The findings indicate that the relationships the participants formed through the program served as a support system, and that participation in the program led to a shift in self-perception. The participant narratives also highlight barriers to college enrollment for adult learners, such as difficulty using technology and health related issues.

“It’s Kinda Weird”: Hybrid Identities in the International Undergraduate Community

With benefits international students bring to campus, universities have adopted aggressive recruitment practices and increased institutional support for their retention and positive college engagement (Hegarty, 2014). Due to globalization, increasing numbers of international students enter college with multiple cultural/national affiliations (Gomes, Berry, Alzougool, & Chang, 2014). Yet, little is known about these complex identities and how they shape students’ experiences in U.S. higher education. Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, the article leverages interview data to theorize hybrid national/cultural identities of five “international” undergraduate students at a private university on the Eastern seaboard. Although the institution used passport information to categorize student nationality, participants chose to self-identify less categorically. Our discussion recommends dialogue around international students’ identity constructs to thoughtfully affirm hybridity.