Adult Learner 360 Confirms University’s Commitment to Adult Learners

Adult learners attending CAEL institutional member Barry University have given the university high marks, the university detailed in a recent blog post. The student feedback was captured this fall via the university’s participation in CAEL’s Adult Learner 360^TM. 

Adult Learner 360 is an online assessment tool CAEL offers institutions to reveal how their policies and programs impact adult learners. It features parallel surveys, one for students, the other for faculty and staff. 

Institutions receive results in the forms of raw and comparison data, a gap analysis, and an assessment relative to national median scores. CAEL experts also provide a comprehensive written analysis that includes specific recommendations aligned with CAEL’s legacy 10 Principles for Effectively Serving Adults and the Framework for Creating Adult Learner Leaders for Institutional Effectiveness (ALLIES).

As noted in its article, Barry University consistently scored above the median, indicating that its adult learners have reported very high satisfaction compared to peer institutions. “At Barry University, adult learners are at the heart of our mission—and the latest Adult Learner 360 report confirms that our commitment is paying off,” the university wrote.

Institutional strengths highlighted in the survey findings included empowering academic environments, transparency that builds trust, and a welcoming community for every student, the university shared. 

Adult Learner 360's unique approach dates to 1998, when CAEL benchmarked adult learning policies and procedures at a cohort of high-performing colleges and universities. CAEL analyzed the results to catalog best practices with a proven impact at Adult Learning Focused Institutions (ALFI).

Like its precursor ALFI, Adult Learner 360’s surveys would be oriented around CAEL's foundational 10 Principles for Effectively Serving Adults. The Principles were restructured within the ALLIES Framework when it was established in 2022, providing a change management process to developing strategies and building capacity for serving adult learners. The Framework has assumed the Principles' role of guiding postsecondary institutions and state systems in meeting the diverse needs of post-traditional learners amid ever-shifting education and employment landscapes. 

More than 200 institutions have partnered with CAEL to complete Adult Learner 360 surveys. For information on how to arrange an Adult Learner 360 survey process, contact Scott Campbell at scampbell@cael.org.