CAEL Celebrates Successes of HBCU Adult Learner Initiative To Highlight HBCU Week

HBCU Week, which grew out of a 1980 executive order by President Jimmy Carter to “expand the capacity of historically Black colleges and universities to provide quality education,” is observed in diverse ways around the country. This year, CAEL is extending the occasion into a second week (beginning Sept. 15)  by celebrating the impact and collaboration of the HBCU Adult Learner Initiative (HBCU ALI) created by Lumina Foundation. 

A cohort of five HBCUs in North Carolina was selected to participate in the HBCU Adult Learner Initiative. The institutions included Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Shaw University, and Winston-Salem State University. 

CAEL’s support to the universities featured a full-day Adult Learner Summit and continual technical assistance and coaching provided by CAEL experts specializing in key areas of adult learner success. Focus areas covered credit for prior learning; adult learner enrollment, completion, and workforce development strategies; change management; implementation of CAEL standards for effectively serving adult learners; and enhancing institutional mindsets around equity.

CAEL’s extended HBCU Week celebrations will feature content highlighting the progress and success of the HBCU ALI, including a guest blog from our partner, the Center for Innovation in Postsecondary Education (CIPE). In addition, CAEL will offer two special events:  

Supporting Adult Learners Through Credit for Prior Learning: What Does It Take To Implement This Strategy at My College

Sept. 16, 1-2 p.m. ET

During this special event for HBCUs, participants will discuss their experiences leveraging CPL to address key goals at their institutions, especially recruitment and completion. Topics will include how to increase CPL awareness and support among key leaders, how to frame CPL as a strategy for student success, and how CPL  strategies have been effectively pursued and implemented despite challenges. 

Link: https://cael-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8QHvWjHXQyy126WXaAZQiA 

Expanding the Promise: Engaging Adult Learners in HBCUs

Sept. 18, 2-3 p.m. ET.

During this special CAEL member event that is open to the public,  attendees will hear from four of the participating HBCU ALI institutions about their development and implementation of strategies to engage, support, and advance adult learners to educational and career success. From recruitment to onboarding, from dedicated support staff to energized adult student organizations, and from the use of CPL to the revision of existing programs, these institutions will showcase how they are embracing adult learners and helping them realize the promise of higher education. Register here. 

More information about the HBCU ALI is available at cael.org.