---
title: Member Matters November 2024
description: A monthly lookback at some of the good work the CAEL membership community has done in the world of adult learning.
---

[CAEL Pathways Blog ](https://www.cael.org/resouces/pathways-blog)

# [Member Matters November 2024](https://www.cael.org/resouces/pathways-blog/member-matters-november-2024)

 Written by [Carlo Bertolini](https://www.cael.org/resouces/pathways-blog/author/carlo-bertolini) | Nov 27, 2024

A Monthly Lookback at Some of the Good Work in the CAEL Membership Community

Accelerating Adult Learning  
**Rock Valley College** is opening an adult learner-dedicated campus next year that will offer several programs as well as a community engagement space ([Yahoo News](https://www.yahoo.com/news/rock-valley-college-reveals-plans-195921750.html)).

**National University** held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark its enhanced Los Angeles Campus, which "expands NU's ability to reach, engage, and support a diverse population of learners, specifically nontraditional, working, and military students" ([National University](https://www.nu.edu/news/national-university-dedicates-reimagined-los-angeles-campus-focused-on-supporting-nontraditional-students/)).

**Texas State University** is adding 18 online degree programs for the spring 2025 semester "... to expand access to nontraditional students by giving them the ability to earn a degree online while balancing other life commitments" ([TXST](https://news.txst.edu/inside-txst/2024/texas-state-to-launch-new-online-degree-programs.html)).

Student parents attending the **University of Akron** have more support thanks to a new child care assistance program the university is offering with the Akron Area YMCA ([UA](https://www.uakron.edu/im/news/ua-and-ymca-team-up-to-provide-childcare-relief-for-parenting-students)).

Short-Term Credentials for Long-Term Success  
**Clark University** has added several microcredentials via its School of Professional Studies. The online, asynchronous credentials typically take six weeks to complete and can be stacked into certificates ([Clark University](https://clarknow.clarku.edu/2024/10/15/microcredentials-macro-benefit/)).

**Ivy Tech Community College** hosted the "first of many" fiber optic workshops with Amazon Web Services. The workshops provide two days of training in support of Amazon's $11 billion data center. The data center is the focus of the largest capital investment in Indiana history and will create at least 1,000 jobs ([Ivy Tech](https://www.ivytech.edu/about-ivy-tech/news/south-bend/2024/amazon-web-services)).

With support from Ontario's Microcredentials Challenge Fund, **Fleming College** is adding five industry-tailored microcredentials ([Fleming College](https://flemingcollege.ca/news/five-new-micro-credential-courses-added-to-flemings-continuing-education-offerings/)).

**West Virginia Northern Community College**, with the assistance of several industry leaders, has added a compressor mechanic program, which qualifies students for high-demand occupations while opening up opportunities to complete additional certifications ([WVNCC](https://www.wvncc.edu/news/wvncc-launches-compressor-mechanic-training/9105)).

Rewarding Links Between Learning and Work   
**Rogue Community College's** longstanding collaboration with La Clinica continues to create hands-on learning opportunities for students aspiring to become dental professionals, addressing labor shortages in the workforce and supporting curriculum development at the college ([RCC](https://www.roguecommunity.net/rogue-community-college-and-la-clinica-partnership-strengthens-dental-training-workforce/)).

CPL as transfer credit is a prominent feature in an agreement between **Governors State University** and the Illinois State Police, whose troopers can now apply cadet training toward a bachelor of arts in criminal justice. A separate agreement offers CPL toward master's degrees in criminal justice, public administration, and counseling/psychology ([GovState](https://gsunews.govst.edu/governors-state-university-and-illinois-state-police-create-educational-partnership/)).

The Center for Automotive and Mobility Studies has opened at **Northwood University**, where it will play host to a range of industry-aligned credentialing programs as well as industry summits ([Northwood University](https://www.northwood.edu/news/northwood-celebrates-new-center-for-automotive-mobility-studies/)).

**The University of Akron** and Akron Children's Hospital are collaborating to offer a no-cost associate degree in nursing pathway to students ([Akron Children's](https://www.akronchildrens.org/news/Akron-Children-s-and-the-University-of-Akron-partner-to-offer-an-Associate-Degree-in-Nursing-program.html)).

**Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville State University**,** **and the Fayetteville Public Works Commission are creating the Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Building Training and Assessment Center. The center will offer specialized training to qualify workers needed to help commercial and institutional buildings reduce energy expenses and greenhouse gas emissions ([Greater Fayetteville Business Journal](https://bizfayetteville.com/more-news/2024/10/14/ftcc-will-join-fayetteville-state-university-and-fayetteville-pwc-in-collaborative-effort-to-create-new-green-economy-jobs/3551)).

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation® is partnering with **Mississippi State University **and** Penn State Behrend **in the America's Cutting Edge (ACE) program, a joint initiative of the Departments of Defense and Energy formed to "reestablish American leadership in the machining industry through transformative thinking, technology innovation, and workforce development" ([IACMI](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iacmi-announces-key-partnerships-with-mississippi-state-university-and-penn-state-behrend-to-establish-machining-training-centers-302283305.html)).

**Elizabethtown College** is partnering with the [Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce](https://news.etown.edu/index.php/2024/10/16/elizabethtown-college-school-of-graduate-and-professional-studies-partners-with-greater-lehigh-valley-chamber-of-commerce-on-tuition-discount/) and [RKL](https://news.etown.edu/index.php/2024/10/31/elizabethtown-college-school-of-graduate-and-professional-studies-partners-with-rkl-pennsylvanias-1-accounting-firm/), a major CPA and advisory firm, to offer tuition discounts to employees, their spouses, and their dependents (Elizabethtown College).

Awards and Other Achievements  
The senior associate director in the **University of Nebraska Omaha**'s division of continuing studies was honored with the 2024 Outstanding Distance Learning Adult Educator Award by the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education ([University of Nebraska Omaha](https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-public-affairs-and-community-service/news/2024/april-paschall-recognized-for-excellence-in-distance-learning.php)).

Outreach to adult learners is among the success factors behind the **University of the District of Columbia's** surge in enrollment ([UDC](https://www.udc.edu/2024/10/23/enrollment-at-university-of-the-district-of-columbia-continues-to-climb/)).

**Several CAEL members** are newly or recertified Seal of *Excelencia* honorees. The Seal is a "national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latino students" ([Excelencia in Education](https://www.edexcelencia.org/press-releases/trendsetting-institutions-earn-seal-excelencia-going-beyond-enrollment-intentionally)).

A recent report has found that **Benedict College** generates a regional economic impact of $78.7 million ([Columbia Regional Business Report](https://columbiabusinessreport.com/report-benedict-college-in-columbia-has-79m-economic-impact/)).

**Fleming College** celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre, which generates an annual economic impact of $32.2 for its region ([Fleming College](https://flemingcollege.ca/news/fleming-college-celebrates-10-year-kttc-anniversary-with-community-impact-and-appreciation-event/)).

The **University of Michigan–Flint **has, for the 10th straight year, received Gold-level veteran-friendly status from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency ([UM-Flint](https://news.umflint.edu/2024/10/02/um-flint-earns-gold-level-veteran-friendly-school-status-for-10th-consecutive-year/)).

In its *Five-Year Graduate Follow-Up Report*, the **Wisconsin Technical College System** highlighted several positive key performance indicators, including that 98% of graduates are employed and 72% say their technical college education was "important to achieving higher-level positions within their organizations" ([WTCS](https://www.wtcsystem.edu/impact/news/wtcs-reports-positive-salary-outcomes-and-career-advancements-in-latest-five-year-follow-up/)).

**Moravian University** has been named an Apple Distinguished School for the 2024-2027 term, "[highlighting] Moravian's ongoing commitment to academic innovation, student engagement, and the seamless integration of technology in education" ([Moravian University](https://news.moravian.edu/2024/10/01/moravian-university-named-apple-distinguished-school-for-2024-2027/)).

[View full post](https://www.cael.org/resouces/pathways-blog/member-matters-november-2024)

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