Mature student numbers decline: why it matters and how to reverse it

New on Wonkhe: Mature student numbers have seen more than a decade of decline. For Rachel Hewitt, it’s high time this was turned around https://lnkd.in/es2uGupE "The decline in mature students is more than a higher education story. It’s a warning sign for our economy and for our ability to adapt to change. The LLE offers a chance to reverse the trend – but only if universities, employers, and policymakers work together to make lifelong learning a reality."

🎓 “It’s not something that’s out of their reach.” For over ten years, teacher Ruth has worked with IntoUniversity Leeds East to open up the world of Higher Education to her pupils. Through the Primary FOCUS programme, young people gain not only academic and social skills but the opportunity to visit the University of Leeds, which can be transformative for their future ambitions. 📽️ Read Ruth’s reflections and watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eHTs9Kha #IntoUniversity #Leeds #IUImpact #IUPartnerships #IUCommunities

Middle school isn’t just about academics. Explore 5 essential life skills that should be prioritized in middle school curricula to help students thrive. https://lnkd.in/g_Zq2H_Z

Students at Wesleyan University often double-major and explore widely, so they need degree planning tools that match that flexibility. In under nine months — and with only two IT staff — Wesleyan launched Stellic to modernize degree audit and planning even as they navigate an SIS transition. They saw impact right out of the gate, with nearly 600 programs added to student plans and 20% of sophomores mapped at least one major/minor in their first semester on the platform. Read how Wesleyan made academic planning simpler and more student-centered at a record-breaking pace: https://lnkd.in/gq-pn_Yd

Wesleyan’s students don’t take a straight path, and their systems shouldn’t force one. This is a great example of how quickly universities can modernize planning tools to match student choice and complexity.

Starting secondary school can feel like a big leap. Here’s how to make the transition smoother for students 👉 https://lnkd.in/e-GUJdq3

Graduate teaching assistant Mallory Dolorfino reflects on the hidden harms of traditional grading systems in higher education, from exacerbating inequities to impacting student well-being. 📖 Read how grading practices can unintentionally cause damage, and explore ideas for more equitable approaches in our latest Math Values post here: https://lnkd.in/eaG6rKjj

When illness gets in the way of your studies, it doesn’t have to mean falling behind. 💡 Check out A Student’s Guide to Academic Survival and learn how to stay on track, even during tough times. 💪📚 https://lnkd.in/geMnPAcB #AcademicSurvival #StudentSuccess #CourseTutors

Jerry Davis yes. There's a further aspect to consider: outside of the US -as in, say, Italy- the idea that higher education in the US is the Ivy League, makes the public opinion, business leaders, and policy makers say that higher education has to be like the Ivy league. In turn that produces the following: a pervasive rhetoric of excellence (a bla bla, though), the subtraction of funds to tertiary education in the name of competitiveness and "excellence", ever decreasing rates of participation to higher education of large shares of the population.

I cannot overstate how often I used Landscape during both committee-based evaluation (CBE) application review and our admissions committee. Literally every time I saw a student with an SAT or ACT score that was below our "admitted students range" I would check Landscape to see how they stacked up against their school peers. And guess what, I easily did that without mentioning race or ethnicity. I simply said "Student A's SAT is below our admitted student profile but is 100 points above their school's 75th percentile." In most cases that redirected the conversation away from "did they hit their number?" to "can they still do the work as a prospective college student?" Multiple forms of context should continue to matter during application review, and if it doesn't what's the point of even hiring humans to read any applications in the first place?