Though non-traditional students have morphed into the new majority students on college and university campuses across the United States, public and institutional policy has largely remained focused on the “traditional” 18-22-year-old demographic. Unfortunately, this has created an environment that leaves the majority of students underserved on their own campuses, but a group of associations focused on the non-traditional student population is working to change that. The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the Presidents Forum, backed by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, have formed the National Adult Learner Coalition to affect state and national policy and to create a larger voice for non-traditional higher education. In this interview, Robert Hansen reflects on the aims of the National Adult Learner Coalition and shares his thoughts on taking a collaborative approach to this work.

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