UPEI celebrates Adult Learners’ Week
This week marks Adult Learners' Week in Canada and UPEI's Centre for Life-Long Learning continues to provide mature students with flexible course schedules and support services year-round.
The Centre has many programming options available for adult learners. Whether they are looking for degree, diploma, certificate, or professional development programs, the Centre for Life-Long Learning can help them determine a path that works best.
Recognizing the unique needs of adult learners and their busy schedules and lifestyles, the Centre for Life-Long Learning offers an increasing number of courses after 4:00 pm, as well as online. Pat MacAulay, the Centre's director, invites mature students to UPEI and notes that 'over the past number of years, the University of Prince Edward Island has seen an increase in the number of adults continuing their education. The decision to return to school is not an easy one, but the Centre for Life-Long Learning is pleased to be able to help adult learners navigate their path and make that return easier.'
Marc Masson is a soon-to-be graduate working to complete his bachelor of business administration, after studying at UPEI for nine years as a mature student. In May, Masson will join his wife and two children as UPEI alumni. 'It is humbling to say that for some of my classes, I would not have been able to pass without the help and tutelage of my children,' he said.
'From a spouse's perspective, it has been a long road for Marc to get his degree,' said Bonnie Masson, Marc's wife. 'It takes a totally different level of commitment for a mature student. When you have to divide yourself between being a husband, father, maintaining a household, and holding down a full-time job, you have to be very committed and never fall short of the long-term goal of your degree. It takes an enormous amount of determination to be able to keep at it and not give up. I am very proud of Marc for attaining his goal.'
A key to UPEI's success in attracting adult learners is through the adoption of Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition (PLAR), a process that identifies and recognizes learning acquired from many sources including informal study, non-credit and workplace courses, work experience, volunteering, and hobbies. This allows adults with experiential learning to gain recognition for it, and reduce the number of credits they need to complete programs.
The Centre is hosting two information sessions on the various programming available to adult learners on Thursday, April 11, in Schurman Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, 6:00-7:00 pm, and on Tuesday, April 16, at the Loyalist Lakeview Resort in Summerside, 12:15-1:15 pm.
Session attendees will hear about UPEI's bachelor of integrated studies program; the PLAR process; certificates in business, accounting, entrepreneurship, and public administration; and professional development programming that are designed to fit into the busy work and home lives of adult learners.
For more information on the sessions, contact the Centre for Life-Long Learning at (902) 566-0336, lifelong@upei.ca or www.upei.ca/lifelonglearning.
