After making her morning run on Bus No. 8 for Can Buren school district, driver Belinda Lee grabs her own book-bag and heads for a day of classes at the University. As a 49-year-old grandmother of seven, Lee is not a typical college student.

Upon graduating from high school, college simply did not seem an option for Lee. She went to work instead as a sales clerk and later married and had three children. Now that her children are grown, Lee is pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.

“I’m living my dream,” Lee said as she reflected on her college experience.

While Lee’s case may be irregular by starting college as a grandmother, she represents a growing segment of the student population known as adult learners. Unlike non-traditional students who simply take longer than average to complete a degree program, adult learners have been away from an educational program for at least seven years. Once they return to the school environment, they are juggling multiple responsibilities of family and career, in addition to their educational requirements.

On the national level, adult learners comprise a considerable segment of the student population. The National Center for Education Statistics reported for fall 1998, that 41 percent of students enrolled in degree-granting, higher education institutions, were adult learners.

At the University, the adult learner population is well below the national level but, is at a growing rate. For spring 2001, the undergraduate enrollment for evening courses was 9.26 percent, which was up from fall 1992 at 6 percent, according to records at Adult Learner Services.

“As a whole, if you look over the past several years, there has been a significant change in the adult learner population at BGSU,” said Stan Lewis, director of Adult Learner Services. Over the nine-year period from 1992 to 2001, evening enrollment has shown a steady increase of more than 400 students.

Lewis accounts for the wide variable between the local and national statistics to the emergence of non-traditional universities such as the University of Phoenix, which caters only to adult learners.

“They hold online courses or conduct weekend classes in regional centers,” Lewis said. He added that they also offer more convenience for adult working students by offering accelerated degree programs.

At the University, programs are expanding to provide more flexible classes to accommodate adult learners. One new option is the advanced technology education program, which is offered at off-site locations such as Owens and Terra Community colleges. The program is designed to eliminate a lengthy commute to the University, and with the use of two-way audio teleconferencing, students at the two locations participate in the same class. This program is only offered to experienced students; participants must have an associates degree and be working towards the completion of a four-year degree.

In direct response to the need of flexible schedules for adult learners, the University has also been making some changes as well. A total of five degree programs can now be entirely completed through evening courses. They include liberal studies, electronic and computer technology, manufacturing technology, social work and general business. Major portions of other degree programs are offered through evening courses, Lewis said, but some of the required classes are still only available during daytime hours.

“We are also working on developing online programs,” Lewis said. These programs are considered to be in their infant stage, and even though they are designed to offer flexibility for the adult learner population, they will be available for traditional students as well. Under this program, students complete assignments online at their own convenience within a specified time frame.

“All of these changes mirror what’s happening nationwide with the increased trend of enrollment for adult learners,” Lewis said.

As for Belinda Lee, a flexible schedule is an issue that she well understands. While preparing a lunch of pigs-in-a-blanket for her grandson Tim, Lee thought about her tutoring responsibilities, assignment deadlines and awaiting laundry. For the adult learner, time and convenience is of the essence.