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Lambert, Margaret E.

College of Education and Social Services

2014

M. Ed.

As a professional in higher education, serving a continuing and distance education unit in one of the oldest public universities in the United States, I am witness to modern pressures that ask how higher education should adapt to the evolving socio-economic environment of the twenty-first century. This brings forth a multiplicity of campaigns championing new directions and goals. One of the significant changes occurring is a shift in the demographic audience from "traditional" to "post-traditional" students. This scholarly personal narrative documents how I became a post-traditional student, the needs and challenges I faced, and my experiences as a continuing education professional serving this audience through the development of academic programs.
I explore reasons why I transitioned from a traditional to post-traditional student and how culture, experience, and climates of academia operate at both individual and collective scales that in turn impact the student demographic of higher education. In conclusion, I offer insight as to how an institution of higher education might better serve the post-traditional audience by adopting and promoting leadership models, and providing online and interdisciplinary education opportunities. My narrative weaves together many of my identities: a member of family and diverse communities, a professional and a student, and an educational program developer. This story interconnects a post-traditional higher education experience with how vision, leadership, and a strength based organizational approach contribute to academia.