Conversations @UI&U

Adults seeking a Bachelor of Arts education that honors their experience as well as their individual talents and interests need look no further than Union Institute & University.

Administered out of the university’s Vermont centers, the BA program attracts adult learners who are determined to use their education to make a difference in their own communities - from rural towns in Vermont and Brazil to the bustling streets of New York City and Hong Kong.

Graduates from the BA program include internationally recognized entrepreneurs, New York Times-reviewed novelists, and community leaders. They come to UI&U seeking a program that honors and expands on their unique talents, enabling them to learn in a setting that encourages dialogue with other learners and faculty, and that often yields lifelong friendships and future academic collaborations.

@UI&U recently talked to Kathleen Murphy, interim director of enrollment for Vermont, and Dr. Ann Stanton, associate dean, to learn more about what sets this program apart from other adult undergraduate programs.

@UI&U: What is unique about the Vermont B.A. program? What sets it apart from bachelor’s programs at other universities?

Kathleen: The learner-centered, individualized, interdisciplinary nature of the B.A. educational model is unique. The fact that we offer three delivery options – Colloquium (involving a week-long, in-person residency in either Montpelier or Brattleboro each term), Weekend (involving five weekend residencies during each term) and Online (completely online learning, with no residency requirement) – sets it apart.

Learners relax between classes at UI&U's
Vermont Academic Center One of the most frequent responses from B.A. learners over the years is how surprised they are at the amount of individual attention and guidance they receive from both faculty and staff. Each learner develops an individualized study project with faculty assistance. The feedback they receive through dialogue with their faculty mentor is specific to the learner’s studies. This differs from other undergraduate programs, where faculty must respond to a large number of learners who’ve all submitted the same assignment. Adult learners appreciate that the interdisciplinary nature of the program allows them to easily integrate multiple interests.  Those who may be less certain of their academic interests appreciate the freedom for exploration.  The choice of delivery options accommodates the variety in learners’ personal schedules and learning styles.

Another unique quality of the learning process in the B.A. program is the collaborative way in which faculty work with learners. It’s recognized that, through their life experiences, learners bring something to the table. Faculty mentors are very interested in hearing what learners have to say about what they’re reading and learning, and are very skilled at guiding learners on how to incorporate personal experience into academic learning in an appropriate way.

Ann: The program was designed for adults in 1964 – before anyone ever really had much theory or knowledge about adults’ educational needs.  Thus, it was originally designed for adults, (not adapted to them), and we’ve had decades of experience working with adults.

The B.A. program recognizes that adults have knowledge and interests based on their work lives and their many years of navigating the real world.  This program honors that experience by asking learners to write in the first person, to read scholars and other authors as their equals, and to do more than memorize or “build up” knowledge.  Rather, we expect them to create knowledge, based on what they learn academically and combine that with their reflection on that new academic knowledge and  their own previous knowledge.

And we believe that learning occurs in relationship:  relationship to the faculty advisor, relationship to the topic, relationship to the scholarship.  We encourage dialogue and conversation – between learner and faculty advisor, between learner and the scholarship and scholars.  The learner is an active agent, by design, and never a passive recipient.

@UI&U:  What new developments in the B.A. program are you most excited about? Why?

Kathleen: With the recent change from a semester to a trimester calendar, we’ve added an additional Colloquium residency in the spring.  The Colloquium option provides the opportunity for face-to-face, personal interaction with faculty and fellow learners, as well as the convenience, for the remainder of the term, of accomplishing one’s studies from home. Plus, spring is a lovely time to visit Vermont!  Another new addition is that we’re offering a variety of six-credit seminars in two sessions during the spring/summer term. It never ceases to be exciting to witness the transformation and accomplishments of our learners.

Ann: Approximately five years ago, we designed a totally online version of our program, asking ourselves whether our philosophy and practices could be “translated” in this way.  The answer has been a resounding, “Yes!”  That has been both exciting and gratifying.

Our new venture is to offer eight-week seminars, again aiming to embody our philosophy and practices.  These are interdisciplinary seminars and are offered in both a hybrid format and totally online.  People who have read our “catalog” say that they want to take all the seminars.  This new venture will show both faculty and learners the utility and the power of our progressive philosophy.  We hope to reach and convince a wider audience via this format.

@UI&U:  Can you describe the qualities/traits of the typical learner enrolled in the B.A. program?

Kathleen: We have a wide range of learners, both in age and experience.  Some learners have extensive previous college experience, while others are just beginning.  Many learners have been quite successful in their professional lives but, for a variety of reasons, never started or completed a college degree, while some learners never had an opportunity to pursue their educational goals. It’s not uncommon to hear from people who are motivated to return to school when their youngest child is entering college. They say they’re determined to earn their own degree first!  Others wish to set an example of the importance of education for their young children.  Some learners have finally figured out what they really want to do in their lives. Those goals often require a graduate degree so the learner must first complete the unfinished business of earning an undergraduate degree. Regardless of the circumstances, the individualized nature of the B.A. program allows faculty to meet learners at their skill level when they begin their studies. More experienced learners aren’t held back as they might be in a large, traditional class. In their beginning terms, less experienced learners can focus on developing critical thinking, research, and writing skills to build a foundation for future studies.

Ann:  I’ve been working here since 1991, and the “typical” learner characteristics have changed somewhat.  The most stable characteristic is the adult who needs or wants to earn a degree and is not satisfied to do so by taking courses that meet weekly or bi-weekly.

The learners generally have a clear idea of what truly interests them, and they want to spend their limited energy and financial resources doing work that “feeds” and not “depletes” them. They are also self-motivated and take initiative.  They want to understand, not just memorize.

@UI&U: Why is a liberal arts education still important in today’s job market?

Kathleen: Particularly at the undergraduate level, a liberal arts education is very valuable. In today’s market, job seekers must be creative about applying their skills across a range of positions available to them instead of holding out for that one perfect job.  A liberal arts education develops skills that translate to a wide range of professions. Employers and graduate schools recognize that the breadth of a liberal arts education creates strong critical, analytical, and, perhaps most importantly, flexible thinkers who are effective problem solvers.  The skills attained through a liberal arts education enable one to see the big picture as opposed to someone whose education may be more narrowly focused. The focus on writing in Union’s B.A. program creates strong communication skills necessary to success in any field.

Ann:   Employers are truly looking for someone who is self-motivated, who can write clearly and powerfully, who can take in and evaluate new information, who is creative, who can think from many different perspectives.