The Michigan Center for Adult College Success

10/13/2026

You're not too late! Join our Adult Learner Navigator Community of Practice and take part in our October 23 virtual meetup.

Launched just under a year ago, the ALNCoP has grown exponentially into a robust peer support system and catalyst for professional growth. We're all coming together to work toward better outcomes for adult learners across Michigan.

By joining this dynamic community, you’ll have access to a members-only webpage with a member directory and fantastic resources you can utilize to adapt best practices from others in this vital network. Join today!

Michigan's Adult Learner Navigator Community of Practice offers strategies to better support adult learners' success.

10/08/2026

Congratulations to Northern Michigan University as they launch their ‘Evergreen’ initiative! Through our Innovation Investment Award, NMU designed the program to bring together traditional credit-bearing courses, non-credit learning, and continuing education, with options to build those experiences into a larger learning portfolio or even apply them toward a degree.

The goal is to give working adults and other nontraditional learners more flexible ways to build skills, adapt as industries change, and continue their education without committing immediately to a full degree program. Learn more:

Evergreen is a system of life-long learning that allows people to get educational experiences from NMU and hopes to make it more accessible for anyone in the U.P. to pursue education from ‘the high schooler to the retiree’.

10/06/2026

We had the best time at last week! We got to present with our friends from C-BEN and Gogebic Community College about our work in Michigan to increase institutional support for adult learners. We're excited to take everything we learned and apply it to our work.

09/30/2026

We'll be heading to Muskegon for the rest of the week for the Michigan Community College Association's Student Success Summit! Our team will be presenting at the event and members of our Adult Learner Navigator Community of Practice will be hosting sessions as well. If you'll be in attendance, come find us and say hi! https://bit.ly/3VXK5Yz

09/29/2026

Exciting developments over at Wayne State University! Tomorrow they'll be hosting an open house to celebrate the launch of their Office of Transfer & Adult Learners (TAL).

TAL is designed to help students navigate their path to and through Wayne State by removing barriers, expanding flexible pathways, and connecting students with the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive — with the goal of making Wayne State a more adult learner-friendly institution.

We can't wait to see all of the great work that will be done through TAL!

Please join us as we celebrate the launch of the Office of Transfer & Adult Learners (TAL). As part of a broader restructuring, TAL brings together and strengthens the support available to tran...

09/24/2026

One hard part about making lasting institutional change.... buy in.

Making sure everyone is on board with the changes needed to better support adult learners can be challenging. But we're here to help!

Listen in to this testimonial on how things went for Jackson College:

09/22/2026

Road map stop three! To scale effective system changes to better serve adult learners, we need to provide a single location for individual institutions to learn about what works and what doesn’t. The Center is that hub.

View the full Road Map: https://bit.ly/3PxqaNz

09/16/2026

September is National Student Parent Month! A great way to support student parents is to ensure their basic needs are met so they can focus on their academic aspirations.

Last week, our team attended the Basic Needs Summit hosted by the Michigan College Access Network and the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in Lansing. Muskegon Community College presented about their Jayhawk Hub, a model for serving adult learners with essential resources.

It was great to gather with other professionals from across Michigan who are committed to this important work.

09/10/2026

The Higher Learning Commission has an exciting opportunity available this school year — Design Camp: Foundations.

Institutions are facing growing pressure to create new pathways that prepare learners with the skills needed for the workforce.

HLC can help! Over the course of the 6 month Design Camp, teams will engage with practical tools, institutional examples, facilitated discussion and planning resources designed to support meaningful conversations across departments and will result in the creation of a Credential Innovation Action Plan.

Learn more and apply today!

Over the course of 6 months, create a plan for the strategy, systems and partnerships needed to support credential innovation.

09/08/2026

Building sustainable pathways for adult learners requires coordination across sectors.

Higher ed institutions.
Local employers.
Adult learners.

When we all work together, change happens. Check out Michelle's latest blog post, featuring a great case study of this collaborative work in action — all aimed at addressing the nursing shortage in West Michigan.

The demand for healthcare professionals in West Michigan continues to grow. According to regional labor market data, healthcare and social assistance jobs are projected to grow by 8% through 2028, […]