Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Dr. Ayelet Zur-Nayberg. She is the Director of Adult Student Success at the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), where he has been working for two years. She is responsible for developing and implementing policies, programs, and initiatives that support the academic and career goals of adult learners across 13 colleges and 40 campuses. Ayelet is passionate about enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education for all learners, especially those who face barriers and disadvantages. She has been nominated for several awards that recognize her work and efforts to advance the Latinx community and the use of innovative pedagogy in Colorado. In this ‘inclusive’ conversation Dr. Ayelet and I talk about 00:00 › Start 02:09 › Adulting—We discuss the importance of adult learners and the significant role they play in the community college ecosystem, especially given the shrinking population of traditional college-age students 06:01 › Toughing It Out There—Dr. Ayelet then outlines the primary challenges faced by adult learners, from scheduling to recognition of prior learning. We also cover systemic barriers that hinder adult learner progress and steps being taken to address them 20:10 ›Strategizing—Dr. Ayelet then discusses strategies for recruiting and retaining adult learners, focusing on the need for transparent communication regarding schedules, costs, and potential returns on investment. This also includes the importance of rebranding the community college experience to make it more appealing and accessible to adult learners 33:51 ›Inclusiving—Finally, we discuss the significance of creating a supportive and peer-inclusive environment for non-traditional learners, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to tutoring and learning resources. Subscribe for the latest news, practice and thought leadership at eLearnMagazine.com