Explorations in Adult Higher Education

An Occasional Paper Series

Our Work Today

Summer 2011 • Number 1 Editor: Alan Mandell Associate editor: Karen LaBarge Designer: Gael Fischer Copy editor: Debra Park

Director of publications: Kirk Starczewski Print Shop supervisor: Ron Kosiba Keyboard specialist: Janet Jones SUNY Empire State College Print Shop

Cover and inside art by Betty Wilde-Biasiny

Betty Wilde-Biasiny is an artist, curator and has been a mentor in visual art at SUNY Empire State College since 1998. She is an associate professor and coordinates the visual art program at the college’s Metropolitan Center in New York City. Some career highlights include the Individual Artist Award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and a solo exhibition of digital prints and watercolors at the SACI (Studio Art Centers International), in Florence, Italy, in May 2011. Academic degrees include a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio University, and a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University.

Cover: Schemata II, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper. Explorations in Adult Higher Education

An Occasional Paper Series

Our Work Today

summer 2011 number 1 f SUNY Empire State College’s occasional paper series brings together the ideas, voices and multiple perspectives of those engaged in thinking about adult higher education today. Our goal is to critically examine our theories and practices, to provoke dialogue, and to imagine new possibilities of teaching and learning.

Advisory Board

Catherine Marienau, School for New Learning, DePaul University

Amy Rose, Northern Illinois University

Steve Schapiro, The Fielding Institute

Edward Taylor, Penn State University

Kathleen Taylor, St. Mary’s College of California

Alan Tait, Open University (UK)

The ideas expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of SUNY Empire State College or the members of the Explorations in Adult Higher Education Advisory Board.

ii explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Table of Contents

Introducing: Explorations in Adult Higher Education ...... 1 Alan Mandell

Pioneers of the Learning Age ...... 3 Michael R. Welton

Adult Higher Education at the Intersection of Globalization, Internationalization and Social Justice ...... 11 Mary V. Alfred

The Role of Strategic Planning in Fostering Innovation in Adult and Open Higher Education ...... 21 Alan R. Davis, Mitchell S. Nesler and Lynne M. Wiley

Working Toward Wisdom in Adult Education in Changing Times ...... 31 Elizabeth J. Tisdell

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n iii Betty Wilde-Biasiny, Schemata I, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper.

iv explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Introducing: Explorations in Adult Higher Education

Alan Mandell, Editor

Enlightenment is useless but some of its principles are not – for example, unconventionality. Anne Carson, “The Anthropology of Water” (1995)

he education of adults is no longer an aside. Over the last 40 years or so, degree programs for adults have become a significant part of the university landscape around the world. Public and private, secular Tand denominational, small and large colleges have opened their doors to the so-called “mature student.” As adult educators, we can only take great pride in our accomplishment.

The reasons why so many institutions have embraced such former outsiders is complex but, without doubt, the growth of the adult student population into, for example, the majority of American college students today is intimately tied to fiscal realities in which the search for new market segments became a necessity. Adults were right there – in desperate need of credentials and eager to start (or complete) something that they believed was out of reach. Night and weekend classes, online learning, new (often more professionally-oriented) curricula, opportunities for part-time study, and even the recognition of prior experiential learning (RPL, PLA) became the means by which a growing number of institutions sought to welcome adult learners to post-secondary education.

But our accomplishments: significant access for those who had previously been denied entry, the legitimacy of adult education as a rich and academically significant area of study, and the grudging acknowledgment that the university

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 1 does not have a monopoly on defining and delivering everything that could or should be learned – all of this work, all of these triumphs, cannot hide the fact that our important successes have been achieved not without traces of palpable limitations.

Sprinkled through the long history of adult education has been a deeply critical spirit, one that has questioned taken-for-granted assumptions about teaching and learning, about the role of schooling in society, about the range of voices that have been given the right to speak, and about the power of educational institutions to control the content, the evaluation, and the very shape of our thinking. Indeed, in announcing the limits of the conventional, adult educators have continued to push us to rethink our core values and to deal straight on with the most basic questions that underlie everything we do: How, when and where do people best learn? How can we pay attention to the ideas, the feelings – to the experiences – of our students? What is the role of the teacher in encouraging and facilitating learning? What do we actually mean by learning? What is a good society and how can we contribute to its creation?

How can we continue to deliberately, imaginatively and unconventionally take on these questions?

The goal of this new SUNY Empire State College occasional paper series is to remind us of this rich legacy, of the issues that have informed its critique, and, especially at a time of significant success when the conventional seems to be going our way, to encourage us not to get rusty but, instead, to grapple with the kinds of questions that have infused the spirit and determination of so much of what so many adult educators have been trying to do for decades and decades. It is, perhaps, as Michael Welton describes in these pages, one small effort to try to “slow us down” in order that we can more carefully reflect on and “challenge” our work. It is to ask, perhaps in new ways, whether, as Mary Alfred wonders, we are, right now, actually in or “out of sync with the realities of a global world.” The goal of these “explorations” also is to think about the concrete ways that we can “sustain innovation,” given the institutional complexities that Alan Davis, Mitchell Nesler and Lynne Wiley outline in their contribution. It is about how not to lose the momentum urged by Elizabeth Tisdell of “embracing [the] paradox” and searching for the “wisdom” in our collective efforts. This is at the heart of our work today. m

2 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Pioneers of the Learning Age Michael R. Welton

dult educators in the 1950s had a big dream. They imagined that they could establish a separate discipline based on unique methods for teaching individual adults inA various settings and psychological insights into how individuals learn. But they have had to abandon the dream of monopolizing the scientific and humanist understanding of how and where and why adults learn. As it turns out, many disciplines now share this complex enterprise, often unaware of the fact that they are even studying adult learning. Thus, paradoxically, adult education departments in Canada and the United States – if they even still exist – remain small and intellectually confused at this precipitous historical moment when the discourse of the learning society has highlighted how central human learning is to all dimensions of human existence and transformative possibilities. In these brief reflections, I want to offer some comments on this paradox and make some simple observations on what this might mean for those of us still interested in viewing experience and possibility through the learning lens (and teaching students in marginal spaces in universities).

Today, the notion of the “learning society” – and its cognates, the “learning organization,” the “learning city” – has made its way into corporate boardrooms and the policy dens of governing elites. We have become increasingly self-conscious that we are some sort of learning society; that a learning organization is a hopeful kind of enterprise, that something good might happen if we think of our cities as learning cities. What is it that our troubled global society is trying to name, to discover, to accomplish? Is the learning age rhetoric just one more desperate gasp at breathing life and hope

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 3 into our world of terrorism, financial and spirits, at work, in civil society’s meltdown, global pandemics, many domains, in cultural expression celebrities and mayhem? and play. And, I would suggest, in a world increasingly aware of the Some skeptics and cynics might think pathologies of modernity. so. But I think differently. Humankind’s consciousness has advanced to the The absence of solidity and point where we now recognize the permanence stripped us down to centrality of learning processes and a core or elemental understanding pedagogic procedures in all domains that learning was our most precious of existence. This acute learning resource, symbolizing hope that if we sensibility represents a significant shift can only find the right pedagogical in educational discourse in the last 50 procedures and suitable organizational years. When adult education was trying modalities, we would be able to to carve out space in the academy, confront the many problems before it did so by imagining that it could us in our ever-shrinking world. We conceptualize “adult education” as the can learn our way out. We are not activity of professionally prepared adult without hope. It is clear, however, that educators. They called it “andragogy” learning which is lifelong, lifewide to differentiate this fledgling discipline and just has many forces aligned from pedagogy. against its realization. Powerful people and organizations in our world (in This attempt to draw a circle around a economic, political and cultural thing called “adult education” fell apart systems) skew learning processes and in the late 20th century. It disintegrated substance in particular directions. because things were moving so fast, Corporate leaders can use the learning things were so fluid and speedy, that organization rhetoric to mobilize our inherited scripts could no longer learning resources to learn how to guide us through the night. We could dominate marketplaces, and not how no longer take for granted that the to create well-being in their own knowledge and skills of the ancestors organizations. The lovely language of would orient us to an ever-changing empowerment may mask practices present. We became conscious of that do the opposite. Governments ourselves as persons who were scheme and connive to maintain their constantly adapting to new learning power. They choose not to mobilize challenges – in our own bodies, minds energy to create the suitable forms

4 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n for participatory democracy, even It must be intentionally designed when the technological capacities and enacted. make new ways of learning citizenship Learning has broken out everywhere – possible. The mainstream media perhaps exploded. Even the local fosters an in-your-face, win at all cost, gardening store has its own newsletter, anti-intellectual “culture of cruelty.” It weaves gardening knowledge into daily also is evident that our scientific and conversations, and offers weekend technological acumen is not matched workshops on healing gardens or by our moral and ethical achievements. how to manage your garden from Our knowledge does not always year to year. Doctors, once the sole translate into wisdom. One British locus of knowledge about health filmmaker has even suggested that, and disease, now face patients who when future citizens look back at our have read everything about their time, they will call it The Age of Stupid medical problems on numberless (Armstrong, 2008). websites. Social movements – such Thus, the complacent idea that we have as the women’s, cooperative or the been propelled into a shiny, new, bright environmental – are fundamental learning society and that “it’s all good” learning sites where men and women must be challenged. Human learning learn new identities and exercise is not free from the entanglements of control over their life situations. interest and power. In fact, one might Universities do not have a monopoly argue that modern human history has over knowledge. They are forced to been pulled along by the tug of war consider their role in the learning between the money code and the life society where their monopoly over code. At its most elemental, human knowledge is not as secure as it was learning can be in the service of these 30 years ago. Indeed, the presence two modes, and one, the money code, of Aboriginal and Women’s and has in our time captured the lion’s Environmental Studies in our share of human motivational resources, universities attests to the learning intelligence and energy. But our potentials within social movements learning capacities also can be impelled and civil society. by compassion and desire to alleviate When early university extension the suffering of all creatures. The just workers traveled down their bumpy learning society does not just happen. and muddy back roads to teach in

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 5 some farm community, they were questions suggest themselves: How do bringing coveted knowledge from the universities recraft their traditional center to the periphery. Many of the role of fostering deep critical reflection farm communities lacked libraries, on the meaning of our time? What and farmers lacked instant access to does it mean to live and work well? scientific knowledge about farming. What does it mean to be grounded Today, we have more access to a wide in a concrete time and place? In a variety of information. In fact, it may world characterized by incessant be more accurate to say that we live entertainment and distraction, what in an Age of Infotainment, an age of specific tools ought we provide to info glut, of the information deluge. our students? In a world harnessed It washes over, leaving us reeling and to the money code and driven by bewildered and disoriented. technical/instrumental rationality, how can universities reimagine The age of information is not exactly themselves as a moral and ethical “good news for postmodern man.” enterprise? In an academic milieu Being deluged by information does not where “everyone studies learning” and mean we are more knowledgeable and adult educators come in infinite variety, wise. The United States invaded Iraq, how does one prepare professional and a National Geographic Education adult educators? These questions are Foundation (2006) study revealed salient to those of us with an interest that 63 percent of American youth in adult higher education. could not locate Iraq on a map! Many theorists of our postmodern time of We have to be courageous pioneers of discontent have pointed out that we live the new learning age. Let me highlight more and more in virtual, simulated some of the challenges we face if we worlds that bombard us with endless are going to be able to enable our entertainment and propaganda for students to acquire the knowledge, commodities. As a result, we are often skill, sensibility and attitudes to hold deeply disconnected from the sources their heads high and speak with clear of our lives, and can easily imagine voices in our confusing and anguished that we are the center of the world, world of too much information and too accessible at the tap of a key. little wisdom.

Within the framework of our 1. Our world on speed encourages us ambiguous learning society, several to surf, skip lightly, bounce distractedly

6 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n and lose concentration. Winifred widely, to arrive at the “best argument.” Gallagher, in her recent book, Rapt: Even fewer pay attention to the proper Attention and the Focused Life (2009), citation of sources. suggests that we may be experiencing a Thus, our task as university educators new moral panic: the attention-deficit is not just about making knowledge panic. Professors report that their resources, packaged in lovely self- students are often tired, insanely busy, directed modules, accessible to men distracted and unfocused. “Paying and women. We are inducting them attention” – the mind’s cognitive into a “community of practice” that currency – is a diminishing resource. I contradicts the frenetic worlds of have been tutoring Educational Studies the social and conventional media. courses at Athabasca University for University study ought to slow us all almost four years. What I notice is that down and teach us to concentrate. the quick, flippant and breezy style of Students should be nurtured to read the social media (the uncapitalized “I” widely and slowly, to never settle for particularly irks me) has seeped into any easy answers. We ought to build a the communication that some, not all, “culture of critical discourse,” a phrase of my students use when they write me. used by the late maverick sociologist, My students seem rushed, almost Alvin Gouldner (1979). The university breathless sometimes, as they scamper as a “community of practice” ought to to complete assignments. The ethos counterpoint the restless, monkey mind of surfing, inability to live with silence that is fermented by our information and constant battering by aggressive age. We need to figure out how to media (social and other) makes it encourage our students to focus their difficult for my students to concentrate, minds for extended periods of time. and to really dig into topics. Far too This means switching off other inputs; many of my students make assertions it means being absorbed in our work of without evidence, accept conventional, discovery and articulation. media-imposed and politically correct 2. In an age of info glut and instant narratives, and have little sense of information, we educators must help what it means to sustain an argument. our students to not only slow down, Few have acquired the composition but also acquire the interpretive skills of respectful dialogue with other frameworks for making sense of the writers. Few seem to want to probe world. They need to learn the skill deeply into a subject, to read and think

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 7 of discernment, how to assess the become incubators of little monsters, authority of the countless sources aridly trained for a job, with no general present to us. A quick glance at a ideas, no general culture, no intellectual Wikipedia entry on Locke’s philosophy stimulation, but only an infallible eye just won’t do. Universities can be and a firm hand.” Gramsci and Hedges islands of clear, rigorous, deep thinking underscore the fact that learning must in a glossy sea of information and be directed by a strong moral and propaganda. But we will have to teach ethical framework. We must know why courageously for this to happen. we are doing what we are doing. We The art of discernment, I believe, is cannot become, as Richard Hoggart intimately linked to understanding said, “blinkered ponies” (as cited in the reasons why we think the way we Hedges, 2009). do and how we justify our actions in 3. The profound realization that “all the world. of society is a vast school,” as Gramsci In his recent polemical book, Empire (1971) once said, enables the small of Illusion: The End of Literacy and band of adult educators in universities the Triumph of the Spectacle (2009), to bear prophetic witness for all Chris Hedges stated bluntly, “To train citizens to become aware of the nature someone to manage an account for of learning that is occurring in their Goldman Sachs is to educate him workplaces, civil society domains or her in a skill. To train them to and public spheres. The intellectual debate stoic, existential, theological breakthroughs accomplished by critical and humanist ways of grappling with learning theorists have made it possible reality is to educate them in values to see how societies actually work as and morals. A culture that does not learning societies. This means, for one grasp the vital interplay between thing, that adult education visionaries morality and power, which mistakes can enable people who are actually management techniques for wisdom, teaching other adults to become aware not its speed or ability to consume, that they are actually doing so. For condemns itself to death” (p. 103). another, this means that we must bear testimony to the way learning Antonio Gramsci (1916), the Italian is structured and organized to either revolutionary who rotted to death block or open up possibilities for in Mussolini’s prison, believed that human cognitive, moral, ethical and the educational system ought not “to spiritual development in the interest of

8 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n well-being for all creatures. Our task, Gramsci, A. Unsigned, Piedmont then, is to play the role of visionary Edition of Avanti!, 24 December 1916, midwife; to make the ambiguous under the banner “Socialists and learning society aware of itself as a Education.” learning society in the first place, and Gramsci, A. (1971). The prison then to press it beyond its present form notebooks (pp. 5-27). New York, NY: toward a just learning society. This, it International Publications. seems to me, is to reimagine the role of the professional adult educator in the Hedges, C. (2009). Empire of illusion: 21st century. m The end of literacy and the triumph of spectacle. New York, NY: Nation Books. References National Geographic Education Armstrong, F. (Director). (2008). The Foundation. (2006). National age of stupid [Motion picture]. United Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Kingdom: Spanner Films. geographic literacy study. Retrieved from http://www.nationalgeographic. Gallagher, W. (2009). Rapt: Attention com/roper2006/pdf/FINALReport2006 and the focused life. New York, NY: GeogLitsurvey.pdf Penguin Press.

Gouldner, A. W. (1979). The future of intellectuals and the rise of the new class (pp. 8-29). New York, NY: Seabury.

Michael R. Welton taught courses in adult education history and critical learning theory at Dalhousie and Mount St. Vincent Universities in Halifax, Nova Scotia until 2003. Since then, he has tutored undergraduate students in educational studies at Athabasca University in Alberta. He received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in the history of education. He is the author of many books, and the editor of In Defense of the Lifeworld: Critical Perspectives on Adult Learning (1995). His latest book is Designing the Just Learning Society: A Critical Inquiry (2005).

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 9 Betty Wilde-Biasiny, Schemata IV, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper.

10 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Adult Higher Education at the Intersection of Globalization, Internationalization and Social Justice Mary V. Alfred

uring the last century, pursuit of education has become an ideal the world over (Suarez-Orozxo, 2007), and higher proportions than ever before are completing Dpost-secondary education (Cohen, Bloom & Malin, 2007). Suarez- Orozxo observes that schools across the world – whether in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe or Oceana – tend to share some basic features: They are designed to prepare students to become engaged citizens, ethical human beings and productive workers who will contribute to the societies in which they live. However, she laments the fact that educational institutions are out of sync with the realities of a global world; they have an obligation to prepare graduates for global citizenship and they most often fail in achieving that goal.

At the start of the 21st century, there is no question that “college graduates will live and work in a world where national borders are permeable; information and ideas flow at lightning speed; and communities and workplaces reflect the growing diversity of cultures, languages, attitudes and values” (Green, 2002, p. 12). These shifts in the demographic landscape of nation states are mirrored on the campuses of colleges and universities worldwide, and globalization and immigration are major forces shaping the demographic transformation of world nations (Green, 2002; Smith, 2007).

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 11 While some view this globalization internationalization is influenced by phenomenon with skepticism, others immigration and globalization and see it as an inescapable worldwide represents “deliberate, systematic occurrence with tremendous influence and integrated attempts by national on the way we organize our lives. If governments, supranational agencies globalization is such a vibrant force that and higher education institutions affects the current order, then there is themselves to engage in a range good reason to assume that institutions of international activities” (p. 1). of higher education are not insulated Knights (1993) specifically describes from its impact. Indeed, recognizing the internationalization of higher the interdependence of our global education as the “process of integrating societies, the Association of American an international/intercultural Colleges and Universities (1998) called dimension into the teaching, research for institutions of higher education and service functions of higher to prepare students to understand education” (p. 21). Altbach (2002) global issues and their local effects on agrees that internationalization is a individuals and communities. One major trend in higher education that suggestion made for accomplishing has global implications and, yet, is this goal is through the process of widely misunderstood. He explains: internationalization. “In broad terms, globalization refers to trends in higher education that A Closer Look at have cross-national implications. Globalization and These include mass higher Internationalization education; a global marketplace for Globalization is now a central issue students, faculty and other higher confronting higher education, and education personnel, and the global adult education as a discipline in impacts of Internet technologies, higher education is impacted by the among others. Internationalization changes brought about as a result of its refers to the specific policies and myriad effects. One way institutions initiatives of individual academic are responding to the impact of institutions, systems … . Examples of globalization is through the process internationalization include policies of internationalization. According relating to recruitment of foreign to Enders and Fulton (2002), students, collaboration with academic institutions or systems in other

12 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n countries, and the establishment of resulting need to internationalize branch campuses abroad” (2002, p. 29). its structure and its pedagogy. He argues that academic and professional While Altbach sees globalization and requirements for graduates internationalization as interrelated, increasingly reflect the demands Currie, DeAngelis, de Boer, Huisman of the globalization of societies, and Lacotte (2003) disagree, noting economies and labor markets; thus, a distinct difference between higher education must provide the globalization and internationalization. adequate preparation to meet those They posit that the use of the term demands. Qiang offers other arguments globalization represents neoliberal regarding the internationalization economic ideology and its material of higher education, as well: “The strategies that aim to increase recruitment of foreign students profits and power for transnational has become a significant factor for corporations and similar strategies that institutional income and of national enable government agencies to gain economic interests and the use of economic advantages and a competitive new information and communication edge. The authors further argue that technologies in the delivery of the process of globalization promotes education has now become a real “homogenization of cultures and part of the globalizing process: the promotion of so called ‘world’s best cross-border matching of supply and practices’ where one idea is considered demand” (2003, p. 249). To Qiang, to be the best strategy to progress the driver for the internationalization within the world economy” (p. 9). of higher education is capitalism and Even as Currie et al. call attention to international trade, rather than the the hegemonic effects of globalization, development of global citizenship that others argue that higher education Currie et al. (2003), among others, must be actively engaged with the claim to promote. global phenomenon (Merriam, Cervero Whether the internationalization of & Courtney, 2006; Qiang, 2003; higher education is viewed from an Ramadas, 1997). Qiang, for example, economic perspective or is seen as noted that there are various reasons the development of global citizenship, to bring attention to the increasing Enders and Fulton (2002) observe that requirement for higher education it is leading to a process of rethinking to focus on globalization and the the social, cultural and economic roles

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 13 of higher education. It is forcing the Adult Education, leadership to reconceptualize education Globalization and in a broader context in order to Internationalization respond to the impact of globalization and the need to internationalize higher In Global Issues and Adult Education: education. Perspectives from Latin America, South Africa, and the United States, Merriam, Moreover, globalization is a contested Cervero and Courtney (2006) note, terrain, having different meanings for “Globalization is an exceedingly different people, with strong supporters complex issue” (p. 486). It has the and equally strong opponents. As potential to build societies while Currie et al. (2003) reported, there it destroys individuals, groups and have been antiglobalization protests communities within nation states. aimed at corporate globalization or neoliberal globalization, that point Despite the negative impact of to the growing inequalities resulting globalization, Merriam et al. see from supposed free trade across the potential for adult educators to borders. Similarly, those supporting transform adult education to respond globalization argue that free trade more constructively to the impact will increase world prosperity, and of globalization on marginalized that internationalization of higher populations. They suggest that (a) education is one avenue through which we create space and listen to diverse the democratization of information voices, (b) adopt a critical stance, and the interconnectedness of world (c) attend to policy, (d) develop cultures can be realized. From this partnerships, and (e) foster collective perspective, adult education should learning and action. To these we be poised to take a more active role should add and give priority to the in the discourse on globalization and deliberate attempt to include and make the internationalization of higher visible an international dimension education. to our programs. It is through the internalization of the curricula and through critical pedagogy that we can begin to attend to the roles and responsibilities that Merriam, Cervero and Courtney have articulated. Similarly, we must clearly define our

14 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n goal as we set out to internationalize “I was surprised to find few authors the field of adult education. refer to or reflect upon the national and international political issues that Is it our goal to prepare graduates marked the 1990s. The corporate to meet the demands of global labor scandals, the rapid increase in markets as Qiang (2002) and others economic globalization, the growing suggest, or is our goal to prepare gap between rich and poor, the drift graduates to respond through critical toward various fundamentalisms, action to the impact of globalization on continued conflict in the Middle marginalized groups and communities East, including those of Iraq and as many advocate? I believe that adult Afghanistan (and a few others not so education has a responsibility to do apparent), the demise of the Soviet both. I see our role as building civil Union, genocide in Rwanda, ethnic societies while preparing graduates cleansing in the former Yugoslavia … to compete in the global marketplace are hardly mentioned at all” (p. 74). for their economic well-being. Yet, as described above, at every turn, we Alfred and Guo (2007) found similar also are reminded that education is a neglect from their analyses of the contested domain, as the process of 1995 - 2005 proceedings of the Adult global destruction and transformation Education Research Conference continues both to empower and (AERC) and the Canadian Association disempower various stakeholders in for the Study of Adult Education adult education. (CASAE) conference to determine the level of faculty engagement with It is thus critical that we must first international issues. The authors start global conversations to explore found that only 8 percent of the AERC the range of possibilities available papers and 7 percent of the CASAE through our collective action. However, papers published during that period Alfred and Guo (2007) and Nesbit made some mention of globalization, (2005) found that adult educators are immigration, or addressed other not actively engaged in research and international issues. Overall, the conversations about the impact on study highlights the near static nature the global phenomena. For example, of American and Canadian adult Nesbit (2005) notes in his review of education and the reluctance on the the Handbook of Adult and Continuing part of adult educators to move beyond Education (Wilson and Hayes, 2000): the local to more global issues. Without

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 15 doubt, moving to a more global agenda teaching and speaking out against the in adult education is necessary to our negative impacts of globalization, thus social justice agenda – the hallmark of contributing to a significant worldwide our discipline. movement to address the fundamental issues of human rights. In a plenary Call to Adult Educators: address at the UNESCO International Bridging Globalization Conference on Adult Education held and Social Justice in July 1997 in Hamburg, Germany, Ramdas argued: Ramdas (1997) reminds us of a well-documented characteristic “In my view, adult education – in its of globalization. She notes, “For a broadest sense – is uniquely positioned small segment of the population, to make an empowering intervention globalization means the concentration on behalf of the underprivileged of wealth and power; for the rest of in every society, and at the same the human population, it means the time, influence macro policy. We globalization of misery and poverty. need to take an imaginative leap, to The numbers of those who fall into the move beyond the dialectics of the category of ‘suffering’ are increasing current discourse which continues to day by day” (p. 36). As a result, Ramdas propagate a compartmentalized view of calls for a transnational, integrated education and learning. I believe that approach to adult education and our challenge is to reinterpret adult suggests that in order to make that education as a powerful instrument, to happen, “we need to reinterpret – and build, in the words of Nelson Mandela, reclaim – globalization” (p. 36). ‘a new political culture of human rights’” (p. 36). Unfortunately, with regards to global issues, adult education has remained For adult educators to build this within a largely instrumentalist, status culture of human rights, we must quo framework as some scholars begin to make more purposeful have found (Alfred & Guo, 2007; attempts at the internationalization of Cruikshank, 1996, 2001; Hall, 1997; our research, our curricula and our Nesbit, 2005). Alternatively, adult pedagogy. Adult education, therefore, education, with its philosophy of should answer to the call put forth by social justice and equity, can take a Ramdas to build an adult education more aggressive stance in researching, that goes beyond instrumentalism.

16 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n A new agenda for adult education, Cruikshank, J. (1996). Proceedings of then, is to re/claim globalization the 15th CASAE Conference: Are we and to engage in research and aiding the enemy? The role of adult pedagogical activities that would education in the new global economy. highlight the benefits and pitfalls Winnipeg: University of Manitoba. of the phenomenon. Engaging in Cruikshank, J. (2001). Proceedings the discourse allows space for the of the 20th CASAE Conference: development of a true critical pedagogy Lifelong learning in the new economy: that contests the hegemonizing A great leap backwards. Laval, Quebec: effects of globalization on individuals, University of Laval. groups and societies beyond our national borders. m Currie, J. M., DeAngelis, R., de Boer, H., Huisman, J., & Lacotte, C. (2003). References Globalizing practices and university responses: European and Anglo- Alfred, M. V., & Guo, S. (2007). American differences. Westport, CT: Globalization and the Praeger. internationalization of adult and higher education: Challenges and Cohen, J., Bloom, D., & Main, M. opportunities for the U.S. and Canada. (Eds.). (2007). Educating all children: Paper presented at the annual Adult A global agenda. Cambridge, MA: Education Research Conference, MIT Press. Mount St. Vincent University, Canada. Enders, J., & Fulton, O. (Eds.). (2002). Altbach, P. G. (2002). Perspectives Higher education in a globalizing on international higher education world: International trends and mutual (Resource Review). Change, 34(3), observations. Boston, MA: Klewer 29-31. Academic Publishers.

Association of American Colleges Green, M. F. (2002). Joining the world: and Universities. (1998). Statement of The challenge of internationalizing liberal learning. Retrieved June 8, 2006 undergraduate education. Change, from http://www.aacu-edu.org/about/ 34(3), 12-21. liberal_learning.cfm

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 17 Hall, B. L. (1997, October). Adult Qiang, Z. (2003). Internationalization learning, global civil society, and of higher education: Towards a politics. Paper presented at the Midwest conceptual framework. Policy Futures Research-to-Practice conference, East in Education, 1(2), 248-270. Lansing, MI. Ramadas, L. (1997). Adult education, Knights, J. (1993). Internationalization: lifelong learning, global knowledge: Managing strategies and issues. The challenge and potential. International Education Magazine, 9, Convergence, 30(4), 34-37. pp. 6, 21-22. Smith, B. Q. (2007). Globalization and Merriam, S., Courtenay, B. C., & desire: A case study of international Cervero, R. M. (2006). The role of adult graduate student education in education in addressing global issues. literacy studies. Journal of Studies in In S. Merriam, B. C. Courtenay and. International Education, 11(1), 54-72. M. Cervero (Eds.), Global issues and Suarez-Orozxo, M. M. (2007). Wanted: adult education: Perspectives from Latin Global citizens. Educational Leadership, America, Southern Asia, and the United 64(7), 58-62. States (pp. 485-496). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nesbit, T. (2005). No direction home: A book review essay. Adult Education Quarterly, 56(1), 71-78.

Mary V. Alfred is associate dean for faculty affairs and associate professor of adult education and human resource development in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include the sociocultural contexts of immigration and globalization, low-income/low-literate adults in education and in the workplace, and learning and development among people of the African Diaspora. She received her Ph.D. in educational administration with a focus in adult education and human resource development leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.

18 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Betty Wilde-Biasiny, Arcitectonica V, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper.

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 19 Betty Wilde-Biasiny, Arcitectonica II, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper.

20 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n The Role of Strategic Planning in Fostering Innovation in Adult and Open Higher Education

Alan R. Davis, Mitchell S. Nesler, Lynne M. Wiley

s an institution with a mandate and mission that is unique to our sector in New York, and with few comparators around the country, the leadership needs and issues for Empire State CollegeA are likewise unusual, with only one known text that is specific to open learning systems such as ours (Paul, 1990). The college is large in some respects: 20,000 learners served annually, both online and onsite at one of more than 35 locations across the state and beyond. In other respects, it is small: the seven regional centers and their satellite units have a good deal of autonomy, as do the three global centers (distance and international learning, graduate programs, and labor studies), all striving to meet local or specific needs.

The full-time faculty complement of about 200 is smaller than for a traditional campus serving so many students, with a more integrated approach across staff sectors to serving learner needs. This unusual staffing structure has its roots in the individualized approach to mentoring and learning that the college developed in its early years, and which still informs much of its discourse internally. It also is reflected in the core values and organizational culture of the college. The autonomy of the mentor-learner relationship also is evident in the relative autonomy of each mentor, and of each center.

About half of the 2,000 employees at the college are adjunct instructors, many of whom are widely dispersed; this adds to the issues of fragmentation and disconnectedness among the academic centers.

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 21 The Context for were added despite considerable Strategic Planning controversy (Bonnabeau, 1996). In 2000, the second president arrived Ongoing tensions between the original and recognized the need for systems regional centers and units (with their to better track student progress and focus on individualized face-to-face to systematize what had been a fairly studies, study groups and residencies), loose set of practices that had evolved and the faster growing, predominantly from the original individualized model. online instruction (through distance He also engaged in a comprehensive learning and in the college’s School approach to rebuild or renovate for Graduate Studies), have created the college’s facilities both at its a complex environment for strategic coordinating center and in the regions. planning. Some felt that the core values and the identity of the college The two eras and the approaches of the were being threatened by the rapid first two college leaders reflect nicely expansion of online studies (and the the dichotomy between the incremental associated allocation of resources), versus the management science while others were concerned that approaches to running an institution the inability of the college to change (Keller, 1983). Both have enormous and adopt various technologies and power, but also some shortcomings; a scalable approaches in order to new blend of approaches that focused prosper and grow not only would on the strategic plan seemed to evolve undermine our mission (to reach naturally for the new president who and serve all students), but also our came to Empire State College in 2008. viability as a college in the face of The third president arrived to a sense reduced state support and increased of exhaustion among many who were competition from other public and responding to the amount and rate for-profit institutions. of recent change, but also to much Empire State College’s founding optimism that, working openly and president was in place for almost collaboratively, the college could find a three decades, and after the initial new way to stay rooted in, but not be and highly creative early years of limited by, its past. In particular, many the college, it entered a period of seemed to feel that the existing 2006- incremental growth and diversification; 2010 strategic plan had been developed distance learning and graduate studies without significant consultation, and

22 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n though reasonable in many ways, did college’s presidents were left somewhat not have a wide sense of ownership. to their own devices. It was not used in budgeting and Although the financial crises of 2008 decision making, there were no related (and beyond) led to a number of cuts and nested plans (e.g., no marketing, in state funding, because the college technology and academic plan), and was more tuition-dependent than most tracking progress toward its execution it was in a better position to determine was seen as a chore, and, indeed, was its own destiny. New York state and in danger of being ignored altogether. the State University of New York over- Likewise, there was no place within regulation was in some ways more the college to provide expertise, and problematic: there was little incentive take ownership for, the processes for the college to grow and expand and mechanics of planning. In other its mandate. In fact, for the 11 years words, the college was still in a period from 1998 to 2009, the college had lost of transition from its “golden years” as over $25 million to the state university the crucible of exciting and brave new system as a “penalty” for being too approaches to higher education, to one efficient, and thus not needing as many that was able to stay innovative and to resources as traditional campuses. respond to changing demographics, This situation is expected to change learner needs and the affordances of as a result of the arrival of the new new technologies – all in a scalable and chancellor in June of 2009, who affordable way. undertook an extensive process of This situation was exacerbated to planning for SUNY that occurred in some extent by weak leadership parallel with our process, and raised from the state university level, which the importance of such planning for had its focus on “memoranda of the system and for its 64 campuses, understanding,” whereby enrollment including a complete rethinking of the and other targets were to be met. budget allocation model. This was the “performance plan” for presidents, and no broader, modern Overview of the Strategic approach to strategic planning was Planning Process given much credit. Given this, and the strangeness of the college to most The complete strategic planning SUNY and state bureaucrats, this process for Empire State College was split into two roughly equal periods.

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 23 The first was to develop a vision for innovation, leading to inconsistencies the college for 2015, and to do this in among learners’ experience that were a highly consultative manner with no not justified by the individualized assumptions except for the common approach. There was no incentive or desire to see the college prosper for the direction to share in this way, and benefit of its learners. the technology did not support easy networking. It was clear that, although The seven months of deep inquiry there was wide interest in seeing the that preceded the development of college act and present itself as “one the college’s Vision 2015 provided an college,” we behaved as many smaller important opportunity for the new colleges, sometime for good reason, but president to directly engage with more often not. all sectors of this highly distributed college. It also revealed a number It was thus clear that a major theme of serious infrastructural issues that of the new strategic plan must be needed immediate attention, and to address the perceived and actual others that would need longer and fragmentation within the college, deeper engagement. Technology to provide ways for best practices systems were awkward and there was to be shared, issues to be discussed, no plan in place for improvement. No and innovation to be supported – in new programs were in development, other words, to become, rather than and ideas for new areas of overall “one college,” a networked, learning improvement were stifled. Budgeting organization in every sense. and assignment of workload were Since the first period of developing a divorced from the strategic plan, and shared vision for the college revealed did not reflect the best interests of a number of such challenges facing almost anyone (learners, faculty and the institution, it was essential that staff, deans). Educational planning, a the second period focus on strategies core activity of the mentoring-learning to address them. A small team, model, was evolving in ways that were consisting of the president and two not widely understood nor shared. other senior administrators from the Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, college, worked to categorize and the fragmentation of the college was classify these challenges. This proved manifest in the lack of sharing and to be very difficult, largely because the networking across the institution challenges identified often overlapped regarding issues, best practices and

24 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n and many issues occurred at different between people so that each center levels at the institution. Through a does not have to recreate the wheel. series of meetings, which devolved The second theme addresses the trends largely into brainstorming sessions, of growth in both students and all themes ultimately emerged, providing levels of employees at the college. Part a framework for classification of the of the sense of exhaustion evident when institutional challenges. And as this was the third president arrived was not an iterative process with feedback from just from the pace of change, but also multiple constituencies, the themes the pace of growth, and the sense that evolved and became more refined over an underresourced faculty, staff and a six month process. administration could not be stretched any further to accommodate all of the The 2010-2015 Strategic adult learners who sought an education Plan: Vision 2015 and from the college. “Sustaining and Strategic Plan for 2010-2015 managing growth” includes goals that The three overarching themes that were address faculty and staff climate issues used to organize the strategic plan were: (ensuring that work life indicators demonstrate improvement), growth in • the college as an innovative, both the student body and the types learning organization of services and offerings they receive, and developing sustainable models for • sustaining and managing growth space, budgeting and deployment of • telling our story human resources.

The first theme addresses issues The third theme addresses issues of of reflection, effectiveness and reputation, recognition and funding. innovation. Institutional intelligence Strategic communications, external gathering about processes, procedures, relations and generating new sources student learning and all measures of of revenue are the goals associated with effectiveness are addressed within this this theme. theme. Key goals include improving student retention and satisfaction, Each of the three themes has specific enhancing productivity, providing key goals associated with it. The key clear communications, and sharing goals are designed to be measurable knowledge and making connections and allow for the tracking of the

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 25 success of the overall plan (Dooris, programs and activities become less Kelley & Trainer, 2004; Taylor & Massy, consequential, while others become 1996). Action plans are developed at more complex and challenging. the level of individual budget managers In essence, planning benefits from (deans, vice presidents, directors, etc.) re-examination and redefinition. to address the goals and strategies. The Selznick’s concept of organizational newly established Center for Planning character bears directly on this process. and Institutional Effectiveness is Selznick (1957) views organizational charged with overall coordination of character as a four-fold entity the strategic plan and the measurement composed of historical precedents, of the institution’s progress toward social integration, functional achieving its goals. To accomplish adaptations to the internal and this, a collegewide report card (or external environment, and dynamic dash board indicators) is under responses to new opportunities, development, reflecting institutional needs and problems. Institutional key performance indicators. The character develops over time into KPIs relate directly to the eight goals “distinctive competence” – the informal outlined in the strategic plan. However, commitments or values that guide each division is charged with tracking organizations in making decisions. its own KPIs and performance Strategic planning provides academic indicators, which reflect divisional institutions with the opportunity to effectiveness but may not rise to the engage in self-definition and self- level of a key performance indicator. reconstruction on a regular basis, something that they might not typically Reflections on the Process do unless prompted. The best institutional planning This kind of redefinition is the key to models tie goals to resource allocation sustaining innovation in adult higher decisions on an annual basis, with a education, where changes in the view toward transforming institutions external environment are rapid, and over time. When done well, strategic the opportunity to respond to changing planning is a process that is capable contexts and social configurations of responding to unexpected events present themselves regularly. Doing and unintended consequences. As so in light of the outlooks, habits and ideas are implemented, budget and commitments that give institutions planning priorities evolve; some

26 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n their distinctive character allows meeting the goals identified in the plan: them to maintain their identity projects they have begun in an effort to while remaining responsive to meet key goals; what they have learned changing conditions. from these initiatives that suggest new directions for funding; what changes, Empire State College’s strategic plan if any, they need to make to projects addresses the aspirations of the college that are currently underway; new community and develops a vision initiatives that they wish to begin; and of the platform that the college will what they must accomplish during the occupy in mid-decade and beyond. remainder of the plan in order to fulfill The key question driving the strategic the goals associated with their areas plan, as identified collectively by the of responsibility. community, was: “What must Empire State College accomplish by 2015 in These priorities connect the long and order to enhance and differentiate its short-term planning of the college position among the nations’ leaders with the budgeting process. Indeed, in adult learning, and provide high- the budget is the tangible link between quality and affordable interdisciplinary our operations and our strategic plan. and professional education to A typical planning process includes motivated learners in New York state not only situational analyses, forecasts and beyond?” Vision 2015 articulates and detailed recommendations, but goals that are mission related, focused implementation strategies. connected to ongoing and projected The information we obtain annually needs, and capable of being achieved relative to departmental, divisional and by 2015. institutional priorities is systematically fed back into planning and into the In order to ensure that the plan is used development of key performance to guide decision making, planning indicators. Issues and opportunities for is now tied directly to budgeting, and innovation rise to the top of the agenda the vice president of the Center for depending on external circumstances Planning and Institutional Effectiveness and internal priorities. The process oversees implementation. Achieving allows us to look back and determine the objectives listed in Vision 2015 is a what became important to us during continuing priority. Annually, members the previous year, and assess whether of the senior staff are asked to reflect recommendations that were not on what they have accomplished in addressed have changed in priority.

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 27 Assigning presidential and divisional Ultimately, our planning process has importance to specific goals and taken us back to some basic questions: objectives, and providing resources to What is the purpose of adult learning in fund them, allows the college to quickly the 21st century, and what is distinctive and effectively devote resources to about the way the college provides priority areas within the institution. it? What must Empire State College accomplish by 2015 in order to enhance The college’s mission statement, and differentiate its position among the commitments and core values, nation’s rapidly growing adult learning exemplified in the goals described in community? We need to remain the strategic plan, guide faculty and responsive to trends in scholarship, staff in making budgetary decisions. new forms of service delivery, and to George (2003) has observed that “the the changing needs of our students. In best path to long-term growth … comes the end, we aim to provide a learning from having a well-articulated mission environment that: supports learners that inspires employee commitment” as active partners in their education; (p. 62). Strategic planning provides transcends the boundaries of time, adult higher education institutions place and ways of learning; integrates with the kind of focus that allows and engages learners with their past, employees and stakeholders to question present, and future creative and accepted ways of doing business while intellectual lives; creates initiatives to remaining tied to a highly-developed foster respect, civility and a welcoming vision. George’s focus on the human environment; and supports the social, element of planning, and the need cultural, and economic development for organizations to find ways to tap and sustainability of its learners and into people’s hearts, reminds us that their communities. institutions “that link the passions of their employees to the generation of We are convinced that learning occurs innovative ideas will have the capacity when connections are made between to sustain their growth for decades” adult learners and faculty mentors. (p. 134). The best strategic planning Our strategic planning process, and its processes are designed to accomplish accompanying reassessment of the life just this goal. of the college, has allowed us to reaffirm our strengths while providing a platform for exploration and discovery. m

28 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n References Selznick, P. (1957). Leadership in administration: A sociological Bonnabeau, R. F. (1996). The promise interpretation. Berkeley and Los Angeles, continues: Empire State College: The CA: University of California Press. first 25 years. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company. State University of New York Empire State College. (2010). Vision 2015: The Dooris, M. J., Kelley, J. M., & Trainer, report of the vision 2015 task force. J. F. (Eds.). (2004). Successful strategic Retrieved from http://www.esc.edu/ planning: New directions in institutional esconline/across_esc/president.nsf/378 research, no. 123. San Francisco, CA: 9d34cd28915ce85256bfa005466c8/47f Jossey-Bass. 6bf639b160db6852575fb0073d0e2/$FI George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: LE/Vision%202015%207-2009.pdf Rediscovering the secrets to creating State University of New York Empire lasting value. San Francisco, CA: State College. (2010). Vision 2015: Jossey-Bass. Strategic plan for 2010-2015. Retrieved Keller, G. (1983). Academic strategy: from http://www.esc.edu/esconline/ The management revolution in across_esc/president.nsf/3789d34c American higher education. Baltimore, d28915ce85256bfa005466c8/47f6bf MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. 639b160db6852575fb0073d0e2/$FI Paul, R. H. (1990). Open learning and LE/2010-15%20Vision%205-24-10.pdf open management: Leadership and Taylor, B. E., & Massy, W. F. (1996). integrity in distance education. New Strategic indicators for higher education. York, NY: Nichols. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.

Alan R. Davis is president of Empire State College, State University of New York. He has studied and worked at traditional and open institutions in the U.K. and Canada, and has played leadership roles at the British Columbia Open University, Athabasca University, Niagara College and Vancouver Community College. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Simon Fraser University. Mitchell S. Nesler serves as the vice president for planning and institutional effectiveness. He spent the last 17 years working at adult-serving colleges, and was the associate dean for outcomes assessment and research at Excelsior College. He earned his Ph.D. in social-personality psychology from the University at Albany. Lynne M. Wiley is associate dean of the Genesee Valley Center. Prior to her appointment, she was vice president for planning and executive affairs at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, an American Council on Education Fellow, and held leadership positions at St. Mary’s College of California and Cornell University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 29 Betty Wilde-Biasiny, Arcitectonica III, 2010. Archival pigment print on paper.

30 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n Working Toward Wisdom in Adult Education in Changing Times

Elizabeth J. Tisdell

have worked in the field of adult education for a long time. This year marked my 20th anniversary of attendance at the annual Adult Education Research Conference and my Iformal involvement with the field, to say nothing of my informal involvement for 10 years prior to that. Over the years, I have seen a lot of changes – the development of new programs, as well as the closing of some longstanding graduate degree offerings at universities. There have been joys and struggles, debate and collaboration, frustration and hope. As we move forward in our field, what I would like most for myself and for other adult educators is that we practice our profession by drawing on our collective wisdom and its paradoxes. As educational writer Parker Palmer (1980) suggested some 30 years ago, we don’t think our way into a new kind of living; rather, we live our way into a new kind of thinking. I’m hoping we can do so with wisdom.

Major Discussions and Concerns in the Field

Major journals in the field, the handbooks of adult education that come out every new decade, and the New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education sourcebook series give us important data about current issues in the field. In recent years, there has been much discussion on different theoretical perspectives on adult education, such as on how positionality or one’s social location affects teaching and learning from a blend of socio-cultural, feminist, race-centered, postmodern, and critical theory perspectives. This has resulted in numerous journal publications as well as the brand new The Handbook of Race and Adult Education (edited by Sheared, Johnson-

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 31 Bailey, Colin, Peterson & Brookfield, in people’s eyes, the excitement and 2010), which gives an in-depth look at enthusiasm in their voices when talking issues of race and ethnicity in our field. about their research or practice speaks There also has been much discussion way more about what generates life for on transformative learning and what it them than can ever come alive in the means theoretically and practically, also two dimensional world of the printed to result in a new handbook (edited page. People’s fears and concerns also by Taylor & Cranton, forthcoming). become apparent, sometimes coming These particular handbooks on specific out in angry outbursts, or in rolling aspects of adult education tell us that eyes in the public venue of opening these have been important issues in or closing sessions, or in the whispers recent years. They stand with the newly to the colleagues they may be sitting released more general Handbook of beside. But this feeling dimension Adult Education (Kasworm, Rose & often comes out in less formal venues Ross-Gordon, 2010), that focuses on in conference places – in dinners at the centrality of adult learners in the restaurants, in hotel room suites, in many contexts of adult and continuing intimate conversations among close education and what it means for our colleagues who also are friends. It is future in the era of the Internet and in these places that one learns not globalization in multiple community only some of the intellectual issues contexts. Further, the increased for people, but the emotions attached publication in the past 10 years on the to those issues, and the fact that most role of various dimensional factors of of the world’s work happens through being such as emotions, spirituality, the relationships that include but transcend arts, popular culture, and the body in professional networks. adult learning and development give In my own experience in these formal new insight about how to teach and and informal gatherings at conferences, learn more holistically. it is clear that there are many positive While various publications tell us in things happening in the field. But there print what is current, it is more often at are some areas of concern that I have conferences where people gather, that seen and heard articulated as well, that one understands more about the tenor I would like to address here. I believe of the field, the emotions, the passions these are reflective of issues in the and hopes, as well as the struggles and larger culture, namely: fears people have about it. The passion

32 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n a) There is some sense that adult that often focuses on how practitioners education as a field is in crisis, probably apply knowledge in an artful way in related to the difficult economic professional practice settings such as in realities of our time; medicine, business management, social work or education. b) Scholars and academics tend to be bigger on critique of positions, and a Most of the literature exploring bit shorter on solution and inspiration wisdom in the religious traditions for dealing with problems; refers to the Proverbs 24 reference from the Hebrew Bible, where Wisdom c) There tends to be more of an is building her house, and carving emphasis on the articulation of seven pillars. Wisdom has also been difference and division than on the subject of philosophy; indeed, the integration of unity or holism. very root of the word “philosophy” I would like to suggest that the means “love of wisdom.” Often cited literature on wisdom might offer in such discussions is an Aristotelian insight on how we might deal with distinction between Sophia, as the some of these issues in positive and highest form of wisdom (in the productive ways that lead to creativity transcendental sense, and similar to the and inspiration, rather than fear notion of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible), and suspicion. phronesis, which is practical wisdom, and episteme, which is theoretical Wisdom and Its Paradoxes wisdom (Osbeck & Robinson, 2005). Many authors also recount the story of What is wisdom, and what might it Socrates, seen by his contemporaries suggest for adult education scholars as having knowledge and wisdom and practitioners? To be sure, the quest but who is rumored to have denied for wisdom to deal with some of the being knowledgeable or wise. Hence, greatest life questions of who we are, humility is deemed a characteristic why we are here, and what gives life of wisdom, as the recognition that meaning has been with us since the all knowledge is partial. This tension dawn of time. It has been the subject of wisdom as having knowledge but of many of the world’s great religions recognizing that at the same time, one and in indigenous cultures (Smith, does not have knowledge, connects 1994). There also are references to wisdom (in the sense of Sophia) to the wisdom in the professional literature notion of paradox. Goldberg (2005)

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 33 discusses the “paradox of wisdom” notion of paradox – metaphors of life (the paradox being that the aging or arising from death and destruction, or “old” brain becomes more wise) from that to lose oneself is to find oneself. a neuroscience perspective, arguing There is the sense that dealing and that adults who age well tend to make living the tensions of opposites, and decisions based more on pattern embracing that tension, pulls us open recognition as a result of the complex to something new, and to our very neural patterns that develop over time. creativity. But in dealing with these These complex neural patterns allow tensions of opposites in our field, we for drawing on multiple parts of the also need to be able to apply some brain at the same time, which results of the metaphysical principles of the in a wiser way of being in the world. wisdom of Sophia, to the practical In essence, Goldberg tries to look at realities or the phronesis of our field. wisdom from a scientific perspective And it is clearly desirable if we do so in making sense of it. Other authors, with the humility of Socrates! such as Parker Palmer (2004) tend to look at wisdom in a more holistic Embracing Paradox in way, as that which is integrational; he Forging the Field of Adult encourages people to pay attention to Education the hidden wholeness within. Many authors also discuss the cultivation of What might this discussion of wisdom wisdom, either in the phronesis sense of suggest for dealing with the concerns practical wisdom or in the Sophia sense I highlighted above, namely: the of the metaphysical. But across all of sense of being in crisis as a field; the these discussions, there appears to be perhaps over-emphasis on critique; an integration quality to wisdom that and the tendency to focus more on allows people to negotiate tensions and what separates or divides than on what opposites in a creative way that leads unifies and integrates? I would suggest to more integrative thinking and being, that part of the answer lies in the and an ability to deal with paradox: the notion of paradox itself: that we need tension of opposites. to embrace the tension of the opposite, and to engage the dialectic to be pulled To some extent, this once again open to our greater creativity. takes us back to the world’s religious wisdom traditions, because many of First, I am not sure that the field those traditions also deal with the of adult education is in crisis – this

34 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n feeling that I pick up from others at disciplines and settings. There also is conferences might not be entirely typically more grant funding available accurate. But there are certainly in such content-driven fields, and concerns about the closing of some collaborating with colleagues can lead graduate degree programs in adult to further creative thinking. education in the English speaking Secondly, the fact that we are a field world, and there are concerns about that encourages critique of positions funding, spanning from enrollment is indeed one of our strengths. Of issues to finding grants, and to the course, it is important to rationally fact that many faculty who retire or consider the strengths and weaknesses leave an institution are not being of a particular position, and make replaced. But if the old adage that apparent its theoretical underpinnings a crisis is both a danger and an or assumptions, and to help adult opportunity is true, it might behoove learners (and ourselves) to ask critical us to think about “opportunities” and analytical questions. Nevertheless, before us that these times of scarcity too often the notion of critique as it is of resources might present. Some practiced, is tearing apart a particular adult education faculty members are position and criticizing it, with an being absorbed into other programs emphasis only on what is wrong when departments close. Typically in with it and no consideration of what these new departments, there is less is right with it. There is generally knowledge about the teaching/learning a strict emphasis on rationality in needs of adult students. While one can such considerations. While I applaud indeed be marginalized in such places, sharp and focused critical thinking there also are great opportunities for grounded in rationality, which requires collaboration with new colleagues analytic thinking about the parts, from an adult learning perspective. it is not rationality alone that will In addition, the more we collaborate ever inspire people to change or to with others in professional fields such create something new, as the research as medicine, health care or business, on transformative learning tells us. which are disciplines where there is Rather, change is borne of experience more emphasis on curricular content of the whole that is multidimensional, than on pedagogy, the more we have including that which provides some the opportunity to really influence inspiration that activates a sense of the education of adults in multiple hope and possibility. This doesn’t

explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n 35 come only from rational critique as specific groups of learners of different in negatively criticizing a position. It gender, race, culture and sexual also comes from using a different part orientation groups. Indeed, we are not of our brain to express what is good, simply generic people with exactly hopeful, or new, such as the way art, the same learning needs. (I have music, dance, or poetic expression been a contributor to the research does. Thus, I believe we also need to and discussion on the importance of focus on what is good about a position attending to diversity and inclusion.) as well as what is weak about it, and Nevertheless, there tends to be a lack also to provide examples of inspiration of consideration of what also is in the very positions we critique. common among us, across disciplines, This can happen not only through across gender, race and class groups. logical academic presentation, but There is unity within our diversity. also through creative expression or While we do need to attend to the representation. This is part of living diversity, it also is important to search the dialectic. This doesn’t mean giving for and embrace the unity and the up rational critique. It is simply part of community. After all, E-pluribus embracing the tension of opposites. Unum – or “In the many, One.” There is a hidden wholeness within. The third concern, that we tend to focus more on what separates and Conclusion divides than what integrates and unites, is probably borne of the other two: I have great hopes for the field of adult particularly the emphasis on rational education as we forge together our critique which requires separating future, and embrace both/and thinking out positions into parts or categories. and being, as we try to live on both We often focus on what separates sides of the dialectic, and we experience us from other related fields (such the tensions of living in-between, as as human resource development), some of the wisdom literature suggests. or what separates us into groups of Indeed, perhaps it is by living those people by culture, gender, race or tensions that we will be pulled open, sexual orientation. It is extremely and to discover not only new academic important to examine the differences positions, but mystery, passion and in underlying theoretical perspectives wonder in the process. To be sure, it among different and related disciplines, is not only a process of thinking; it is and to do research on the needs of also a process of living that involves

36 explorations i n a d u l t h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n tapping into multiple ways of knowing (2010). The handbook of race and and being, and discovering the hidden adult education. San Francisco, CA: wholeness within. Let’s hope that our Jossey-Bass. collective attempts to do so will lead to Smith, H. (1994). The illustrated our greater wisdom. m world religions: A guide to our wisdom traditions. San Francisco, CA: References HarperCollins. Goldberg, E. (2005). The wisdom Sternberg, R., & Jordan, J. (Eds.). paradox: How your mind can grow (2005). A handbook of wisdom. New stronger as your brain grows older. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. York, NY: Gotham Books. Kasworm, C., Rose, A., & Ross- Taylor, E., & Cranton, P. (Eds.). Gordon, J. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of (Forthcoming). A handbook on adult and continuing education, 2010 transformative learning: Theory, edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Osbeck, L. M., & Robinson. D. (2005). Philosophical theories of wisdom. In Tisdell, E. (In press, 2011). The wisdom R. Sternberg and J. Jordan (Eds.), A of webs a-weaving: Adult education handbook of wisdom (pp. 61-83). New and the paradoxes of complexity in York, NY: Cambridge University Press. changing times. In E. Tisdell and A. Palmer, P. (1980). The promise of Swartz (Eds.), Adult Education and the paradox. Notre Dame, IN: Ave pursuit of wisdom. New Directions for Maria Press. Adult and Continuing Education, No. 211. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Sheared, V., Johnson-Bailey, J., Colin, S., Peterson, E., & Brookfield, S. (Eds.).

Elizabeth J. Tisdell is professor of adult education at Penn State University – Harrisburg and is the coordinator of the adult education doctoral program. She received her Ed.D. in adult education from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in religion from Fordham University, and a B.A. in mathematics from the University of Maine. Her research interests include spirituality and culture in adult development and adult learning, multicultural issues, and critical media literacy in teaching for diversity in adult education. Her scholarly work has appeared in numerous journals and edited books.

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