Monday, November 10, 2025
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Create an Outreach Series for Meaningful Connection & Engagement

As institutions lean into recruiting adult learners in the enrollment cliff, college and university administrators must think differently about how they will onboard these students in meaningful and differentiated ways to best connect them to other adult learners, campus advocates, and support resources. Too often, we “copy and paste” what we might do to support 18-22-year-old students fresh out of high school to fit the needs of adult learners. This cannot and will not work if we truly want to create meaningful and relevant experiences that will resonate with the adult learner population.

Join us on November 12, 2025 when our expert presenter – Dr. Brett Bruner, a higher education professional with more than 13 years of experience working with adult learners and the creator of the Adult Learner Community & Connections program at Witchita State, which was the winner of the inaugural Accelerate Pitch Competition through the Urban Adult Learner Institute, an institute of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and the Association of Public Land-grant Universities. Dr. Bruner will help you best deploy a transition series that embeds adult learning theories and wellbeing in meaningful ways that deepens adult learner connections to campus resources.

You don’t have to recreate the wheel! Leverage an adult learner series that onboards adult learners with the information they need to know, when they need to know it. Embed wellness and well-being, connect them with others, and involve campus partners in best supporting adult learners in new, meaningful ways. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Create an adult learner bridge program to support their successful transition into higher education.
• Root an adult learner onboarding/transition program in pedagogy and adult learner theory to achieve the best outreach effort.
• Support learners of all ages with a student success model designed to provide academic resources.
• Provide social and mental health resources to help adult learners connect with others in similar transitions in meaningful ways.
• Develop strategic ways to reach adult learners in transition on their terms to help them successfully complete their first year and then ultimately their degree.

Presenter

Dr. Brett Bruner serves as the Assistant Vice President for Student Success & Persistence at Wichita State University where he provides leadership for the Office of Online & Adult Learning, Media Resources Center, Office of Student Success, First-Year Seminars Program, Retention Faculty Fellows, Office of Hispanic-Serving Initiatives, OneStop Student Services, Military Education at McConnell Air Force Base, and F1RST General Fellows.
Click here for full bio.