Generational Impact
On a personal and professional level, the new dean of Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School knows how the grit and resilience of adult learners can produce life-changing results.
December 18, 2024
The path to a more promising future often begins with stepping back onto campus. It’s a lesson Lauren Smith learned firsthand when her mother, raising three girls in a small town, committed to finishing her degree at North Carolina Wesleyan University.
Now, four decades later, Smith is helping others navigate that same journey, giving a new generation of adult learners the tools they need to achieve a better life—for them and their families.
“Once someone has gone to college,” she says, reflecting on her mom’s influence, “their children have more pathways open to them.”
Hired in June as the new dean of Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School, Smith spent the past 11 years as director of adult learning at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s (UW-W) School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education. Prior to that, she chaired the women’s and gender studies department at UW-W after beginning her career as an English professor at Eastern Illinois University, where she also chaired women’s studies.
Smith, who holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in English from the University of Iowa, has broad experience with both strategic planning and the execution of existing plans. At UW-W, she wrote a successful $330,000 Ascendium grant to establish a fund supporting low-income students facing financial emergencies. That, in turn, attracted multiple donor gifts to further expand the program’s reach.
Smith says her work with the emergency fund gave her a respect for the grit and resilience of adult learners—often those working many hours and finding creative ways to succeed.
Like other underrepresented groups, adult learners face challenges, including work and family commitments outside of education. Smith emphasizes the need to provide targeted support for these students as they navigate everything from the application process and financial aid to forging key relationships with faculty and staff.
As for her new role at the Holt School, which administers Rollins’ Professional Advancement undergraduate degree programs and seven master’s programs, Smith appreciates coming into an environment that promotes a healthy mix of in-person and remote learning. The hybrid approach provides adult learners with much-needed flexibility while fostering essential one-on-one connections with classmates and faculty members.
“The focus on personalized learning is one of the features of a Rollins education that’s really special,” adds Smith, emphasizing how she’s always drawn energy from vibrant groups of students coming together to learn.
“It’s exciting for me to spearhead the Holt School’s continued growth in adult learning,” she says. “Not only that, but there’s an ongoing need for creative outreach to employers and potential students.”
Smith points to programs in education, counseling, applied behavioral analysis, communication, and health care as among the many excellent opportunities the Holt School has to serve the community. She’s inspired by Holt’s Pathways to Teaching initiative—which is helping address Florida’s teacher shortage by providing local elementary school employees with the resources they need to earn education degrees and certification—and would like to emulate its success in other disciplines.
Stackable degree tracks are another potential focus area, offering flexibility in learning by allowing students to earn smaller, focused credentials that can be accumulated over time toward a larger degree.
“My vision is of a school that embraces the mission of providing pathways for nontraditional students,” says Smith, “and works hard on student success at every level, retains students to the greatest extent possible, and remains committed to the liberal arts in relation to professional and career advancement.”
5 Things to Know About Today’s Adult Learners
Smith shares the defining characteristics of today’s working adult learners and what they’re looking for as they return to college.
1. They are diverse. Beyond factors like age, race, previous education, and career status, many tend to be first-generation, lower-income students.
2. They want a better quality of life. Whether it’s changing careers or staying competitive in their current field, the adult learner is focused on career growth and advancement.
3. They need flexibility. These students are juggling multiple work and family priorities, so they need programs like ours that are designed specifically for working adults with busy lives.
4. They’re not coming in as blank slates. Most have taken at least a few college classes and have a handful of years in the workforce, so they are full of diverse life experiences.
5. They don’t always feel they belong on a college campus, and they’re worried about their ability to finish college once they return. That’s why it’s so important to offer them a personalized experience and supportive community that’s committed to their success.
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