By John DeLalla - EvoLLLution. So, how does a higher education institution, adept at working with Jake’s children, change to better serve older career changers like Jake?
1. Make the Bureaucracy Easier
Higher education bureaucratic processes are notably complex and, especially for someone who has not been involved with an enrollment process or financial aid application for decades, it can become a barrier to access. To overcome this, institutions should offer services such as in-person service advising and registration, numerous flexible payment options, printed class summaries and a plethora of online options. Tangible items and a friendly face with a compassionate ear help ease the stress of more mature students. More...

By Ofer Sharone - EvoLLLution. 1. What are the most common characteristics of an individual considered to be “long-term unemployed”?
“Long-term unemployed” means someone who has been out of work for 27 or more weeks. We’re very familiar with the characteristics of people who are unemployed. We know that education matters a lot, that people without a college degree have higher rates of unemployment. But it may be surprising when you think about long-term unemployment [and] how these rates work out differently. More...

By Scott Campbell - EvoLLLution. 1. What differentiates an individual considered “long-term unemployed” from other unemployed individuals?
Scott Campbell (SC): From a demographic perspective, we know this group is about 55 percent more likely to be male than female. There’s a disproportionate number of single parents who are long-term unemployed. It brings about the complexity of issues going onto a college campus — the idea that programs need to be flexible to meet the unique needs of working adults and that often includes raising children, all of those types of things.
Donna Younger (DY): Qualitatively, there are things academic institutions have to expect from students who have been long-term unemployed. Part of it is attitudinal. There’s a shift sometimes from, “This is a temporary situation and I’m on top of it” to, “I’m concerned now that I’m a failure and I don’t know what I’m going to do.” More...

By Stacey Patton - Chronicle Vitae. In his much-discussed new book, the political historian Rick Perlstein describes The Invisible Bridge—how the fall of Richard Nixon paved the way for the rise of Ronald Reagan and modern conservatism in 1970s America. But for a number of historians and editors at scholarly presses, the book’s title has taken on an unexpected second meaning. See more...

By Gregory Semenza - Chronicle Vitae. One morning about a year ago, I nearly spit out my coffee upon reading the claim that “sitting is the new smoking.” In summarizing the gist of recent research on inactivity, the Runner’s World article wasn’t mincing words: “The more you sit, the poorer your health and the earlier you may die, no matter how fit you are.” I leapt out of my chair and began pacing the room, trying to rewind the damage I’d just done to myself. I’ve long been aware of the fact that an hour at my desk aggravates my back way more than an hour of lifting weights or playing with my kids, but I hadn’t known that my reading and writing were literally killing me. See more...