In 1976, the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation was just turning 30.That same year
saw the introduction of the first personal computer, the Apple I—an event that signaled the
birth of a new economic system in which intellectual capital would eventually supplant
industrial might as the dominant economic force. These milestones marked the beginning
of a sea change in higher education, though many (perhaps even most) within that system
did not recognize it at the time.
Considered together, these phenomena suggested that the jobs that would make up the
workforce of the future were only just beginning to be created or imagined. In order to
fill those jobs, the bulk of the new workforce would require higher-level knowledge and
skills than those needed in a manufacturing economy. At the same time, the largest-ever
age cohort of the population, working adults, would be going through the stages of life
during which they would be most affected by the coming economic dislocation and would
need advanced education to adapt to these changes.
It was in this historical context in 1976, that Dr. John Sperling, a Cambridge-educated
economist and professor-turned-entrepreneur, founded University of Phoenix. Sperling
anticipated the confluence of technological, economic, and demographic forces that would
in a very short time herald the return of ever-larger numbers of working adults to formal
higher education.
In the early 1970’s, at San Jose State University in San Jose, California, Sperling and
several associates conducted field-based research in adult education. The focus of the
research was to explore teaching/learning systems for the delivery of educational programs
and services to working adult students who wished to complete or further their education in
ways that complemented both their experience and current professional responsibilities. At
that time colleges and universities were organized primarily around serving the needs of
the 18-22 year-old undergraduate student. That is not at all surprising, given that the
large majority of those enrolled were residential students of traditional college age,
just out of high school. According to Sperling working adult students were invisible on
the traditional campus and were treated as second-class citizens:
Other than holding classes at night (and many universities did not even do this), no
efforts were made to accommodate their needs. No university offices or bookstores were
open at night. Students had to leave work during the day to enroll, register for classes,
buy books or consult with their instructors and advisors. Classes were held two or three
nights per week and parking was at the periphery of a large campus. The consequence,
according to Dr. Sperling was that most working adult students were unable to finish a
four-year program in less than eight years, or a two-year program in less than four
years (Tucker, 1996, p. 5).
Sperling’s research convinced him not only that working adult students were interested
in counterparts in significant ways. He saw a growing need for institutions that were
sensitive to and designed around the learning characteristics and life situations of the
working adult population. He suggested how these institutions would pioneer new approaches
to curricular and program design, teaching methods, and student services. These beliefs
eventually resulted in the creation of University of Phoenix, and they continue to this
day to inspire the University’s mission, purposes, and strategies. As an institution,
University of Phoenix is unique in its single-minded commitment to the educational needs
of working adults. This focus informs the University’s teaching and learning model,
approach to designing and providing student services, and academic and administrative
structure. It also guides the institution as it plans and prepares to meet the needs of
working adult students.
Over the last quarter-century, University of Phoenix has come to be regarded by many
as a leader and change agent in higher education. Outside observers often attribute this
to the University’s dedication to creating applied professional education for working
adults, an academic model designed specifically to facilitate adult learning, and an
organizational culture that prizes innovation.
Milestones