---
title: "Episode 217: Building Systems of Belonging for Lifelong Learners"
description: Higher education is at a turning point as millions of adults with prior college experience and no degree return to learning. Institutions must move beyond
---

[Illumination Podcast ](https://moderncampus.com/podcast)

# [Episode 217: Building Systems of Belonging for Lifelong Learners](https://moderncampus.com/podcast/episode-twohundredseventeen)

 Written by [Reuben Pressman](https://moderncampus.com/podcast/author/admin) | Aug 22, 2025 4:00:00 AM

Higher education is at a turning point as millions of adults with prior college experience and no degree return to learning. Institutions must move beyond traditional approaches built for 18-to-22-year-olds and instead create systems that foster belonging, persistence, and relevance for today’s diverse lifelong learners.

On this episode, Amrit Ahluwalia, Executive Director of Continuing Studies at Western University, discusses the critical shift from access to belonging and the redesign of orientation for adult learners.

 

**Full Episode**

* Access the raw transcript [here. ](https://illuminationbymoderncampus.buzzsprout.com/)*

[Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/3hXu2ictlccsgY9XIYGchi)  [Listen on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/illumination-by-modern-campus/id1575912479)

[View full post](https://moderncampus.com/podcast/episode-twohundredseventeen)

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