The Magic of a Local Academic Community for Online Adult Learners in Completing the Doctoral Journey

Abstract

The dissertation journey from student to scholar is filled with hurdles that can be difficult to navigate alone, especially as online students. Many adult students who have stepped foot onto the path to earning a doctoral degree did so in a non-traditional environment that included a mix of work and family obligations, and the need to prove that they have earned the right to be called “doctor.” In 2017, the Jersey City Campus of University of Phoenix launched the Research Club, a monthly gathering of doctoral students, faculty, and alumni in the New York-New Jersey area. The initiative was designed to bring together a team to help doctoral students succeed through an in-person informal structure of conversation and peer-to-peer support to supplement the work of the dissertation committee. This chapter chronicles the first three years and affirms the need for innovative in-person strategies for providing doctoral support through informal communities of practice.