About This Episode

Season 6. Episode 14.

Who are today’s college students? More and more, they’re adults who are working full-time, raising families, serving in the military, and still finding the determination to pursue their degrees. National University calls them ANDers — students who are working AND studying AND parenting AND serving. And they represent one of the most important shifts happening in higher education today.

In this episode of Education Insight, Dr. Mark David Milliron, President and CEO of National University, joins us to unpack the growing momentum behind the ANDers Movement. He explains why traditional college models no longer match the realities of modern learners, and how National University is building flexible pathways, wraparound supports, and a Whole Human Education™ approach designed specifically for students who are doing it all.

We explore the barriers ANDers face, the sectors where these learners are urgently needed, and how thoughtful innovation can help them succeed without sacrificing academic rigor. Dr. Milliron also shares powerful stories of students whose lives and careers have been transformed through programs built with their real needs in mind.

Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, parent, or simply curious about the future of higher education, this conversation offers an eye-opening look at the students reshaping the system and the movement aiming to support them.

Featured Guest

Dr. Mark David Milliron

President and CEO of National University

Biography

Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant, who works with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the country and around the world. He serves as President of National University (NU), one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States. NU has a 50+ year history of innovating around the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students. The faculty and staff at NU have catalyzed the careers of community difference makers in service industries such as education, healthcare, business, cybersecurity, engineering, law, and criminal justice through an array of bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs. Moreover, NU’s broader education initiatives—including their K12-focused NU Academies and employer-focused Workforce and Community Education (WCE)—serve tens of thousands of teachers and other community leaders each year and impact millions of students nationally and internationally. Mark also serves on the boards of a host of organizations supporting the education field, including the Trellis Foundation, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the President’s Forum, and more.