Q&A With CAEL: Sean Carey

Perspectives on 50 Years of Impact

As CAEL marks its semicentennial, a big part of the celebrations is around its 5,000-strong membership. It is the daily work of this thriving community of practice that has made so much of the past five decades possible. To highlight some of the diverse individuals who create our collective success, CAEL invited CAEL Ambassadors to answer questions about the past, present, and future of CAEL’s mission and its impact on education-employment pathways.

What is your name, title, and organization?

Sean Carey, associate dean of career programs, Wright College

In its 50-year history, what would you say is CAEL's biggest accomplishment?

CAEL brings awareness to the needs of adult learners and helps to champion the people, policies, and institutions that support adult learners.  

During that history, what would you consider to be the biggest shift in higher education?

The internet and the subsequent infrastructure to make it accessible and global have completely changed education.

What would you consider to be the biggest shift in workforce development?

The internet has completely changed the way that business is conducted for owners, HR, employees, customers, and users.  There is no putting the genie back in the bottle.  

As CAEL begins its next half century, where do you see the greatest opportunity?

We live in an environment of information overload, where anyone can publish anything instantly.  Organizations with the rigor, research, and history to provide accurate, relevant, and contextualized information are more necessary now than ever before.

As a returning adult learner, Sean Carey became passionate about the power of higher education, which led him to want to work in this field and support adult learners. His 12+ year career in postsecondary education has spanned two- and four-year public institutions in roles such as student support services, teaching, curriculum development, PLA champion, and now associate dean.