A nationally known education writer spoke about the growing over-25 student population in higher education to a group of about 100 NIU administrators, faculty and students Monday night.

George Keller, a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, is the author of “Academic Strategy: The Management Revolution in American Higher Education.” His book was named the most influential book of the decade by the New York Times and Change magazine polls.

In his speech, Keller discussed five topics that he said will change the way higher education institutions respond to their growing over-25 student population.

Keller said demographics, socio-economic status, technology and the economic and educational status of America’s five major income groups will have permanent effects on the way schools function to keep America among the top 10 producing nations of the world.

In the past 20 years, American universities attracted a quickly-growing adult population that requires more flexibility, Keller said.

Students over age 25 need hours other than the typical weekday schedule that universities ran on during the 1960s and before, Keller said. Weekend and evening classes provide opportunities for the over-25 student, he said.

Changing circumstances have prompted those who previously might not have attended classes to return to school, he said. Single-parent families and families with two incomes and no children are part of an increasing student population, he said.

Education is directed more toward over-25 students than the typical-age college student, Keller said, adding that 44 percent of the national college population is over 25.

Keller said schools must buckle down and educate the over-25 population to strive toward keeping the United States strong.

NIU education professor Robert Mason said he planned Keller’s visit to inspire both NIU leaders and graduate students to prepare for the changing future of higher education. Keller’s two-hour lecture was videotaped and will be available in the College of Education Learning Center in Gabel Hall.