Exploring adult learners’ expectations of ideal course environments is important because the social climate of learning environments influences learners’ satisfaction (Beer & Darkenwald, 1989). The Adult Classroom Environment Scale was employed in this study, specifically the task orientation, teacher support, and student influence dimensions (Darkenwald & Valentine, 1986) based on Murphy and Cifuentes’ (2001) assertion that such variables contribute to a sense of community within a course. The purpose of this study was to provide faculty and administrators at a comprehensive university in south Georgia with insights into their adult learners’ expectations of the social climate of ideal online course environments, which may aid in sustaining a sense of belonging within the course environment. No significant differences were found between means of ideal face-to-face and online course environment ratings or between adult learners’ expectations of ideal online course environments based on age. Female adult learners had significantly higher ratings for task orientation and teacher support in ideal online course environments than male adult learners did, but no significant differences were reported for student influence. White adult learners reported significantly higher ratings for teacher support in ideal online course environments than Black or African American adult learners; however, no significant differences were noted for task orientation or student influence. Participant ratings for similar expectations provide feedback about which elements these diverse adult learners universally expect in online course environments, and as such, instructors can plan to maintain consistent methods for elements where no significant differences were noted and focus attention on varying other aspects based on differing student expectations.