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Who are Nontraditional Students?

Who are Nontraditional Students? UP FRONT How Do We Address Meet Marie, thirtyeight, services, scheduling, and deliverj dents? And how many have Their Needs? systems to fit their needs. Articles in achieved the equity stage; actively mother of three, divorced and this issue address several pertinent engaged in assessment, planning, unemployed. She has just complet- As adult educators we need to be GED and has been told by approaches to and analyses of suc- and implementation of integrated, ed her aware of the reasons that nontradi- her instructors that she is very cessful programming including “user friendly,” adult learner- tional students come to our prc- perception of traditional vs. nontra- oriented programs? bright and should consider enroll- gramsthat it often is because of ditional students in a vocational The articles in this theme sec- ing at the community college. She a major transitional event such as technical school setting, develop- tion highlight several responses to is ovemhelmed. How will she pay divorce, job loss or change, or mental advising of the nontradi- nontraditional learners’ needs in for this? Where can she seek help? entering a new life passage. These tional student, a community a number of setting. I hope that Who will help care for the kids? Can students will also have different she juggle her time and finances in college response to adult learner these articles will promote enhance- needs due to transitions they experi- order to do this? Is she really smart needs, and a workplace-based edu- ment of programs and services for ence within the institution as they cation program cesponsored by these students. I have intentionally enough? move in, move through, and move a four-year college and a major asked many questions of you, the Marie is only one portrait of a on. The faculty, advisors, and key corporation. reader, just as our student did at the nontrdtional learner. There are personnel at our institutions of beginning of this introduction. I hundreds more-and they are higher learning can provide valu- Where Do We Go believe that the answerj can be accessing higher education in ever able insight through ‘‘focused From Here? found at our institutions. A increasing numbers. Although reflection”-a term I use to there is great variation in the char- Just as there is a wide variety in describe the process of actively lis- -&yMayAnnChrlsensen acteristics of these students, some nontraditional students, there is tening to these students, assessing Butler County CommunQ common threads also emerge great diversity in the kinds of insti- their skills and experience, and College, El L&&, km allowing us to assess their needs, tutions that serve them, from facilitating their enrollment, deci- skill levels, and concerns. For the sion making, and problem-solving. vocational technical schools to purpose of this series of articles As they travel through the educa- community colleges to colleges and nontraditional students will be universities. How can each institu- tional environment, the most sig- defined as those over age twenty- nificant need met by this process is tion determine its preparedness for five, and attending part-time or “mattering’; whereby individuals effectively addressing the needs of commuting to a campus. Are they who feel valued by their institu- this student population? Ackell, significant as a student group? tions are more likely to persist and Epps, Sharp, and Sparks have Consider the following: complete. They increase not only described three stages of develop- ment to consider, perhaps to use, selfesteem, but self-awareness and The growth rate of students sustenance. Does this take a signifi- for purposes of comparison at our over twenty-five from 1970 to 1985 cant investment of time, human institutions; the laissez faire, the was 114 percent compared to a mum, and budget? Yes. Is it separatist, and the equity stages. In 15 percent increase in the number worth it? Undoubtedly For the past 1982 they statd that “...no fully of traditional students. decade or NO, researchers and developed equity stage colleges or Part-time students, who take authors have paved the way for universities now exist in our coun- less than 75 percent of what a given try.” How far have we come? How insightful, strategic directions for institution considers full-time cred- many of our institutions are still successful programming. Outstand- it, are the fastest growing group in classified as laissez faire, with limit- ing programs, services, and deliveIy higher education. Between 1970 ed or nonexistent recruitment, sup- systems that are paying great divi- 1391 it is estimated that part- and port services, or strategic planning dends at institutions of higher time enrollments increased by learning incorporate their sugges- targeted to this group? How many 122 percent, compared with 38 per- would be termed separatist, with tions, including developing awm- cent for full-time enrollments. nm of adult student characteristics, established separate (but ostensi- Commuter students account bly) equal special programs (regis- fostering sensitivity to the needs of for 80 percent of enrollments at tration, scheduling, admissions, nontraditional learners, and crest- higher educational institutions. advising) for nontraditional stu- ing responsiveness in the form of Septernber/October 1994 19 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Adult Learning SAGE

Who are Nontraditional Students?

Christensen, Mary Ann
Adult Learning , Volume 6 (1): 1 – Sep 1, 1994
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1994 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
ISSN
1045-1595
eISSN
2162-4070
DOI
10.1177/104515959400600110
Publisher site
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Abstract

UP FRONT How Do We Address Meet Marie, thirtyeight, services, scheduling, and deliverj dents? And how many have Their Needs? systems to fit their needs. Articles in achieved the equity stage; actively mother of three, divorced and this issue address several pertinent engaged in assessment, planning, unemployed. She has just complet- As adult educators we need to be GED and has been told by approaches to and analyses of suc- and implementation of integrated, ed her aware of the reasons that nontradi- her instructors that she is very cessful programming including “user friendly,” adult learner- tional students come to our prc- perception of traditional vs. nontra- oriented programs? bright and should consider enroll- gramsthat it often is because of ditional students in a vocational The articles in this theme sec- ing at the community college. She a major transitional event such as technical school setting, develop- tion highlight several responses to is ovemhelmed. How will she pay divorce, job loss or change, or mental advising of the nontradi- nontraditional learners’ needs in for this? Where can she seek help? entering a new life passage. These tional student, a community a number of setting. I hope that Who will help care for the kids? Can students will also have different she juggle her time and finances in college response to adult learner these articles will promote enhance- needs due to transitions they experi- order to do this? Is she really smart needs, and a workplace-based edu- ment of programs and services for ence within the institution as they cation program cesponsored by these students. I have intentionally enough? move in, move through, and move a four-year college and a major asked many questions of you, the Marie is only one portrait of a on. The faculty, advisors, and key corporation. reader, just as our student did at the nontrdtional learner. There are personnel at our institutions of beginning of this introduction. I hundreds more-and they are higher learning can provide valu- Where Do We Go believe that the answerj can be accessing higher education in ever able insight through ‘‘focused From Here? found at our institutions. A increasing numbers. Although reflection”-a term I use to there is great variation in the char- Just as there is a wide variety in describe the process of actively lis- -&yMayAnnChrlsensen acteristics of these students, some nontraditional students, there is tening to these students, assessing Butler County CommunQ common threads also emerge great diversity in the kinds of insti- their skills and experience, and College, El L&&, km allowing us to assess their needs, tutions that serve them, from facilitating their enrollment, deci- skill levels, and concerns. For the sion making, and problem-solving. vocational technical schools to purpose of this series of articles As they travel through the educa- community colleges to colleges and nontraditional students will be universities. How can each institu- tional environment, the most sig- defined as those over age twenty- nificant need met by this process is tion determine its preparedness for five, and attending part-time or “mattering’; whereby individuals effectively addressing the needs of commuting to a campus. Are they who feel valued by their institu- this student population? Ackell, significant as a student group? tions are more likely to persist and Epps, Sharp, and Sparks have Consider the following: complete. They increase not only described three stages of develop- ment to consider, perhaps to use, selfesteem, but self-awareness and The growth rate of students sustenance. Does this take a signifi- for purposes of comparison at our over twenty-five from 1970 to 1985 cant investment of time, human institutions; the laissez faire, the was 114 percent compared to a mum, and budget? Yes. Is it separatist, and the equity stages. In 15 percent increase in the number worth it? Undoubtedly For the past 1982 they statd that “...no fully of traditional students. decade or NO, researchers and developed equity stage colleges or Part-time students, who take authors have paved the way for universities now exist in our coun- less than 75 percent of what a given try.” How far have we come? How insightful, strategic directions for institution considers full-time cred- many of our institutions are still successful programming. Outstand- it, are the fastest growing group in classified as laissez faire, with limit- ing programs, services, and deliveIy higher education. Between 1970 ed or nonexistent recruitment, sup- systems that are paying great divi- 1391 it is estimated that part- and port services, or strategic planning dends at institutions of higher time enrollments increased by learning incorporate their sugges- targeted to this group? How many 122 percent, compared with 38 per- would be termed separatist, with tions, including developing awm- cent for full-time enrollments. nm of adult student characteristics, established separate (but ostensi- Commuter students account bly) equal special programs (regis- fostering sensitivity to the needs of for 80 percent of enrollments at tration, scheduling, admissions, nontraditional learners, and crest- higher educational institutions. advising) for nontraditional stu- ing responsiveness in the form of Septernber/October 1994 19

Journal

Adult Learning – SAGE

Published: Sep 1, 1994

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