NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN -STOUT

The old adage about college being the "best years of your life" may ring true for the majority of students; however, a careful analysis of what this statement may mean to students who enter the "hallowed halls" at various stages in their life course, is warranted. Unprecedented numbers of adults who do not match the traditional student profile are enrolling in America's colleges and universities. In fact, the traditional path to a college degree, broadly defined as enrolling in college immediately after high school and attending full-time until graduation, has become the exception rather than the rule (Horn & Carroll, 1996). The purpose of this study was to determine the situational, dispositional and institutional barriers and/or supports that nontraditional students experience while pursuing their undergraduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. A secondary purpose is to determine student perceptions of what programs, policies, and/or services might be instituted to assist them in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree. The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie, WI Acknowledgments "It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, we will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as f i t was the only one we had. " Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Quite simply put, my return to school was made possible by the love, support, encouragement, and example of five strong women in my family: Agnes Donatelle, Sharon Droege, Rebecca Donatelle, Barb Biljan, and Kim Droege. I hope that I've made each of you as proud of me as I am of all of you! In the past year, I've had the pleasure of getting to know a sixth "strong woman," my advisor, Dr. Kat Lui, and I would like to thank her for her support, patience, and words of encouragement through-out this process. now I know why everyone thinks so highly of her! TABLE OF CONTENTS Page . ABSTRACT 11 Chapter I: Introduction 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Purpose of the Study 3 Research Objectives 3 Assumptions of the Study 4 Definition of Terms 4 Limitations of the Study 5 Methodology 5 Chapter 11: Literature Review 6 Chapter 111: Methodology 11 Subject Selection and Description 11 Itzstrumentation 11 Data Collection Procedures 12 Data Analysis 12 Limitations 13 Chapter IV: Results 14 Item Analysis 15 Chapter V: Discussion 22 Limitations 23 Conclusions 23 Recommendations 24 References 25 Appendix A: Survey 27 Chapter I: Introduction The old adage about college being the "best years of your life" may ring true for the majority of students; however, a careful analysis of what this statement may mean to students who enter the "hallowed halls" at various stages in their life course, is warranted. It is nai've to assume that 18 year olds and 40 year olds experience these years in the sanle way, given the myriad of differences in current and past life experiences that each brings to their baccalaureate years. Unique differences in academic histories and technological knowledge, responsibilities of work and family, finances, health-related and coping strategies, pressure of time, and immediacy of goals, may exist. Additionally, older students are susceptible to situational, dispositional, and institutional barriers that may be unique to their non-traditional student status (Kilgore & Rice, 2003). Unprecedented numbers of adults who do not match the traditional student profile are enrolling in America's colleges and universities. In fact, the traditional path to a college degree, broadly defined as enrolling in college immediately after high school and attending full-time until graduation, has become the exception rather than the rule (Horn & Carroll, 1996). Based on the U.S. Department of Education's 2002 estimates, more than nine million adults are enrolled in some form of postsecondary education, are 25 years of age or older, and classified as "nontraditional" or "adult learnersn(Kilgore & Rice, 2003). Although age is typically the defining characteristic for this heterogeneous population of adult students, exactly what constitutes a nontraditional student has been the source of much discussion in recent research (Horn & Carroll, 1996). Rather than focusing solely on age, Horn and Carroll (1996) suggest that the following attributes commonly associated with nontraditional students should be considered for classification purposes: delayed enrollment, part-time enrollment, financial independence, full-time employment while enrolled, dependents, single parent, and high school graduation status. The ability to more accurately categorize adult students as minimally, moderately, and highly nontraditional, based on these qualities, would arguably help institutes gauge the impact of individual nontraditional student characteristics on persistence and attainment. According to a report published by the National Center for Education Statistics, nontraditional students are "more than twice as likely to leave school in their first year" than are their traditional counterparts (Choy, 2002). In addition to being far more likely to leave school without returning, nontraditional students are less likely to earn a degree within five years of beginning their postsecondary education (Horn & Carroll). The erratic enrollment patterns of this large population are a clear indication that institutes of higher education have not been successful at accommodating the unique needs of nontraditional students (Choy). Statement of the Problem Data collected from participants in a pilot-study revealed a unanimous sense of dissatisfaction among nontraditional students with support services, programs, and policies at University of Wisconsin-Stout (Droege, 2006). In an effort to provide a quality education to the majority of the students, the educational objectives of the nontraditional students have been compromised by a college that welcomes diversity but fails to acknowledge the unique needs and special talents of the older student. Over the course of the last four years, any and all support services at UW-Stout, including a full-time nontraditional advisor, have been eliminated; consequently, older adults are left feeling as though they are not "real" students (Droege, 2006). Purpose of the Study Although older students are successfully being recruited by colleges and universities throughout the country, it appears that many are left to their own devices to deal with the unique challenges they encounter while trying to achieve their educational aspirations. The purpose of this study was to determine the situational, dispositional and institutional barriers and/or supports that nontraditional students experience while pursuing their undergraduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. A secondary purpose is to determine student perceptions of what programs, policies, and/or services might be instituted to assist them in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree.