M5.5 – The Challenges of Supporting Adult Learners: The New Traditional Student

Linda Dammer Director of Student Affairs Edward Trombley Registrar

Please turn off your cell phone. If you must leave the session early, please do so as discreetly as possible. Please avoid side conversation during the session

THE ADMISSION PROCESS: Applicants will forget… I don’t remember what schools I attended, it was so long ago. Oops! I forgot to disclose that school. I don’t know what degree I want to pursue--that’s why I didn’t select one. I didn’t know you wanted me to complete the entire application. Applicants will question every request… Why do you need all my transcripts? All my courses should show up on my latest transcript. I don’t want any transfer credit, so you don’t need my transcripts. My GPA from those schools shouldn’t be considered for my admission because I was young then.

Applications should be clear and concise (briefly explain why they must disclose all previous/current institutions) Don’t make them weed through small print, emphasize most important information Make key fields on application mandatory Put most crucial information near beginning of application Repetition is grand … (Ask, have you answered all your questions truthfully?) Ensure the teams speaking with prospective adult learners are consistently conveying the same information

I’m 40yrs old why do I have to… I work and have family obligations… I am an adult… Plagiarism and APA format My instructor is a kid… I paid for this course… Nobody told me… I don’t have time to… But I was on vacation, business travel, etc. for two weeks… Military promotion, advancement, transferring to another institution Problems…Complaints… Excuses…

Don’t talk down to students Make New Student Orientation Mandatory Put it in writing - provide s with clear guidance If a student self-enrolls an advisor should follow-up with the student Make them feel special but let them know their situation is not unique Explain why using proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure is important

Online resources – Use your Intranet Give them a degree map or screen shots of where to find information Don’t bury important information, make it easily accessible Use clear terms not acronyms Make yourself available Return s and calls in a timely manner Make them aware of their responsibility toward their own success Create a knowledge base Shorter term lengths Twelve terms a year at undergraduate level; 5 graduate level but will add terms when demand dictates Multiple modalities of instruction

Two-year “Continuing Student” status Graduation processed weekly Centralized Graduation Ceremony Full-time and Part-time status redefined Centralized student complaint/grievance repository Student Files imaged for multi-campus access Confidential student files imaged with limited access Decentralized advising for campus and online students Non-cohort programs Intra-university transfer

Non- traditional Student You