1. Non-Traditional Students
Crafton Equity Series | Heather Luth
Non-Traditional Students

2. What is Traditional?
Arrived at college directly out of high school | Not employed/Employed Part Time | On track for 4 year graduation
Only 10% actually do this.

5. What Percentage of College Students Follow the “Traditional” Trajectory:
Began college directly after high school
Graduated in four years
Began a job related to their area of study

6. 10%

7. Reality Check ¾ college students are “non-traditional”
32% of students work full time.
60% of CC students work more than 20 hours per week.
Students with non-traditional characteristics more likely to attend public 2 year institution
National Center for Education Statistics, 2002; Sean Blanda “Rethinking the Career”

8. Defining Non-Traditional Students
Delayed enrollment into postsecondary education
Attending college part-time
Works full time
Financially independent for financial aid purposes
Has dependents other than a spouse
Single Parents
Does not have a high school diploma (Completed with GED)
Average age of Community College Student is 29; 47 percent of students enrolled in college are over the age of 25
2/3 of Community College Students Attend Part Time
60% of Community College Students work at least 20 hours per week
Definition Provided by National Center for Education Statistics; Data from the American Association of Community Colleges

9. Areas of Disproportionate Impact
Age
Access
Course Success
Math Throughput
English Throughput
Degree/Cert
Completion
Transfer Rate
19 or younger
20-24 x
25-29
30-34 NA
35-39
40-49
50 or older
Crafton Hills Equity Data, 2017

10. Areas of Disproportionate Impact in 2014
Age
Access
Course Success
Math Throughput
English Throughput
Degree/Cert
Completion
Transfer Rate
19 or younger
20-24 x
25-29
30-34 NA
35-39
40-49
50 or older
Crafton Hills Equity Data, 2014

12. Challenge: Data & Limitations
22% of adults have some college credit but no degree (US Census)
Unknown what point students “stop” taking classes?
Federal college graduation rates are based on first-time full time students and do not include adults returning to complete degrees
Cohort not large enough among some populations to evaluate equity status in certain areas
-On average, how many credits do they have?
-Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce suggests that just over 1/3 of this population has earned at least 60 credits

13. Solution: New Metrics & Technology
Do students do a “full stop” or do they gradually taper off?
Course retention versus student retention
Focus on “Murky Middle”
EAB Student Success Collaborative
For comparison: Transfer prepared is 60+ transferable units with a GPA
Use EAB (Education Advisor Board)

14. Challenge: Access & Achievement

15. Solutions: Enrollment Access
Flexible course offerings, online access to course lectures and discussion, Adaptive Faculty
Accelerated Courses (Arizona State University)
MOOC Considerations
Instructional Design Consulting & Training
Of all online students, 70% are 26 years or older, 68% are employed, and 66% have credits earned from a higher education institution.
Research indicates that the condensed class format offers better learning outcomes for nontraditional students. This is partly due to the course structure, which tends to lean more toward faculty facilitation than the more traditional, straightforward lecture; this structure also asks more of the student, since the course is fast-paced. Additionally, accelerated courses reduce context switching by allowing students to dig deeply into two subjects for a shorter period of time.

16. Engagement and Belonging
Focused orientation tailored to working adults and part time
Unified and Shared Student Records
Peer to Peer Support Groups: Childcare, Tutoring, Engagement in Student Activities & Groups

18. Faculty Prioritization
Prioritization of faculty satisfaction & adjunct equity. “When teachers come last, so do students.” – Pannapacker (2000)
Faculty employment status is associated with behaviors that influence student retention and success. Example: Long term advising, letters of recommendation, well developed pedagogy
Large percentages of courses taught by adjunct faculty is correlated with a decrease in graduation rates and increase in attrition rates, particularly in the first year.
Nearly 70% of instructors in community colleges are adjunct employees of the institution (Hagedorn, 2010; NCES, 2012). Many adjunct faculty members report feeling exploited and undervalued by their institutions (Salas, 2006), overlooked when tenure track positions are being filled (Krier, 1993), isolated from and unsupported by colleagues (Hagedorn, 2010; Louis, 2009; Salas, 2006), and pressured to take on additional work that is beyond the scope of their contract (Louis, 2009). According to Todd (2004), colleges are relying too heavily on adjunct labor and this trend “promotes faculty inequality [and] undermines [both] institutional allegiance and faculty morale” (p. 17).
Source: A Correlational Analysis of Course Retention and Faculty Status in A Community College Setting (2013)

19. Technology Solutions: Persistence Plus

20. Adaptive Learning Technology
Knewton

21. Challenge: Trepidation

22. Older Students Have…
Higher levels of intrinsic motivation and interest
More effective coping strategies than younger students
Increased optimism in their approach to their studies
Adaptive psychological characteristics
Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset
A study published in 2012 suggests that the wisdom Roseman had accumulated with age may be a common experience for nontraditional students. In the study, published in the Journal of College Student Development, researchers surveyed traditional and nontraditional students to investigate differences in coping strategies, and they discovered that traditional students were far more likely to employ emotion-oriented coping strategies.
"They tend to focus on their emotions when they confront a challenge," says Marcus Johnson, PhD, lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati. "For example, if they begin to feel stress about a deadline, instead of being active in trying to meet the deadline, they are more likely to focus on negative emotions."
By comparison, nontraditional students are more apt to turn to task-oriented coping strategies to overcome the stressor, such as thinking about what steps to take next and devising a plan of action. Johnson is conducting a follow-up study, and he has found that nontraditional students report higher levels of self-efficacy than their younger counterparts.
Source: Journal of College Student Development (

23. Questions…?