1. The Impact of Non-Traditional Students on Student Needs

2.  4-year, State College in the University System of Georgia  Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005  President hired in September 2005  Campus opened with 118 students and 10 faculty in August 2006 Origins

3.  Students:  Fall 2006Enrollment: 118  Fall 2007 Enrollment: 787  Fall 2010Enrollment: 5380  Faculty  Fall 2006Total: 11 – all FT  Fall 2010Total: 333 (196FT; 137PT)  Degree Programs  Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology  Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology  Fall 2010: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology, Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science; BSEd: Early Childhood Ed, Special Ed Current Status

4. VariableFall 2010Fall 2009Fall 2008Fall 2007 Age (First Time – First Year [FTFY]) M=19.33 (2.53) 97%<=24 M=19.52 (3.06) 97% <=24 M=19.47 (3.51) 97% <=24 M=19.10 (2.44) 98% <=24 Gender (FTFY) 53.4% Female 50.9% Female51.1% Female 48.7% Female Ethnicity (FTFY) 41.9% White 41.8% White58.6% White 53.1% White Percentage First Generation (FTFY) 41.6%36.2%39.2% 39.6% Percentage Transfer Students 27.54%39.9%45.0% 47.1% Age (Transfer) M=25.55 (7.45) 26.32 (8.07)25.56 (8.70) 25.85 (7.93) Gender (Transfer) 53.4% Female 56.3% Female47.0% Female 53.1% Female Ethnicity (Transfer) 41.9% White 40.5% White54.0% White 60.9% White Pell Grant eligibility (All) 47.6%33.2%22.4%N/A

6. 1. Is ‘Transfer Student’ synonymous with ‘Non- traditional Student’ on our campus? 2. Do non-traditional students have identifiably different perspectives and needs from those of traditional students? 3. Do those differences rest only in the transfer population or do they apply equally to older students beginning college for the first time?

7.  Data Sources  FoE survey conducted in Fall 2009 ▪ Participants were students who had entered GGC in Fall 2008  Transfer student survey conducted Summer 2010 ▪ Participants were new transfer students attending orientation sessions

8.  Recoded all age data into a binary variable  Age <=24 is Traditional Student  Age >=25 is Non-traditional Student  As appropriate to data type, tested for statistical difference between the two groups

9.  NT rate themselves higher on time management  NT less likely to get involved in traditional activities  NT perceive the institution as providing more information about how college helps with life  NT perceive instructor feedback as timely more than T  NT report working more hours per week  NT less likely to live with family  NT more likely to have clear intent for next year enrollment  NT less likely to have a parent with a college degree (probably GGC specific)

10.  T and NT may not be a different as we all assume  Student Affairs programming needs to move beyond traditional activities if you want to involve NT students  NTs may make good partners in helping their T aged colleagues understand the value of the classroom experience or of college in general  FY programming – if engagement is a goal – needs to be different for NT and T students  NT students may engage academically more easily (infer from reporting that faculty/staff/college have helped them understand how college helps, etc), but engage socially less easily (or at least in different ways)