Welcome Back

  • By Shannon O'Connor
  • 09/01/18

It’s September, the start of the “traditional” school year. Members of the newest freshmen class are arriving on campus, moving into residence halls with their laundry baskets full of clothes, snacks, and digital devices. Those who choose to commute or live off-campus are scoping out the best bus routes, parking spots, or bike racks, and all of them are learning their way around campus or downloading an app that will help them do so. These quintessential fresh-out-of-high-school students are the predominant face of every college and university campus.

Or are they?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 40 percent of students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs are 25 or older. In April, the National Center for Educational Statistics stated there had been a 35 percent increase in college students aged 25 to 34 between 2001 and 2015. Between 2015 and 2026, enrollment is projected to increase 11 percent, to more than 9 million. The majority of these nontraditional students, about 5.4 million, will be attending classes part-time.

In response to the increasing number of adult learners, programs to encourage their success are growing in number, from the campus level to state initiatives. In April, Kennesaw State University’s Adult Learner Center in Kennesaw, GA, was recognized for their distinguished achievement and exemplary service by the University System of Georgia. In Tennessee, Tennessee Reconnect is Governor Bill Haslam’s initiative to help more adults enter higher education to gain new skills, advance in the workplace, and complete a degree or credential. Those are just two of a myriad of resources in place across the country to support adult learners.

The Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) offers resources to both institutions and students to provide opportunities, academic resources, and motivational support to nontraditional students. ANTSHE has designated November 5-9, 2018, as National Nontraditional Student Week, and their website (www.myantshe.org) includes a list of ways to celebrate nontraditional students.

Learning is a life-long adventure. Two of my good friends—women who have both passed the half-century mark—recently proudly completed their degrees (one a B.A., one an M.B.A.). They couldn’t have done so without the support of the institutions who worked with and for them so that they could accomplish their dreams. Thank you for supporting all your students, traditional or otherwise, and have a good year.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management September 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • S4L Launches 2025 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched its 2025 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which gathers information on K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide from the previous year. The data we get from you, our readers, forms an industry report offering an overview of current trends in school facilities.

  • Rush-Henrietta Central School District’s Sperry High School

    A New Perspective: Using Adaptive Reuse Concepts in K-12 Planning

    In the face of increasing pressures on construction timelines, budgets, and material availability, the renovation and reuse of pre-existing structures for new purposes can help bridge the gap between modern school programming and outdated school infrastructure.

  • Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

    Furnishing the Future: Adaptive Solutions for Modern Learning Spaces

    On this episode of Schools in Focus, we'll talk about the role that classroom furniture plays in creating adaptive, flexible learning spaces. Our guest is Wesley Edmonds, the Director of Workplace, Adaptive Solutions at OFS.

  • Springfield Breaks Ground on $53.7M Pipkin Middle School Rebuild

    Construction is underway on a new, state-of-the-art Pipkin Middle School in Springfield, Mo., a major step in Springfield Public Schools’ (SPS) long-term facility improvement plan, according to local news. The $53.7-million project officially broke ground in early June, following years of planning and community input aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure and addressing student capacity concerns.

Digital Edition