Transforming the Student Experience for Nontraditional Learners and Student Veterans

1. Transforming the Student Experience for Nontraditional Learners and Student Veterans

2. Overview • Introduction and Welcome • Campus Realities • Campus Transformations • Frameworks to Guide Transformations • Advocacy • Feminist and Relational Cultural Theory • Transition Theory • A little Role Playing Game • A Word From Our Students

3. Campus Realities Trends and Current Data of Nontraditional Students

4. What is a Nontraditional Student • NCES • Three Tiers • Older than typical • Part time • Financially independent • Worked 35 hours+ • Having non-spouse dependents • GED • CAEL • Financially Independent OR • Major life responsibilities outside school OR • Principal identities beyond the role of a full-time student • Typically defined as one who is 24+, married, ORhas dependents

5. GROWTH

6. Source: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

7. Historic Trends – Future Projections • By 2021 – National Center for Statistics in Education projects: • 25% increase in students 25-34 years old • 20% growth over 35 • 10% growth traditional aged • 4% increase in students taking part-time courses Source: National Center for Educational Statistics – Digest of Educational Statistics

8. The Changing Nature of Higher Education - Implications • The Traditional Student is changing • Over half of all college students are in community colleges • 20% of students work full-time during college • 4 out of 5 college students work part-time, averaging 19 hours per week • More than 1/3 of students attend part-time • About 20% of college students live on campus • From 2009 to 2013, Veterans receiving education benefits increased 100% from ½ million to a million. How will your institution and Student Affairs adapt to a changing traditional student and increase in Adult Students?

9. Campus Transformations

10. Austin Peay State University • Founded 1927; fall 2013 enrollment of 10,400 including 35% adult and 20.5% military-related undergraduate students • Clarksville/Montgomery County population of 175,000; 5th largest city in Tennessee and 2nd highest veteran population in U.S. at 24% • Home of Fort Campbell, the 101st Airborne Division

11. The Complete College TennesseeAct 2010 ”Even if Tennessee were to reach the best performing states in the performance of the traditional age population, degree attainment goals will not be reached.  It is only through enrolling and graduating more adult students that the state can meet such goals.” http://tn.gov/moa/adult_strag_grp.shtml

12. THEC Performance Funding Model “The exclusive use of outcomes, rather than beginning or end of term enrollment, and the inclusion of a unique weight for each outcome for each campus, are the two primary innovations introduced by Tennessee into higher education finance policy.”

13. Challenges to ServingNontraditional Students • Equal Access to Leadership Opportunities, and Programming • Traditions that welcome families. • Equal Access to High Impact Practices (HIP) • Facilities that are Family Friendly • Staff dedicated to the population • Self-Advocacy • Technology Training

14. Additional Challenges to ServingVeteran Students • Readjustment issues / Feeling of not belonging / Not able to relate. • In recovery from mental and physical injuries. • Used to dogmatic, structured culture based on enforcement of rules.

15. Transformative Practices to Meet Those Challenges • Advocacy & Transition • Unique cultural approach to Centers • Military Student Center • Adult & Nontraditional Student Center • Population specific ceremonies • Dedicated Staff to the Population • Student Organizations • The Non-Traditional Student Society • Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter • Student Veterans Organization • Partnerships with Federal Government and other organizations • TN Patriot Fund, S.A.F.E, MilitaryOne Source, Wounded Warrior Project-Boots to Books program.

16. Transformative Practices to Meet Those Challenges • Programs and Resources • Scholarships • Welcome Packets for Veterans • Texts for Vets • Evening Childcare • Enhanced Courses • Modified HIP Practices • Mentoring and Adult Café • Short Trip Alternative Breaks • Take Me Out to the Ballgame

17. Frameworks for Transformation

18. Why Advocate for Nontraditional Students More vulnerable More life experience = less passive Cannot afford financial and time-loss burden

19. Advocacy: Benefits and Risks • Aggressive action on part of staff person over advising or counseling. • Negative and Positive outcomes for advocate and for student • The more vulnerable – the more advocacy they need • Not just advising • might be advocating for a change in, or exception to policy or pointing out flaws in processes • Choose your battles and always verify facts. • Advocacy is a NASPA Student Affairs Competency.

20. Using Theory to think about transformation

21. Feminist Counseling Theory Connectedness and interdependence are common socializations for women and should be developed for healthy growth. Gilligan (1977) Relational-Cultural Theory The dominant culture valorizes power over others…, intrapsychicconflict…success accomplished through competitive achievement, …. They underemphasize the importance of connection, growth-fostering relationship and community, and often position a person’s need for interconnectedness as a sign of “weakness.” - Stone Center Theory Group www.jbmti.org

22. The Role of Perception Transition Theory “Any event, or non-event, that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions and roles” - Schlossberg, 1984 • Key Transition involves two levels of Appraisals • Primary: How the individual feels about the transition in general • Secondary: How individual feels about their resources in dealing with the Transition? Transition Process A person’s ability to cope with a transition is reliant on their resources in 4 areas: • Situation • Self: • Support • Mattering • Strategies How do you or your Adult programs help Students identify these resources?

23. Questions? 2014 MIMSAC Conference * Memphis, TN * May 16, 2014

24. A little Role Playing

25. A Word From The Students

26. Thank You For Joining Us • Austin Peay State University • Jasmin Linares, MSM, Coordinator Military Student Center • Martha Harper M.Ed., Coordinator Adult & Nontraditional Student Center

27. Resources • Bousquet, 2008 (How the university works: higher education and the low wage nation) • Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. • Gilligan, Carol, 1982 (In a different voice) • Giroux, 2007 (The University in chains: confronting the military-industrial-academic complex) • National Center for Education Statistics • National Student Clearinghouse for Research • Schlossberg, Nancy, 1984 (Counseling Adults in transition: linking practice with theory) • Stone Center Theory Group www.jbmti.org • Tennessee Government http://tn.gov/moa/adult_strag_grp.shtml • Tennessee Higher Education Commission www.tn.gov/thec • Veterans Administration http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ Links and sources

28. Please evaluate the session! Takes less than two minutes to do three question evaluation! • To use Grupio App: • Click on Schedule • Find session • Click on (Name of Session) Survey • Complete Survey • To use URL: http://bit.ly/1gEgwM8 • If no mobile device or prefer to wait, fill out conference evaluation which will arrive in your email inbox by Tuesday!