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Community colleges across the country have continued to expand since the inception of Joliet<br />Junior College in 1901. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC, 2010) reported that there are 1,173 community colleges in America, of which 987 are public institutions of higher learning. Additional statistics indicate that there are almost twelve million students enrolled in the community college system (AACC, 2010). Over the years many changes have occurred that affect who attends community college, no change more<br />significant than the focus on meeting the needs of a diverse population. Many unique characteristics, such as being of minority status, being financially disadvantaged, and being a first- generation American make up this diverse new student population. Another unique characteristic of the new student population is being of non-traditional age, which is defined as 25 years old or older (Bean & Metzner, 1985; Cohen & Brawer, 1989; Crosta, Calcagno, Jenkins, & Bailey 2006). Little empirical research has been conducted examining this new population of non-traditional students\' ability to complete their goals when selecting to attend community college, especially in the state of Virginia (Sorey, 2006). Through quantitative methodology, utilizing a cross-sectional design, the purpose of this study was to identify non-academic social and emotional factors that are related to the ability of nontraditional<br />students to persist towards their academic goals within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). This study included a sample of 1694 students. Their responses to an<br />electronic survey questionnaire of non-traditional students within the VCCS were analyzed to provide descriptive data, correlations, and mean differences. The findings indicate that<br />participants in this study are dealing with multiple non-academic social and emotional factors<br />that may require readjustment in their lives. Further participants in this study perceived<br />themselves as being stressed. Finally, 12.9% of participants endorsed a moderate level of<br />psychological distress and 4.2% of participants endorsed a serious level of psychological distress. The positive correlation between perceived stress and psychological distress supports the need of additional resources, for non-traditional students at the community college level within the Commonwealth of Virginia. / Ph. D.

The findings of this study challenge essentialised conceptions of “the student” as a young national, entering higher education directly from school with appropriate school-leaving qualifications, to devote themselves entirely to their studies, undistracted by caring responsibilities or work commitments, unconstrained by disabilities, conforming to an unproblematised binary conception of gender which informs an appropriate choice of study programme, participating in stereotypical student extramural pursuits along the way. The study tracked 23 students from 7 universities who volunteered themselves as ‘non-traditional’ in their own study contexts over the course of a calendar year. Drawing on concepts of ‘diaspora space’, ‘nomadism’, dis/identification and mis/recognition, this study maps out these students’ perceptions of the different aspects of their engagement as these changed over time as well as their self-conceptions and their descriptions of their ‘imagined communities’. The importance of relationships of different kinds (with other people, with their studies, and with their universities and other structures) in their decisions about persistence is noted. Student Engagement (SE) has been widely accepted as contributing positively to the student experience, student success and outcomes, including persistence / retention. ‘Non-traditional’ students, while having the potential to benefit most from SE, are often reported as feeling unengaged or alienated, and constitute ‘at risk’ groups in terms of persistence / retention. This study has established that the construct ‘non-traditional student’ can be considered a ‘chaotic conception’, since students bearing that label may have nothing in common beyond not conforming to ‘traditional’ criteria. Students may consider themselves ‘non-traditional’ in their particular study contexts for many reasons, often presenting with more than one factor from a checklist of what is not traditional in that context. The study also found reported mismatches between resources and services offered by universities for defined groups of ‘non-traditional’ students, and the support sought by students in this study. These mismatches hinge on factors such as fear of stigma, disparities between how target groups are defined and how students self-identify, opacity of systems and processes and perceived differences in priority.

Current political forces see education as a potential solution to the economic slide the United States is experiencing. This push toward higher education and resulting employment creates a conflict for women expected by society to serve as primary caregivers of children. Research suggests that working mothers experience feelings of guilt related to the conflict between parenting and employment roles that may come from failure to personify the intensive mothering ideology. Student parents potentially share this guilt but few studies exist that investigate this. The results of this study suggest that student parents do experience guilt and identify relationships between guilt, gender, and relationship status. The nature of these relationships is unclear at this time, highlighting the need for further research

The purpose of this study was to ascertain non-traditional students', traditional students', and their faculty's perceptions as to effective teaching behaviors in the office systems technology programs on six of the campuses of the Louisiana Technical College and to determine any significant differences in perceptions held by the respective groups—non-traditional students, traditional students, faculty of non-traditional students, and faculty of traditional students. The theoretical framework of this study is drawn from Knowles' concept of andragogy and Bruner's constructivist theory. The design of this study was nonexperimental descriptive research in nature. It used a survey instrument to collect data as to the perceptions of effective teaching behaviors of the respective groups. Two survey instruments were used—one for students and one for faculty. Both instruments were of like format, using a 7-point Likert scale for determination of perceived teaching behavior effectiveness. The faculty instrument was derived from the results of student data collection. The student sample was 299, and the faculty sample was 14. The prime objective of this study was to assemble data from a significant number of the target population for comparison, to summarize findings, and to evaluate any relevant patterns of significance in and among the groups. Methods of statistical analysis used in this study were Mann-Whitney U Statistical Procedure, T-Test for Independent Samples, and Spearman Correlation. This study revealed important differences in the perceptions as to effective teaching behaviors of non-traditional students, traditional students, faculty of non-traditional students, and faculty of traditional students in the office systems technology program of the Louisiana Technical College. These differences are described and analyzed. Implications for a range of stakeholders and suggestions for further research are presented.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology / Fred O. Bradley / The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the impact of student support services on the engagement and satisfaction of undergraduate non-traditional students at Kansas State University. For the purposes of this study, student support services were defined as non-academic departments or offices providing support services to students. The research questions were: (1) How do the experiences of non-traditional students, when utilizing the services of university student support staff, impact their engagement and satisfaction? (2) How do non-traditional students regard their experiences with student support services at Kansas State University? (3) What types of programming do student support services at Kansas State University provide for non-traditional students? (4) What level of involvement with student support service functions do non-traditional students find as enhancing their learning experience? Following the completion of in-depth interviews of 20 non-traditional students, five student support staff members and observation of five student support staff offices, the researcher identified the emergence of six themes related to the engagement and satisfaction of non-traditional students: (1) commitment - student’s perceptions of efforts to engage and satisfy them through a commitment of university resources, (2) expectations - demonstration of investment in the students and validation of their presence on campus by communicating clear expectations, (3) support - provision and utilization of support services that promote student success (4) involvement - perceptions of the relationship between student and support staff and opportunities for academic and social integration, (5) learning - efforts to enhance the learning experiences of non-traditional students, (6) feedback – gathering of suggestions for change and improvement to the non-traditional student experience. These themes captured the experiences of non-traditional students while utilizing student support services. Students who develop or experience a positive connection with a student support staff member or faculty member reported that those experiences leave them feeling engaged in the life of the university and satisfied with their student role. Non-traditional students were confused about what student support services were available and how to utilize them. When students seek the help of support staff, the student often left feeling as though the staff do not understand their needs. Student support service offices did not differentiate between programs specifically for non-traditional and traditionally-aged students. Students could identify student support service staff as connectors as playing the role of; academic advisor, admissions representative, financial aid advisor, housing staff member, faculty member or others who take the opportunity to engage with the student.

The focus of this qualitative research was to investigate the motivations, experiences, and constructs of non-traditional adult students who elected to enroll in community college baccalaureate programs. The participants in this investigation were a homogeneous sample of adult students who had priorities other than school, such as employment and families. The research questions which guided the study sought to explore the narratives adult students shared of their reasons for choosing to enroll in a community college baccalaureate degree program, how they described meaning to having access to these new degrees, and what impact the community college baccalaureate had on the decision to return for the bachelor degree. The voices of the students were captured during semi-structured individual interviews. Six central themes emerged from the data gathered: Resiliency vs. Obstacles: Managing Life, Finding Self Through Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Factors, The Community College Degree as Key to Economic Stability, Limited Alternatives to Baccalaureate Degree Attainment, Importance of Communality to Adult Students Feelings of Belonging, and Neither Difference nor Disadvantage to Obtaining a Community College Baccalaureate Degree. The study’s results led to recommendations and implications for legislators, higher education faculty and administrators, and admissions and marketing specialists.

No / The nature of Higher Education (HE) has seen many changes throughout the last decade. The agenda for widening participation in HE has led to an increase in the number of students with a broader range of educational backgrounds. At the same time there has been a surge in the development of digitalisation and the convergence of computing and telecommunications technologies available for use in education. This paper discusses the outcomes of a case study, conducted in a School of Health Studies within a northern English University, which identified the extent to which `non-traditional¿ students access on-line learning facilities, such as virtual learning environments and library networks, and what factors enhanced or formed barriers to access. `Non-traditional¿ students, for the purpose of this study, were defined as mature students who were returning to higher education after a considerable break. The outcomes indicated that skill deficit is a major obstacle for many `non-traditional¿ students. The paper explores this issue in depth and suggests potential ways forward for the delivery of technology supported learning for `non-traditional¿ students in Higher Education.

With the number of adult undergraduate students and the competition for these students at an all-time high, educators and administrators must have an understanding of how to not only attract these individuals, but to retain them throughout their educational careers. Recognizing the diverse needs of adult students and the importance of retaining them should be a major priority for colleges and universities. For higher educational institutions attempting to attract and retain the adult student population, a clear understanding of their experiences was warranted. This research utilized a qualitative design that focused on adult (defined as age 24 or older) undergraduate students currently enrolled at a major land-grant institution. An interpretive case study was undertaken to examine the adult students’ perception of their experiences. Questions were designed to learn (a) what the students perceived as barriers to their educational journey, (b) what the students perceived as factors contributing to their success, (c) how their experiences at the land-grant institution impacted their lives; and (d) how the students perceived the services and policies of the land-grant institution. Interview data were supplemented by data gathered from document analysis, reflective journals, photographs, and researcher field notes. A total of 14 themes were identified within the various categories. With regards to barriers, the most frequently mentioned themes included (a) role conflict (b) time management, and (c) institutional barriers. The most frequently mentioned themes related to factors enabling success included (a) being a role model, (b) parental support, (c) student support, (d) faculty/staff support, and (e) internal desire. The most commonly mentioned themes related to how their experience has impacted their lives included (a) sense of self, (b) broader view of the world, and (c) goal setting. Finally, with regards to university services and policies, the most frequently mentioned themes included (a) advisement, (b) orientation, and (c) technology training. Analysis of the data and findings established the basis for recommendations and comments that may be useful to administrators and faculty in an effort to establish the most efficient and effective services and policies necessary for the recruitment and retention of the growing adult student population.

This dissertation examines the relationship between community colleges and prisons as similar institutions that absorb and manage displaced workers, economic refugees, and dispossessed adult populations. Based on interviews with adult learners in two community college settings, I discuss how these two seemingly distinctive institutions work together to subvert individual and collective desires for self-determination through policies and pedagogies that institutionalize discouragement and emotional management. Specifically, I am concerned with what it means for working-class adults to participate in higher education in the context of precarity and incarceration-literally and figuratively. Drawing from the growing field of scholarship that underscores the consolidation of practices and interdependency between academia and incarceration (Chatterjee, Davis, 2003, 2005, Meiners, 2007, Sojoyner 2016), the contexts I have chosen for this project are two institutions where students gather each week to participate in the project of higher education. Carrying past and present traumas related to schooling, many participants viewed community college as the one remaining institution deigned to help them remake their lives. This study asks how participants made sense of their lives, choices, and sacrifices to participate in higher education and how these factors structure their expectations of what college might provide them. Utilizing critical race theory, this dissertation offers a theoretical framework pedagogy of repair, which I define as the interpretive structures and stories used by non-traditional students to make sense of their past and potential futures amidst the normative neoliberal structures of precarious labor, vulnerability, social abandonment and debt.