Rapidly changing trends in society have contributed to increasing enrollments in community colleges. Increased enrollment has resulted in an emphasis on the effectiveness of community colleges. Despite limited funding, community colleges are challenged to provide educational access and equity to meet developmental needs of diverse student populations who have many different objectives, concerns, social interests, academic skills, and life experiences. This quantitative causal-comparative study assessed holistic wellness characteristics of traditional and non-traditional students attending selected rural community colleges in a state in the southeastern region of the United States. This study examined differences between mean scores assessing holistic wellness in traditional and non-traditional student populations based on the Five Factor Wellness Adult Inventory (5F-Wel-A). A total of 307 community college students participated in the study. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 54 with a mean age of 25. Demographic data collected from students included age, gender, cultural background, marital status, employment status, and educational status. Total Wellness results found no statistical significance between mean scores for traditional and non-traditional students, gender of traditional and non-traditional students, or cultural backgrounds of traditional and non-traditional students. No statistical significance was found between mean scores for traditional and non-traditional student populations in the dependent variable sub-groups of Creative Self, Coping Self, Social Self, Essential Self, and Physical Self. Based on gender, statistically significant differences were found in mean scores of three dependent variable sub-groups, including Social Self, Essential Self, and Creative Self among female students with females having higher levels of wellness in those sub-groups than male students. Statistically significant differences between mean scores in the Physical Self sub-group were found for male students with males having higher levels of wellness in that sub-group than female students; however, no statistically significant differences in mean scores were found for the Coping Self sub-group based on gender of traditional and non-traditional students. Based on cultural background, significant statistical differences in mean scores were found in the Essential Self sub-group among African American students, with African American students reporting higher levels of wellness than Caucasian students.

This study’s general purpose was to examine nontraditional students’ satisfaction with services provided by community colleges. A survey was administered to 81 Coahoma Community College students who identified themselves as nontraditional students. The Nontraditional Students’ Satisfaction survey was designed to examine the needs and satisfaction of nontraditional students. The nontraditional students at Coahoma Community College deemed getting information on financial aid opportunities, studying and test taking, computers and Internet use, job opportunities in their majors and academic tutoring as most important. The nontraditional students at Coahoma Community College deemed getting information on campus events and/or campus job opportunities as least important. In addition, the nontraditional students deemed getting advice on careers, getting advice on choosing courses, taking an active part in what goes on in their classes, having one place to go for general questions and problems, and having access to campus services and offices and/or on weekends as most important. The nontraditional students indicated participating in social activities on campus and being involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs, organizations, and student government as least important. Overall, the research data indicated that nontraditional students were satisfied with the services provided by Coahoma Community College. The nontraditional students were more satisfied with the opportunities to take an active part in what goes on in classes and instructors’ availability outside of classes. The findings suggested that there was no significant relationship between nontraditional students encountering problems and their expressions of satisfaction.

This study explored the experiences of 13 culturally traditional women who returned to higher education as nontraditional students. An individual unstructured interview, with guiding questions, was held with each woman. This provided the opportunity for these women to articulate their experience. The interviews were transcribed and interpreted using a synthesis of qualitative methods based upon Kvale's method. Seven themes emerged: (a) participants would tell a woman considering a return to school to "do it!" (b) participants saw spousal support as significant in their ability to return to school, (c) participants saw their families as generally supportive of their return to school, (d) participants felt their spirituality increased when they returned to school, (e) participants were surprised they did well academically when they returned to school, (f) participants felt returning to school had increased their world view, and (g) participants valued higher education and wanted to finish something they had started. The implications of this study support the need for a more open dialogue about the experience of a traditional woman as she returns to obtain her undergraduate degree as a nontraditional student. The support of family and institutions appear integral to both retention and completion for these women who now make up a significant portion of those presently attending institutions of higher learning.

This dissertation reports the results of a qualitative study conducted at a community college in central Texas. Through a grounded theory approach, participant stories were used to capture the experiences of adults with a GED who transitioned to and were persisting in college. Research questions used to guide the study were: (1) What factors contribute to the decision of adults with a GED to enroll in community college; and (2) What factors do adults with a GED report influence their persistence in community college? Eight students participated in the study through individual interviews. Student demographic information was reviewed to develop a thorough and accurate profile of the study participants. Also, three Recruiting/Advising Specialists were interviewed to capture their perceptions on the experiences of GED graduates in transitioning to and persisting in college. This research demonstrated the positive effect education can have in the lives of the participants and their families. After having little to no previous exposure to higher education, students developed a realization that education was an imperative in order to improve their quality of life. This realization was instrumental in the decision by the study participants to pursue a GED and transition to college. Through the assistance of intrusive advising by Recruiting/Advising Specialists, students were able to successfully navigate the college system. Support during GED preparation was established in the GED classroom and continued for most students throughout their transition to college. When in college, students were comfortable developing relationships with faculty in order to have a source of academic support. Eventually students had a network of student and academic support that gave them a sense of belonging at the college. / text

The growth of the community college has created an access point for many students that traditionally would not pursue higher education. Although community colleges have soared in enrollment in the last forty years, the rate at which students persist and graduate has remained low compared to four-year institutions. Studies on college persistence and academic achievement indicate that there is a consistency of characteristics among community college, low-income, and first-generation students. Behaviors traditionally associated with persistence, such as integration within the institution, are not characteristic nontraditional students because they tend to have closer connections with the environment external to the college campus. Missing from the literature are studies that examine the motivational factors that encourage persistence in spite of the risk factors. The twofold purpose of this study was to examine the effects of nontraditional students’ extrinsic motivation on their intrinsic motivation for attending college and to examine how the effects of environmental and background influences on intrinsic motivation are mediated through extrinsic motivation. Two surveys, The Academic Motivation Scale and the Factors Influencing Pursuit of Higher Education Questionnaire, were administered to 151 students from two community colleges in the Southeast. Through hierarchical regression analysis and path analysis the study examined how nontraditional students’ intrinsic motivation levels for attending college was affected by background influences (locus of control, perception of barriers, and self-efficacy), environmental influences (family and friends support), career goal attainment, and socioeconomic mobility. The results of the study indicated that career goal attainment, locus of control, and support of friends had a positive direct impact on students’ intrinsic motivation levels. The results also revealed that several of the background and environmental influence variables had an indirect effect on intrinsic motivation mediated through the extrinsic motivation variable of career goal attainment. The findings from this study add to the current retention, persistence, and motivation literature.

This was an exploratory, descriptive survey employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The aim of the was to explore and describe the experiences of nontraditional students enrolled in the registered nursing program in Zambia in order to facilitate an understanding of their meaning perspectives of the program. A total of 13 participants took part in the qualitative part of the survey. Qualitative data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio taped then transcribed. The data were then analysed according to categories and themes derived from respondents' statement. Unit of analysis was the whole statement. Each unit of meaning was categorized and transformed into themes that express its implicit or explicit meaning. The transformed statements were synthesized into statements of the participants' experiences. As a way of validating the results, a questionnaire was then designed from the themes of the qualitative part of the survey. The questionnaire comprised of 16 statements, to which conversion students in the other three nursing schools, which did not participate in the qualitative component, were requested to respond. The questionnaires were mailed to 55 students and the response rate was 71%. Descriptive statistics was used to anlyse the data and this was done by means of frequencies and percentage. The results of the survey have shown that participants went through transformed meaning perspective and appreciated their participation in the program. They viewed the program as providing them with new knowledge and an opportunity for personal and professional development. Technical support from teachers and clinical staff, collaborative learning, family support and availability of facilities such as the library were seen as facilitating factors to learning. The hindering factors identified were inadequate clinical supervision, lack of material resources and limited access in the library as this did not allow for search of information after working hours. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2004.

A variety of programs exist that provide assistance to underprepared and at-risk students at 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education. One of these programs is Student Support Services (SSS), a federal program funded by the U. S. Department of Education. The SSS program provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements, and serves to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education. The goal of SSS is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next. SSS may also provide assistance to students receiving Federal Pell Grants (84.063). Those eligible to participate in SSS programs include students from low-income families, those who are first-generation college enrollees and students with disabilities evidencing academic need. The program includes tutoring; academic counseling, personal counseling, career advising; study skills enhancement and personal development workshops. Assistance is also given to students to apply for various forms of financial aid, including state and federal grant programs and local scholarships. Most programs also provide cultural enrichment activities. This study investigates the impact of the SSS program on the retention of students at SKCTC. Participants in this study were 125 students in the SSS program and 125 non-SSS students who entered SKCTC in the fall of 2003 and ended in 2007. The study compares the demographic profile of these groups.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to understand the factors that affect returning students' ability to complete their degrees through online degree programs. Logistic regression was used to determine which factors had a significant relationship with persistence to graduation and how they contributed to the odds of students graduating. The findings show that academic locus of control and academic self-efficacy had a significant positive relationship with returning student persistence to graduation, with the locus of control contributing to the odds of graduation more than self-efficacy. Additionally, the amount of time between the student's initial dropout and subsequent return to complete their degree generally had a negative relationship with graduation. The reason for re-enrollment also affected the likelihood of graduation. This study informs educational leaders of the unique needs of students who have completed some college and informs them of interventions that will increase their likelihood of graduating.

No description available.