Since the end of World War II, the number of returning college students aged twenty-five years or older has increased so rapidly in American colleges and universities that college administrators, either through lack of interest and understanding or through failure to function as proactive change agents, have not kept pace with the needs of older student populations. In recent years, as enrollment among traditional younger students has declined, enrollment among mature returning students has grown to the extent that they presently constitute more than a third of all college and university students in the United States. As a result of findings obtained in the study, the following recommendations are offered for consideration; (1) institutions of higher learning should place major emphasis upon development of Services and Programs for Returning Students; (2) colleges and universities should give greater priority to orientation program(s) for returning students; (3) returning students should be given credit for life experience and independent learning; (4) financial resources for returning student services should be standardized as line items in the institution's budget; (5) existing programs should be evaluated in order to determine their effectiveness; and (6) a follow-up study should be conducted in five years to provide statistical data for trend analysis.

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to understand the experiences of older students' use of web-based student services in a community college setting. For the purpose of this study the term "older student" was defined as people born between the years 1943 and 1960. This group of people, often described as the Baby Boomer generation, would not have had access to computer technologies had they gone to college during their adolescent years. Web-based student services was defined as the range of student services which are placed online, allowing students to access information and services without needing to see someone in-person. There were three major reasons for this study: (a) the increase in the development and use of online student services, (b) the increase of older students in higher education, and (c) further need to understand the unique experiences of older students in higher education. The case study design used an interpretive social science philosophical approach. The study was conducted at a large multi-campus community college in a metropolitan area located in the Northwest. A combination of survey, interviews, institutional data, and student-journals were used to answer the following research questions: (a) What is the experience of older students with web-based technology in a community college setting, (b) How do the older students' overall experiences and use of web-based services affect their community college experience, and (c) How might older students' background and experiences with web-based student services inform community college policy and practice? Close examination of data revealed several major themes of older students' experiences with online student services. These themes are: ��� Student Assumptions ��� Self-Motivation ��� Influence of Prior Work Experiences ��� User Preferences ��� How and What Online Services are Used ��� User Suggestions When these themes are taken into consideration with related literature on the digital divide, technology use in student affairs, older student experiences in the community college, and older students' use of technology, this study offers implications for community college leaders and practitioners in the student affairs and technology development. The implications of this study may impact online service development, assessment of computer literacy, program enhancement or development, and technical changes. / Graduation date: 2013