Nontraditional students are a rapidly growing population in universities and educational institutions. These students require specialized solutions and considerations as they face a number of difficulties traditional students do not. Further study is needed to truly comprehend this population’s needs and challenges and to develop and implement institutional-level changes to reduce their rate of attrition and increase their academic success. Meeting the Needs of Nontraditional Undergraduate Students has the potential to impact the field of adult higher education and nontraditional students by advancing and further honing already identified differences between nontraditional and traditional students. The book also considers tools and techniques to address these students’ requirements to meet their educational goals. Covering topics such as gender, stressors, and flexible learning, this reference work is ideal for administrators, school faculty, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

The purpose of this study was to understand, through nontraditional student perspectives, how institutional practices of postsecondary proprietary schools may influence the success of moderately to highly nontraditional students. The study was undertaken for these reasons: (a) A large and growing number of higher education students are nontraditional, putting them at higher risk of not reaching their educational goals; (b) proprietary schools represent a growing segment of higher education that is experiencing documented success with student outcomes; and (c) given increasing accountability expectations, community colleges may be able to learn from proprietary school successes. The research design used an interpretive social science philosophical approach and the method of hermeneutic phenomenology. Six students from one proprietary school were interviewed in order to understand: (a) what meanings they ascribed to the term, "college success," (b) what school practices they found to be most relevant to that success, and (c) how they felt these practices contributed to their success. Data emerging from the interviews were analyzed to show how participants' nontraditional characteristics informed their meanings of college success and how the proprietary school practices were related by participants to those meanings. Career Tech practices that were reported to contribute to participant success were career services and admissions, knowledgeable and helpful instructors, and informational meetings. The analysis of participant descriptions pointed to a complex, evolving student population who view college as a personal process and require the connectivity and continuity that a relationship with the institution can provide. The following are among the seven insights drawn from the study: [1] Participants held personal, as well as practical, meanings of college success. [2] Having a knowledgeable instructor who applied explicit teaching methods was important to participants. [3] Practices considered most relevant to participants were highly integrated into the college routine. Given these insights and related research, the study offered implications for community college practitioners tasked with facilitating the success of nontraditional students, including the need to look beyond statistics to take students' characteristics and meanings of college success into account when setting practice. Doing so may not only address what is important to students, but may positively impact traditionally measured outputs such as retention and graduation.

In this volume, we examine the ways student services professionals in institutions of higher education can best meet the needs of adult learners. Most of the discussion here is situated in four-year colleges and universities, although we recognize that community colleges play a large role in the higher education of adults. However, we made the decision to focus on four-year and post-graduate institutions because we believe that these institutions often are focused on traditional-aged students despite growing adult enrollments, and are most in need of guidance about how to serve this ever-growing population. Students in higher education often are defined as "adult learners" or "non-traditional students" if they are 25 twenty-five years of age or older, and, more significantly, if they have taken on what we consider adult roles and responsibilities, such as caring for children and other family members, working full-time, or participating heavily in community activities. Adult students typically are not focused on campus life in the same way that younger, "traditional-aged" students are. Therefore, our theories of the importance of the campus experience outside the classroom to student development usually do not hold for adults. Yet, adults can and do learn and develop through their engagement in formal higher education. Adults bring experiences and wisdom into the classroom, and receive a learning experience that informs their own professional and personal practices. This is the 102nd issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Student Services.

"This volume ... explores the emergence of the nontraditional doctoral degree, the characteristics of the nontraditional doctoral student, faculty concerns, program innovation, and unique programs at four institutions. Both scholars and practitioners will find it an interesting and engaging introduction to the topic."--Publisher.

Prepares readers to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse college student population This is a timely and comprehensive overview of key theories of student development that illustrates their application across a range of student services with diverse student populations. It is distinguished by its focus on nontraditional student populations including adults changing careers, parents, veterans, and international students. The book examines relevant theories of cognitive, ethical, moral, and personality development and theories of identity development in terms of ethnicity, gender, and ability. Also covered are theories relevant to disability issues, LGBT identity issues, and to choice of career and major/degree. Unique to the text is information on how theories can be applied, beyond understanding individual students, to student groups and to guide the coordination of student affairs services across the campus. Engaging case vignettes immerse readers in diverse perspectives and demonstrate the application of theory to a wide range of student types and issues. The book covers the history and development of each theory along with its strengths and limitations. Also included are useful suggestions on how to best assist students with current challenges. Reflective questions concluding each chapter help students to reinforce information. An insightful text for courses in college student development in relevant graduate programs and for student affairs professionals who wish to enhance their abilities, this book reflects the realities of contemporary college student life and student affairs practices. Key Features: Applies student development theories primarily to non-traditional college students Presents chapter-opening/closing examples reflecting student diversity Explores the strengths and limitations of each theory Describes how theories can be applied in varied student affairs settings and in broader contexts of student affairs Includes instructor’s resources

"Supporting Today's Students in the Library collects current strategies from all types of academic libraries for retaining and graduating nontraditional students, with many of them based on learning theories and teaching methodologies. The book explores methods for overcoming language barriers, discusses best practices, and presents case studies that support the changing student population. Additionally, Supporting Today's Students in the Library provides a variety of ideas for new services, spaces, and outreach opportunities that support nontraditional students on campus and beyond"--

Bridging the gap between higher education research and policy making was always a challenge, but the recent calls for more evidence-based policies have opened a window of unprecedented opportunity for researchers to bring more contributions to shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Encouraged by the success of the 2011 first edition, Romania and Armenia have organised a 2nd edition of the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (FOHE-BPRC) in November 2014, with the support of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and as part of the official EHEA agenda. Reuniting over 170 researchers from more than 30 countries, the event was a forum to debate the trends and challenges faced by higher education today and look at the future of European cooperation in higher education. The research volumes offer unique insights regarding the state of affairs of European higher education and research, as well as forward-looking policy proposals. More than 50 articles focus on essential themes in higher education: Internationalization of higher education; Financing and governance; Excellence and the diversification of missions; Teaching, learning and student engagement; Equity and the social dimension of higher education; Education, research and innovation; Quality assurance, The impacts of the Bologna Process on the EHEA and beyond and Evidence-based policies in higher education. "The Bologna process was launched at a time of great optimism about the future of the European project – to which, of course, the reform of higher education across the continent has made a major contribution. Today, for the present, that optimism has faded as economic troubles have accumulated in the Euro-zone, political tensions have been increased on issues such as immigration and armed conflict has broken out in Ukraine. There is clearly a risk that, against this troubled background, the Bologna process itself may falter. There are already signs that it has been downgraded in some countries with evidence of political withdrawal. All the more reason for the voice of higher education researchers to be heard. Since the first conference they have established themselves as powerful stakeholders in the development of the EHEA, who are helping to maintain the momentum of the Bologna process. Their pivotal role has been strengthened by the second Bucharest conference." Peter Scott, Institute of Education, London (General Rapporteur of the FOHE-BPRC first edition)

This qualitative study, conceptualized through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), examines the lives of three "non-traditional" undergraduate students and their respective journeys to earn a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Rather than viewing the participants in this study from the deficit perspective frequently used to describe "non-traditional" students, the resources and assets participants brought to their educational experiences are highlighted. Life history interviews were used to elicit the stories and experiences of the participants and as a means to honor their stories and give voice to those who are often silenced. The "non-traditional" students in this study were members of a university that was originally designed to meet the needs of traditional students. In many ways, these "non-traditional" students were viewed as "others" and as individuals who were not privy to the same types of schooling as their traditional counterparts. Further, power and access were often unevenly distributed among the students at the university, with "non-traditional" students having little power or access to even the most basic kinds of support services that would help them successfully navigate their undergraduate studies. By examining the lived experiences of these students, this study both recognizes and gives value to these resources in an attempt to alter the deficit view of "non-traditional" students. The assumption that "non-traditional" undergraduate students come to the classroom with cultural deficiencies is critiqued, and instead the strengths and forms of Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2006) that study participants bring to their educational experiences are highlighted.

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.