2019 Annual Conference

Research to Practice

Roundtable (45 minutes)

Nontraditional students have become the majority in post-secondary educational settings. Compared with traditional students, nontraditional students bring a more complex lived experience to universities. Women over 40 represent an understudied demographic within nontraditional students. Attention to their particular needs may result in increased degree completion and disproportionately positive societal impact. 

Administrators and faculty responsible for nontraditional student retention and student life; women's pragram administrators. 

At the conclusion of the session, learners will be able to explain the challenges encountered by non-traditional students seeking undergraduate degrees, and identify research based options to address leaving.

Nontraditional students have become the majority in post-secondary educational settings. This reality has implications for institutions, from recruitment and enrollment through degree attainment and beyond. Institutions have been slow to act upon the changed demographics of their student bodies, creating challenges for the institutions and students alike. When compared with traditional students, nontraditional students bring a more complex lived experience to the post-secondary educational setting. Women over 40 represent an understudied demographic within nontraditional students. Attention to the particular needs of these students could enhance both their collegiate experience as well as their persistence to degree completion. 

Roundtable: Presentation of research to date. Discussion format thereafter.

Shared concurrent session: presentation of research to date, ideally coordinated with co-presenter follwed by discussion.