About me, and the Nontrad programs at WKU
I attended Western Kentucky University when I was a nontraditional student, about 5-6 years ago now.
Some things I liked about WKU's nontraditional student support were:
1. The lockers you could store books in at WKU.
2. The dedicated lounge at the Technical School, (now SKYCTC: the Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College) and how credits transfered to WKU also. (A great idea!)
3. A new Nontraditional Student area at WKU now, plus Married Student Housing (now back after a hiatus), and an Adult Learner Services office.
4. An Adult Learner Study Room at WKU and Links to help nontrads too.
Some other schools with terrific Nontraditional student programs have Facebook pages and special programs and more for their nontrads.
Should all schools try to have special programs for their nontraditional students?
I say yes, they should. I think all schools should try to give their older students and students who have taken a break from school a helping hand any way they can. Why? I think it will help them, and in turn, all students succeed. Because everyone has a unique story to tell.
Plus, it's not always easy to acclimate to school if you haven't been a student for awhile. Nontraditional students need some extra motivation and help. It's also good if there is a place they can go to be with other students like them, to connect and feel a part of the school, to feel like they belong.
Here are just a few other Facebook pages for nontraditional students groups:
DANTS at ASU (D.A.N.T.S. Downtown Association for Non-Traditional Students at ASU) - Arizona State University
Adults Belong in College - from Ohio University Lancastesr Pickerington
UW Oshkosh Adult Student Resources page (Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement)
Nontraditional Students on Facebook can list their groups and link up at the Nontraditional Student Facebook Page too.
Does your school have a Nontraditional Student group?
Check at the Nontraditional Student website, (scroll down to the map) and click on your state. You may add your group there anytime for free.
And if you are in a group, make sure to check out the ANTSHE page. Once you have joined, you can link up to groups across the country.
And here are some more related Nontrad links:
The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo, and
Nontrads on Twitter
The Nontrad News:
I will be publishing a Winter Nontrad News soon. I decided NOT to wait until there were more signups. If you have an idea of what YOU would like me to write about, leave a comment.
Thank you!
Related Postings You may like:
Are you in a Nontraditional Student Group?
Five Ways for Nontraditional Students to Get Connected
The Sandwich Generation - - taking care of kids AND parents