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Reaching out to nontraditional students
Author(s) -
Ortiz Phillip
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.83.4
Subject(s) - bachelor , liberal arts education , presentation (obstetrics) , medical education , community college , state (computer science) , psychology , mathematics education , pedagogy , higher education , political science , medicine , computer science , algorithm , law , radiology
Empire State College, as part of the State University of New York, has a proven history of success with nontraditional students. Since our founding in 1971 we have awarded nearly 60,000 liberal arts and professional degrees at the associate, bachelor's and master's levels. Approximately 75% of our students work full time and manage family and community obligations while enrolled. Their average age is 36, and most have earned college credit earlier in their lives. The college's mission is to enable motivated adults, regardless of geography or life circumstance, to design a rigorous, individualized academic program and earn a college degree. As such we have developed a number of progressive and innovative tools and techniques to recruit, retain, and graduate our students. Empire State College faculty are effective mentors who see themselves as ‘guides on the side’, rather than ‘sages upon the stage’, and such a perspective is one that resonates particularly well with nontraditional learners. The focus of this presentation will be on the means by which a dynamic and effective learning environment can be built that promotes the success of students and their faculty. Topics that will be raised include assessment of prior college‐level learning, tutorial and on‐line instruction, and effective mentoring.