Student Services for Adults in Southeastern Community and Junior Colleges

Student Services for Adults in Southeastern Community and Junior Colleges
Author: William Kennedy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 126
Release: 2019-05-31
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780530007755

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Abstract: The purpose of this research was to identify and to describe examples of student services programs which were designed to serve the special needs of older (24 years and older) students by community and junior colleges. The data were collected from a questionnaire and interview with the chief student personnel administrator at each of 18 community and junior colleges in the Southeastern United States. Based on a review of the literature, five categories of student services were selected for study. These categories included admissions, counseling, financial aid, career planning and placement, and support services. The questionnaire and interview items were developed from questionnaires and information found in the literature concerning adults and higher education. An analysis of the data revealed the following facts. 1. One half of the student personnel administrators surveyed were unable to supply enrollment data by full-time or part-time, male or female students. 2. Services were not offered adults in all five of the categories studied. 3. Of those services offered most often, counseling and financial aid services received the greatest amount of institutional support and emphasis for serving adult learners. Career planning and support services received the least amount. 4. When addressing the needs of older students, as identified in the literature, community and junior college student services divisions have, on the average, made some attempt to meet those needs. None of them is attempting to meet all of their needs. 5. The chief student personnel officer of each institution perceived the services being offered adults as effective in meeting adults' needs. 6. None of the student personnel administrators could supply institutional research data confirming their positive perceptions of the impact services had had on increased enrollment and retention of older students. 7. Community and junior colleges generally did not officially differentiate between their traditional and non-traditional students, although the student services staffs normally did. Colleges which do not differentiate are less likely to have special services for older students. 3. Institutions in this study are not making adequate attempts to meet the non-academic needs of older students in all the service categories studied. Therefore, many of the needs for services held by lifelong learners are not being met by many community and junior college student services divisions. Dissertation Discovery Company and University of Florida are dedicated to making scholarly works more discoverable and accessible throughout the world. This dissertation, "Student Services for Adults in Southeastern Community and Junior Colleges" by William Cottrell Kennedy, was obtained from University of Florida and is being sold with permission from the author. A digital copy of this work may also be found in the university's institutional repository, IR@UF. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation.

Meeting the Special Needs of Adult Students

Meeting the Special Needs of Adult Students
Author: Deborah Kilgore
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Total Pages: 116
Release: 2003-06-27
Genre: Education
ISBN:

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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.

An Appraisal of Evening Community College Student Personnel Services in Western United States

An Appraisal of Evening Community College Student Personnel Services in Western United States
Author: James Gerald Mitchell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 290
Release: 1969
Genre: Community colleges
ISBN:

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This investigation has as its purpose: (1) to identify present student personnel practices in evening community college programs, (2) to identify student personnel practices considered "desirable" or "undesirable" in evening community college programs, and (3) to develop student personnel service guidelines for an evening community college program. Securing and Treating of Data A questionnaire was developed to identify the present practices and the "desirable" practices for an adequate student personnel program in the community college evening program. One hundred and two community colleges in the Western United States agreed to participate in the study. Eighty-nine percent (91 colleges) returned the completed questionnaire. The data contained the number of evening community colleges practicing or desiring to practice certain student personnel functions. The data are presented in three divisions: smaller colleges--under 1,000 (evening head-count); larger colleges--over 1,000; and the totals. Findings There appeared to be general agreement on these points: (1) evening student personnel programs should be recognized by the administration, faculty, and students as a vital part of the educational process, (2) a well-formulated and clear-cut statement of philosophy and objectives should be prepared by the student personnel staff, and this philosophy and these objectives should be accepted by the faculty, and (3) a person who directs and co-ordinates the evening student personnel program should have these minimum requirements (a) a master's degree and (b) more than 24 hours in graduate guidance work. Five functions (organization, selecting and admitting new students, counseling and advising students, testing program, and student records) were found to be in operation in over 70 percent of the current programs. Seven functions (orientation for new students, extracurricular activities, health services, student discipline, placement services, follow-up services, and financial assistance) were present in less than 50 percent of the current evening programs. Guidelines were determined for each of the 12 functions identified in this investigation. These guidelines were based on the following: (1) a practice had to be in at least 40 percent of the current evening programs and (2) it was necessary for approximately 60 percent to respond that they currently had, or desired to have, the practice as part of an evening student personnel program. Recommendations Based on the responses from the questionnaire used in this study and on the guidelines developed for student personnel services in evening community colleges, this writer makes the following recommendations: (1) Guidelines similar to those presented in Chapter IV should be used when an institution makes a self-appraisal of its evening college student personnel program. (2) Guidelines similar to those presented in Chapter IV should be utilized when organizing a student personnel program for an evening community college. (3) Guidelines similar to those presented in Chapter IV should be used by student personnel specialists for clarifying and conceptualizing the purposes (functions) of evening community college student personnel services. (4) A study should be done to evaluate how students react to current evening community college student personnel services. (5) Whenever possible, regular day college personnel specialists should be employed for the evening student personnel program. This practice tends to produce better coordination of student personnel services for the total community college program. (6) The needs and goals of evening student personnel services programs should be made known to governing boards, legislators, administrators, and faculties through a well-planned interpretation and information program. This program could include authoritative spokesmen, brochures, leaflets, and other printed materials.

Serving More Than Students

Serving More Than Students
Author: Peter H. Garland
Publisher: Study of Higher Education
Total Pages: 166
Release: 1985
Genre: Education
ISBN:

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Discussion of student organizations and leadership training for the professions.