NonTraditional Students

1
Non-Traditional Students Study Abroad

• Chair Julie Good, Manager of Study Abroad
• Presenter Hannah Fischer, Study Abroad
  Specialist
• Presenter Raymond Orinoco, Graduate Assistant
• Study Abroad Department
• Center for International Services and Programs
• Cleveland State University

2
Program

• Welcome and Introductions
• The term Non-traditional student
• Challenges
• Strategies and Case Studies
• Conclusions

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The term Non-traditional

• Used within higher education, media, and the
  government to describe a student who does not fit
  in the traditional mold
• Traditional college students are easy to define
• Enter a higher education institution the fall
  after their last year at high school
• Attend college until they finish a degree,
  typically within four years, and around the age
  of 21.
• Non-traditional is a negative term
• We must create a definition that is positive,
  concise, and inclusive.

4
Concise definition is hard to come by

• Examples of non-traditional student definitions
  from Ohio higher education
• Students older than 24 are typically called
  non-traditional students. Ohio University
  Handbook for Non-Traditional Students
• Students who are at least 21 years old and have
  been graduated from high school for three or more
  years. Kent State Tuscarawas Admissions Webpage
• Non-traditional students postponed college or
  took a break, (and) who want to complete a
  degree. University of Cincinnati Transfer and
  Lifelong Learning Center
• Other terms used for non-traditional students
• Students of non-traditional age Benjamin A.
  Gilman International Scholarship
• Adult learners
• Life-long learner

5
Inclusive definition is hard to come by

• By labeling underrepresented groups, we
  inevitably leave someone out. NAFSA Committee on
  Underrepresentation in Education Abroad
• Varied characteristics of non-traditional
  students
• Armed Forces Veteran
• Employed
• Part-time, full-time, multiple jobs
• Dependents
• Children, ailing parents, spouses
• First generation college student
• Delayed entrance to college for a year or more
  from high school graduation
• Older than traditional age (what is traditional
  age?)

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Create your own definition, and stick to it!

• Ask departments of interest (Financial Aid,
  Student Life, Diversity Affairs) if they already
  have a definition
• Be consistent and use this definition in your
  publications and advising.
• If there is no consistent definition, seek to
  define one yourself, and then spread this
  definition across campus in your own
  publications.
• Standardize!
• If you have the opportunity, aid in creating a
  campus-wide definition for non-traditional.

7
Challenges

• Selecting a program
• 3rd party providers
• Direct enrollment
• Exchanges
• Faculty-led short program
• Pressures at home
• Funding
• Pre-departure and on-site issues

8
Challenges

• Selecting a program
• Short-term, direct enrollment and exchanges give
  the student more independence but it limits the
  student to only certain countries
• Faculty-led/short programs are quite popular with
  CSU non-traditionals---however, group dynamics
  can be challenging
• 3rd party program providers---pros and cons
  (Ageism, satisfaction, cost, duration, etc.)

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Challenges

• Selecting a program (cont)
• Primary concerns that non-traditional students
  had with study abroad, per the research provided
  by Orndorff (1998) were
• Cost of program
• Duration of program
• Housingtypes of accommodation (Host family,
  apartment, shared housing)
• Furthermore, Orndorff (1998) discusses that
  non-traditional students look for programs that
  are short, however, the most influential to the
  experience (more bang for the buck) (104).

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Challenges

• Selecting a program, explanations and research
• Dessoff (2006) discusses barriers that
  non-traditional students have in choosing a
  program, stating, students who hold down
  jobs, either full or part-time, may have family
  responsibilities as well, which further limit
  their opportunities for foreign studyyou cant
  leave for a semester if you are a working adult
  with dependents (24).
• Similarly, Orndorff (1998) discusses successful
  study abroad experiences in relation to
  non-traditional students and short-term programs
  (7-10).

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Challenges

• Having dependant obligations
• Orndorff (1998) discusses what non-traditional
  students shared in regards to having dependents
  back home many participants indicated concern
  for family members health and safety,
  homesickness from being away for a period of
  time, family money concerns, as well as guilt for
  leaving (40-43).

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Challenges

• Funding
• Many non-traditionals study in the summer or off
  semester programs
• Many non-traditionals cannot stay for a long
  periods of time (no more than 2 or 4 weeks), due
  to family as well as work constraints
• Many non-traditionals compromise programming
  because of funding

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Challenges

• Funding
• Though summer programs are ideal for the
  non-traditional student, Dessoff (2006) explains
  that financial aid often dwindles out before
  summer (24)
• Many scholarships require duration of study to be
  at least 6-8 weeks for eligibility

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Challenges

• Encountering other issues
• Non-traditionals and travel insurance
• Non-traditionals with medical problems
• Non-traditionals with on-site problems

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Strategies

• Inclusion
• Making non-traditionals feel included
• Provide real-life role models
• Visually include non-traditionals in publicity
• Program Advising
• Be aware of the types of support services that
  program providers and schools offer
• Children, health insurance fees, living
  arrangements (case study from Cleveland State-
  Claudia)
• Shorter term programs offered by your own
  institution and in conjunction with OIC
• Short term programs offered by program providers
  and by foreign institutions (case study from
  Cleveland State- Kennethian)

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Strategies

• Financial Assistance
• Financial sponsorship from employers
• Make all financial aid (federal and university)
  transferable
• Tuition remission (case study from Cleveland
  State- Tony)
• Create scholarships for non-traditional students
• Resources
• Health insurance companies that dont exclude
  students 25 yrs.
• PSD and VA services abroad ( case study from
  Cleveland State- Robert)
• Willingness to provide information to employers

17
Non-traditional students are worth it!

• Growing percentages in student body
• Increase diversity in study abroad
• Life experiences
• Self- assured and have focused goals
• More adaptable to cross-cultural differences

18
References

• Dessoff, A (2006). Who's not going abroad?.
  International
• Educator, MarApr 06, 20-27.
• Orndorff, E (1998).The Short-Term Study Travel
  Experience
• for Adult Professionals. Virginia Polytechnic
  Institute and
• State University. Blacksburg, Virginia,
  7-10,40-43, 104.

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Thanks for coming !

• Study Abroad
• Center for International Services and Programs
• Cleveland State University
• 2121 Euclid Avenue, KB 1150
• Cleveland, Ohio 44115
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• www.csuohio.edu/internat/
• Julie Good
• j.a.good88_at_csuohio.edu
• Hannah Fischer
• h.fischer_at_csuohio.edu
• Raymond Orinoco
• r.orinoco_at_csuohio.edu