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The Red and Black • Tuesday, February 20, 1990 • 3
Non-traditional students at the University find few outlets
UGA enrollment drops I Group helps older students cope with UGA life
By USA GILMORE
Contributing Writer
While many colleges and uni
versities are recruiting non-tra
ditional students to accomodate a
nationwide shortage of freshman
classes, the University remains
satisfied with a smaller enroll
ment.
Non-traditional students can
be defined as any student who
doesn’t attend college immedi
ately after graduating from high
school. Most often, when people
refer to non-traditional students
they mean those 25 and older.
According to a report issued by
the Philadelphia-based Pew
Charitable Trusts, non-tradi
tional students, including those
under 25 who didn’t attend col
lege immediately, constituted 40
percent of the nation’s 8.7 million
undergraduates in 1976. By
1986, the proportion had jumped
to 48 percent of 9.6 million stu
dents, according to the report.
The report also included a fore
cast that predicted that by 2000,
60 percent of the nation’s under
graduates will be non-tradi
tional.
According to University fact
books, since 1984, the percentage
of undergraduates 25 and older
at the University has held steady
at 21 percent.
The University is currently ex
periencing an 11 percent decline
in the number of freshman appli
cants. Admissions Director
Claire Swann said the University
isn’t heavily recruiting non-tradi
tional students because a decline
in the student population may
allow resources to be concen
trated on a smaller student body.
A smaller freshman class
means more class selection and a
smaller student-teacher ratio.
Bruce Shutt, the registrar and
associate vice-president for Stu
dent Affairs, said the Univer
sity’s location makes it difficult to
increase its number of non-tradi
tional students.
Small-town schools, such as
the University, simply don’t have
as many people wanting to work
and get an education at the same
time, as is the case in metropol
itan areas, he said.
In fall 1987, non-traditional
students at Georgia State Uni
versity in Atlanta made up 39.4
percent of all undergraduates,
according to Earnest W. Beals,
GSU director of admissions.
A large number of non-tradi
tional students are in the Univer
sity’s evening classes program, a
part of the Division of Academic
Credit.
Despite the fact the University
isn’t actively recruiting non-tra
ditional students the number of
students in night school is
steadily increasing, according to
Pat Brewer, head of the depart
ment of evening classes. The cur
riculum is growing as well.
In Fall 1987, students 23 and
older made up 39 percent of the
night class enrollment. In fall
1988 they made up 43 percent,
and in Fall 1989, 46 percent.
While the overall enrollment
in night classes grew six percent
over this period, the non-tradi
tional enrollment grew 10 per
cent, Brewer said. It currently
averages an enrollment of 1000
per quarter.
By LISA GILMORE
Contributing Writer
Believe it or not, the classmate
sitting next to you might be a
grandparent.
This is true if your classmate is
Vince Matera, grandfather and se
nior education major.
On the first day of class,
Matera’s classmates are bewil
dered when he sits on the students’
side until the professor, usually
younger, walks in, and things
make sense again, he said,
laughing.
Matera, the proud grandfather
of three, is a full-time student and
the vice president of Students Over
Traditional Age.
The five year-old organization,
helps older adult learners adjust to
University life. SOTA serves as a
support group for those who, be
cause of their age, feel they don’t fit
in, SOTA President Anna Stockton
said.
The members range in age from
25 to 68 and include married cou
ples, widows, widowers and single
parents, she said.
SOTA plans activities and social
gatherings for it’s members. The
group also offers an annual schol
arship based on financial need,
Stockton said.
Because adult learners don’t
have an easy time finding social
support networks, SOTA also helps
them with the “unwritten rules,”
said Jim Mason, counseling psy
chologist and SOTA adviser.
These rules, found in the SOTA
survival handbook, include things
like what to bring and wear to
class, where to park and descrip
tions of bus routes.
Although SOTA and the Univer
sity do provide helpful hints for
adult learners, things could be
better, Matera said.
He said it’s hard for adult
learners to create social networks
because they are usually tied to
families and other important prio
rities.
Also, since many adult learners
do not attend orientation, they
don’t receive a student handbook
outlining student services, Rose
said. Many don’t even know the
handbook exists.
Adult learners return to college
for different reasons.
Stockton, a single parent of two
daughters — eight and 12 — and a
senior education major, decided to
return to college because a career
would offer her family more secu
rity, she said.
Matera also gave security as the
reason why he and his wife re
turned to college. After their chil
dren moved out of the house,
Matera said he and his wife
wanted to be financially indepen
dent from them.
“I don’t want to be a burden on
society,” he said.
Lynn Stone, senior art major
and also an adult learner, returned
to school to earn a second under
graduate degree after being out for
seven years.
She explained that in one way,
she felt like the other freshmen in
her class because she was starting
from the bottom. Yet, in another
way, she felt different because she
was older.
Both Matera and Stockton en
courage students not to be intim
idated by older students. Stockton
said some of her best friends are
traditionally aged.
“My classmates treat me with
respect,” Matera said.
Matera encourages students to
Will Fagan/The Red and Black
Vince Matera: A grandfather and a full time student
listen to contributions non-tradi
tional students offer in class. Real-
life experiences can be an impor
tant supplement to a textbook, he
said.
Matera said he’s relieved he
doesn’t feel the social, pressures
that many students confront.
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