%0 Thesis %1 bishop_study_1981 %A Bishop, Joseph McCurry %C North Carolina %D 1981 %K Adult College Continuing Curricula., Education, Higher Southern States States. States., Universities and colleges education students %T A study of the status of the non-traditional student at selected private four-year liberal arts colleges in the southeastern United States %X The purpose of this study was to gather the appropriate data needed to determine the status of the non-traditional student in selected private four-year liberal arts colleges in the southeastern United States. For the purposes of this study the phrase, non-traditional student, was used to designate those students who had had a substantial interruption in their college careers or who had pursued a large portion of their college credit on a part-time basis. A review of the literature dealing with non-traditional students and higher education provided guidance in the development of a seventy item questionnaire covering nine broad areas relating to institutional involvement with non-traditional students. The questionnaire was sent to ninety-seven individuals listed as chief academic officers or directors of continuing education at the institutions included in the study. Of these ninety-seven individuals seventy-eight (80.4 percent) returned the questionnaire. Institutions selected for study consisted of the private, four-year, liberal arts colleges in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Only colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools were included, and business and professional schools, Bible colleges, and proprietary institutions were specifically excluded. The following observations are among the more interesting findings of the study. It was found that 62.8 percent of the colleges returning the questionnaire reported involvement with non-traditional students. Although some colleges were involved with non-traditional students before 1950 over half of the involved schools first became involved with non-traditional students during the seventies. Non-traditional students comprise one-quarter or less of the head count enrollment at 73.5 percent of the involved colleges. The involved colleges expressing a preference would choose to have more of their enrollment composed of non-traditional students. Administrative changes to accommodate non-traditional students have been made at nearly three-fourths of the involved colleges. The three factors mentioned most often as being of primary importance in the decision to become involved with non-traditional students were institutional interest in serving the community, opportunity for increased enrollment, and opportunity for increased revenue, in that order. Institutions involved with non-traditional students were generally more optimistic about future enrollments than non-involved colleges.

@phdthesis{bishop_study_1981, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to gather the appropriate data needed to determine the status of the non-traditional student in selected private four-year liberal arts colleges in the southeastern United States. For the purposes of this study the phrase, non-traditional student, was used to designate those students who had had a substantial interruption in their college careers or who had pursued a large portion of their college credit on a part-time basis. A review of the literature dealing with non-traditional students and higher education provided guidance in the development of a seventy item questionnaire covering nine broad areas relating to institutional involvement with non-traditional students. The questionnaire was sent to ninety-seven individuals listed as chief academic officers or directors of continuing education at the institutions included in the study. Of these ninety-seven individuals seventy-eight (80.4 percent) returned the questionnaire. Institutions selected for study consisted of the private, four-year, liberal arts colleges in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Only colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools were included, and business and professional schools, Bible colleges, and proprietary institutions were specifically excluded. The following observations are among the more interesting findings of the study. It was found that 62.8 percent of the colleges returning the questionnaire reported involvement with non-traditional students. Although some colleges were involved with non-traditional students before 1950 over half of the involved schools first became involved with non-traditional students during the seventies. Non-traditional students comprise one-quarter or less of the head count enrollment at 73.5 percent of the involved colleges. The involved colleges expressing a preference would choose to have more of their enrollment composed of non-traditional students. Administrative changes to accommodate non-traditional students have been made at nearly three-fourths of the involved colleges. The three factors mentioned most often as being of primary importance in the decision to become involved with non-traditional students were institutional interest in serving the community, opportunity for increased enrollment, and opportunity for increased revenue, in that order. Institutions involved with non-traditional students were generally more optimistic about future enrollments than non-involved colleges.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, address = {North Carolina}, author = {Bishop, Joseph McCurry}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2ecea50d0a4a23bce33da57f3e05d0e34/prophe}, interhash = {e114cea31b8e4294c255757679f3f6c5}, intrahash = {ecea50d0a4a23bce33da57f3e05d0e34}, keywords = {Adult College Continuing Curricula., Education, Higher Southern States States. States., Universities and colleges education students}, school = {Duke University}, shorttitle = {A study of the status of the non-traditional student at selected private four-year liberal arts colleges in the southeastern {United} {States}}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, title = {A study of the status of the non-traditional student at selected private four-year liberal arts colleges in the southeastern {United} {States}}, type = {Doctoral {Dissertation}}, year = 1981 }