ISSUE 02 Spring 2011 in this issue

A Family Affair P.1 Adult Student in the Spotlight P.2

History of Adult Student Services P.3 A Family Affair Continued P.4

Focus on Adult Student Scholarships

Edinboro University has 570 permanently endowed scholarships and makes over 2,000 student awards annually. Many of these scholarships do not require a separate application. All students who complete the Edinboro University admissions application and meet the specific selection criteria are automatically considered as possible candidates.

Among these scholarships are several specific to the adult learner. Below is a look at one such award.

EDINBORO UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (EUWA) SCHOLARSHIP This scholarship is provided to a

student who has returned to school

after a five-year or more absence

(non-traditional). The recipient must

be a full-time enrolled

undergraduate student with 95 or

more earned credits and whose QPA

is 3.0 or greater. Priority is given to

students who are the sole support of

a minor child, disabled spouse or

elderly parent(s).

It’s no surprise that nearly one of every five

students at Edinboro University is an adult

student. Edinboro has led the way with

adult learners for nearly 40 years and has

consistently been one of the top universities

in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher

Education for number and percentage of

enrolled adult students. What may be

surprising is the number of adult students at

Edinboro who attend simultaneously with

their child.

After talking with these students for any

length of time, a theme emerges:

inspiration. Either the adult student wants

to inspire and set an example for his/her

child, or it is the child who serves as the

inspiration.

Cynthia Chuzie-McDowell is in the former

category. Cyndi, a nursing major, attends

with daughter, Delani, an English-writing

major. Cyndi says “I have to set a good

example because she is watching and knows

when I attend class, study, do well, etc. All I

ever do is study, and she sees that when she

comes home. I like to think it encourages

her to do the same.”

Education has always been important in the

McDowell household. Cyndi taught both of

her daughters that there were 17 years of

mandatory school, not 13 – a trick that

helped make the college decision simple.

For psychology major Marcy Busch, it was

her son, Michael, a criminal justice major

who served as the inspiration. Marcy says

“It has been humorous at times because

people do not guess that he is my son when

we are talking in the hallways or outside.

We love to joke around about who is parked

in a ‘good’ spot and who is still driving

around looking.”

When Michael was accepted to Edinboro for

the Fall 2010 semester, Marcy was

motivated to finish what she started 15

years ago and finish her degree (before any

of her children received their degrees first!).

With senior status, it looks like she’ll win

that race.

continued on page 4

A Family Affair For some adult students, it’s all “relative.”

New Leaf

Cynthia Chuzie-McDowell with daughter Delani

Marcy Busch with son Michael

Adult Student in the Spotlight

Yvette Nelson What is your major? I began in the Humanities Program, taking a variety of interesting courses. I developed an interest in geography and wound up taking enough to turn them into a Bachelor of Arts in Geography. I think this shows that an open mind and a variety of experiences can lead us to other areas we might not have considered at the outset, whether traditional or non-traditional. What year did you begin at Edinboro and when will you graduate? I began in the Fall of 2008 and will graduate in May of 2011 What is the most difficult thing about being an adult student? Sometimes I feel like I've missed so much that it might be too late...like I won't have enough time left to make it "worth it." I was also very afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the new technology. Oh, and I need an afternoon nap! What is the best thing about being an adult student? I think my favorite part is being able to lend an ear, and maybe a little of my experience, to some of the other students – the "kids" I now call friends. It's nice to be able to be there for them in some small way when their own parents can't be. In addition, my experiences and the general knowledge I've gained as a result of them makes my classes a bit easier. I have a deeper understanding and appreciation along with a different perspective. Why did you decide to go back to school to get your degree? Due to circumstances beyond my control, I found myself in the position that I would need to be able to support myself in the future. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years and then got into some business ventures that were not successful. I also felt like I was in a vacuum and craved intellectual and cultural stimulation. I had fallen into a pattern of substance abuse after the sudden and tragic death of my husband. I am now in recovery, which has given me the courage and ability to begin a life I never thought was possible. My daughter Nicole – then a student and Student Trustee on the Council of Trustees at the time I was considering returning to college – encouraged me. In fact she called and asked if I wanted to move to Edinboro from Coudersport and get an apartment together. I really thought she just wanted me to do her laundry and cook her dinner. I actually had the incredible experience and blessing of taking a class and being a member of the University Singers with her in my first semester. I have learned that every day comes with a do-over, and it is never too late to start again. What advice do you have for other adult students? Be open-minded, try new things, go with your gut, and get involved. When I started school I was asked what I was "going to do", and I responded by saying, "I don't know, I'll find out when I get there." I knew there were so many things that I didn't know I didn’t know! At the time I had an idea in mind and my current curriculum is something quite different than what I originally expected. I also get a lot out of my involvement in campus activities. The acceptance and many friendships I've developed with young people, as well as with faculty and staff, are invaluable.

Semester After Semester, We Sound Like a Broken Record

The Adult Student Services Office broke another record in the Fall semester with CLEP testing! The number of exams taken in the Fall of 2010 increased by 26% for a total of 24 over the previous record held in Fall 2009. The number of credits earned also increased by 57% for a total of 85. In addition, the pass rate has improved from only 59% passing just two years ago to 75% of test-takers passing in 2010. While CLEP exams are administered by the Adult Student Services Office, the exams are not limited to adult students. In fact, 38% of test-takers in 2010 were “traditional-age” students. Edinboro University’s CLEP Testing Center is also not limited to only Edinboro students. 29% of test-takers in 2010 were from other colleges and universities. For more information about CLEP, go to www.edinboro.edu, keyword “clep.”

Yvette Nelson with daughter and Edinboro alumna Nicole

From Edinboro University’s archives: The first mention of services for adult students was referenced in the Edinboro State College 1974-75 Catalog (above).

A History Steeped in Non-Tradition Edinboro University’s focus on adult students spans nearly 40 years

At a time when most colleges were solely

focused on the “just-out-of-high school”

crowd, Edinboro was thinking ahead. In the

Fall of 1974, Edinboro University (then

Edinboro State College) took its first step in

recognizing the needs of adult learners by

establishing a Life Experience Center on

campus. Operated by an outside entity, the

Center evaluated the life experience of adult

students and would make recommendations

for the awarding of college credits.

In the mid-80’s the University created an in-

house office for adult students called

Opportunity College whose focus expanded

beyond life experience credits. Over the

years the office went through many name

changes including the Office of Adult

Student Information Services (OASIS), the

Office for Non-Traditional Student Services,

and The Office of Adult Student Services.

Yet, the mission - to empower prospective

and current adult learners to meet their

educational goals through programs and

services that remove barriers to their

success – remains the same.

Because of Edinboro’s initiative and

foresight in the matter of adult learning, it is

consistently ranked as one of the top

schools in Pennsylvania’s System of Higher

Education in the area of adult enrollment.

Nationally, approximately seven million

adult students (age 25 and older) make up

the undergraduate enrollment in

credit-granting institutions of higher

learning. That is equivalent to 40% of all

undergraduate enrollment.1

The top six reasons that undergraduate

adults pursue higher education include:

personal enrichment (97%); increase in

income (89%); to prove they can do it (76%);

changing careers (75%); advance within

current job (66%); and to be a role model

for family (62%).2

Both nationally and at Edinboro, the top

three areas of study for adult students are

business, education and health-related

fields.

As we begin 2011, Edinboro will continually

endeavor to make the campus a place

where great things happen for the adult

learner.

1. Jacobs, F. and Hundley, S. (2010).

Understanding and Supporting Adult Learners: A Guide for Colleges and Universities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

2. Harms, B. (2008). Serving Adult Students: What Really Matters? Retrieved January 13, 2011 from http://www.stamats.com/knowledge/ whitepapers/pdfs/WhitePaper18.pdf.

A Snapshot of Edinboro’s Undergraduate Adult Students for the 2010-11 Academic Year

Total number of adult students: 1,184

Percentage of adult students: 18%

Average age of adult students: 34 years old

The age of the oldest adult student: 80 years old

Breakdown of males vs. females: 506 male students (43%) 678 female students (57%)

Breakdown of associate vs. bachelor degree-seekers: 191 associate (16%) 972 bachelor (82%) (Remaining 2% of students are non-degree seeking students.)

Breakdown of full vs. part-time students: 767 full-time students (65%) 417 part-time students (35%)

Top Three Areas of Study (Four-Year Programs) Business; Education; Health Professions

Top Three Areas of Study (Two-Year Programs) Security & Protective Services; Business; Public Administration & Social Services

Where do our adult students come from (top five counties)? Erie; Crawford; Warren; Allegheny; Mercer

A Family Affair (continued from page 1)

A good role model – that’s what elementary and special education major Jessica Calvin

wants to be to her son, communication studies major, Cody. “I feel that I have been a

good role model to Cody when I have been doing homework and studying for exams, and

that I’ve shown him that in order to get ahead in life, a good education is important.”

Since Jessica is a junior, she’s been able to give Cody (a freshman) advice on scheduling

and course selection.

While elementary education/early childhood education major Elizabeth Ohmer claims it

was her daughter, Ashley, who inspired her to begin taking college classes, Ashley and her

six siblings may disagree. Their mom is an amazing person.

Liz attends Edinboro with three of her seven children – Adam (undeclared-education),

Ashley (early childhood/special education) and Josh (elementary/special education).

Liz homeschooled her children for 12 years, and was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years.

Liz says “When I turned 40, I decided to put my love for education into application. I

enrolled the remaining five school-aged children into a local school and I began attending

Edinboro full-time. I am set to graduate in May 2011 with a dual degree and higher

honors.”

Liz’s mantra: “Better late than never!”

New Leaf will be published each fall and spring by the Office of Adult Student Services. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide information pertinent to Edinboro University’s adult student population.

Our Mission: The mission of Edinboro University’s Office of Adult Student Services is to empower prospective and current adult learners to meet their educational goals through programs and services that remove barriers to their success.

New Leaf ISSUE 02 Spring 2011

Adult Student Services

405 Scotland Road 211 Pogue Student Center

Edinboro, PA 16444

Phone: (814) 732-2701 Fax: (814) 732-2909

adultstudents@edinboro.edu

http://adult.edinboro.edu

Congratulations Fall 2010 Graduates!

On Saturday, December 18, 2010, 127 adult students graduated from Edinboro University.

Some of the most popular degrees awarded to adult students: Business: 21 Education: 20 Nursing: 18 Individualized Studies: 15 Criminal Justice: 14

Denise Azevedo Environmental Studies - Geography

Elizabeth Ohmer with son Adam, daughter Ashley, and son Josh

Jessica Calvin with son Cody