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Show A nontraditional student experience WSU Archives 32 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 The Nontraditional Student Center, located on WSU main campus, logo. By MCKAYLEE BURTON Correspondent Joe and Valarie Barrett, a couple in their 70s, attend their History 1510 class at Weber State University every week. The couple both graduated from Weber State University in their 20s but returned to the university years later to enjoy the process of learning. The couple are considered nontraditional students, but that’s not uncommon at WSU. A nontraditional student is defined as a student who is 25 or older, married, divorced, widowed or a parent. Utah Valley University has 37,282 students and their student body consists of 27% nontraditional students. The University of Utah has 32,760 students, almost 30% of whom are nontraditional. In comparison, Weber State University has 28,247 students. WSU’s student body, however, is comprised of 56% nontraditional students. While the other universities have more students than Weber State, their percentage of nontraditional students is still lower. Younger students can learn not only from professors but also from nontraditional students. “I have had several classes with people older than your typical college student,” said 21-year-old Jenna Child, a current Weber State student. “Weber State is known as a commuter school, causing a wide age diversity. Seeing people who are in their 30s all the way to 60s or 70s is not uncommon in any of my or my friends’ classes.” Like many other students, Child notices a lot of her classmates are almost twice or three times her age. Traditional students like Child sometimes wonder why Weber State University has a larger population of nontraditional students compared to other Utah universities. Trisha Durham is a married mom of four in her 40s. She is currently attending a psychology program at Weber State and has been involved with the school for about three years. Durham previously never received a degree due to her focus on her family. After Durham’s children grew older, she knew she wanted to pursue a degree. She decided to attend the university after discovering a passion for mental health and a desire to help others. “There were two things drawing me to Weber over other schools,” Durham says. “First is proximity. I wanted to make sure I could go somewhere that I could reasonably attend in person but still be there for my kids. Second, Weber offered the cheapest tuition of other schools in the area.” Child was not surprised to hear Durham came back to school after her kids got older. She said a lot of people, specifically in Utah, get married young and pause their education to concentrate on their family. “With that, some start careers young and later realize it is not what they want to be doing,” Child said. “Then when they are older, they come back to school to get a different career.” With the number of nontraditional students at Weber State, the university offers the Nontraditional Student Center specifically to academically support them. The center’s mission statement promises students a helpful environment and allows students access to different academic resources. The center hopes to aid students with individual growth and skills to help them be successful both in and out of the classroom. The center offers a kitchen with a microwave and fridge, a computer lab that is food- and child-friendly and a study area. The center also offers childcare at the Ogden and Davis campuses for only $3.50 per hour for children ages 2 through 9. Dr. Hailey Gillen-Hoke is an Associate Professor in Communications at Weber State. She explained that the university prides itself on catering to nontraditional students with evening and online classes and on-campus childcare. As an associate professor, Gillen-Hoke has seen firsthand the effect nontraditional students have in the classroom. “Nontraditional students bring a unique and invaluable perspective to the classroom,” Gillen-Hoke said. “The other universities I have taught at have seen primarily the traditional 18 to 22 college-age students, and so it was certainly a different environment coming to Weber.” The Barretts’ agree with Durham that they first attended the university because it offered affordable tuition and a conveniently-close location. Valarie Barrett said it allowed them to save a lot of money after they were married and starting their family. Shortly after the couple retired, they discovered the university’s lifelong learning program and became hooked. Lifelong learning is a program the university offers for $10 per semester to Utah residents over 62. If the individual fits the criteria, they can qualify to register for classes as a lifetime, non-degree seeking student. They can take one or several academic courses they find interesting without an admission fee. “We returned as old people because there were classes we wanted to take but couldn’t take because we were doing necessary classes,” Valarie Barrett said in discussing their return. “The classes are now fun and informative with no pressure like the first time around.” The program seems to be a factor in drawing in people over 62. The Barretts’ say it helped cure their boredom after retirement. The pair always loved learning but wanted a different experience than just reading books and watching documentaries. “I have always loved learning and loved the idea of taking classes again,” Joe Barrett said in relation to the program. “I like taking classes I have always wanted to take and enjoy learning from college professors. Although assignments and tests are not required for us, I did all of them to contain what I had learned.” Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com |