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MHC - The Frances Perkins Program

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:28:34 CST

The Frances Perkins Program is a specially designed program for women of non-traditional age who wish to complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Program enables women who are over the age of 24 to earn a first-rate degree that meets all the requirements of the undergraduate program and at the same time offers the option of electing either a full or part-time (two courses) schedule. Women who have dependents or are veterans are also eligible to apply for admission through this program.

HISTORY OF INSTITUTIONAL WORK WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENTS:

Since 1980, Mt. Holyoke College has served nontraditional students through the Frances Perkins Program, most of whom transfer from community colleges (in 2007-08, 84% of Frances Perkins undergraduates had attended a community college prior to entering Mt. Holyoke)www.jkcf.org, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT:

Mt. Holyoke College supports Frances Perkins program and has received alumnae, foundation, and corporate scholarship funds for community college transfers.www.jkcf.org, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

PROMISING PRACTICES:

Mt. Holyoke and the Frances Perkins program foster the development of a cohort of students who can support each other before and after transfer (e.g., monthly lunches with peer mentors for HCC students, open houses, Frances Perkins activities, Frances Perkins housing and study space).www.jkcf.org
Mt. Holyoke reaches out to community college faculty who have written recommendations for previous successful applicants to propose visiting their community college and developing a transfer relationship.www.jkcf.org
The full-time transfer coordinator located at Mt. Holyoke serves as a transfer agent and ensures continuity of support for students once they have transferred to the College.www.jkcf.org

42 entering Francis Perkins Scholars in the class of 2012
43 entering Francis Perkins Scholars in the class of 2013
There are Francis Perkins Scholars total

Need for Connection

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:10:01 CST

When adult students return to school they may feel lost in a new place with people that they don't know. Many adult students report that they feel old or that they don't feel as smart as their younger peers. It takes a while to get to know people and carve out a space that they feel comfortable in. For some adult students it may feel strange that they relate more better to their professors than to their classmate. After learning the rhythm of college life a number of older students begin to participate in campus life and get involved with groups and activities. Students who achieve a sense of community with their friends, colleagues, and professors also engage more fully in their studies.

The following are some ways to connect:

Join a Support Group or a Student Organization
Find a Mentoring Relationship with an Upperclasswoman, Staff or Faculty member
Look into Counseling at the Institution
Make Friends
Go to Events on Campus
Talk to Your Faculty Members

Obstacles That Adult Students Face

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:01:59 CST

Responding to the challenges faced by students returning to school the partner of one adult student said:

Being a student returning after an extended time period to college one is faced with multiple challenges. These range from trying to juggle a life where you might be raising kids and working to support yourself and your family, to lack of a social network at the facility due to age and not feeling like you fit in. Everyone's experience is different, but remembering that there are those programs in place and that you probably have a practical if not pressing reason for returning will hopefully help you achieve your goal of continuing your education. The long and the short of it is you probably have multiple non-school-related commitments and responsibilities.

- R. Hansen

On the website, WomenAchieve.org, women made the following comments and even offered advise regarding their return to college:

Rena C|May. 21, 2009 @ 6:14 PM

I am about to receive my Assiciate degree in Business from AIU. I have to admit some of these classes I have struggled in and I'm not ashamed to say I will be happy when it's all over. Balancing family and school is harder then I thought it would be because moms have to be in so many places at once( I do anyway). My husband and kids were all for it at first but now they hate it because its seems to be taking "me" away from them.I am re-enrolled so a few weeks after I graduate, I start again. My husband is not happy about this. Well, I guess we will see what happens-Rena C

jstpierre2|May. 23, 2009 @ 1:26 PM

Rena C,

I am going to be doing the same thing you are doing once I get my Ass. degree but my husband is the one who is pushing me forward. I know what you mean with the balancing the family and school, it can be very hard I know. My husband is in the Army and I was going to school online and being mommy and daddy at the same time. It was very hard but the one thing that got me through it was I kept thing of my children. Would they think it is ok to start something and not finish it. So not only am I going to school to get a degree but to show my children it is never to late to go after your dreams.- Jenn S

kimblegf|Jun. 9, 2009 @ 4:50 PM

Just to let you know I faced similar circumstances while obtaining my degree. My family was on board until I was down to two classes to graduate or so I thought. In reflecting on those days I was so stressed out because I had things going on at work, home and school. Isn't that how life is though? Feast or famine. However, I think I approached it all wrong. I started spending all my free time on school and work issues ignoring my family responsibilities. I stop attending family functions, making excuses for my absence. On family trips I brought along books and laptop hoping to carve out time to complete some assignments. Believe me I know its difficult, but if you want to keep them in your corner, make sure you carve out time just for them. Give them all your attention! This is another reason I am 100% for online classes. You can be at home and accessible.

SherrieLee|Jun. 21, 2009 @ 7:21 AM

I am fairly new to this school and also a new parent. As soon as my little girl was born I felt that I needed to do something, I wanted her to have a better life than what I really can give her. My boyfriend is great he helps me all the time when I need t get my assignments done. At the same time though, he began working so it was a little harder to balance the houshold everyday chores, taking care of the little one and I began working wit Avon. I may have overloaded myself but I do seem t be doing well especaislly in school. I'm the happiest for the first time ebver in school only because of my grades. I never knew I could get good grades.

I did the same thing where my school took up all my free time. but i did somehow find a balance between things. I say i take about 2 hours a day for school, 2 hours a day for Avon, and then the rest of the day is doing the household chores and sending time with the family.

aflint10222|Sep. 9, 2009 @ 11:12 AM

Well I am mom who has children who are pretty much on their own now and I am single, I want to spend time with family, however family have their own lives and things to do, which is why I decided to wait until they finish high school to pursue my lifelong dream of going to college to get my degree. It is very challenging for me my hope is that my grown up children will jump on the wagon and pursue a higher learning and education also. I hope to inspire all who read this blog you can make it, I have my associates degree and am now pursuing my BAA degree. I really don't feel that family is that much concerned with the time we spend together because my kids have their own lives in which they are living now. During our family gathering I feel out of place because so much space is in between us now. However I am educating myself to hopefully help them one day.

Making the Transfer

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:51:23 CST

For adult students who first earn an Associate's degree before transferring to a four-year college or university the transfer is often more involved. One point to remember is that the "increased demand for students to act as informed and effective consumers places a disproportionate burden on adult learners who attempt to fulfill their multiple obligations while attending college" (Steltenpohl). When transferring out of the area, and especially out of state, the number of things an adult student with and family has to plan ahead for is mind-boggling. If one was coming directly out of high school they wouldn't have children and would not have as many possessions to transport. With a family they may have to move their whole household, make appropriate travel arrangements, look into and register children at area schools, arrange childcare, perhaps apply for financial aid and look for a new job, all while trying to settle into their new school and surroundings. If they are lucky they will have friends or family members who can assist them or even be willing to be their child's emergency school contact. Regardless, making the transfer can be overwhelming for adult students.

Problems faced by International Students

lisaatmhc — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:25:35 CST

After long application-processes, months of preparation, and countless hours fighting with paperwork, visa applications, and financial aid proposals, international students still oftentimes enter the American higher education system completely unprepared.

Culture Shock

International students encounter numerous problems in terms of cultural adjustment, since their “unfamiliarity with American customs, norms, and values often make it difficult to effectively interact with Americas and meet personal and academic demands”(Atri and Sharma 136). Especially students from Asian and African cultures experience a completely new societal structure in which social interactions and academic standards might differ drastically from their home culture. Since international students often leave their country on their own, they often experience a loosening of social ties and even a “loss of social status since the status they enjoyed in their native countries may not be recognized by others in their new environment” (Al-Shariden and Goe 699). The language barrier, discussed in more detail below, can contribute to the lack of communication between international students and American, resulting in either isolation or turning towards a more accepting group, for example ones own national community on campus.

Fighting Pressure from All Sides

Academic pressure is one of the main factors that causes college students of all ages and nationalities to develop mental illnesses such as depression, eating disorders, and self-isolation (. Depending on their native culture, this pressure can be even more intensified through pressure exercised by their families or government. Students from cultures that strongly emphasize elitism and higher education, and/or those where all hopes are projected onto one child, failing is not an option:

"We Africans cannot afford to fail because our family would be disappointed and we don’t want to see that happen. If I fail, it isn’t only that I fail. It only means that my father’s son and my uncle’s nephew failed and they carry the same reputation" (Heikinheimo qtd. in Huntley 7).

Since many international students depend on financial aid, either from their host universities or from their governments, their success is constantly measured and controlled. This is also a contributing factor to the lack of communication and social ties between international students and American: not having time for social interaction because of academically rigorous coursework is among the main reasons named for lacking contact.

Language Barriers

Studying at a University level is often hard enough, but it becomes even harder if the language of instruction is foreign to the student. Henley has estimated that about one third of all international students who enter the American higher education system have an inadequate level of language proficiency, which leads to severe problems in terms of understanding lectures, taking notes, and especially oral participation (4). While efficient language skills essential for academic achievements, a deficiency in English can also strongly influence social life and hinder ones integration into the college community. It is because of this reason that many international groups form their own sub communities on campus in which they often communicate in their native language. While this helps to build social ties among the members of the group, it has the negative effect of cultural isolation since group members often keep to themselves, do not make social contact with Americans and are not forced to speak English. This creates a vicious cycle because they than do not improve their English, which leads to frustration and annoyance in the academic setting and in return to an increased dependence on the peers in ones cultural group with whom the international student does not speak English.

Academic Differences

As has been discussed in the language aspect, oral participation especially on graduate level is an essential part of higher education. Many students, especially from Asia, experience severe problems when it comes to professor’s expectations in terms of active participation. In the academic world of their home countries, it is not expected of the student to speak, but to listen to and write down what the professor is saying. Saying something in class would be considered ‘interrupting’, which in return would be considered rude. Faced with oral presentations, group projects, or questions in class often leads to great anxiety among international students (Henley 6).
Aside from language and participation, academic concepts may differ drastically depending on the home country of the international student. Many encounter problems when it comes to the boundaries of plagiarism since it is defined differently where they come from.

Adult Students

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:22:39 CST

Adult students are generally defined as 25 years of age or older. They typically have one or more characteristics of non-traditional status (see Figure 1). Many struggle to balance work and family commitments. They often lack resources and generally must adapt to a system designed to serve younger, full-time students (Pusseret al., 2007, p. 3). has been away from schooling for a period of years; and tends to be stimulated to return to school by life transitions, which can also create anxiety and lower self-esteem (Meyer, Nancy Billings).

Educational policy has long stereotyped adult learners, seeing them primarily as displaced workers and homemakers seeking to enter the job market, a group in need of relatively short-duration job training. This view has neglected the richness and complexity of the lives and aspirations of adult learners.

The National Center for Education Statistics projects that the adult student population will grow by 35% by the year 2017 (Hussar & Bailey, 2008). Two factor for the increase are that more employees are requiring a college degree for employment consideration and that, out of work due to the recession, more of the adult workforce is returning to school to sharpen their skills.

Non-Traditional Student Bibliography

larkswindow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:05:30 CST

Literature -

Al-Sharideh, Khalid A., and Richard W. Goe. “Ethnic Communities within the University: An Examination of Factors Influencing the Personal Adjustment of International Students.” Research in Higher Education 39.6 (1998): 699 -725. Web.
Ashburn, Elyse. "Number of Students Transferring From Community Colleges to Elite Institutions Plunges." The Chronicle of Higher Education 52.43 (2006): A13. Web. 14 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/Number-of-Students-Transfer/21420/>.
Atri, Ashutosh, and Manoj Sharma. “Designing a Mental Health Education Program for South Asian International Students in the United Sates.” Californian Journal of Health Promotion 4.3 (2006): 135-146. Web.
Bailey-Taylor, Ashley. "Advising Adult Students: Connecting Schlossberg's Transition Theory to the Appreciative Advising Model." The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Ed. Deborah L. Oakes. Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies, 8 July 2009. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
California Univ., Berkeley. Board of Regents., Los Angeles. Office of the Chancellor. California State Univ. and Colleges, and Sacramento. California Community Colleges "Increasing the Rate and Retention of Community College Transfers from Underrepresented Groups: A Report to the California Legislature." (1979): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Cantwell, Robert, Jennifer Archer, and Sid Bourke "A Comparison of the Academic Experiences and Achievement of University Students Entering by Traditional and Non-Traditional Means." Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 26.3 (2001): 221-34. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Carini, Robert M., George D. Kuh, and Chun-Mei Zhao. “A Comparison of International Student and American Student Engagement in Effective Educational Practices. “ The Journal of Higher Education, 76.2 (2005). JSTOR. Web . 18 Dec. 2009.
Carlan, P. (2001). Adult students and community college beginnings: Examining the efficacy of performance stereotypes on a university campus. College Student Journal, 35(2) 169-181.
Creighton, Joanne V. "France Perkins Program 25th Anniversary." Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. 22 Apr. 2005. Web.
Clark, Kim. "Obama's Lessons for Transfer Students." U.S News and World Report 16 January 2009: n. pag. Web. 15 Nov 2009. <http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/01/16/obamas-lessons-for-transfer-students.html>
Farrell, Elizabeth F. "More Students Attend Multiple Colleges." The Chronicle of Higher Education 51.40 (2005): a29. Web. 20 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/More-Students-Attend-Multip/5638/>.
Handel, Stephen J. "Transfer Students Apply to College, Too. How Come We Don't Help Them?." The Chronicle of Higher Education 54.9 (2007): B20. Web. 20 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/Transfer-Students-Apply-to-/13795/>.
Hebel, Sara. "States Without Affirmative Action Focus on Community-College Transfers." The Chronicle of Higher Education - Government & Politics (2000): A35. Web. 23 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/States-Without-Affirmative-/25724/>.
Hofmann, Joan M., and Others And "Adult Learners: Why Were They Successful? Lessons Learned via an Adult Learner Task Force." (1994): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Huntley, Helen S. “Adult International Students: Problems of Adjustment” Information Analysis Paper. 1993: 1 – 15.
Hussar, W. J., & Bailey, T. M. (2008). Projections of Education Statistics to 2017 (Publication No. NCES 2008078). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, D.C. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008078
Jayasankar, Kalyani. “Culture shock for faculty and staff.” Mount Holyoke News 10 Dec 2009. 1. Print.
Laird, Bob. "The Trouble With Transferring: It Shouldn't Be So Difficult." The Chronicle of Higher Education 55.29 (2009): B22. Web. 22 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/The-Trouble-With-Transferri/14439/>.
Ludwig, Melissa. "Elite schools reach out for transfer students ." The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation - San-Antonio Express News (2007): n. pag. Web. 01 Dec 2009. <http://www.jkcf.org/grants/community-college-transfer/ccti-news-publications/elite-schools-reach-out-for-transfer-students/>.
Meyer, Nancy Billings "Andragogy and Community College Education: An Analysis of the Importance of Enhancing Self-Concept/Self-Esteem in the Nontraditional Student." (1991). ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Mount Holyoke College Admissions As a Transfer. N/A. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, Web. 12 Dec 2009. <http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/transfer.html>.
Mount Holyoke College. Cross-Cultural Connections: Hosting Program for New International Students. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mtholyoke.edu/global/11366.shtml>.
Mount Holyoke College. McCulloch Center for Global Initiative. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, 2009. Web 17 Dec. 2009. < http://www.mtholyoke.edu/global/>
Mount Holyoke College. MHC and HCC Develop Math Partnership. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2009.
Mount Holyoke College. Pre-Orientation :Promoting InterCultural Dialogue and Creating Inclusion. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, 2009. Web. 19 Dec. 2009. < http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/dos/12606.shtml>.
Mount Holyoke College Admissions. Requirements for Transfers. 2009 South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, Web. 8 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/req_transfers.html>
Mount Holyoke College Admissions Transfer Steps in Applying. 2009. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, Web. 10 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/steps.html>.
Mount Holyoke College Admissions. Transferring Credit. N/A South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, Web. 8 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/transferring_credit.html>
National Survey of Student Engagement, . "Transfer Students Feel Disengaged From College Life, Survey Shows." The Chronicle of Higher Education 49.13 (2002): A55. Web. 25 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/Transfer-Students-Feel-Dise/17378/>.
O'Donnell, Victoria L., and Jane Tobbell "The Transition of Adult Students to Higher Education: Legitimate Peripheral Participation in a Community of Practice?." Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal of Research and Theory 57.4 (2007): 312-328. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Open Doors. 2009 Report on International Educational Exchange. Institute of International Education, 2009. Web 16 Dec. 2009. <http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=150811>.
Pusser, B., Breneman, D. W., Gansneder, B. M., Kohl, K. J., Levin, J. S., Milam, J. H., et al. (2007, March). Returning to learning: Adults' success is key to America's future. Lumina Foundation for Education: New Agenda Series, 1–21. Retrieved from http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/ReturntolearningApril2007.pdf
Shankar, Archana Daya Interpreting the Narratives of Non-Traditional Students: An Exploratory Study. 1994. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Sheldon, Caroline, and CA. Cypress Coll. "Campus Climate Survey: Student Opinions of the Campus Environment." (2001): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Smith, Lauren. "Foreign Students Still Face Hurdles." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 13 July 2007. Web. 18 Dec. 2009.
Steltenpohl, Elizabeth, and Jane Shipton. "Facilitating a Successful Transition to College for Adults." The Journal of Higher Education 57.6 (1986): 637-58. JStore. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Stone, Cathy "Listening to Individual Voices and Stories--The Mature-Age Student Experience." Australian Journal of Adult Learning 48.2 (2008): 263-290. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Strage, Amy "Traditional and Non-Traditional College Students' Descriptions of the "Ideal" Professor and the "Ideal" Course and Perceived Strengths and Limitations." College Student Journal 42.1 (2008): 225-231. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 5 Dec. 2009.
Tinto, V. (1993) Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press.
Wyner, Joshua. "Educational Equity and the Transfer Student." The Chronicle of Higher Education 52.23 (2006): B6. Web. 23 Nov 2009. <http://chronicle.com/article/Educational-Equitythe-/24429/>.

Images -

http://betalabs.nokia.com/files/blog/2008/12/steps.jpg - steps
http://serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/affective/student_group.v3.jpg - students on stairs
http://www.back2college.com/return.gif - adult student
http://immigration.windsor-essex.info/wps/themes/html/windsor/images_cms/pct_education_page02.jpg - international students
http://www.sal.ksu.edu/images/admission-pic01.jpg - transfer students
http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/about-cs/news/news-images/Transfer%20Fair/College%20Transfer%20Fair.JPG - transferring colleges
http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/sb10063987ap-001.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=EDF6F2F4F969CEBDE7FBBBADE9A502761C8B733DE2CC979449E74516A664B543B984A757BD33E077E30A760B0D81-1297 - playing cards
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/04/04/nyregion/ivy600.jpg - ivy league
http://collegeboundinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/admissionsad-berryedu.jpg - college maze
http://www.highwayfinancial.com/images/CollegeCost_Small.jpg - college cost
http://www.csocollegecenter.org/UserFiles/Image/mhc_gate.jpg - mount holyoke college
http://media.photobucket.com/image/on%20the%20way%20to%20college/nugrohoook/collegetextbooks1.jpg - textbooks
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/original/moving.jpg - traveling
http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/issues/091007/images/091007-lg-591960s.jpg - on their way to college
http://www.collegebound.net/articleimages/tinyupload/boardingschools/boarding-schools.jpg - thinking
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2009/06/08/2009314839.gif - college stats
http://uc.colstate.edu/adult_program.asp - woman
http://www.coe.uga.edu/leap/news/images/Rosser-Mims.jpg - in class
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v332/90/9/14238017980/n14238017980_720545_499.jpg - mentors
http://collegejolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/college-student1.jpg - study
http://static.slide.com/version/20081006165328/images/superpoke/items/ms_animated_gifs/lost_campus.gif - lost on campus
http://www.pwkits.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/digital-camera.jpg - camera
http://www.austincc.edu/ITdocs/WebAdvWeb/Students/images/transcript2.gif - transcript
http://www.amhersthomeforsale.com/assets/images/db_images/db_Mount_Holyoke7.jpg - Mount Holyoke Sign
http://www.cathyfields.com/LanguageBarrier.jpg language barrier
http://www.me4e.org/images/j0433134.jpg earth in our hands
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/mhacasa/mhacasa_08-09/images/Mhacasa_with_logo_MAIN.jpg AC Day
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/mecha/calaveras2.jpg dia de los muertos
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/mecha/dia-de-los-muertos.jpg dia de los muertos fruit
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/grafx/cms/content/religiouslife/eliot.jpg Eliot House
http://www.caps.wayne.edu/Images/diverse%20group%202.jpg International Students circle
http://www.canadianmtsolutions.ca/images/stack%20of%20books.jpg stack of books with glasses
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/1986/95/n63732532763_9708.jpg International Students waving flaggs
http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/storyFeatures/feb-2509/feb2509-intlstudents.swf Graphs 1 and 2 of International Students
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/grafx/cms/content/CGI/global_header_left.jpg McCulloch Center Banner
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/grafx/cms/content/CGI/uncommon_wealth.jpg Uncommen Wealthoof Wome
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/grafx/cms/content/CGI/is_map_page_image.jpg Group Picture MHC Internationals
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/dvanhand/ISmap/map_r09_c06.jpg MHC Map
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/grafx/cms/content/CGI/Potluck_2009_title.jpg MHC Hosting Program
http://brainymama.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/tightrope-walker.jpg - tight rope

Obstacles Faced by Non-Traditional Students

lisaatmhc — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:14:49 CST

Professor Jesse Lytle
Educational Studies: Mission and Market in Higher Education
Fall 2009 - Mount Holyoke College

Presented by: Jennifer Walsh, Lisa Wiedemann, Misty Wheeler

Overview:

The philosophy of the early colonial colleges was to bring education to a new world, bring the good and sifting the bad in order to reach new enlightenment and find the best solution for a new society. As the face of higher educatio changed - from white men learning arithmetic and romance languages to research driven large-scale universities - the drive to be educated and the notion that live-long success and prestige can only be guaranteed with the achieving of a university degree has has intensified dramatically. Those who at one time could not acquire education because their economic class, racial classification, or gender hindered them from entering America's higher education system have now found ways to be educated, leading the the democratization and equalizing of the whole system. This shift has brought out positive changes and hopes for the future for those that thought they could never acquire personal success. In recent decades we have found that although there is increased access, specific groups of students are still facing obstacles, especially non-traditional aged students, transfer students, and international students. Many of their concerns and obstacles they face are overlapping. However, each group is forced to tackle them on their own with little or no guidance. Although these obstacles may be daunting, specific schools are offering more assistance for these students during their time of adjustment. Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley Massachusetts is an example of an institution that harnesses and appreciates these specific groups students and does their best to assist them in their individual obstacles.

Definitions:

Traditional Student - A full-time, 18-24 year old, residential student who is a United States Citizen.

(Click images for more information)

Non-Traditional Student - One who does not move directly from high school to college; ie, a transfer student, adult student (over age 25), a part-time student - and for our purposes - international students.

MHC Programs

jwalsh0530 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:09:15 CST

In March 2007 Mt.Holyoke published information regarding their Math outreach program to near by Holyoke Community College in efforts to encourage HCC community college students to transfer to selective four-year students. Here are a few clippings from that publication.

"... Students from Holyoke Community College have been studying math at Mount Holyoke this year as part of MHC's effort to reach out to community college students to support and encourage them to transfer to selective four-year schools. The course, emphasizing problem solving and quantitative reasoning, is taught by James Morrow, lecturer in mathematics, and Charlene Morrow, lecturer in psychology and education. The seminar is part of a larger initiative funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to help high-achieving, low- and moderate-income students prepare to enter four-year schools. Mount Holyoke received $779,000 from the grant, and the College is contributing an additional $2 million in financial aid and costs towards the initiative..."

"...Each student also develops a quantitative skills action plan for the remainder of their community college experience. The plan includes tactics about how to become a more independent learner, how to find support when taking challenging courses, and how to prepare for the challenges of taking mathematics and other quantitative courses at selective colleges. HCC students receive substantial support from the Pathways Program at Holyoke Community College that helps them navigate the application process to four-year schools and prepare for making choices about continuing their education. In addition to working with the Morrows, students also meet current Frances Perkins Scholars who serve as mentors to the HCC students..."

Mount Holyoke has many programs and offerings to non-traditional students. They offer a range of programs for these students

o Frances Perkins Program
o Community College Partners
o Outreach
o Recruitment
o Pre-Admission Assistance
o Application & Financial aid support
o Post-admission assistance
o Internal Focus
o Institutional commitment

For more information on these programs see http://www.jkcf.org/grants/community-college-transfer/grant-recipients/mount-holyoke-college/mount-holyoke-college-achievements-and-promising-practices/ fregarding the programs that are supported/funded by the Jack Cooke Foundation.

Other Requirements

jwalsh0530 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:08:59 CST

Mt.Holyoke enforces requirements for all of their students in addition to their distribution requirements so in hopes students will be more aware of the world around them. This is part of the mission of the liberal arts academic structure. Found on http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/req_transfers.html you can find much information pertaining to these requirements.

Here is what can be found:

Multicultural Perspectives & Foreign Language
Mt.Holyoke strongly believes that a truly educated person should be aware of the world and thus Mount Holyoke requires a course in multicultural perspectives to broadens awareness of the diversity of human experience and expression. You will be asked to study some aspect of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, or the nonwhite peoples of North America. Mount Holyoke offers more than 100 courses to meet this criterion.

Students must also prove proficiency in a foreign language. You can fulfill this requirement by learning a new language, by completing an intermediate level course in a language you've already studied, or by studying foreign literature in the original language. If you already have at least an intermediate knowledge of a foreign language, or if you are an international student whose first language is not English, you may qualify for an exemption.

Physical Education
Physical education at Mt.Holyoke is also a longstanding component of the distribution requirements. The usual physical education requirement for students is 6 physical education credits. However sophomore transfer students only require 4 physical education credits, and junior transfer students require only 2 credits.

As a transfer student it is important to note that credit transfer has a large dependency on designated class year and will effect the physical education requirements.

Odds Stacked Against Transfers

jwalsh0530 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:07:04 CST

There are many issues that pertain to why statistics are stacked up against transfer students. From graduation expectations or acceptance criteria we see that transfer students often have the most difficult time in completion of their bachelors degree. For example, on average 60% of students graduating from a community college will take an average of eight years to earn a bachelors degree and ff those students 28% will transfer twice says The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Joshua Wyner states that low-income students are being faced with the inaccessibility to the nations most selective colleges and universities. Selective institutions like Amherst College, Harvard University among others have sought to ameliorate the disparity by increasing financial aid to students from low-income and moderate-income. While those efforts are to be applauded, highly selective institutions have overlooked a large pool of prospective low-income students: those coming from community colleges. Wyners article continues to explain that the community college population is the fastest growing group with over six million enrolled in credit classes thus making up nearly half of all undergraduates and increasing annually. As these numbers continue to grow the most selective colleges will have difficulty keeping up with the influx of population says the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation .

Selec tive four-year colleges enroll a smaller percentage of transfer students than they did 20 years ago, despite the growing number of students who start their post-secondary education at community college or other institution. Less than 1% of entering students at the nation's elite private colleges in 2002, and about 8% of those at elite public colleges, transferred from two-year institutions, according to a report on a national study released by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

What has been the largest change in the inaccessibility has to do with the change in cost. As the economic downfall continues we will see colleges on all tiers elevating their prices. This is adversely becoming a large road blocker for low-income students and even middle class students. Students understand that in order to achieve success they have to pay the price, and this will force students coming up with alternative methods to do so.

From a Students Perspective

jwalsh0530 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:06:26 CST

From conversations with more then a dozen transfer students new as of Fall 09 to the Mt.Holyoke Campus, personal accounts have shown that although the orientation programs and step-by-step guidelines where important in guiding students as they made their adjustments to Mt.Holyoke more information before they arrived would have been helpful. This is in regards to registering for courses and the absence of 'transfer student only' projects during the orientation weeks.

Suggestions from new Mt.Holyoke transfer students primarily would be that they hope to have more personal time. Although they are of the smallest group on campus (under 50 students on average per semester) they are a group that needs more assistance, just like those students in the Francis Perkins program and those International Students.

Students have suggested that possibly an additional day into the Orientation week program specific for transfer students only would benefit the population greatly. More one on one time for registration during the summer months was also a suggestion, this would alleviate a few personal obstacles that students fear when making course selection.

As a group, the transfer students at Mt.Holyoke are the lucky few; and these girls know this. They are welcomed with open arms to a community that understands their needs, wants, hopes and desires. This convivial environment that is Mt.Holyoke is unique in how they approach all new students, and students agree they do a superb job with non-traditional students!

McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives

lisaatmhc — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:08:15 CST

Jayasankar

Among many other responsibilities such as advising students on studying abroad, consulting on scholarship opportunities for global internships and offering interdisciplinary courses with focus on global issues, the McCulloch Center at Mount Holyoke College also helps international students to adjust to a new life away from home.

The center offers a variety rescources that make life easier for international students and programs "provides [them] with a solid foundation for succeeding at MHC" (MHC McCulloch).

In addition to providing international students with easy-to-navigate info sites about international admission, visa, and immigration questions, the McCulloch Center has also put together an extensive 16 chapter long Handbook for International Students, that covers all essential questions and problems international students might come across during application, after acceptance, and after arriving on campus, such as:

- What you need to bring
- How to get to South Hadley
- Residential Life
- Where t go for help
- Health insurance and health services
- Living and working in the United States
- Finances
- Communications
- Student Organizations & Religious Services
- Geography, Travel& Sightseeing
- Academic Information

The McCulloch center also sponsors several shopping trips for international students at the beginning of the year in order to get them equipped with most essential every-day living objects that they were unable to transport via plane. It also provides valuable information on academic issues and cultural problems that might be encountered.

During J-Term, a long break between Christmas and the beginning of classes at the end of January, many international students together with domestic students decide to stay on campus to take credit and non-credit courses in a variety of fields. During this time, the McCulloch center helps to organize small events and initiates special programs for those staying on campus (MHC McCulloch).

The McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives cares for international students directly, but also aims to help MHC staff and faculty about address and overcome problems that they and international students face. In the fall of 2009 for example, the Center organized a workshop for teaching faculty on the pronunciation of Chinese names, a reaction to the difficulties many professors have with the unknown phonetic system of Chinese.

In December 2009, the McCulloch Center organized the first workshop for members of the academic community at MHC on the issue of culture shock. The seminar consisted of a movie that depicts several internatonal students from differnet cultures in an American academic setting, followed by a panel with international students where faculty members could ask them about their experiences as international students at Mount Holyoke. The seminar aimed at creating understanding for international students, as Karen Remmler, Professor of German Studies pointed out in an interview with the Mount Holyoke News:

"For international students settling into a new country/culture, it is often difficult as they miss home and the familiar. Meeting new people and adapting to life in a new country can also be an overwhelming and scary experience....As faculty member I think it is important to create opportunities for international students within the classroom to be heard and to ask questions...Any opportunity to understand the experience of international students, especially from their perspective, is very valuable" ( qtd. in Jayasankar 1).

Diana Botestanu '12 shares this belief, and adds:

"People at Mount Holyoke virtually come from all four corners of the world, but diversity is more than a concept, it is how we are all so different and how we can reach understanding" (qtd. in Jayasankar 1).

What Mount Holyoke is Doing

lisaatmhc — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:10:16 CST

Mount Holyoke College serves as a prime example of how the aforementioned obstacles can be addressed and overcome. Mount Holyoke’s international student population has been continually growing over the past years, as evidenced by the official statements issued by the college at the beginning of each academic year:

Welcome to the Class of 2012

“…Twenty percent of the new students, or 106 young women, are international students, with the highest numbers coming from China, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.” (MHC 2012)

Welcome to the Class of 2013

“…Twenty-four percent of the new students are international, with the highest numbers of young women coming from China, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia.” (MHC 2013)

For the complete Welcome Messages that provide more information on the class profile of each year, visit Mount Holyoke 2012 and 2013.

Mount Holyoke prides itself with its internationality and diversity,overall welcoming students from over 60 countries. Still, Mount Holyoke faces the same trends that are encountered nationwide: while most European countries are represented with one or two students each, South American students are a rarity and an overpowering majority of students come from Asia, most dominantly China, Pakistan, India, South Korea and Nepal.

Follow the link by clicking on the picture and find our where MHC students come from and how many students come from each country

Mount Holyoke College strives to provide the most inclusive atmosphere for international students. Over the years, the College has expanded and added to numerous programs and initiatives especially designed for international students to make their transition between cultures and their integration into the campus community as fluent as possible.

Pre-Orientation and Orientation Program for International Students

Hosting Programs

McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives

Encouraging Cultural Expression / Serving Religious and Cultural Needs

Overcoming Language Barriers

The Internationalization of American Higher Education

lisaatmhc — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:06:31 CST

Undergraduates, graduates, doctoral students - in all areas of higher education, American students are facing stiff competition from the smartest and most ambitious students from all over the world. With the help of their national scholarship programs and American programs such as the prestigious stipends awarded by the Fulbright Commission, international students enter American universities and colleges. They form subgroups on campus, enhance classroom discussions with their individual and global perspective, enrich cultural life on campus, and contribute significantly to the campus diversity desired and advertised by most of the over 4000 institutions of higher learning in the United States.

In the 2008/2009 academic year, 671,616 international students were enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education, signaling an increase in international student population of 8% from the previous year (Open Doors).

While international students that study in the States come from all over the world, the majority of them is coming from Asia – with India and China sending the most students overseas:

In times of increased global competition for the brightest and smartest students from all over the world, the United States strives to remain the largest ‘importer’ of intelligence capital, trying to secures it's fifth-largest service export that during the 2005-2006 academic year brought close to $4 billion to the nation's economy (Smith). Over the past two decade, American higher education has had to reposition itself in a more globalized market, and its colleges and universities increasingly try to adapt to the new demands and needs from its growing international student population.

[For more extensive statistical data on international student populations and shifts in the demographics of higher education in general, please visit the Institute of International Education's web resources.]

Once They've Arrived

jwalsh0530 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:02:02 CST

People from all demographics transfer from college to college and tackle these fears and others. The advice that one student can give to another of previous understanding and history cannot be measured in its importance; this is something that orientation group stuggle to provide. Profiles like President Obama are among those whom have transferred. President Obama, transferred from Occidental College in Los Angeles to Columbia University in New York City; from small liberal art school to Ivy League University, this change was a hard one. Of course, Obama's transfer experience worked out, and Columbia helped shape him into the man we know today.

Obsticles that transfer students face primarily have to do with adjustment into a new academic environment. Whatever changes may ensue, we see that as a population transfer students are less engaged in academic work and college life than other students, according to the results of the latest National Survey of Student Engagement. Transfer students are reported consistently with lower levels of engagement than those who enrolled as freshmen. For instance, 60% of those students said they 'worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments', while only 51% of transfer students did so often or very often. On average 49% of those students who enrolled as freshmen talked to professors or advisers about their career plans, while only 36% of transfer students did so says The Chronicle of Higher Education.

However Many School are working hard to address this problem, adjusting orientation programs and continuing to work hands on with transfer students in those first weeks of the new semester. Students at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley Massachusetts are among those luck students. Students entering as transfers for the Fall 09 semester have seen campus involvement as less of an issue. Mt.Holyoke College works out these obstacles during orientation opportunities. Getting involved on and around campus is easy as students are provided with the tools and information to get involved with whatever sport, activity, or extra curricular activity they chose.

(See 'From a Students Perspective' for MHC transfer student feedback)

Getting There

jwalsh0530 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:58:54 CST

Another hurtle for transfer students is in the availability of information on transfer policies at a given institute. Students in the transition from high school to college are flooded with information to help with the application process. From narrowing school lists to knowing what to bring to your first dorm room high school to college students have countless outlets for information. The trouble we see is that although the numbers of students transferring continues to rise we are we not helping our transfers students as we should be.

Stephen Handel finds that the real problem has to do with the information being sent to transfers. The issue is that there is virtually nothing in online or print media to help them identify four-year institutions that admit transfer students. The statistical information that is presented by ranking forums are tallying information based on first-year students, hardly is transfer information presented.

Handel's research addressing why we are not helping out Transfer Students finds that few educational organizations have developed Web-based search engines that allow community-college and transfer students to seek out four-year institutions based on any criteria specifically related to transfer admissions. Questions like whether an institution will or will not admit transfers at the sophomore or junior level, or if schools will provides special admissions consideration to these students.

Suggested sources and information to look into for transfer students include:

· Electronic search engines
· Size, location
· Admissions selectivity
· Religious affiliation
· Academic programs
· Tuition and fees
· And financial aid

The obstacles that students are faced with are often daunting when applying to schools, these obstacles are specifically difficult for African-American, Latino, and Native American students, and for low-income students of all backgrounds says The Chronicle of Higher Education. The high need for remedial course work, especially in writing and math. The students most likely to need remedial community-college course work are those who have attended the urban and rural public schools that we have most severely damaged over the past 30 years through enormous cuts in funding and other policy decisions.

(See 'MHC Programs' for what MHC is doing to address this issue)

Steps in Applying

jwalsh0530 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:30:35 CST

Mount Holyoke College aligns prospective students with a the tools to apply. On http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/steps.html Mt.Holyoke Admissions provides a step-by-step list to help in bridging the gaps and ensuring the best possible outcome for acceptance. First unofficial step would be the submission of the Common Application for Transfer Students with a $60 application fee if submitting a paper application. Submit the Mount Holyoke Common Application Supplement for Transfer Students (which includes a writing section)

Complete the 'College Official's Report', this is foryour academic dean or your adviser. If you are currently enrolled in courses that will not be completed before the application deadline, you must also submit a Mid-Term Report.
Complete the 'Instructor Evaluation form', best to be completed by an instructor who knows you best and can tell us about your talents and strengths; be sure to provide the instructor with a stamped envelope addressed to Mt.Holyoke's Office of Admission
Complete the 'Secondary School Report', best to be completed byyour secondary school college counselor or guidance office. Ask your secondary school counselor or guidance office to send us official secondary school transcripts as well as any written reports of your secondary school work.
If you are applying for financial aid, you must submit the appropriate forms at the same time you apply for admission.
Mount Holyoke strongly recommends an interview either on campus or with an alumnae representative in your area.

Credit Transfer

jwalsh0530 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:26:02 CST

Many times transfer students switching from one institution to the next carry with them credits in small and large amounts from various academic fields. Often, students do not find out how many credits will transfer and what they will fulfill. On http://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/transferring_credit.html Mt.Holyoke presents an understandable break down for students to find the information regarding what credits will be most likely to transfer.

Applicants must understand that credits are awarded only when official documentation (transcript, test score report etc.) are submitted to the Mt.Holyoke Registrar from the previous institution. No more than 64 credits will be awarded to students for external work, regardless of whether from pre-matriculation study or post-matriculation study abroad, summer study etc. Transfer credits are granted on a semester credit-for-credit basis meaning a 3-credit course taken previously will be awarded 3 credits at Mount Holyoke College. Credits earned at schools not on the semester calendar will be converted to semester credits. Grades from transferred courses will not appear on the Mount Holyoke College transcript. Academic credit is generally granted for liberal arts courses with grades of C- or higher. Only one non-liberal arts course is initially transferred but the student may request transfer of additional course work up to a maximum of 12 credits.

Academic credit is never granted for:

o Internships
o On-line courses
o Courses with a pass/fail grade
o Physical education courses
o Courses taken at U.S. schools without regional accreditation
o CLEP or placement exams given by other institutions
o Courses not at college level (such as algebra, college skills)
o Skills, craft or trade courses (such as EMT training, career exploration)

Academic credit is not usually granted for:

o Independent study coursework
o Computer science courses without written permission ofhe Mount Holyoke College computer science department
o Music courses without written permission of the Mount Holyoke College music department; performance studies, including individual instrument study, choir, orchestra, or other ensemble study
- Academic credit for non-liberal arts courses is strictly limited.
o The course(s) must meet all other transfer eligibility requirements.

Overcoming Language Barriers

lisaatmhc — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:39:03 CST

Especially for students who do not live in the english-speaking parts of the world or who have never been outside of their country expereince great fear when it comes to suddenly depending entirely on a foreign language.

With its large international student population, Mount Holyoke tries to make resources available to students who feel that they have to improve their English in order to succeed academically and also socially. The two courses outlined below are designed for students who want to improve their writing, reading, and speaking and especially those who want to familiarize themselves with the American academic writing process that can differ dramatically from their home countries.

From the MHC course catalog:

English 103: English for Multilingual Speakers I (Speaking- and writing-intensive course) Intended for students whose native language is not English and who would like to refine their writing and speaking skills by composing frequent short essays in response to a variety of texts written in English. There will be oral presentations as well as exercises in style, usage, dramatic reading. textual analysis, and research techniques at the college level. Although it is the first in a two-course sequence (103f-104s), international students who have already taken English 104s may register.	English 104: English for Multilingual Speakers II Speaking- and writing-intensive course) This is a writing- and speaking-intensive course for international students at all levels. It is designed for those who would like to improve their English writing and speaking skills by working on a one-to-one basis with an English instructor. Each student will have one 90-minute tutorial with the instructor in order to work on written assignments of various lengths and, if appropriate, to discuss writing assignments in other courses. The purpose of the meetings will be to assess the student's writing level and give personalized instruction in the conventions of college-level writing, research, and academic discourse.

English 103: English for Multilingual Speakers I

(Speaking- and writing-intensive course) Intended for students whose native language is not English and who would like to refine their writing and speaking skills by composing frequent short essays in response to a variety of texts written in English. There will be oral presentations as well as exercises in style, usage, dramatic reading. textual analysis, and research techniques at the college level. Although it is the first in a two-course sequence (103f-104s), international students who have already taken English 104s may register.

English 104: English for Multilingual Speakers II

Speaking- and writing-intensive course) This is a writing- and speaking-intensive course for international students at all levels. It is designed for those who would like to improve their English writing and speaking skills by working on a one-to-one basis with an English instructor. Each student will have one 90-minute tutorial with the instructor in order to work on written assignments of various lengths and, if appropriate, to discuss writing assignments in other courses. The purpose of the meetings will be to assess the student's writing level and give personalized instruction in the conventions of college-level writing, research, and academic discourse.

English 105: Writing Across Cultures

(Speaking- and writing-intensive course) This course is designed as a workshop for international and multilingual students who want to improve their critical reading and writing skills. We will explore the forms of academic discourse through analysis, argument, and research. Readings may include short stories, poetry, drama, and essays. In class, we'll explore themes of culture and identity. Attention will be given to speaking skills through class discussion and oral presentations.