Transcript Confounding the Data - Georgia Gwinnett College

The Impact of Non-Traditional Students on Student Needs
Origins
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4-year, State College in the University System
of Georgia
Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005
President hired in September 2005
Campus opened with 118 students and 10
faculty in August 2006
Current Status
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Students:
 Fall 2006
 Fall 2007
 Fall 2010
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Faculty
 Fall 2006
 Fall 2010
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Enrollment: 118
Enrollment: 787
Enrollment: 5380
Total: 11 – all FT
Total: 333 (196FT; 137PT)
Degree Programs
 Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology
 Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology
 Fall 2010: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology,
Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science; BSEd: Early Childhood Ed,
Special Ed
Variable
Fall 2010
Fall 2009
Fall 2008
Fall 2007
Age (First Time – First M=19.33 (2.53) M=19.52 (3.06) M=19.47 (3.51) M=19.10 (2.44)
Year [FTFY])
97%<=24
97% <=24
97% <=24
98% <=24
Gender (FTFY)
53.4% Female 50.9% Female 51.1% Female 48.7% Female
Ethnicity (FTFY)
41.9% White
41.8% White
58.6% White
53.1% White
Percentage First
Generation (FTFY)
Percentage Transfer
Students
Age (Transfer)
41.6%
36.2%
39.2%
39.6%
27.54%
39.9%
45.0%
47.1%
25.56 (8.70)
25.85 (7.93)
Gender (Transfer)
Ethnicity (Transfer)
53.4% Female
41.9% White
56.3% Female
40.5% White
47.0% Female
54.0% White
53.1% Female
60.9% White
Pell Grant eligibility
(All)
47.6%
33.2%
22.4%
N/A
M=25.55 (7.45) 26.32 (8.07)
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Is ‘Transfer Student’ synonymous with ‘Nontraditional Student’ on our campus?
Do non-traditional students have identifiably
different perspectives and needs from those
of traditional students?
Do those differences rest only in the transfer
population or do they apply equally to older
students beginning college for the first time?
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Data Sources
 FoE survey conducted in Fall 2009
▪ Participants were students who had entered GGC in Fall
2008
 Transfer student survey conducted Summer 2010
▪ Participants were new transfer students attending
orientation sessions
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Recoded all age data into a binary variable
 Age <=24 is Traditional Student
 Age >=25 is Non-traditional Student
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As appropriate to data type, tested for
statistical difference between the two groups
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NT rate themselves higher on time management
NT less likely to get involved in traditional activities
NT perceive the institution as providing more
information about how college helps with life
NT perceive instructor feedback as timely more than T
NT report working more hours per week
NT less likely to live with family
NT more likely to have clear intent for next year
enrollment
NT less likely to have a parent with a college degree
(probably GGC specific)
T and NT may not be a different as we all assume
Student Affairs programming needs to move beyond
traditional activities if you want to involve NT students
 NTs may make good partners in helping their T aged
colleagues understand the value of the classroom
experience or of college in general
 FY programming – if engagement is a goal – needs to be
different for NT and T students
 NT students may engage academically more easily (infer
from reporting that faculty/staff/college have helped them
understand how college helps, etc), but engage socially
less easily (or at least in different ways)
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