Nontraditional students pursue higher education dreams

November 02, 2015

At 63, Ricky Jones has worn a lot of hats in his life: Air Force brat, motocross racer, Woodstock attendee, and hard-working family man. Today, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student calls himself a “super senior” as he pursues a degree in political science.

Jones is one of more than 1,000 nontraditional students on campus — people aged 25 and older whose backgrounds, experiences and diverse perspectives make them invaluable members of the Warhawk family.

“Many of them have significant accomplishments already before they come back to school and many others have survived very challenging experiences and bring them to classes,” said Lauren Smith, director of adult learning.

Jones grew up during many of the historical events that the millennial generation has only heard about online or through movies and books. With Jones and other nontraditional students present in classes, students get a unique, first-hand telling of these events to supplement classroom instruction.

“I saw Martin Luther King Jr. speak in Atlanta in the mid-to-late '60s. I went to Woodstock when I was 14 going on 15 and I remember being in class when JFK was shot,” Jones said.

Nontraditional students really appreciate the opportunity to learn on a college campus, Smith said. They often have significant responsibilities outside of school or are hurdling significant barriers to come back. That’s why UW-Whitewater offers extensive programming and assistance to help them succeed. Programs include Nontrad Path, online tutorials, math workshops, ECE For You and Credit for Prior Learning, along with many others.

“Through the Credit for Prior Learning Program, students can put together a portfolio of previous work they’ve done through careers and, if they’re able to achieve the learning criteria for a class, they can earn credit,” Smith said.

Sitting side by side with students in their late teens and early 20s, who are considered digital natives, nontraditional students who grew up in a world before Microsoft Office and D2L often face technology obstacles. Jones credits UW-Whitewater faculty and staff for helping him navigate.

“(Student services coordinator) Lynn Smith is fantastic. If you have any concerns as a nontraditional student, go to her and she’ll make you feel right at home. She’ll get you into programs to get integrated with programs like Word or Excel,” said Jones.

As for his much younger classmates, Jones has enjoyed watching them mold their futures.

“It’s given me a whole new respect for this generation and the hope that they will be able to solve the issues they’ll have to face,” he said.