University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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For a growing number of non-traditional students, demands go beyond studying for an upcoming test. They may have to care for children or aging parents. Married students must consider the needs of their spouses as well as the needs of their professors. It’s a balancing act that may seem impossible, but about a third of the University’s students do it daily. A KING time out from her daily routine, ufany Byers reads to her SOn Jordan. Byers, a 20-year-old junior majoring i n business, earned 14 hours during the fall semester, worked part- “me as a receptionist fr r the Carlson Terrace office, and was a ftdl-time wife and mother. K- BYERS PHOTO N on-tradi¬ tional students face a variety of challenges beyond school that their traditional colleagues have yet to experience. Historically, univer¬ sities and colleges, including the UA, weren’t designed i mind. students need some consid eration of outside forces,” said Julie Minkel, a staff member at the Office for Non-Traditional Students. “It’s tough to balance the demands of family and school.” Unfortunately, there’s more to being a student than tomorrow’s biology lab and reading the first 20 chapters of the Iliad. Many students work or belong to social or professional organizations that place extra demands on their time. There’s laundry to do, groceries to buy, and bathrooms to clean: everyday life whether or not you’re a student. For a growing number of students, however, off-campus demands go beyond looking out for themselves. They may have to care for children or aging parents. Married students must consider the needs of their spouses as well as the needs of their professors. Besides papers to write and homework to complete, there are mortgages and utilities and taxes. It’s a balancing act that may seem impossible, but about a third of the students at the University do it daily. Just for now, while their numbers are growing, they’re known as non-traditional students. If enrollment trends continue, however, non-traditional students will be so numerous at the University that the term may become outmoded. A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland at College Park found that age was the most com¬ mon identifier of non-traditional students. Typically, students 25 years old or older are considered non-traditional. Tradi¬ tional college students enter school immediately following graduation from high school, and they are from 18 to 22 years old. But age isn’t the only, or perhaps even the most significant, criteria for determining who is a non-traditional student. Married students, students who are single parents, and students who work are considered non-traditional. Non-tradi¬ tional students don’t tend to have the same level of financial support from Continued on the next page NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS 23

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According to the Office of Institutional Research, 31 % OF THE STUDENT POPULATION AT THE University is NON-TRADITIONAL. A NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT MAY BE DEFINED AS ONE who: ■ is 25 years of age or older ■ has interrupted the pursuit of higher eduction ■ has worked or is holding a job while in school ■ is a parent IN addition to juggling academic responsibilities, exchange students Natalya Totkalo and Irina Lyublinskaya worried about the safety of their families in the U.S.S.R. The world watched as the country’s political structure and name changed. A. THOMAS PHOTO

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F AMILY time is important to Kevin and Tiffany Byers who enjoy spending time with son Jordan at the Carlson Terrace playground. Both full-time students and parents, Tiffany worked part-time as a receptionist while Kevin was a residence assistant for Carlson Terrace, the photography editor of The Arkansas Traveler and a National Guardsman. K. PAIGE PHOTO w W W ORKING on a graduate degree and spending time with his children is often demanding, however, Sixte Ntamatungiro manages to find time to spend time with his son Martial and daughter Mariella. M. WICHSER PHOTO UT for a stroll, Jennifer Edmonson takes her daughter, Katie, outside to relax in the sun . Although taking care of children proved to be very demanding, students said spending time with their families sometimes allowed them to escape from their academic demands. M. WICHSER PHOTO CAMPUS LIFE 24