Learn more about the concurrent sessions for ACHE 2019.
Determined to Graduate: How Active and Enrolled Nontraditional College Students Define Persistence and Success in an Accelerated Degree Completion Program
Presentation Description. Please provide a brief description of your session. This description will be used to describe your session in the conference program.
The nontraditional college student (NTS) population seeking degree completion has increased consistently and significantly over the past three decades becoming an important majority on college campuses throughout the United States. However, the NTS has various issues and concerns that serve as barriers to successful degree completion which include competing responsibilities, course scheduling, access to financial resources, full-time employment, past academic failures, and lack of self-confidence about academic achievement. This session presents unique and engaging doctoral research findings of NTS enrolled in an accelerated degree completion program. These adult students defined persistence and success in an accelerated degree completion program, shared their experiences of the program and how the institution’s Accelerated Degree Programs (ADP) addresses the barriers nontraditional students encounter. By understanding the needs and motivation of NTS and how an accelerated degree program facilitates degree completion, colleges and universities could attract, retain, and graduate self-motivated adult learners seeking degree completion.