Non-Traditional Minority Students at the University of Illinois and Parkland Community College

Non-Traditional Minority Students at the University of Illinois and Parkland Community College

Ethnography of the University, Town-Gown Relations, Parkland College

Part of Ethnography of the University Initiative.

Abstract: As a non-traditional student myself, I wanted to explore the struggles of
other non-traditional students, especially those also falling into minority
groups. This paper intends to explore the programs in place at the
University of Illinois and Parkland Community College to help nontraditional
minority students succeed not only financially, but
academically and socially. There are many roadblocks in place for nontraditional
minority students in terms of scheduling, child care and a dual
feeling of trying to assimilate due to ethnic differences and age
differences with peers who may follow a more traditional student status.
Also being discussed are some things being done at a political level to
increase funding and encourage attendance of non-traditional minority
students.

About the Author: I am a student returning to school after two years being gone. Being
forced to withdraw from classes due to financial instabilities, I returned
with a different mind set than when I first started. I work full time while
attending college full time and I am 26 years old. I became interested in
the struggles of other non-traditional students, especially those in ethnic
minority groups, when our RHET 105 class worked on topics in diversity
at the university. Next year, I will finally graduate with a bachelor's
degree in Media Studies, 10 years after graduating high school.

Rob Zaleski

IDEALS

2008

No