.w..,..—_‘ - 7w...-—..—.W_ 1......——.—w. IND'NEEB'SV ED CHARACTERIngICS 7 Is AIIENIJING', IIIICHIDAN S'IAIE UNIVERSILIY , STUDEII .5"? L. ) DERGRAD ELECT II SOFS. 'OF' ADULT -U H An Nu An, N A 1966 . m FALL TE Thesis for the», Degree of PghI D MICHIGAN STATE. UNIVERSITY 0N MILDRED BRINKMEIER. ' ERICKS .1968 53?;me 33:. . .. ‘ in. um: A R Y Michigan State W "‘9- ihg-«yf-‘e'. l" This is to’certifg that the I thesis entitled AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF ADULT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FALL TERM, 1966 presented bg MILDRED B. ERICKSON a O has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for” ‘ Higher _ll-_P_-__degree in__Ednc.at:i.on Major professor 0-169 R MSU RETURNING MATERIALS: Place in book drop to remove this checkout from your record. FINES will be charged if book is returned after the date stamped below. ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF ADULT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FALL TERM, 1966 by Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson An individual's educational "credential" has increasingly become the key to upward social mobility, to job status, and to measurement of ability to perform. The resulting educational impact has been a rapid accelera- tion in the number of adults who are attempting to acquire or complete a college education. Adults who plan to earn an undergraduate degree, a "credential," seem to be con- fronted with problems which differ from those of the direct~from-high-school students. Therefore, the present study was designed to collect information on the problems of adult undergraduates: specifically, the number of adult undergraduates at Michigan State University fall term, 1966, their characteristics and their needs as the adult students perceived them. The information obtained may be used as a basis for improvement and development of educational programs for adults, and may begin a Catalogue of information usable by those charged with educational planning in this and Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson similar institutions. Computer records were used to determine the population to be studied; a questionnaire was developed to obtain the desired information, and an opportunity was given for open-ended responses from the students. The study was made of a portion of the total data collected. Four hundred ninety-four of 520 responses to the questionnaire were analyzed, and an additional analysis was made of 255 open—ended responses. The 26 years of age or older undergraduates were studied as a group, according to sex, and, in areas where age may be of special significance, according to age groups. For convenience in reporting, their characteristics were divided into personal, family background, educational, and vocational groupings. Needs of the students were studied from responses to check lists and from open-ended data. A brief summary of some of the findings follows: there were more males coming or returning for undergradu— ate education; the females were older: more of the femalesv were married, widowed or divorced; the adults were gener- ally well-satisfied with their lives and jobs; they tended to come from small population areas and non-college parental backgrounds; their spouses tended to have some college edu- cation, but more male spouses had done graduate work; they tended to come from middle class backgrounds according to job status and income. Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson Educationally, it seemed significant that more of them were full—time students than part-time. However, more females were part-timefv Most of the grOUp planned to get degrees, the males aiming almost equally for bachelor's and master's degrees and for higher degrees than thefemales; many of the females were in educationjr while social science, business, agriculture, engineering, and education (in fifth place) were the choices of the males. Almost three-fourths had credit from another college; although utilitarian reasons, such as improvement of income potential, were more important for males, intel- lectual stimulation and becoming socially useful were high on the list for both males and females. It was notable that the undergraduate adults wanted courses on campus, special help and refresher courses, night courses and summer courses (also at night); they preferred "lecture and discussion" as a method, and fre- quent examinations for evaluation. A majority of the students found working a necessity, and while males were found in a variety of jobs, females were concentrated in office, clerical and sales work or professional work such as teaching or nursing.‘ A very high percentage of both males and females planned to work in the future. The following categories of needs were emphasized by the adult undergraduates: academic and curricular improve- Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson ment, special adult facilities, special advisement and counseling, improved evening and summer programs, specific .general education courses, improved enrollment and regis— tration procedures, changes in evaluation and_grading, financial aid, improved planning for housing, and special orientation for adults. More detailed findings of the study are presented in Chapter Three, and possible implications of the data for educational institutions are suggested in Chapter Four. AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS or ADULT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FALL TERM, 1966 BY Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fUlfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education 1968 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express sincerest appreciation to her Guidance Committee, the Chairman, Dr. Richard L. Featherstone, Dr. Walter F. Johnson, Dr. Willa Norris, and Dr. Elizabeth H. Rusk, for their encouragement and help; to Dr. John N. Winburne, Dean Edward A. Carlin, and Dr. Edward B. Blackman of the University College; and to Dr. Leroy Olson, Dr. John Uppal, and Dr. Arvo Juola of Evaluation Services, the University College, Michigan State University. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. Statement of the Problem Significance of the Problem . Within the Total Educational Structure Within Michigan State University Opinions of Leading Educators Definition of Terms Procedure . Population Instrumentation . Procedures for Analysis of Data Organization of the Dissertation Sc0pe of the Study II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE III. ANALYSIS OF DATA~ Number of Adults Personal Characteristics iii PAGE ii ix 12 15 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 39 4O 41 CHAPTER Family Background . Data on Parents and Siblings Data on Spouse Educational Characteristics Vocational Characteristics Problems and Needs of Adults Data from Questionnaires Data from Open-Ended Responses IV. SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS Summary of Factors Describing Adult Undergraduates Problems and Needs of Adults Some Comparisons Suggestions for Future Research . Implications of the Study . Focus on Specific Implications Some Generalized Implications Concluding Statement BIBLIOGRAPHY . APPENDIX A . iv PAGE I 60 60 71 80 135 143 143 153 160 161 176 178 181 183 184 190 194 197 207 TABLE (49.7 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. LIST OF TABLES Ages of Adult Undergraduates Race Marital Status Place of Birth (Size) Place of Birth (Region) Region of Elementary Education Students' Income Levels Satisfaction with Present Life Satisfaction with Present Job Reading Habits Activities Father's Level of Education . Mother's Level of Education . Fathers' Occupations Mother's Work Outside Home Income Level of Parents Influence of Parent's Occupation on Student's Career Choice Number of Siblings Education of Siblings Educational Level of Spouse Occupation of Spouse PAGE 43 46 47 48 50 51 52 SS 56 S8 59 61 62 65 66 68 69 70 72 73 7S TABLE (2’9? 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 37. Spouse's Income Level Number of Dependents Full-Time and Part-Time Students Attendance Plans Colleges in Which Adults Enrolled . Educational Level, Fall 1966 For New Students, Length of Time Since High School Credits Earned Since Coming or Returning to the University . Number of Other Colleges or Universities Attended Resources Used for Non-Credit Courses Reasons for Not Going to College After High School . Reasons for DrOpping Out of College Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained . Additional Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained . Reasons Adults Entered or Returned for Additional Education Reasons Adults Entered or Returned for Additional Education (Check List According to Age) vi PAGE 78 79 .31 83 8 4 87 88 89 91 93 94 97 100 101 105 107 TABLE <3?) 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. (,2 E \m \ Reasons for Coming to This University (By Sex) Reasons for Coming to This University (BY Age) Methods Preferred for Continuing Education . Interest in Special Courses for Returning Adults (By Sex) Interest in Special Courses for Returning Adults (By Age) Interest in Refresher Courses (By Sex) Preference for Classes with Other Adults Preferred Times for Courses Methods of Instruction Preferred Kinds of Examinations Preferred (By Sex). Kinds of Examinations Preferred (By Age). Preferred Types of Evaluation (By Sex) Preferred Types of Evaluation (By Age) Plans to Continue Education . How Students Were Financing Their Education . Number Employed . Necessity for Employment Occupations of Adult Undergraduate Students vii PAGE 110 112 113 115 116 118 120 122 125 126 128 129 131 132 134 136 136 138 TABLE .36? .57 58'? \.l 59. 60. -- .62? Number of Years at Various Occupations Reasons for Changing Jobs Future Work Plans Difficulties Encountered in Returning to the University (By Sex) Difficulties Encountered in Coming or Returning to University (By Age) Where Students Received Help in Coming or Returning to the University What Adults Need at the University (Check List) viii PAGE 139 141 142 145 147 151 152 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Age Profile of Adult Undergraduates . . . . 45 ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In the academic advisement of undergraduate students at the Student Affairs Office of the University College of Michigan State University, it became apparent to the writer that older undergraduates were an unrecognized 'group with characteristics and needs which differed from those of students who came to the University directly from high school.‘ While continuing education has been planned for graduate students, for extension students, and for adults taking non-credit courses, older under- _graduates who are earnestly seeking their first college degree have been given little attention. Berniece Neugarten of the University of Chicago has expressed the situation succinctly: We are operating with expectations of adolescence in an institution that has been geared to adolescence, and it is very clear that we must worry about how to fit an education system to adults when the system hasn't been built for adults before.1 1Berniece Neugarten in Sarah E. Sagoff, Adults in Transition (Summary of a Conference at Chatham, Massa- Ehusetts, May 1965. Winchester, Massachusetts: New England Board of Higher Education and Brookline, Massa- chusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965), p. 8. I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The study was, therefore, devised to identify the adult undergraduates, their numbers (how many) and their characteristics (who they were), and to discover their educational needs. Secondly, the information about the numbers of adult undergraduates, who they were and their stated educational needs could be made available for use in developing an improved educational environment. Improving the educa- tional climate could include all phases of administra- tion, teaching, curriculum, facilities, advising and counseling. Specifically, the Student Affairs Office of the University College desired information for improving its help to the adult undergraduates; informa- tion which might call attention of the entire University to the numbers and problems of the group; and informa- tion which might be used as a basis for initiating and deve10ping a program designed especially for this group. Thirdly, information from the study was planned as a beginning catalogue of information about adult under- _graduates who come or return to educational institutions. Information collected by a number of similar institutions could be of assistance, generally, in the educational planning for and in the improvement of education for adult undergraduates. The specific problem, then, was to deve10p a method to accomplish the above purposes; to collect and analyze the data about the students studied, and to report the findings and implications of the study. 11. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM Within the Total Educational Structure One of the revolutionary changes in higher education which is occurring at an accelerating pace is the demand of adult students for continued and continuous education. Johnstone and Rivera in Volunteers for Learning, an extensive study published in 1965 under a Carnegie grant, pointed out that more than one in five adults makes a systematic effort each year to acquire new knowledge, information, or skills. Furthermore, one half of the adult population engages in further education at some point during their lives.2 A significant number of these adults come to our colleges and universities as 3 undergraduates seeking degrees. There are at least four 2John W. C. Johnstone and Ramon J. Rivera, Volunteers for Learning (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company, 1965), p. 1. 3Kate Mueller reported that in 1959 only 63 per cent of the students in college were 17 to 22 years of age. Kate Mueller, Student Personnel Work in Higher Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1961), p. 30, ”...The number of persons age 25 or more who have attended college four years or more has doubled since 1940; 9.9 per cent of Americans over 25 have attained a college level of educa- tion." In "Population Trends Signal School Needs," National Education Research Bulletin, XLVI (March, 1968), 211 4 .groups involved: a number of the almost 50 per cent who did not graduate from high school;4 high school graduates who did not go to college; many of the approximately 50 per cent who began but did not finish college--the so- called drOp-outs;5 the mature students who attended or completed a junior or community college and later wish to complete a degree. Some of the factors tending toward an increased stress on adult learning include:6 4"Today about half the peeple 25 or over have finished high‘school; by 1985, it will be two thirds. ." Jean M. White, "200 Million Computer Lie," (in the Washington Post), The State Journal, November 19, 1967, p. 3. 5" . American colleges lose, on the average, approximately half their students in the four years after matriculation. Some 40% of college students .graduate on schedule, and in addition, approximately 20% graduate at some college, some day. ” John Summer- skill, "Drop-Outs from College, ” in The American Colle e, edited by Nevitt Sanford (New York: 3 ohn WiIey and Sons, 1962), p. 631; "Studies at PrinCeton and the University of Illinois showed that the great majority of their college dropouts (85 percent and 70 percent respectively) eventually returned to college and earned baccalaureate degrees. " Willard Dalrymple, "The College Drop- out Phenomena, " The Michi an Education AssoCiatiOn'JOurnal LXVI, (April:_I967I I3 6James E. Crimi, Adult Education in the Liberal Arts Colle e (Chicago: Center for the Study —oI_Iiberal Educa- tion or Adults, 1957), pp. 28- 38; Roger DeCrow (ed. ), Growin Time (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of L15eral Education for Adults, 1964), aSSim; Lowell Eklund, ”The Oakland Plan for Continuing Education of Alumni,” Adult Leadership (November, 1966), 154-156; Fred Harvey Harr1ngton,"Adult and Continuing Education" in Edgar L. Morphet and Charles 0. Ryan, DeSigning Education for the Future, No. 2 (New York: Citation Press, 1967), (l) A higher educational attainment is prerequisite to many jobs.7 (2) Increased mechanization has lessened work which demands physical ability and increased the importance of continuous mental development. 0. Meredith Wilson phrased it this way, "The burden of life has shifted from man's back to man's mind."8 - (3) The amount of new information is believed to be doubling every ten years.9 (4) There is a likelihood that most pe0ple will be forced to change jobs or vocations several times in a lifetime. pp. 129nl40; Cyril O. Houle, Major Trends in Higher Education (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1959), passim; A. A. Liveright and Roger DeCrow, New Directions or Degree Programs Especially for Adults (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Educa— tion for Adults, 1963), pp. 1—2. 7The Census Bureau reported that in 1966, 49.9 per cent of the pe0ple aged 25 and over had at least four years of high school against 41.6 per cent in March, 1957. In that time, also, the college educated climbed from 7.6 per cent to 9.8 per cent. BUreau of Census Report (Wash- ington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office), news release. 80. Meredith Wilson in Lawrence E. Dennis (ed.), A Woman's Life (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1963), p. 3. 9Lowell Eklund, "The Oakland Plan for the Continuing Education of Alumni," Adult Leadership (November, 1966), 154-156. Half the jobs now held by Americans did not exist forty years ago. The vocational shifts between 1960 and the next few decades will be equally violent. Yet our educational system gives too little attention to the re-education of the citizen. . . . I predict that half of the children born this year will be forced to educate themselves vocationally three times before their productive lives run out. Just to preserve the validity of the concept that man can be entrusted to govern himself, to make wise choices on problems that vitally affect him and his neighbor, call for a continuing adult education program that is found in very few communities. . And I think that if Whitehead were alive. . ., he probably would say that "very likely in a single lifetime, in these days, there will be at least two cultural revolutions." In other words, the living individual will not have to adjust to only one cultural revolution but to more than one. (5) A change is occurring in our work-oriented value systems. One consequence is increased "leisure" time. At a conference in Chatham, Massachusetts, May 1965, the effect of technology on adults was considered care- fully and summarized by Sara E. Sagoff in Adults in 10William J. Ellena in "Man's Tomorrows," prepared for the Phi Delta Kappa Study Committee and quoted in The Phi Delta Kappan, XLVI, No. 8 (April, 1965), 387. 11Malcolm Knowles in Growing Time, Roger DeCrow (ed.) (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1964), p. 63. Transition: Technology has brought an end of work as the focus of life, a tendency to change jobs and fields of work frequently, a need for worthwhile use of leisure time, an increase in urbanization, and increasing ability through the use of computers to predict and influence human action, and increasing power to define problems in terms of tech- niques for solving them, a_greater centralization of institutions with decisions not in the hands of typical citizens, an alienation of citizens from the centers of power, an increasing variety of ways people will seek to make sense out of or opt out of organized society, and an increasing difficulty for man to feel his life has meaning and purpose. Persons at lower levels of achieve— ment and ability will have the most leisure; the highly trained and intelligent will have less and less.12 Glenn T. Seaborg expressed his view of changes which are occurring: [Cybernetics may bring] depersonalization, a separation of man and product, a collapse of time, a further reduction of human work, and a shift of needs and skills. [There is] an increasing uneasiness about the state of our personal and community lives in a highly materialistic society, a concern over the complexity and impersonali- 12Sara E. Sagoff, Adults in Transition, (Summary of a Conference at Chatham, MassaEHUsetts, May 1965. Win- chester, Massachusetts: The New England Board of Higher Education and Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965), pp. 4-5. zation of that society, a "groping for national purpose," and a feeling that the unity of man, referred to by poets and phiIOSOphers throughout the ages is becom- ing a reality with immense pSychological and physical implications. . . . These feelings forecast the need for a huge re- evaluation of our goals and values, and it will be in our universities where such a re- evaluation will take place. . But if we are to carry out such a monumental task, many changes will prob- ably have to take place in the universities and our educational system in_genera1. One such change will involve reconciling the continuing importance of specialization with a growing need for interdisciplinary thinking - not only in science and tech- nology, but in all areas of our economic, social, and human development. Specializa- tion has been giving us increasing amounts of knowledge, but the world cries out today for more Of something beyond knowledge - for wisdom. All of this demands a new role of leader— ship from our educational system. Most of today' 5 schools are involved to a great degree in serving the requirements of an industrial age, in fulfilling the needs of a society which has been only partly and indirectly of their making. In the future, this role will shift to one in which the nature of society is determined more by the thinking of the university, and in which the industrial community will tend to serve .goals created by that thinking. What we must look for from the universities is the development of an education which turns out individuals of the highest intel- lect and broadest outlook, able to under- stand man and machine, and live creatively with both. Such an education could not be expected in a four-year curriculum or even a Six- or eight-year one. It would start as early as the beginning of school or sooner and involve continuing education of one type or another throughout a person's lifetime. And, as Robert Theobald indicates, education in the age of the Cybernetic Revolution would not be directed toward "earning a living" but toward "total living.“ This is a big order involving imagination, energy, and bold leadership from the academic world. But the time is cer- tainly ripe for this kind of leadership.13 (6) Adults will make up a greater preportion of our pepulation. The Carnegie Corporation Quarterly, January 1966, reported: It is estimated that the population as a whole will grow by about 35% over the next two decades--but the increase in the number of adults under thirty-five will probably be close to 70%. Furthermore, very conservative estimates suggest that within twenty years the population will contain 65% more adults who have been to college, 59% more who have attended high school, and 15% fewer with only a grade school education. In short, the potential audience for adult education is increasing at a much faster rate than the population as a whole. (7) There is increasing affluence and, in some upward social mobility. (8) Milton Stern expressed the idea that "life 'grown longer in the middle." 13Glenn T. Seaborg, "The Cybernetic Age: segments, has An Optimist's View," The Saturday Review, XLIX, (July 15, 1967), 23. 1 4"Adults as Students: Volunteers for Learning," Carnegie Corporation of New York Quarterly, XIV (January, 1966), 5-6. 10 Stern pointed out that we must change from "selecting out" to "including in" the adult group, that education on a continuing basis for adults is as important as education at any level, that adult education is of utmost importance in the process of social change and one of the chief integrating forces in our nation, that continuing education is less costly than correction and remediation, that adult education is the least structured of the levels of education and, there— fore, a good place for innovation, and that universities need to be persuaded of the importance of adult education.15 (9) The emphasis in higher education on applied knowledge is decreasing: we do not know what the problems will be—-let alone the answers. Esther Peterson of the United States Depart- ment of Labor stated: It is impossible to predict what specific skills and talents will be needed in the future. Our young people must be prepared for work that does not yet exist and for a life that we can only imagine. 15Milton R. Stern, "Generation in Command," Adult Leadership, XV (March, 1967), 309—310. 16Esther Peterson in Lawrence E. Dennis, Education and A Woman's Life (Washington, D.C.: American Council on EdUcation, I933), p. 60. 11 Industries have begun to look for individuals who have wellsbalanced educations. They prefer to train the employee in the specifics of the job.17 (10) Increasing numbers of women are returning to college and to job careers. In 1964, 30 per cent of the women students at Washington University were 25 or more years of age.18 In 1963, more than half of all women 45‘54 were in paid employment and the numbers are increasing yearly.19 "Some 40 per cent of American women work outside the home today."20 (11) Increasing numbers of adults from junior and com~ munity colleges deserve an Opportunity for con- tinued education. (12) There are many returning veterans and others who 17Eklund, loc. cit. 18University of Washington, Brochure (Seattle: University of Washington, 1964), p. l 19The President's Commission on the Status of Women, Margaret Mead and Frances B. Kaplan (eds.), American Women (New York: Scribner, 1965), p. 10. 20"Population Trends Signal School Needs," National Education Association Research Bulletin, XLVII (MarcH, 19685, 26. 12 have government grants for college education and who have passed high school equivalency examina- tions while in service. The number of Michigan adults seeking high school diplomas has tripled since the Legislature removed the age limit on students enrolled in high school completion courses in 1965. Last year 98,809 Michigan adults returned to classes to get high school diplomas. This compares to 30,746 in 1963-64 when fees were charged for the courses. (13) Non-high-school graduates who are successful in careers desire an educational attainment concomi- tant with their position in the community. (14) Early retirees, especially from the armed services, desire college educations. (15) Many adults want degrees for personal satisfaction or humanistic reasons. (16) Recognition is being given to the salvage value of the citizens who have been left behind. Within Michigan State University While advising students at the Student Affairs 21 "Adults Flood Schools," The State Journal, October 9, 1967, B2. 13 Office of University College and Evening College students, the writer discovered that the group of adult undergradu- ate students at Michigan State University were experiencing difficulty in finding classes scheduled at times they could attend, finding consistent help in learning about the University and its channels, obtaining evaluations of previous educational experiences, finding instructors sympathetic to adults' problems, earning a degree on a part-time basis, finding answers to personal, educational, and career questions, finding financial aid, finding interested counselors or advisers. Furthermore, it was evident that due to a decrease in course offerings at night, the numbers of evening college students were dwindling. Consequently, with encouragement from University College administrators, a study was begun in 1965 to determine what other institutions were doing to help adult undergraduates. A committee was named from the University College and from Continuing Education which made recommendations for a liberal studies program for adult undergraduates. The writer was asked to prepare the committee report which was submitted to the Provost's office in June 1966. In order to emphasize further the importance of improvements in adult undergraduate educa— tion, the writer was encouraged by the Assistant Dean 14 for Student Affairs of the University College, other administrators of the University College, members of the Ad Hoc Committee mentioned above and others to identify the numbers of students involved, their characteristics, and their needs. It was hOped that such research would underline the urgency for the development of a program for adult undergraduates at the University and that action would result. That the potential clientele for adult undergraduate education in the East Lansing area is great was revealed in recent research. In a study of the educational level and sex of Ingham County residents twenty-fiveyears of age or older, according to the 1960 census, John Centra of the Office of Institutional Research at Michigan State University reported in 1966 that 43,240 adults had com- pleted high school or had one to three years of college. Of these 18,347 were males, 24,893 were females.22 Since the 1960 census, these numbers will have increased greatly. Furthermore, Ingham County represents only a small portion of the area served by the University. 22John A. Centra, "Some Considerations in Establish- ing a Special Degree Program for Adults at Michigan State University," (East Lansing, Michigan: Office of Institutional Research, 1966), p. 2. (Mimeographed.) 15 Opinions of Leading Educators Also, the study of characteristics and needs was in direct response to suggestions contained in the literature that additional studies of adult education are urgently needed, particularly research of the characteristics and needs of potential adult clientele. Thomas H. Hamilton believes that "the primary function of a university is to improve the intellectual and cultural level of the society in which it operates."23 One of the ways to develop progress in a university is to assess and respond to local needs; there is, in fact, an obligation if the university is to serve the entire community. This includes the adult members of a community among whom it is increasingly realized that education is a life-long process. The presence of adults on campus makes younger students sensitive to learning as continuous.24 Harold Howe states that: We are getting away from the notion that education is a neatly packaged period of years inserted into a person's life some- where between his first pair of long pants 3Thomas H. Hamilton in Growing Time, Roger DeCrow (ed.),(Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1964), p. 56. 24Ibid., passim. 16 and his first vote. Education no longer ends with a high school diploma or a college degree. I think within twenty- five years we will come to regard it as entirely natural for a person to return periodically to college or technical institution to renew and refresh his education.25 In his book, A_Necessary Revolution in American Educa- tion, Francis Keppel writes: Paul A necessary revolution in American educa- tion implies continuing education. No longer can individuals talk of completing their education. For those who move to college and graduate school and into professions there is a constant need to keep up to date. . So too, in business and industry, faced by the technological progress of automation, workers need freqUent re- training if their skills are not to become obsolescent and if they them- selves are not to become unemployable. . With the trend toward earlier retirement and longevity there is need also for adult edUcation to bring new dimensions of meaning 280 the lives of older persons. A. Miller believes: The presidents and trustees of institutions must realize that continuing education of adults is as vital as the education of adolescents. This function must be part 5Harold Howe, II, "Recruiting for the New Partner- ship" (address at the Georgia Vocational Association, Atlanta, Georgia, March 18,1966), p. 9. 6Francis Keppel, The Necessary Revolution in American Education (New York. Harper and Row, 1966), p. 26. 17 of the normal budget of the institution, such like researCh and teaching, not an expendable extra. Malcolm Knowles expresses his feeling: . . that adult education is really on the threshold of becoming the largest and most important part of our total educational system; that, in fact, it does not make sense in an age in which the time span of cultural revolution is less than a lifetime, for childhood and (youth education to be anything but preparation for adult learning. The function of youth education Will be primarily the deve10pment of the tools of learning~~the ability to learn.28 Earl McGrath, known for his leadership in adult education, says: No matter how important the preparatory education of the schools and colleges my be, the opportunities for continuing adult education, in many instances lead- ing to degrees, must be placed near the top of any priority listing9 of the nation's requirements in education. A. A. Liveright and Roger DeCrow believe in special programs for adults: WPaul A. Miller, "The University and Adult Educa« tion," (excerpt from an address at the University of Rhode Island, October 1966), p. 8. COpies released by the Center for Continuing Education, Durham, New Hampshire. 28Malcolm Knowles in Growing Time, Roger DeCrow (ed. ), (Brookline, Massachusetts: Centerfifor the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1964), p. 67. 29Earl McGrath, "Research on Higher Education for Adults," Educationai Record, XLIV (Winter, 1964), 95. 18 Every year thousands of adults enroll in university classes in search of a degree. In some cases they are planning part-time .graduate study, but in many, many more they are looking for their first undergraduate degree. By and large, universities have attempted to provide part-time education which replicates the regular day-school program. This has been and will continue to be appr0priate for many adult students. Increasingly, however, adult educators are recognizing that this is not appropriate for all mature Americans, and they have been considering the problems and possi- bilities of degrees that are designed especially for adults. . . . An educa- tion designed for younger people . . is not neceSsarily appropriate for adults.30 Currently among the questions to be researched by Clark Kerr, as head of a commission financed by the Carnegie Corporation to discover "Whither High Educa- tion," is how much education for adults.31 Paul Woodring in The Saturday Review for October, 1966, stated that ”. . . adult education is still a dangling appendage rather than an integrated part of the American educational system. . . ."32 For intelligent 30A. A. Liveright and Roger DeCrow, New Directions in Degree Programs Especially fer Adults (Brookline, Massachfi- setts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1963), p. iii. 31News item in Phi Delta Kappan, XLIX (March, 1967), 375. 32Paul Woodring, "Education,” The Saturday Review, XLIX (October 15, 1966), 91. 19 integration of adult programs into our educational system, research and planning are indicated. III. DEFINITION OF TERMS To be assured that the writer and the reader have similar interpretations of certain terms used in this study, the following definitions are listed: (1) (2) (3) Adult. Ordinarily, a student graduates from high school in his eighteenth year. If four years are allowed for military service and four years for working or college experience for the males, or eight years beyond high school for the females, sufficient time for maturation should have elapsed for an individual to be classified as an adult. For the purposes of the study, then, all students were included who were twenty-six years of age or older and who were undergraduates. This contrasts, specifically, with the undergraduate who attended regularly and recently finished high school. Mature. This is a word implying a process which in reality is never completed. However, for purposes of this study, it will be used to indicate the attain- ment of a certain number of years of age--at least 26. Counseling. This will be used as a general term covering educational, vocational, and personal advise- ment. 20 (4) Sustained or continuing education. These terms will be used in this study as synonymous with undergradu- ate education in a degreefgranting institution unless otherwise indicated. (5) Significant. In this Study, significant or signifi- cance will be used in a non-statistical sense. IV. PROCEDURE The study concerns the adult undergraduates attend- ing Michigan State University fall term, 1966. The group may be considered typical of adult undergraduate students attending any fall term if adjustments are made for eco- nomic and social changes occurring from year to year. The fall term general student population is usually somewhat larger than that of winter and spring terms. Population During fall term, 1966, a request was made to Data Processing at Michigan State University to identify from computer records all students twenty-six years of age or older who were enrolled as undergraduates that term. Information requested on IBM cards included name, birth date, male or female, address, phone, curriculum, year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), and high school code. The computer carried home addresses rather than campus addresses of students.) Because birth dates were missing on several hundred cards, they had to be rechecked 21 by hand through records at the Office of the Dean of Students. At that time 1,159 students fell into the category which was desired. A complete description of the population studied is found in Chapter III, pp. 39—41. Instrumentation Also during fall term, 1966, a questionnaire was developed which was designed to obtain the information desired about the needs, characteristics, experiences, and suggestions of the adult undergraduate students enrolled at Michigan State University fall term, 1966. A study was made of questionnaire development and of questionnaires used in other research; a number of knowledgeable people were consulted: members of the Doctoral Committee, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs of the University College, other faculty and administrators, individuals in Evaluation Services and the Bureau of Institutional Research, and several adult students. By January, 1967, the questionnaire was ready to mail to a random sample of 25 students. Twelve question- naires were returned quite promptly; a thirteenth somewhat later. Returns from the pilot study were encouraging. Some refinements of the instrument were made. Questionnaires were mimeographed for the students identified as adult undergraduates. A questionnaire and 22 a business reply envelope were mailed to each home address to be in the hands of students during their March, 1967, Spring vacation. A sample questionnaire may be found in Appendix A, page 207. Signatures by the respondents to the questionnaires were optional; therefore, it was not feasible to use follow-up letters. Procedures for Analysis of Data Five hundred twenty questionnaires were returned. More than half of those who responded added comments in essay form or attached letters. A number of students who answered the questionnaire also called for appointments to talk about their needs or came to the office to visit personally. After the questionnaires were sorted, the responses were coded, transferred to IBM answer sheets, and cards were punched. The next step was to contract for computer time. Specialists from Evaluation Services, Dr. Leroy Olson and Dr. John Uppal, programmed the material which was processed three times to make certain refinements. Additional partial runs were made for further information. For analysis, the total population was divided into sub-p0pulations: male and female, and to a limited extent into age groups. For reporting, the information was divided into personal, family background, educational and “vocational categories, and objective and open-ended data on needs . 23 A difficulty encountered in the study was timing. Information on addresses was not available from Data Processing until November 17, 1966. By the time correct birth dates were located on several hundred cards, stu- dents were on Christmas vacation. Meanwhile, the ques- tionnaire had been deve10ped and was ready for the pilot study in January. After returns from the pilot study were received, the instrument was refined and mailed in time for spring vacation to home addresses. The responses processed should be representative of the adult under- .graduates who remained at the University after a number of seniors were graduated fall and spring terms. V. ORGANIZATION OF THE DISSERTATION The study of the adult undergraduate pOpulation of a selected educational institution is organized into four chapters. In Chapter One the problem and its significance in a particular university and in the larger field of edu- cation are discussed; the terms used are defined; the procedure is outlined; and the organization and scope of the study are indicated. In Chapter Two related literature is summarized. In Chapter Three the findings are presented in graphic and narrative form, and in Chapter Pour a sum- mary of findings, some comparisons, implications and con- clusions are made. 24 VI. SCOPE OF THE STUDY. The reported research begins a catalogue of informa- tion about adult undergraduates at Michigan State Univer- sity which may be used for the development of a program for them. A series of clientele studies here and in other institutions is important, if the needs of the community and of society are to be heard and acted upon. The research report is limited to a summary of the selected characteristics and needs which seemed of significance in the problem being studied. Not all of the information in the questionnaire is essential to or included in the design of the dissertation. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A search of the literature on adult education revealed no published studies which were confined to adult undergraduates attending on-campus classes for credit.1 However, some related investigations are of sufficient value to be summarized here. As early as 1946 Paul E. Klein and Ruth B. Moffit delineated some of the needs of adults returning for further education: help in getting acquainted with what is available, in studying and scheduling of time, in developing a plan, in reassurance of ability, in taking tests, in finding a counselor or friend, in getting inspiration and encouragement, and in having available 1Some of the sources of information used included: Edmund de Schweinitz and Others, An Overview of Adult Educational Research (Chicago: Adfilt EducatiBE'Associa- tion of the United States, 1959); Lawrence C. Little, A Bibliography of Doctoral Dissertations op.Adults and u t ucatiEfi (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1963); Review of Educational Research (Washington, D.C.: American Educational Research Organization, National Education Association); The Education Index (New York: H. W. Wilson Co.); Educational Research Information Center, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (Washington, D;C°‘ United States Government Printing Offices). 25 26 flexible programs, arrangements, and times.2 James B. Whipple in 1957 identified: . . six areas in which there are dis— tinctive characteristics of adults~« characteristics which are relevant to the educational experience. First, the factor of adult experience requires special consideration in course plan« ning. Second, emotional meanings pro- vide a variety of overtones for adults which generally are outside the eXperi- ence of youth. Third, adult patterns of thought tend to be fixed. Fourth, the time perspective of adults is different. Fifth, the time available for organized educational experience varies. Sixth, adult motivations tend to be complex and directed toward prac~ tical objectives.3 In 1960, A. A. Liveright and Harry L. Miller reported on the characteristics of adults attending evening college and extension classes: In 1959 most people attending adult programs in institutions of higher edUcation were primarily vocationally oriented. In the urban evening colleges the largest number ranges in age from 20 to 30 and represents men and women who are continuing interrupted educa~ tion. Hundreds of thousands of these young men and women are attending even- ing colleges and extension clasSes for special programs in business ,industry, or engineering, or to complete the bachelor' 5 degree essential for promotion 2Paul E. Klein and Ruth B. Moffitt, Counseling Techniques_ in Adult Education (New York: MCGraw-Hill ompany, I9465, passim. 3James B. Whipple, E5pecially for Adults (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1957), p. 9. 27 in business and industry. Second only to this group are the many teachers taking courses to qualify for promotion, or to complete State-required certificates. But John Dyer, in Ivor Towers in the Market Place, makes tHe p01nt tHZt there is no typical student: "Perhaps the first characteristic of the evening college is heterogeneity. One finds here many students who already have college degrees and others who have only finished high school. The age range is from eighteen to sixty- five or seventy, with the median age being thirty- plus. One- third is under twenty- five; 10 per cent over forty- five. " Dyer emphasizes the variety of motivation among these students, but suggests that there are two major ones: one growing from "life space" areas (the nOn- academic motivation) and the other from ”life chance" 4areas (rational, economic motiva- tions). "A Study of the Mature Women Students Attending Day Classes at Riverside City College during the Spring Semester, 1964," was made by Phyllis Sensor and reported in Research ip Education in July 1967: This study defined a mature woman as being 25 years old or older or married. Data were collected on 225 mature women attending Riverside City College during the 1964 Spring semester, including date of birth, marital status, academic success 1A. A. Liveright and Harry L. Miller, Adult Education in Colleges and Universities (Brookline, Massachusetts: ‘Tfie Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1960), pp. 14-15. 28 test scores, grade point average, units of study, major, and schools bf trans- fer. A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of this group. The re- sponses indicate that the basic problem encountered by these women was lack of time for both home duties and study. . Most indicated no financial problem. More classes from 10 a.m. - 2 p. m. more one and one half hour classes, and a school nursery would alleviate many of the time problems. Lawrence A. Allen and others were participants in "A Profile Study of the Evening Student - His Interests, Motivations and Characteristics" reported in Adult Educa- tion research summaries. The completion date was to have been January, 1964, but further information on the study was not found.6 Frances H. DeLisle in a 1965 study of undergraduate advising said: Adults who are beginning the college program in the later years or resuming after an interruption have needs whiCh require special knowledge and under- standing on the part of the academic adviser. Many factors witII which the 5Phyllis Sensor, "A Study of the Mature Women Students Attending Day Classes at Riverside City College During the Spring Semester, 1964, " Research in Education (Washington, D. C. Educational Researchilnformation Center), Volume VII (July 1967), 41. 6Lawrence A. Allen and Others, "A Profile Study of the Evening Student - His Interests, Motivations and Characteristics," Adult Education, XIII (1963-1964), 209. 29 adviser should be familiar.must be evaluated as a basis for making judg- ments. The major complaints Of adults in this category relate not only to the absence of a centralized facility to handle their problems, but also to the fact that the personnel to whom they are referred finally, possess no authority to make some of the decisions that need to be made. This reference is made to the rigidity in the making of exceptions and the failure to tailor-make the program to the interests, needs, and background of the adult. ' Raymond P. Carson in 1965 undertook a research study on "Factors Related to the Participation of Selected Young Adult Males in Continuing Education" in which he investi- .gated the relationship between certain educational, voca- tional and sociological factors and full-time and part— time participation in continuing education. He found statistically significant relationship between continuing education and these variables: mental ability, father's education, mother's education, father's occupation, voca- tional aspiration when in high school, number of siblings with college training, and marital status.8 Worthy of mention here is a unique and recent large- 7Frances H. DeLisle, A Study of Academic Advising_gf Undergraduate Students (East Lansing, Michigan: Office of Institutional Research, Michigan State University, May 1965), p. 110. (Mimeographed.) 8Raymond P. Carson, "Factors Related to the Participa- tion of Selected Young Adult Males in Continuing Education,” Ed.D. thesis, Florida State University, Department of Higher Education, summarized in Adult Education, XVL, No. 4 (Summer 1966), 24. 30 scale study of adults as students which was published in 1965 as a result of a survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center under a Carnegie grant. The results are found in Volunteers for Learning, by John W. C. Johnstone and Ramon J. Rivera.9 Based on the activities of members of 12,000 American households, this study attempted to discover on a national scale the numbers and characteristics of adults engaged in studies of various subjects, the methods of study employed, and the types of institutional settings involved, attitudes and Opinions of adults toward educational experiences and the reasons they expressed for continuing formal education, the types of facilities available to urban situations, and a special study of 17 to 24 year olds. While the Johnstone and Rivera study was not restricted to adult undergraduates or to colleges or universities as the means of continuing education, some of the findings are valuable for comparative purposes: (1) Between June 1961 and June 1962, approximately twenty«five million American adults, or more than one person out of each five, engaged in a systematic effort to acquire new knowledge, information or skills. /,”/’ 9John W. C. Johnstone and Ramon J. Rivera, Volunteers for Learning (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company, 1965), passim. (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) 31 More than one half of the adults who seek continuing education are under forty; almost four in five are under fifty; there are about equal numbers of men and women, and no differential in race when Negroes are compared with whites of similar educational back- _ground. The average participant in adult education has had more education than the average adult. Participants tend to be white collar workers and have higher salaries. Participants tend to be from outlying areas and suburbs, not from the inner city or rural areas. More westerners seek continuing education. The younger adults usually cited occupational reasons for continuing their education while the older ones were more likely to take courses for general knowl- edge or for spare-time interests. Women were more likely than men to take courses to expand their social horizons or to get away from daily routine. Adults seemed to prefer formal methods of study over informal ones; persons of middle socio-economic cir- cumstances were more likely to prefer formal class- room work than those in lower positions. Reasons given for continuing their education were: 33 per cent - preparation for a new job 30 per cent - an interpersonal influence IA 32 20 per cent - additional training for the present job 10 per cent ~ change in family status or composition (10) Many who enrolled indicated some degree of personal dissatisfaction.10 In one summary sentence, Johnstone and Rivera identi- fied the adult student as "young, urbane, and fairly well? educated."11 The University of Wisconsin in a recent (1967) brochure about A I M, its Articulated Instructional Media program, reported some statistics on its students who are extension students--both graduates and undergraduates who are on campus for short periods only: Richard Christie, coordinator of counseling, averaged out the bald statistics to come up with a representative student profile. By this yardstick, the "average" A I M student is 35 years old with a full-time occupation (either as family breadwinner or busy house- wife and mother). He, or she (half the students are housewives), is the parent of three children under 15 and has a family income of $6,500. In several cases both husband and wife are A I M students, and in all cases the greatest contributing factors to a student's success are the encouragement and enthusiasm of his or her spouse. 1°Ibid., pp. 1-22. llIbid., p. 19. 33 The average A I M student doesn't turn to education because he's bored. He .genuinely seeks a higher education, having missed out when younger because of marriage, military service or economic hardship. ‘ Occupations vary so greatly there is no ”average." An A I M student might be a mailman or a city comptroller; a chancellor's wife or a barmaid; a designing engineer or a logger. About half have had one to three semesters of college.12 The most closely related study found in the literature is that of Alan B. Knox on Adult College Students at the 13 University College of Syracuse University. This is an exploratory study of the characteristics of part-time students attending University College, the Syracuse Program of the adult education division of Syracuse University, for credit courses in 1956. It did not include part-time adult students who were enrolled in other programs offered by University College. Contained in the study were the per- sonal, occupational, motivational, and educational charac- teristics of the group. Knox suggested that comparative clientele analyses would be helpful in developing a professional body of 1ZArticulated Instructional Media Newsletter (Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Un1vers1ty Extens1on Articulated Instructional Media Program, June, 1967), p. 1. 13Alan B. Knox, A Summary Report on Adult Colle e Stu- fla Hm.ma mam 04.55 me o¢.¢a ewH coughs: oo.eH Nw m¢.m mm oo.m~ mm ofimqflm Asmv may hwvm may flomN moo oweu:oonom Honesz ommpcooaom Honesz ommHCOOHom honesz maumum Hence «Hague pHmz Haufiumz msuaom Hapfihmz .m ofiaae 48 oo.AH 4w mm.mH mm oo.wH ms flooo.oom Hp>ov kufiu omamq om.mH he 4m.eH mm ow.~H Nm floom.oom .Hoo omfiv spam asfieoz ma.nm “ma mm.4~ co ow.om A“ floooHomH .Hoo adv spam HHmEm mw.mH mm Hm.HN Nm 04.0H H4 moo0.0H Hoeasv £308 HHmEm Aw.mm mHH “a.mN mm oo.- mm amaze .Ho Ehmm mama may fleaw may AomN mow omnu:ooyom honssz owmucouhom honssz owmunounom nonesz woman amuoe OHmEom mam: fipNfimu eonfim we ouaflm .4 pansy 49 towns, or rural areas (all under 150,000 pOpulation). Only 30.56 per cent were born in areas of over 150,000 population (medium large cities). Differences in size of place of birth between males and females were insignificant. Place of Birth (Region) As shown in Table 5, 77.53 per cent (more than three- fourths) of the adult undergraduate students were born in the midwest. From the east were 9.31 per cent (almost one— tenth). Differences in region of birth between men and women were small. Educational services at this institu— tion, thus, are largely for midwesterners and, probably, largely for Michiganders. Region of Elementary Education Table 6 shows that 79.35 per cent (almost four-fifths), of the adult undergraduate students obtained most of their elementary education in the midwest. The east was the locale for 8.70 per cent (less than one-tenth); very low percentages mentioned west or south or a combination of these and education abroad. There was little difference between males and females in region of elementary education. Thus, the group studied was, for the most part, born and educated in the midwest. Students' Personal Income Levels In Table 7 incomes were divided into six levels: $1,000-$3,000; $3,001-$6,000; $6,001-$9,000; $9,001-$12,000; 50 no.0 om mH.o ma oo.o ma Hosuo mo.¢ om en.m ea oe.~ o Apaom eo.m ma wN.m w ow.~ u umoz mm.hn mwm oo.mu me oo.ow ooN umozpwz Hm.m ow ew.m em om.w NN ummm hem4 mow Anew wag nomm moo ammunounom honesz ommpaouhom gonesz OMOOGOOhom Honssz aphwm HmpOH onEom OHM: mo oomHm AaofiMme Begum mo oumfim .m pflnme 51 on. m omcommOH oz om.m om mm.v NH oo.m ea 90:90 eo.m ma oa.v OH oo.~ m ausom vo.m ma w~.m w ow.~ n “we; mm.mm Nam mm.wn HmH ov.ow How pmoszz on.w me No.m NN ov.w Hm pmmm omwmwowmwm honanz owwwflowmwm honasz ommwmowmwm nonesz nofimom Hence pfimaom Hence :oaumosum kuwucofioam mo GOfimom .o manna 52 .moEoonfi Hmcomhom pepHOQOH mucovSOm mum an NN.cm 4NNN 4m.mm om ON.NN NNN mNaooe 40. N 44. N om. N ooo.mNN o>on< NN.N 4 N4. N oo.N m coo.MNN .Noo NNN 4N.m 44 o o o4.o ON coo.NmW -Noo m4 04.4N mm mN.ON mN ON.mN mm ooo.mN -Noo.4a ON.ON mm NN.NN Nm o4.ON Hm coo.04 .ooo.m4 No.NN NN oa.mN Nm co.ON om ooo.ma .ooo Na 54m4 may fl44N mow NomN may ommucouhom nonesz ommpGOOhom Monasz ommucouhom aoaasz Ho>oq fleece OHmEom mam: oEoucH mHo>oq oEoocH .mu:o©:um .5 oases 53 $12,001-$15,000; above $15,000. About 73 per cent of the males and 40 per cent of the females reported incomes. The first three income levels of adult undergraduate males and females were reversed. More males earned $6,001-$9,000, next $3,001-$6,000, and third $1,000—$3,000; more females earned the third figure, then the middle figure, and fewest the highest figure. Factors to be considered in interpret- ing these figures are: while attending the University men are more likely to work full time than women; females tend to have lower status jobs and lower pay; more females may have support from spouses, and more males receive monthly 'government stipends. Only twenty-five males and females reported incomes above $9,000. In Table 7 it appears that more than half (56.21 per cent) of the adult students had personal incomes while attending the University, and that the income levels tended to be modest. Only 278 reported their income levels contrasting with information in Table 53, page 136, where 329 (66.60 per cent) reported working full time, part time or occasionally. Not all of the students may have been working at the time they answered the questionnaire; not all of the students may have reported their incomes. Satisfaction with Present Life In response to the general question "Are you satisfied with your present life," 78.95 per cent of the total 494 54 adults were either very satisfied or moderately satisfied with their present lives, as indicated in Table 8. If the 478 who responded to the question are used as a base, then 81.58 per cent were in the very or moderately satisfied class. Only 3.55 per cent (17 students) of the 478 were very dissatisfied. Adult females appeared to be more satisfied than adult males. Of the 478 answering this question, 55.31 per cent (130) of the females were very satisfied with their present lives compared with 34.15 per cent (83) of the males; indicating satisfaction (very or moderately) were 85.95 per cent of the females and 77.36 per cent of the males. It appears that dissatisfaction with life in the adult group is not a significant reason for their seeking additional education. Satisfaction with Present Job In Table 9, two hundred sixty-five, 53.64 per cent of the 494 adults, reported themselves employed at the time they responded to the questionnaire. One hundred ninety-six, 73.95 per cent of the 265, were very or moderately satisfied with their jobs. Of the 265, 64 per cent were males, 36 per cent were females. Of the males, 72 per cent were very or moderately satisfied with their present jobs; of the females 78 per cent were very or moderately satisfied with their current jobs; almost 11 per cent of males were very dissatisfied, however, as 55 4N.m 0H omaommON oz mm.mm cu.om wne “a.mm mm.om mmN mm.mm om.hm m4~ mHmHOH mm.m 44.m NH oe.m mm.m w on.m oo.m m pmfimmwummmwn >Ho> mm.4H nm.4H Hm mo.oH mm.oa mm mm.wH o4.wH 04 pOHmeummmwm oHuqu < No.um mw.mm 55H 40.om Hm.mm Nu HN.m4 oo.~4 moH poammwumm xaoumnowoz om.44 NH.m4 mam Hm.mm mm.mm omH mH.4m om.mm mm poammwumm >no> NNN4 mac fl4m4 40v flmmN mow fi44N you mN4N may momN Nov omm owe omm owe 0mm 0mm -ucoupom -pcoouom .oz cuaouuom :HOOONOm .oz ndeOhom upeOOhom .oz :oauummmwpmm Hence oamsom mam: mo oowwom omfiq Haemogm nu“: cowuomewpmm .N pNnme 56 .momcommou mom mo mm.om one mOHmEom meuzpoch ”momcommOH mom mo “coo Hog un.mo mum monE oochxume wagons: Ono % om.c4 mam quocommog no: no mnwxpoz uoz mm.mm 40.mm «mow mm.mm 4m.mm «om mm.mm oo.uo NmOH mHmuoH om.w m4.4 NN 0H.4 40.H 4 mo.OH om.“ mH oOHmmHummmHn xho> mu.NH Hm.m he on.uH um.o NH mn.NH oo.~H om oOHmmemmmHm OHHHHH < wm.mm No.wH aw mm.mm HH.mH mm Nn.mm ow.- um oonmemm xHoumnoooz um.04 oo.HN uoH mn.44 No.5H m4 nw.nm oo.m~ 40 oOHmmeom zho> HmoN Hog H4m4 HOV Hem Hoe H44N HOV HmoH Hog HomN Hog mum owe owe owe owe owe nuaouuom nuzouuom .oz nucouhom -u:oogom .oz nunougom summoned .oz :oHuommmeom Hmuoe onEom on2 mo oonwoa now ucomopm :qu :oHpoommemm .a oHnmh 57 compared with 4 per cent of the females. The larger per- centage of males indicating some job dissatisfaction correlates with the reasons some males list for returning to the University: improvement of income potential and preparing for a better job. See pages 105-106. Reading Habits Figures in Table 10 show that most of the adult stu- dents read newspapers (90.28 per cent) and magazines (82.19 per cent) regularly; fewer read books other than texts regularly (65.99 per cent). Females reported read- ing more books than males; males read slightly more maga- zines than females. It would appear that the adult group reads widely. Activities In Table 11 it is shown that adults participated most widely in church (51.01 per cent) and recreational (43.32 per cent) activities. Females participated more widely in church, club, community, volunteer and cultural activities, whereas males participated more widely in recreational activities. Of the females, 62.30 per cent indicated church activity as compared with 40 per cent of the males. Differ- ences in life roles of males and females as presently con- ceived are pointed up in this activity analysis. 58 mm.mo 4N4 mo.NN NmH oo.mm 4NH Hmoxoe cage Nonoov meoom mH.NN 404 4N.ow NmH oo.mw GON mocHnmmaz NN.om 044 HN.Nm mNN O4.NN HNN mommammzpz H4m4 Hog H44N Hog HcmN Hog . ommucouhom Honasz ommHGOOhom Honesz ommucouhom Honasz mxHhmHsmom Hmuoe pHmamm 0H4: epoxy mHopz manmm meHomom .OH oHan 59 4o.m mH CH.4 OH oo.N m mnpnpo Nm.m4 4HN 4H.o4 Na 04.04 oHH H4:0Hompaoom mH.4H ow NH.4N mm o4.N HN HahnoHso mH.NH co 0N.NH N4 ON.m NH NpowesHo> co.OH NN NH.NN 4m ON.HH NN spHesEEOU oo.HN NOH NN.©N 4o ON.NH m4 nsHo Ho.Hm NmN om.No NmH oo.O4 OOH cognac OWWWWGWWWQ MODE—HZ OMWWWOWWWQ HOQEDZ OMWMWOWMWQ HOQESZ mmwpfl>fiuu< HmHOB oHoEom OHmz moHpH>Hoo< .HH oHpae 60 III. FAMILY BACKGROUND This section will delineate information regarding the backgrounds of adult undergraduate students: A. father, mother, siblings; B. spouse and dependents. A. Data on Parents and Siblings Father's Level of Education The level of education of the fathers of adult under- 'graduates shown in Table 12 was similar for both males and females: 28.54 per cent of the fathers attended but did not graduate from high school; 25.10 per cent completed eighth grade or less (some had specialized or technical training); 21.86 per cent completed high school; 11.54 per cent had college degrees; 10.53 per cent had some college but did not graduate. Approximately three—fourths (72.47 per cent) of the fathers, therefore, had education beyond elementary school (sum of the first four items); almost one-fourth (22.07 per cent) had education beyond high school (sum of items three and four). It would appear that the adult undergraduates came from homes where the fathers were mostly non-college graduates. Mother's Level of Education In Table 13 adult undergraduates reported that 19.64 per cent of their mothers had an elementary school education or less or possibly some technical education; 30.57 per cent of their mothers had attended high school but had not 61 N4.N NH omcommOH oz oH.mN 4NH mm.4N oo oo.mN 4o Hmmpg Ho poano goemHm sHpmozv guano 4m.HH Nm om.NH om om.OH NN . oopmoo omoHHou mom mm.OH Nm om.NH om ow.m NN awesomao ooz oHn usm ommHHoo opeeooo< ow.HN NOH om.ON Hm ow.NN Nm Hooaom BNN: oouoHQEou 4m.NN H4H 44.NN No oo.mN 4N pooHQEoo “oz eHo 43m Hooeom amflm ooeeopu< H4m4 ecu H44N moo HomN may ommuaoupom Honezz ommHGOOHom honesz omopcoouom honezz :oHuoosom Hmuoh onEom OHmz mo Ho>OH :oHuousom mo HO>OH m.no:pmm .NH oHnmh 62 Nm.H m omcommOH oz 4o.mH No No.0N m4 ON.mH N4 Hmmoq Ho oompo aogNHm sHpmon Nonuo Hm.m N4 44.0H 4N o4.w HN pmuHHoo wOHOHmEoo Nn.m N4 N4.HH wN oo.w ON gmHaHm uoz oHn 45m oNpHHoo ooooouo< 4n.wN N4H mH.NN 4m ON.mm mm Hoonum amHm ompoHQEoo um.om HmH ON.mm Hm oo.mN on :chHm - poz on pom Hoonom HNH: eoeaopo< H4m4 HOV H44N may HomN may omouaoopom Nonasz ommuzouuom Nonssz ommucouhom Honesz coHumusom OHmEom OHmz mo Ho>OH :oHuausem Ho Hm>pg m.~m;ooz .mH mHnae 63 completed it; 28.74 per cent of their mothers had completed high school; 9.72 per cent of their mothers had attended but not finished college; 9.51 per cent of their mothers had completed college. A higher percentage of the mothers of male students had completed high school; higher per- centages of the mothers of female students had attended some high school but did not finish or had attended or completed college. Almost four-fifths (78.54 per cent) of the mothers, therefore, had education beyond elementary school (sum of first four items); almost one-fifth (19.23 per cent) had education beyond high school (sum of items three and four). In comparing Table 13 with Table 12, it is evident that there is a marked similarity in the levels of education of the fathers and mothers of these students. A small percentage more of the mothers had education beyond elementary school; a small percentage more of the fathers had education beyond high school. The mothers of some of the adult students lived in a period when a college educa- tion for females was sometimes considered "unnecessary" or even "frivolous." Fathers' OCCuPations To study fathers' occupations, the following classifica- tion for occupations was used: (1) manual worker, (2) skilled worker, (3) business owner, (4) farm owner or operator, (5) executive or manager, (6) office, clerical or sales 64 worker, (7) professional worker, (8) service worker. The most frequently mentioned occupational backgrounds of fathers were: skilled laborer (23.89 per cent), business owner (14.37 per cent), executive or manager (14.17 per cent), farm owner or Operator (12.96 per cent), and manual worker (12.75 per cent). The occupations of the fathers of the males and of the females were similar. Four per cent more of the males came from homes where the fathers were manual workers. Evidence in Table 14 suggests that the adult undergraduates under study tended to come from middleaclass homes judged by the occupations of their fathers. Mother's Work Outside Home In Table 15 the adult undergraduates indicated that 42.31 per cent of their mothers had not worked outside the home at any time. Mothers had worked most frequently dur- ing or after the student's college years (51.42 per cent) or during the student's high school years (34.01 per cent). Mothers had worked least frequently when their children were preaschoolers (12.35 per cent). Differences reported in the working patterns of their mothers by male and female students were insignificant. The figures on mothers work- ing outside the home contrast rather sharply with the inten- tions of the females in the adult group under study. In Table 58 (page 142), 87 per cent of the females indicated that they planned to work in the future. However, 9.43 per 65 Nm.H m omcommOH oz NH.wm mN4 4m.Nm NHN ow.wm N4N mHmooe 44.m NH NN.m N oo.m m NoHNoz ooH>How HH.m m4 No.m NN ON.m mN HoHNoz Hmconmomon m4.N Nm mN.N mH ON.N NH Noxaoz mOHmm onm Hmo -HHoHo .poHHHo NH.4H ON mm.mH 4m o4.4H em Homage: Ho o>Hpsooxm om.NH 4o Nm.mH mm o4.NH Hm Hooapomo Ho gonzo Show Nm.4H HN HN.NH N4 oo.HH mN Noose mmochom mm.mN NHH NH.NN 4m oo.mN 4o Noaoan eoHHHHm mN.NH No oo.oH 0N ON.4H Nm quHchge HmHooom ozv Hoxhoz Hesse: H444 Hog H44N HOV HomN HOV ommuaouhom Honezz ommucouhom Honssz owe»:oopom Honsnz :oHHOQSOOO Hopoe OHoaom Osz m.ponumm m:OHpomoooo .muonuom .4H oHan 66 Hm.Nv mom m¢.mv HHH om.mm mm 050: 0:“ mwwm -pso ooxhoz Ho>oz mom mm.NN mmH 44.NN No ON.NN we NqHHHoz xHuaomOHm Ho o>op< 4 NpHH< mo.4N mHH Nw.mN mo O4.NN om :OHumozom .OMOHHou Mao» wcwuzm Ho.4m on Ho.mm Nw o4.4m om :opruswm Hooeom HNHm Mao» mnHHSQ oo.HN BOH mo.ON m4 ON.mN mm aoHpmu usom Hoonum HumanoEOHm Mao» mafipsm mm.NH Ho N4.m mN ON.mH mm Hoonom-onm ONO: 50» OHHHZ H4m4 HOV H44N HOV HomN HOV omen:ooaom Homeoz owmucoopom Honesz omoucoouom Honesz ooxHoz kuoe OHonm oHoz nonuoz psoz ponoso H40: m.Hpnooz .mH pHnme 67 cent of the group were single, and not all of the married adults necessarily had children. There is, however, an accelerating trend for women to work outside the home. Income Level of Parents Table 16 shows that the adult undergraduates believed their parents had average, as Opposed to above- or below- average, incomes in 58.20 per cent of the families. A few more, 26.11 per cent, of parental incomes were believed below~average than were indicated as above average, 20.65 per cent. An equal percentage of males and females reported average parental income; a few more females than males sug— .gested a below4average parental income. (The categories below were selected rather than specific income figures since it is unlikely that children or young adults would know the exact incomes of their parents.) Influence of Parent's Occupation on Student's Career Choice As shown in Table 17, 82.59 per cent (items two and three) of the adult undergraduates believed that their parents' occupations had little or no influence on their own choices of careers. Of the 13.56 per cent who per- ceived an influence, some believed it was positive; others believed it was negative. Number of Siblings In Table 18, in order of frequencies, adults reported 68 Ho.H m omcommON oz 44.44 444 44.44 44N 44.44 44N 4H4444 N4.H N 44.H 4 4N.H 4 3444 4.444 44.4N N4H 44.4H 44 4N.4N 44 44444>< 4>44< 4N.44 44N 44.44 NNH 44.44 4NH 44444>< HH.4N 4NH 44.4N 4N 44.4N 44 44444>< 34H44 H444 444 H44N 444 H44N 444 ommpcouhom Honesz ommpcoouom honasz omoucoonom Nonesz Ho>OH H4909 OHmEom 0H4: oEoocH munonmm mo Ho>OH oEoo:H .OH oHan 69 4w.m 4H omcommop oz mH.om 444 NN.om omN oo.mm mmN mHmuoe 4H.mo NHm 44.44 NOH oo.mm 44H HH< u< uoz 44.4H 44 N4.4H 44 4N.4H 44 4H44HH Nam> 44.4H N4 H4.4 HN 44.4H 44 NH4444444 H444 444 H44N 444 H44N 444 ommucouhom Honesz ommuqouhom Nonesz ommudoouom Nonesz mucosHmcH Hmuoe OHwEom OHmz mo oopmon OOHoau nowhmu m.p:oosum :o coHpmmsooo m.u:oamm mo oocosHmcH .NH OHan 70 Ho.H m omcommop oz 44.4N HNH No.0N m4 ow.wN NN ohoz Ho psom 4H.oH ow 4m.mH mm o4.oH H4 mouse 4N.HN moH Hm.HN Nm ON.HN mm oze oH.mN 4NH 44.4N No ow.NN Nm 0:0 4m.HH om Nm.mH mm ON.m mN oHHoz H444 444 H44N 444 H44N 444 . ommucouhom Nonssz ommucouuom Honesz ommpcoupom Honesz mmaHHnHm Hmpoh onsom 0H4: mo Honesz 444HH444 44 444442 .4H 4H44N 71 one, four or more, or two sisters and brothers, with three reported almost as frequently. Only 11.34 per cent indicated no siblings. More male adults had four or more siblings. The largest number of adult students reported one sister or brother; almost as many reported four or more. That almost one-fourth of the adults came from large families may have contributed to their delay in completing college. Education of Siblings Of the siblings of high school or college age reported by adult undergraduates, 1,092 (73.68 per cent) had not gone to college while 390 (26.32 per cent) had .gone to college or were in college. Since no attempt was made to determine the number of siblings in high school or at a lower educational level at the time of the study, conclusions from Table 19 should be made with caution. B. Data on Spouse Educational Level of Spouse Responses indicated in Table 20 showed that 52.43 per cent of the spouses had some college education (total of levels four, five, and six); 24.29 per cent had a high school education or less (total of levels one, two, and three), and 8.30 per cent had technical, commercial, nurSing, or other Special education. Husbands of the N44H 44N Nmo mom cow Hm4 meuoH H44 NN N4 44 44 N4 H442 444 H anomhu onom o>mz H . cam HNON 44H 44 4N MOH mo ommHHou Eonm n” H woumzomuu OH< H . H44 4N 44 N4 N4 44 444HH44 4H 444 HNN4 44H 44H 44 44H H4 444HH44 M ob ow uoz on N44H H4H4 HNN 44N 4NH 444 H4H . H44444 H 4444 4444H4444 H . HN4H 4N 44 44 44 N4 H44444 44H: 444Hmsoo 442 444 noupoaom msHuHomom ooppomom qupHomom ooypomom quuHomom :OHumusom mmcHHnHm mo Hmpoe mmcHHnHm monEom mmaHHnHm monz mo pasoe< Nomadz.HmuoH AHo Honesz. Mo Hopssz 4444H4H4 44 444444444 .mH OHDmH 73 No.mw ON4 mm.ww mHN oo.~w mom mHQHOH 44.4 H4 44.4 4H 44.4H 4N H.444.4444442 .HmHONoEEou .Hmo -H444444 44444 mo.4~ mHH HH.wm mm o4.0H cm #403 mam 154440 econ mm: 4m.HH mm ou.NH Hm ON.HH mm OwOHHOU 504m ooumsomhu mo: 44.4H H4 44 4H 4N 44.NN 44 444HH44 44H4Hm 442 4H4 444 44444 44.4H 44 44.4H 44 44.4N H4 . H44444 4444 4444H444o 44.4 4N N4.4 NH 4N.4 4 H44444 4444 444444 442 4H4 444 44444 Hm. 4 N4. N ow. N Hoonom thpaoe -4H4 444444H4 H444 444 H44N 444 H44N 444 ommpcoonom Honesz owmucounom Noneoz ommucouuom Honesz Ho>OH Hmpoe OHmEom onz HmcoHpmusom omnomm mo Ho>OH HmcoHpmusom .ON oHan 74 female students had done more graduate work (38.11 per cent versus 10.40 per cent); wives of the male students had completed high school more frequently (24.40 per cent versus 14.34 per cent) and had begun but not finished college more frequently (22 per cent versus 10.66 per cent). Wives of male students tend to help their husbands finish college as undergraduates or graduates and then resume their own education at a later date. (In Table 3, page 47, 59 males and 23 females indicated they were single. Table 20 would indicate 45 single males and 29 single females. Discrepancies may be due, in part, to some having checked more than one category in Table 20 to the way an individual regards his relationship to a former spouse, or to the failure of some to respond to the question.) Occupation of Spouse Of the 494 adults, 76.92 per cent classified the occupations of their spouses as reported in Table 21. The highest percentage, 30.16 per cent, were in professional work; in second place were 14.98 per cent in office, clerical and sales work; in third place were 12.15 per cent who were identified as housewives. Following these in small per- centages were: executive or manager, skilled laborer, service worker, business owner, manual worker, and farm owner or Operator. 75 .0004444 405 040 40 0044448 40: 44040044 4443 44400544 40:40 « 40.mN 444 44509444 oz No.04 40mm No.04 m04 00.44 m44 444404 44.N4 00 0 00.4N 00 04434450: 40.4 m4 44.N 4 0N.m 4 4402 404>40m 04.04 044 40.04 004 00.04 04 4403 440044444044 40.44 44 04.4 04 00.NN mm 4403 4044m .440 -444H0 .444444 4H.4 44 44.4H 44 44.N 4 4444442 40 o>445004m H4. 4 44.H 4 4 44444444 40 44:30 4444 44.N N4 04.4 04 04. N 44:30 44454454 mm.m 04 44.0 m4 00.4 4 4040444 044444m N4.H 4 44.N 4 44. H 444444444 4444444 420 404403 445542 4444 440 H44N 440 444N 444 0444540404 400652 0444400404 440552 0444440404 444552 :0444m5ouo 444404 4444444 40442 om5omm 40 5044405000 .HN 04044 76 To picture occupational differences of males and females, the number reporting will be used as a base. Not included in Table 21 are these percentages: of the 380 reported, 185 were female spouses (48.68 per cent), 195 were male spouses (51.31 per cent). Of this number, the adult, undergraduate, married males indicated their wives were housewives (32 per cent), in professional work (30 per cent), or office, clerical or sales work (26 per cent). The females indicated their husbands were in professional work (51 per cent), executive or managerial (17 per cent), office, clerical and sales work (10 per cent), or skilled labor (8 per cent). This data reflects the fact that a number of wives work at clerical and secretarial jobs, nursing, and teach- ing while their husbands are in school. It also correlates with the fact that the adult undergraduate females are older than the males and have spouses who may be well established in their occupations. Furthermore, some of the male spouses may have been graduate assistants which would give them a professional rank. (Figures in Table 21 indicate 76.92 per cent of the students having spouses. These are comparable with figures in Table 3, page 47, indicating 75.91 per cent were married.) Spouse's Income Level To study the income levels of student spouses, five categories were used: (1) $5,000 or under, (2) $5,001- 77 $10,000, (3) $10,001-$15,000, (4) $15,001-$20,000, (5) more than $20,000. Reporting working spouses in Table 22 were 334 of the 494 adults, 192 females and 142 males. The 142 males reported that their spouse's income levels were one and two, between $5,000 or less and $10,000; the 192 females indicated that their spouse's incomes ranged through all five levels, with most of them in levels two and three or between $5,000 or less and $15,000. It appears that the income levels of husbands of students are higher than those of wives of students. This agrees with the higher status jobs reported in Table 21, page 75. The differential may be explained, in part, by these factors: the males and their wives were younger than the females and their hus- bands and thus had not reached equal income potentials; many young wives worked part-time or at low—paying jobs while their husbands attended the University, and women, .generally, are paid lower salaries than men. Number of Dependents In Table 23 it appears that the dependents of the male students were younger than the dependents of the female students. While 50.74 per cent of the males reported their children in the 1—5 age category, only 20.84 per cent of the females reported their children were in this category; only 10.94 per cent of the males reported their children were 14 or older (categories three and four) while 33.54 per .mqfiwcommou we: paw powhpma no: omogu mowSHunH om 78 mm.mm OOH omcommop oz .5 Ho.no 4mm sw.mm NQH en.w~ Nefi mfiwooe No.H m No.H w o ooo.oma mafia. 0802 44.m 5H 44.m “H o ooo.o~e (Hoo.mfiw mm.oa Nm mm.OH Nm o coo.mflm -Hoo.OHw om.mm wefi so.mH no Nm.OH Hm ooo.oam -Hoo.mm oo.- QOH eo.m wH N4.wfl Hm omen: so ooo.mw Agog may ”you Mod meme may ommucoohom Honesz owmuaoogom Honeaz ommucouuom nonazz oEoucH mHMHOH mmamfimm mafia—z Ho>oq oEoocH m.om:omm .NN oHan 79 wa oo.00H mom 0H mm.~ mH Nm nw.w me mHH Bu.mH ow Nmm «a.mm Hom new ¢5.Nm 00H ovm nm.mm mom 0 No.H m we mo.NH nm em m¢.HN co mum um.mv mmH em vw.o~ we mHmpoe muzowcomom 90:90 howHo Ho wH whoa» 5H op VH whee» mH ea c . mm< mo mhmmw m ow H macaw Hwom may panasz smog owmpcoo :09 mo [mom Honesz mloomoumu mSOHHm> :H mucowcomom mchgog com monEmm was monz moeoe Hmom meg gonesz comm ommwcoo con mo shod honesz moHpomopmu mDOHhm> :H mucoucom com mzHugomom monEom NHm mm.mm How oH mm.¢ OH eH mm.m w Hm om.o «H «HH mm.mm no mmH en.om NOH macaw HHON you Hanasz icon ommpaou non mo them Honasz moHHomoamo mSOHsm> :H mpaou ocomom mathomom monz mpcowcomom mo Honesz mucowqomom mo gonadz .mN mHan 80 cent of the females reported their children were 14 or older (categories three and four). This again correlates with the fact that the females in the adult group were older than the males. An additional factor to be con— sidered is that women tend to be younger than men when they have children. The_greater number of children reported by females correlates with evidence in Table 3, page 47, that more females than males were or had been married. Only 15 adults reported dependents other than children. Therefore, it can be assumed that only a small portion of the adults in the study were caring for parents, relatives or others. Again, it should be stated that the data above are based on those who reported. Some may not have responded to the question. IV. EDUCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS In this section both objective and subjective data regarding the educational characteristics of adult under- _graduates will be reported. Fu11~time and Part-time Students That more adults were full-time students, 54.45 per cent, than were part-time, 44.94 per cent, is shown in Table 24. More males were full-time students, 67.60 per cent, while more females were part—time, 58.61 per cent. 81 co. m omcommoh oz em.¢e NNN Ho.mm m¢H oo.Hm an oEHunppmm m4.4m mom mm.o4 OOH oonmw 08H oer-HH=m Heme mew Heem mov Homm meg mefle-oumm ommpaoupom nonesz ommpcoouom Honesz ommucoUHom ponssz cam aHHnm HmpOH onEom onz mucowSum oeHhcpamm wow oEHH‘HHsm .vm oHnme 82 Attendance Plans When asked if they planned to attend the University regularly, most (88.86 per cent) of adult students answered affirmatively: 91.20 per cent of the males and 86.48 per cent of the females. Table 25 shows the attendance plans of adults. Plans to attend regularly tend to agree with the plans of most students to get degrees as reported in Table 51, page 132. Colleges in Which Adults Enrolled The colleges in which the 489 responding adults enrolled varied widely for males and females, as indicated in Table 26. Two hundred forty-one women were in the tradi- tional roles of education, arts and letters, no preference, social studies, and home economics. It is interesting to note that 6.15 per cent were enrolled in natural science. Males chose social science, business, agriculture, engineer- ing and education, followed by natural science in sixth place, on the same choice level as females but a slightly higher percentage choosing it (7.20 to 6.15 per cent). Male choices fit the pattern of increasing interest in social usefulness with increasing age. It is interesting to note that 41 per cent of the females and 10 per cent of the males were in the field of education. 83 Nw.H w omcommoh oz Hm.m me mm.HH mm om.“ wH oz ow.wm mme we.om HHN ON.Hm wNN mo» Heme dog Heem new Homm may sflhafismum ommpaoopom Hopesz ommpcoonom honesz owmucoouom Honesz unopu< Hmpoe onEom on2 cu manm mcmHm oocmwcoup< .mm oHan 84 mN.v Hm moHEocoom Nw. N ocHoHvoz ov.m o mono mac: zhmchopo> isomohm oz he.m mm mefiummqfiwqm Ae.N o mmoeamsm ow.4 NH mpn< GOHHmoHasanu m~.o Hm mono mm.~ u mun< oo.m wH mpopuoq cyomoum oz :OHumoHasaaoo cam muu< wo.o mm oHSHHsoHem< mH.o mH ooamHom om.n wH oucoHom HmHSHmz Hmhspwz wo.o mm oucoHom Ho.w HN moHEocoum oo.m em :OHumuzwm Hmpspmz mac: em.HH mm mgoppoq m¢.m mm ouquom om.HH mm quHoochqm cam muh< HwHuom eh.HH mm mmocamsm mN.OH mm mono om.mH mm opsuHaofiHm< -Homoym oz co.0H Nw ooaoHom No.5H me whouuoq ow.o~ mm mmochsm HmHuom can mpp< om.e~ mNH :oHpmoswm nm.o¢ mm :oHumozwm oo.m~ mm oucoHum HmHoom Heme Mac HeeN wag flomN mac owmucoo honesz :H onHopnm ommucoo ponesz :H onHoynm ommucoo ponssz :H onHOAQm upon chem whom Hmpoe monEom monz onHopcm must< aoan :H momeSoo .ow oHnme 85 awe Haw mum mHmuoH Hm. .w . ocHoHvoz . o ousuHsoHHm< o mUHEocoum xnmaHnopo> oaom mw.m mH mpn< o meflgooeamem ow. N megaheoz GOHpmoHQSEEou xpmcHHouo> Heme mow Heem may HomN may owwunou honssz :H onHopcm omeQmu Honesz CH onHoncm ommuzoo Honesz :H onHOHcm neon cgom anon Hmuoe monEom monz Heoscap:00v .ON mfinme 86 Educational Level, Fall 1966 Table 27 shows that 74.08 per cent of the adults in the study were at the junior or senior levels; 20.85 per cent were freshmen and sophomores; 3.04 per cent failed to respond to their class standing, perhaps through un- certainty of credits necessary for class ranking. The high percentage of juniors and seniors is due, in part, to many returning drop-outs and many junior college and other transfer students. (The ten adults who reported being high school graduates or less fall term may have received G.E.D.'s - certificates of high school equiva— lency - or may have completed high school previous to the term.) For New Students, Length of Time Since High School Thirty-two males and thirty-eight females, a total of seventy adults, indicated in Table 28 that they were new University students having had no previous college experi— ' ence prior to fall, 1966. The males had been out of high school for a lesser number of years than the females. Twenty-three of the thirty-eight females reported that it had been more than sixteen years since they had been in high school. Credits Earned Since Coming or Returning to the University Table 29 indicates that 26.52 per cent of the group studied had earned 86 or more credits since coming or return- 87 eo.m mH mo.m m oe.~ o mmqommmm oz Hm.~e NHN mH.mm Hm oe.Nm HmH gonemm AH.Hm emH Ne.em em oo.m~ on Mousse cm.mH no HN.AH Ne oo.OH mm meosoanom mm.a om Ho.m NN oo.m «H emenmogm No.m OH m¢.N o oo.H e mm»; 90 mumswmau Hoogom am“: Heme meg Heem may HomN may Ho>mq omwpcoopom sonenz omwpcoouom nonesz ammuqou~om honesz Hw:0Hpmo=wm Hench onEom onz oomH Hfimm .Hm>og quoapmuzem .AN ofinme 88 Table 28. For New Students, Length of Time Since High School Years Since Male Female Total High School Number Number Number One - Three Years 2 1 3 Four to Six Years 3 1 4 Seven to Ten Years 12 6 18 Eleven to Fifteen Years 10 7 17 More Than Sixteen Years 5 23 28 Totals 32 38 70 89 oe.m 5N omaommoh oz mm.om HmH mH.NN em ow.om us who: #0 cm «a.mH no mo.wH we o~.HN mm mm : ow om.mH co wv.HH mm o~.mH mm me o Hm om.HN moH mH.v~ mm oe.mH ow on t mH om.mH mo no.mH we oo.w om mH swap mmoH Heme meg HHHN may Homm may eongmm ommucounom Honasz ommuaoohom nonssz ommuaooyom honesz mpHvopu Hmpoe onEom onz qumho>Hca map on wanhspom Ho mcHEou ouch wocumm munoHu .mN oHnme 90 ing to the University; 21.26 per cent had earned 15-30 credits; 19.64 per cent 46~85 credits; 13.77 per cent less than 15 credits; and 13.36 per cent 31-45 credits since coming or returning. About 48 per cent had earned one year or less of credit (45 credits or less); about 46 per cent had earned more than one year of credit. The serious- ness of their purpose is corroborated by the number of credits earned by the adult students. Number of Other Colleges or Universities Attended Table 30 shows that 44.33 per cent (almost one half) of the adult students had attended one other college or university; 21.86 per cent (about one-fifth) had attended two others; 22.87 per cent (about one-fifth) had attended no others. Patterns for men and women were very similar. This table indicates the high number of adult undergraduates transferring credit from other universities and colleges. Resources Used for Non‘Credit Courses The most widely utilized facilities for non-credit courses used by this group of adults were: high school adult programs (23.68 per cent), the armed services (21.86 per cent), university evening college (16.40 per cent), business and industry (14.17 per cent), and com— mercial colleges (12.15 per cent). Facilities used by males and females differed widely (ranked most to least): 91 Ho.H m omcommou oz No.N OH Ho.H H OH.N o 002:9 Gene owe: mN.H om om.o OH oo.w om omHHe ow.HN wOH me.o~ om om.m~ mm 0:5 HH.4H mHN wo.m4 OHH oo.me mOH «so Hw.mw MHH cm.m~ Hm oe.- cm 8:02 HHmH Hog HHHN HOV Homm Hog owmgqoohom Hmnasz ommucoohom Honesz ommucoouom honesz chHusqumcH Hmpoe onEom meZ we Honesz wowaopu< moHuHmHo>ch Ho momoHHoo Honuo mo Honesz .om oHan 92 Males Females 1. Armed services 1. High school adult 2. Business and industry programs 3. High school adult 2. Evening colleges programs 3. Public lecture 4. Evening colleges courses 5. Commercial cOlleges 4. Commercial colleges and trade schools and trade schools 5. Private instruction It would appear from Table 31 that adults are genuinely interested in learning whether they receive college credit or not. (Responses could be made to more than one item.) Reasons for Not Going to College After High School The most-named reasons listed by adults in Table 32 for not going on to college after high school were for the males: financial problems, military service, tired of .going to school, school was not interesting, grades were not good, lack of self-confidence, and could get job desired without going on to school. For the females, significant reasons were: financial problems, desire to be married, lack of self~confidence, and could get job desired without going on to school. Military service and lack of interest in school were important factors for the males whereas desire to be married entered significantly for the females. For the combined groups, the most fre- quently named reasons were (1) financial problems, (2) mili- tary service, (3) tired of going to school, (4) school was not interesting, (5) lack of self-confidence, (6) desire to .get married, (7) grades not_good. Often a combination of 93 05.x mv mw.HH mm oo.m «H GOHHUSHumGH oum>HHm om.w Ne on.NH Hm oe.v HH momnnou whopooq UHHnsm mH.NH oo om.~H om oo.NH om mHoonom mwmhe Ho momoHHou HmHoHoEEou mo.e om mo.N m oo.o mH pcoecpo>oo HH.HH on He.w HN oo.mH me HHHmseeH .mmoaHmzm ow.HN on mN.H m oo.~v mOH moUH>Hom woah< no.0 om um.o 5H oN.m mH mouH>Hom :OHmcouxm o>HumHomoou OH.OH Hm wo.o~ me ow.NH Nm mmmuHHou quco>m qumho>Hcs wo.m~ HHH mH.Hm OH o~.mH mm mamhmoha pst< Hoogum HMH: Heme Hog HHHN Hag HomN HOV omwuqoonom Hopesz owmucoUHom Hopesz ammucoUHom honesz moHuHHHomm Hench onEom QHmz mumpsou pHUoHurcoz wow wow: moohnomom .Hm oHan 94 He.em OHH om.Hm Hm om.um mm mamHHon Hmwudwflflm ohoz whose ou.w me mN.H m oo.0H o4 eoou poz mowmhu Hm.HH om Hm.mH mm om.“ wH eoHHHmz How oH emHHmom mH.mH an He. H ow.om Hm ouH>Hom HHmHHHHz om.w Ne no.0 HH oo.oH mN Hooeom op :o mnHou use -HHH: eoHHmom How you eHsou Ho.m mm mo.m a co.“ mH muemHHmaxm HmuHHumHm poo eHson H HHmm HH.m 5N mN.H m oo.m «N eoHH umuzvm nwzoam em: H HHom «a.mH Ho oo.m m oo.- mm . Hooaum op mcHou Ho emHHH Heme Hog HHHN HOV Homm may mesmz ommpaoUHom Honezz ommucounom Honesz omwunoohom Honesz maommom Haves onEom onz Hoonom :me.Hopw< omoHHou 09 quoo poz pom maommom .Nm oHan 95 oo.HH om oH.H oH oo.oH oo oooooppooo -HHom Ho HooH mm.NH No om.m o oo.HN om . o2 op mchmoHoan poz mo: Hoocom Hoop Hop HHHN pop HomN Hop ooeoz ownu:ouyom Honezz ommpcoohom honesz omwucoohom Honesz mcommom Hmuoe onEom onz HooooHpooov .Nm oHooH 96 factors is involved when students do not continue beyond high school. No attempt was made to identify such com— binations. Each individual responding, however, could check more than one response. Reasons for Dropping Out of College In Table 33 somewhat similar reasons to those listed for not going on to college from high school were given for males and females as reasons for drOpping out of college (most frequently named to least frequently named): Males Females Combined Reasons Financial Marriage Financial Lack of interest FinanCial Marriage Scholastic Family responsi- Lack Of interest Military service bilities Family responsibili- Emotional problems Lack of interest ties Unhappiness Emotional problems Scholastic Marriage Unhappiness Emotional problems Family responsi- Scholastic Unhappiness bilities Did not like Military service Did not like college or uni- Did not like college college or uni- versity or university versity Inadequate college offerings ' Finances and marriage were cited almost oneothird and one—fourth of the time by college dropoouts. For the males, lack of interest, scholastic reasons, and military service were important; for the females marriage and family respon- sibilities, as well as lack of interest, were significant. Reasons for drOpping out of college may be somewhat complex. No attempt is made here to identify all of the factors involved for each individual. Each person respond— ing, however, could check more than one response. 97 oo.o mN oo.~ o om.o NH HpHm uHo>Hna Ho oonHou ecu oxHH poz OHO No.o oo mm.m mH oo.oH om mmoopooon 1:: .mEoHQOHm Hm:0HpoEm OO.oH on m0.0H we OO.NH om moHpHHHnHm aqommom zHHEmm oo.o~ oHH wo.om ow oo.NH om omopppoz Om.u mm OO.mH Om ooH>Hom HpopHHHz O0.0H HO ON.O ON O¢.om HO pmopouaH Ho xumq mn.~H mo OH.¢ OH ON.H~ mm oHpmmHonom nn.Om NmH mO.uN OO O¢.em ow HmHucmch HHoo poO HHHN poO Homm poO ommpcoopom Honesz ommpaoupom Honssz ommpcoUHom Honesz mcommom Hmpoe onEom onz omoHHoo «0 ~50 mchmouQ How mcommom .mm oHQMH 98 HO.H m NO. N ON.H m oHHH HwHoom on“ oxHH poz OHQ oo.m mH mo.N m oN.m mH omop upommo mmhsou mumscowmzH Hvoo HoO HHHN HoO HomN poO ommpnoopom Hoaesz ommpcoupom Honasz ommucoUHom Honesz mnomwom HmHOH mHmEom onz HooooHpoouO .mm oHooe 99 Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained Adults were asked to respond to five factors which may have influenced, negatively or positively, the number of years of education they attained. Having positive influ- ence were: (1) attitude of spouse, 61.34 per cent; (2) attitude of parents, 56.28 per cent; (3) attitude of friends, 52.02 per cent; (4) attitude of relatives, 39.07 per cent; and (5) attitude of children, 29.15 per cent. Since many of the adults had young children, it must be presumed that 29.15 per cent does not reflect the full extent of approval by children, for in the case of the females, who were older as a group and whose children wereolder, children's approval was 43.03 per cent. The only notable negative influences were 11.54 per cent of parents' attitudes and 7.09 per cent of relatives' attitudes. The figures in Table 34 indicate the importance of attitudes of family members in the educational attainment of adult students. No attempt was made to include all of the pos- sible factors which may influence the number of years of education attained by an individual. Additional Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained In Table 35 other factors which influenced the number of years of education attained were very similar for males and females except for military service. The nearness or 100 Table 34. Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained Percentages (of 494 ReSponses) Attitude Male Female Totals Attitude of Parents Positively 58.40 54.10 56.28 Negatively 13.20 9.84 11.54 Attitude of Spouse Positively 60.40 62.30 61.34 Negatively 3.20 6.15 4.66 Attitude of Relatives Positively 42.80 35.25 39.07 Negatively 9.20 4.92 7.09 Attitude of Friends Positively 56.40 47.54 52.02 Negatively 6.00 2.05 4.05 Attitude of Children Positively 15.60 43.03 29.15 Negatively 5.60 2.87 4.25 101 Table 35. Additional Factors Which Influenced Number of Years of Education Attained Percentages (of 494 Responses) Factors Male Female Totals Availability of Money Positively 36.80 34.02 35.43 Negatively 36.40 33.20 34.82 Nearness or Distance Away of Suitable Educational Institu- tion Positively 38.40 47.95 43.12 Negatively 16.00 13.93 14.98 Availability of Books and Cultural Media Positively 25.60 22.13 23.89 Negatively 10.00 5.74 7.89 Military Service Positively 38.80 1.23 20.24 Negatively 11.20 2.46 6.88 102 distance away of a suitable educational institution had a positive effect on 43.12 per cent of the group compared with‘a negative effect on 14.98 per cent. Availability of money had a positive influence on 35.43 per cent and a lack of money available on 34.82 per cent. The availability of books and cultural media was more positive (23.89 per cent) than negative (7.89 per cent), and military service was positive for 38.8 per cent of the males versus 1.23 per cent of the females and negative for 11.20 per cent of males and 2.46 per cent of the females (totals: 20.24 per. cent positive, 6.88 per cent negative). Military service may have had a negative influence for the females because their husbands were involved rather than the females being directly involved themselves. Reasons Adults Entered or Returned for Additional Education (Check List According to Sex) The reasons given by adult men and women for entering or returning to the University (several reasons could be _given by the same person) are given in this list: Reasons Percentage (of 494) 1. Get a degree 83.00 2. Improve income potential 59.31 3. Intellectual stimulation 53.85 4. Continue an interrupted college . career ' 44.74 5. Prepare for a job 39.88 6. Become more socially useful 37.65 7. Secure a better job 27.33 8. Prove I can do it 27.13 9. Prepare for a different job 21.86 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 103 Reasons Advancement in present job Supplement family income Provide leisure time activity Percentage (of 494) 19. 17. 11. 23 21 34 Keep up with husband's or wife's attainments Meet new people Keep up with children Friends interested me in returning 11.13 10.12 6.28 5.47 The goal of getting a degree was the aim of most adults; a utilitarian aim was second and fourth, but intellectual stimulation was an important third, and be- coming more socially useful an important sixth place. Differences in male and female reasons are demonstrated O‘U‘l-b (NNH in this comparison: Males 1. Degree 2. Improve income potential 3. Secure better job 4 Continue interrupted college career 5 Intellectual stimulation 6. Prepare for job -7. Become more socially useful 8. Advancement on present job 7 9. ‘Prepare for different job 8 10. To prove I can do it 9 11. Meet new peOple 12. Friends interested me in 10. returning 13. Supplement family income 11 14. Provide leisure time activity 12 15. Keep up with wife's attain- l3 ment l4 16. Keep up with children 15. 16. Females Degree Intellectual stimulation Continue interrupted college career Improve income potential Prepare for job Become more socially useful Supplement family income Prove I can do it Keep up with husband's attainment Provide leisure time activity Prepare for a different job Secure better job Meet new pe0p1e Keep up with children Advancement on present job Friends interested me in returning 104 Though the reasons given by males and females were similar, six of the first seven being the same, the reasons were given different order. As might be expected, the male reasons were slightly more utilitarian, reflecting a bread- winner role for the male and a more supplementary vocational role for the female. Intellectual stimulation was the second place goal of females (Table 36). Reasons Adults Entered or Returned for Additional Education (Check List According to Age) Because this listing of reasons for resuming education seems to present a picture of life itself, it is included here. In younger age groups, the first five or six reasons were similar, but the spread of reasons was greater in the older age groups. Details on percentages are available at the Student Affairs Office, University College, Michigan State University. In the table presented, reasons were ranked from greatest to least importance. It is evident from Table 37 that everyone wants a degree; intellectual stimulation is important at all ages, and becoming socially useful seems to become of greater consequence with age. Better jobs and increased income potential are stressed somewhat more in the earlier age 'groups. Improvement of income potential matters more at the age when one's children are or could be in college. The entire picture hints at an increasing standard of living and at increasing inflation. "Proving I can do it" is important - self—motivation is underlined. 105 om.HH om Ho.oH mo oN.m o HpH>Hpo< oepe ohanoH oOH>oum mw.mm OON Hm.Hn ONH O0.0m NO :OHpmHsaHpm . HmDHUOHHoch Hom_l, ON.O Hm NO.HH hm OO.H w :oHOHHnu :sz a: doom mH.HH mm n0.0H we OO.N n mucoa ichpp< m.oHHz Ho m.O:mnm:m :sz a: doom M. OO.HN OOH mO.wH we OO.mN we non unonHHHa a how mammohm {u mm.nm mmH OH.mH mm ON.Om Om och It Hopuom m ohsuom mN.OH mm O0.0H ON OO.NN me new pnomopm :H unoEoocm>Oo~m 09.; mo.nm OOH Hm.oo mHH ON.ON mu stomz HHHoHoom who: oaooom oe.\. HN.AH mm oh.om m5 oo.o OH ogoooH HHHaom unoEonmsm OHK. Hm.Om mam om.wv OHH O0.0n mnH Hmenopom osoocH o>0HQEH 09(\ Home HoO Hoom HoO Homm poO ommucoohom Hoassz owmpcoohom Honezz ommpnoUHom Honenz mcommom onz HooooppoouO .Om oHan 107 pH on new H o>opm poo poppom ohsoom Hopoms HHHoHoom who: oEouom OOO pom mammopm Hoopmu omoHHou OopmshhoucH oschcoo :OHumHSEHpm HoopooHHopoH Hprcouom osoucH o>omeH ooumom w you HpH>Hpo< oasmHoH Hoopmu omoHHoo OoHQSHHoucH oschcou oEoonH ucoaonmzm Hmecmpom oEoocH o>onEH now How opmmopm stom: HHHmHuom who: oEouom ooHpoHoerm HoopooHHopoH oonmoa m poo pH on emu H o>oym sch psoHoHHHo pom ohmmopm now How ohmmohm Hoohmu omoHHou OoumsphouaH oschcou ooHpoHserm HoopooHHopoH Hsoooo HHHoHoom who: oEooom Hoppoopoo oaoocH o>opmaH .woopmua m pow egoocH unoEonmsm “H on :mu H o>oum noO pom opmmopm Hmecouom oaoocH o>ongH HSHomD HHHoHoom who: oaooom Hompmu omoHHou OopmnhpoucH osaHuaou :oHpmHseHum HeapuoHHoucH oopwom a wow \ pH on new H o>opm oEoocH HmoEonmsm Hopom: HHHoHoom who: oaooom y poo pom mammoum Hoopmo omoHHou Oopmsphoan oscHucou H HmHuaouomw oEoonH O/ o>oHQEH :oHumHsaHum HmsuooHHop:H_ oonmon w you pH on new H o>oum HDHomD HHHmHuom one: osooom pow poppom ohnoom QOO HOH opmaopm Hmopmu omoHHou woumsanoch oscHucou GOHpmHaaHum HeapooHHoucH Hmecouom oEoocH o>oHQEH oonmon w you H Hopoe pooHo po Hm . om‘oo mo-om Amvmm .1 Hm-oN Hom< op mopopouo< pmHH HooHuO QOHpmoswm HmcoHuHOO< Mom wochsuom no cohouam mpst< mcommom .nm oHan 108 qu:H:pom quchsumm mnHzasuom :H 02 cH 02 :H o2 Ooumopoch Oopmmhoch :oHOHHnu woumopounH :oHOHHau mwaoHpm mOGoHHm :HHZ a: zoom quoHHm ssz a: zoom qumpspom quqazpom now :H oz :H o2 :oHOHHAO unoHoHHHQ omsomm OopmopoucH :oHOHHnu Oopmonoan :sz a: 96oz pom oummopm :sz m: doom mwaoHHm :sz a: moox mvaoHHm onoom onoom HHH>Hpu< onoom oHHoom HHH>HHU< 3oz poo: zoz poo: opzmHoH zoz poo: 3oz poo: ohzmHoH nah omzomm Och Hopuom ucomohm :H omsomm HHH>Huu< omsomm :sz a: mooz opzoom ucoaoocw>u< :sz a: zoom oHSmHoH anz a: Hoax sch HpH>Hpu< omsomm :oHOHHno unoHoHHHn omsomm oeoocH oHDmHoH asz a: zoom AHHS a: zoom pom opmmohm AHHB as mooz unoEonmsm oEou:H pH on onoom Hammopm :H onoom pcoaoHQQSm :mu H o>o~m 3oz poo: paoaoocm>w< now Hoppom 3oz poo: now och now sch sch pcomopm :H ucomopm :H oEoo:H paonoHHHm Hammonm :H pcomoum :H psoEoucm>O< pcoEoucm>O< pqoaonmsm HOH ohmmonm ucosounw>v< unoEoonm>O< noO non now peoHoHHHn :oHOHHsu OOO Hoppom AHH>HHU< pcoHoHHHa pcopoHHHn pom opmmonm :sz a: moox ohsoom oHDmHoH Hem oummopm Mom oumgopm Hence HoOHo no Hm Omavv metmm HmaNm Hmsom HooooppoouO .Am oHooH 109 Reasons Students Came to This University (By Sex) The two determining factors most frequently mentioned for choice of the University were nearness and reputation; spouse working in area and expense less were other notable reasons (Table 38). For males, alone, the most influential factor was reputation (57.20 per cent) with proximity (45.20 per cent) and expense less (26 per cent) next in rank; females were heavily influenced by nearness (68.44 per cent) and spouse's working (32.38 per cent) or study- ing in the area (11.89 per cent) and reputation of the institution (31.56 per cent). (Responses could be made to more than one itemQ The reasons (ranked according to frequency of mention) cited by adults for coming to Michigan State University were. Reasons All Adults Males Females 1. Nearby Reputation of instio Nearby 2. Reputation of tution Spouse working institution Nearby in area 3. Spouse working in Expense less Reputation of area ' Spouse working institution 4. Expense less in area ' Spouse study- 5. Spouse studying Scholarship aid ing at Uni— at University *Spouse studying at versity 6. Scholarship aid University ' #Expense less 7 Family member at— *Family member at- #Scholarship aid tending Univer« tending University Family member sity ‘ Parent employed at attending Uni- 8. Parent employed University versity at University Parent employed * at University Equally #Equally 110 Ho. 4 No. N ow. N prm :Ho>HsD may we woonmEm pcoumm No.m NN om.o oH oo.o NH prmpo>HoO moH ownopu< Macao: HHHEom poopo om.w Ho oN.HH oN oo.o NH HpHmpooHoO oHp um waszsam oHHz Ho dqmnmsm No.NN HHH NN.NN oN oN.NH Nm . oop< GH mcHxhoz oHHz Ho Onmnmsm oo.N mm om.o oH oo.N oH oH< oHaopoHooom NN.NH mo No.HH NN oo.oN mo omoH oooooxm mm.oo oNN om.Hm NH oN.Nm moH ooHpspHpmoH Ho :OHpmpsmom oo.om owN oo.oo NoH oN.mo mHH sopooz Hooo HoO HHHN HoO HomN HoO ommpcoUHom Honesz owOHGQUHom Honesz ommpaoopom Honesz mnomwom Hench onEom onz HXom Hmv qumHo>ch mHAH ow quEou How mGOmmom .Om oHamH 111 Reasons Students Came to This University (By Age) Nearness was the factor which became increasingly significant among each successive age group. The younger adults were more concerned with the reputation of the institution and, to some extent, with the cost and scholar- ship aid obtainable as is shown in Table 39. (Responses could be made to more than one item.) Methods Preferred for Continuing Education The adult undergraduates preferred enrollment in courses on campus: 85.22 per cent indicated an interest in this method; 25.10 per cent indicated an interest in extension courses; 22.87 per cent were interested in independent study, and 20.85 per cent in on—the-job courses. Only 10.93 per cent indicated an interest in correspondence courses and 9.72 per cent in educational television. A notable difference between males and females was that more females than males were interested in independent study (27.05 per cent to 18.80 per cent). It should be of sig- nificance to those planning for adult students that most of them seemed to prefer courses on campus according to informa- tion in Table 40. (It should be remembered that respondents could check several responses.) Special Courses for Returning Adults (By Sex) Adults were interested in courses in improvement in reading, how to study, how to take tests, improvement of 112 Ho. omN omH oN. .HpHopooHoO um OmHOHmam uaoumm no.m mO.H~ mm.mH mH.m Hw.m mm.q huHm luo>HcD waHvamuu¢ p38: .HHHamm 8:8 85 oN.m SN $3 No; 85 33355 no waHmvaum mmHz no Oomnmam HN.N~ mm.O~ wo.m~ mN.Hm no.0m OO.~H mmu¢ oH wdeuoz «MHz no Oamnmam OO.H O~.m om.N m~.O Ow.~ mw.m OH< mHnmumHosom mm.mH mm.OH O~.OH OH.HH ON.¢H HH.mN mmoH oncomxm Hw.qq Ow.wm mm.m¢ mN.Hm m0.0m mm.Hm GOHuauHumaH mo aOHumunmmm moon HNJN oHéo oH.$ No.8 2.: 35oz Awmq How AOH Hog Amm Howl, AqO HOV amOH HOV Aqem HOV ammuamoumm owmusmouom ammuamoumm ammucmoumm mwmuamuuom mwmuaooumm maommom uoOHo H38. po Hm ammo. owl: 83. 3.3 ammo NmuNm 8? HmuoN 8?. Amw< mmv HuHmuo>HcD mth ou waHEoo How maommom .mm mHnma 113 m0.0N mOH m0.0H Oe OO.N~ Hm momhsou ooHvoHpvoo NH.O we OH.~H Hm O0.0 5H :OHmH>oHoH HmcoHpmoawm m0.0H em Oe.HH ON oe.OH ON mompzoo oucovcommohhou NN.NN mHH mo.NN oo oo.oH Ne Hospm pcowcomoqu OH.mN eNH OO.mN HO O~.mN mO momnsou :OHmaouxm NN.mw HNe No.ow oHN oe.eo HHN maggou no mumpsou :H uqoaHHopcm Home HoO HHHN HoO HomN HoO ommpcoohom Honesz ommpcouuom Honesz ommpcoUHom Honesz vogue: Hmpoh onEom onz :oproswm quzaHpcou pom Ooppomopm mOoAHoz .Oe oHOmH 114 writing, improvement of speaking, "new math," and orienta— tion to college courses. Males were slightly less confident than females of their ability in reading and their know—how in studying. Information in Table 41 should be of help in curriculum planning for adults. Special Courses for Returning Adults (By Age) In Table 42 the younger adults indicated more interest in improvement courses in reading, speaking, and writing. The older groups indicated greater concern in new mathe- matics and scientific developments. Slightly more anxiety seems to be shown about orientation to college, how to study and how to take tests by the 38—43 age group. Interest in Refresher Courses (By Sex) The "new math" is a magic field which seems to concern adults of all ages (Table 43). A refresher course in mathematics was important to both males and females. Some males, again, showed a lack of confidence in their reading ability while females felt they needed refreshers in literature and history. Interest in Refresher Courses (By Age) As in Table 43, a refresher course in mathematics was the most desired course by all ages; in second place was reading, then science and foreign language. The percentages were similar to those in Table 43. Differences in age did 115 oo.mm moH eN.oN mN oN.mN No Hoopm op zom OO.HM an OO.Hm up OO.Nm OO mumoh oxme on 30: NN.OH Om ON.OH we ON.BH me mpHsv< 90% ompsou oOoHHou ow :oHpmpnoHHo O~.H Om Om.“ OH ON.H OH momnsou mooH> :Hom HHHHSEEOU OH.NH mO O0.0H em OO.HH ON ompzou unoemoHo>oQ UHHHpooHoO 3oz NN.OH OO O0.0H Oe OO.nH ee cum: 302 No.oN NNH NN.oN eo oo.NN oo moHpsz :H unoEo>oumEH NN.OH oo No.mH om oe.oN Hm moHHooom :H uaoso>0HmeH oe.mm moH mm.om eN oe.om Ho mopooom :H unoEo>0HmEH Heme HoO HeeN HoO HomN HoO ommpcmupom Honesz oOOHCooHoO Honszz oOmunooHom Honesz mompsou Hmpoe onEom onz HKom HOV muH3O< OCHGHSHom How momhsou HmHoomm cH pmohoch .He oHOwB 116 Amw< Omv muH5O< wchusumm now womunoo HNHuomm CH ummumuaH ON.OH Om OO.HN e OO.HH n Om.O~ OH e~.mH OH OO.NH me mmuaoo omeHoo ou aOHumucoHno OO.H OO On.mH O OH.O N O0.0 O H0.0 e Om.n HO mooH>umm hansaBoo mn.~H OO OO.HN e ON.OH e OH.HH HH Oe.HH NH eH.HH HO muaoamo IHo>mn oHHHu IQOHUO 3oz NN.OH OO OO.HN e e0.0N OH OO.HN eH O0.0H eH OO.~H me Sum: 3oz ose N0.0N OOH mm.mH O mm.OO NH OO.HN eH OH.OH OH OO.HO eO waHuHuz aH unmam>oumaH NN.OH om O0.0H N OO.HH n H0.0~ OH Oe.HH NH N0.0N Om wnH Ixmmmm GH unwam>oumaH oe.OO OOH OO.HO O nn.OO NH OH.ON OH OO.HN ON H0.00 OOH wnHOmom aH unmaw>ouaaH Home HNH. HHH mov Hon pov Hoo Hmv HmoH Hov HeoN Hoe. owmuaoo Hon mwmuamo HMO owmudmo Hon owmuamo Hon owmuamu umn mwmuamo Hon ummumuaH luom Iasz Inmm Iauz them 1852 lumm Iasz Imam Iauz Iuom IaSz mmunoo Hauoa umOHo no Hm Omlee OeIOO HOINO HOION mmuouo ow< .Ne oHHoH 117 oo.mm OOH OO.Hm O NN.om NH NO.oe ON HN.ON NN oo.em oo hoopm ou 30m OO.HO OOH OO.HO O O0.00 OH OO.~O em N0.0N OO OO.HO NO mummy ome ou 30m Heme HoO HmH OoO Ham HmH. HeOAHmO HOOH HoO HeON Honx owmuamo non mwmucmu awn mwmuaoo non emancmo non owmuamo Hon mwmucoo Hop umouounH lumm nabz duom aasz luom I852 them Iauz Iuom Iabz luom Iauz omusou Hmuoa HmOHo no HO OOIee OeIOO OOINO HOION mammuw uwfll Hooooppoouv .Ne OHOOH 118 ON.HH OO ON.NH HO OO.OH NN OOOOOOOH :OHoHom OO.NH eO OO.OH ee OO.O ON Npopmp: Ocm opzpmHoHHH OO.H Om me.O ON O0.0 OH muu< O0.0H NO HH.OH NO OO.ON OO OOHOOOO H0.0 he H0.0 HN oe.OH ON chHpmuHcsesou N0.0 ON O0.0 O O0.0 ON mmochsm HO. e OO.H e oHSHHsuHHO< O0.0H OO em.eH Om O0.0H Om ounoHoO OH.OO meH O0.0N HO ON.OO OO moHumanpmz HeOe OoO HNON OoO HOON OoO oOmucmoHom Honanz owmpcoohom yonssz oprszHom Honesz momHSOU HOHOH onEom . onz Axom Amv mompsou Honmohmom :H umopoch .Oe oHOmH 119 not appear to be a factor in choices of refresher courses. (Complete table available.) Preference for Classes with Other Adults In Table 44, 57.76 per cent of the adult students re- sponding to the question did not care whether they were in classes with other adults or with younger students; only 16.93 per cent were firm in their desire for classes with other adults. Of the males, 19.45 per cent of the 257 responding indicated a desire to take classes with other adults; females seemed slightly more willing to participate in classes with younger students. This is interesting, since the females in the study were somewhat older than the males. See Table 1, page 43. (Responses do not indicate different individuals; each person could check more than one response.) Preferred Times for Courses Predictable differences were evident in the time adults could attend classes: Male Choices Regularly sCheduled day courses Night courses SUmmer courses Special courses once weekly, daytime, for two or three hour sessions Courses meeting one hour weekly and providing for independent study Late afternoon courses . Saturday courses and 9. Dayolong sessions two weeks/term and weekoend seminars (equally favored) AmNH oowox U1 120 O0.00 NOO O0.00 OeN O0.00 NON Hmuoe ON.NO OON O0.00 NeH O0.00 OeH oucohoHHHn oz moxmz OO.OH NO OH.OH NO OO.NH me pogpomop oEom mxHoumH smmom oaom O0.0 me OO.NH HO Oe.O eH oz OO.OH OO ON.OH OO OO.OH OO OOH Hmomcomm Hmmmnomm Hmomnomm mpH3O< -op.NOO woO -op.OeN OoO -op NON moO Hoapo Osz ommpcoUHom Honesz ommpcoUHom Honesz oOmpcooHom Honesz mmmmmHu Mom HOHOH oHOEom onz mononomonm mpH5O< Hmnpo HHH: mommmHu pom oocoHoHon .ee oHOmH 121 Female Choices 1. Regularly scheduled day courses 2. Night courses 3. special courses once weekly, daytime, for two or three hour sessions 4. Courses meeting one hour weekly and providing for independent study ' 5. Summer courses 6. Saturday courses 7. Day«1ong sessions, two weeks/term 8. Late afternoon courses 9. Week-end seminars The importance of a good offering of night courses was evident when both men and women chose this time as their second choice for courses. Men found summer courses desir— able while women had more family responsibilities in the summer. Both liked classes meeting once weekly for long sessions, or for shorter sessions and independent study. Late afternoon classes were more desirable for the males than for females who again had family responsibilities. For pleasing the total_group (494), first choice was regular day courses (61.13 per cent); second, night courses (34.62 per cent); third, special courses once weekly, for two or three hour sessions (26.72 per cent); fourth, summer courses (24.09 per cent); fifth, courses which meet one hour weekly and provide for independent study (20.24 per cent). (Responses in Table 45 do not indicate separate individuals; each person could check more than one response.) 122 O0.0 ON HO.e HH O0.0 eH mhmzHEom OcorHOOz OO.HH OO NO.HH NN OO.HH ON OOOOOHO OOOHSHOO NO.OH HO ON.N OH OO.NH NO OOOOOHO GOOGHOHMdO mum..— OO.eN OHH OO.NN OO OO.ON OO Oomgoou hosesm NO.OO HNH ON.NO NO OO.HO ON momyoou pOOHz NN.ON NOH OH.HO ON OO.NN OO mOOHmmom H50: O no N OOH .oEHu :kmn .OHHOOB mono Oonmmmo momusou HmHoomm OH.HO NOO OH.OO NOH OO.OO OOH OOOOOHO NOO OOHOOoOoO AHHOHOOOO HeOe OoO HOON OoO HOON OoO OOOHN ammucoouom amnesz OOOHOOOHOO honesz OOOHCOOHOO Hmnesz OOHHOHOHO HOHOH OHmEOm Osz momhsou OOH moEHH OOHHOHOHO .Oe OHan 123 momzommom OOO Oe.n um eN.ON OOH me.m N0.0N MOO OO O0.0 OO.eH ome eH BM Show MOO mHOoz 039 mOOHmmOO OOOH than NOH pmoz OOHOS momnzou OOSHO «new rammmvcH Mom OOH>OHO Ocm Aonmz HOOI Ono pom: OOan momunou HeOe OOO OOOHGOOOOO Honesz HOpoe HeeN OoO OOOHOOOHOO Honesz OHOEOO HOON OoO OOOHOOOHOO honesz OHOZ moeHe OOHHOOOHO HOoooOpoooO .Oe OHan 124 Methods of Instruction Preferred A summary of the methods of instruction preferred by adults follows in Table 46. A complete table of likes, dislikes and uncertainties is available. Percentages were based on the total number in the study. "Lecture and discussion" was the first choice of both males and females, and "lecture only" was the second choice of both. Males ranked "mostly discussion" in third place while females put it in fifth place. Females preferred more reading and writing papers. Both groups indicated a dislike of tele- vision classes, which may have been due, in part, to lack of experience with this form of instruction. The same lack of experience could have been true to some extent with programmed learning. (Responses do not indicate separate individuals; each person could check more than one response.) Kinds of Examinations Preferred (By Sex) In Table 47, the combined preferences of males and females indicated the following choices of examinations: (1) multiple answer, (2) essay, (3) take-homes, (4) open booku Adult males liked multiple answer examinations ‘better than females (64 per cent to 56.97 per cent), and females liked essay examinations (55.33 per cent to 48 per cent.for males) and takeohomes (32.28 per cent to 20.40 per cent.fbr males). (Responses do not indicate different individuals; each person could check more than one re— sponse.) 125 eN.HH mmmmmHu e0.0 mOmmOHu O0.0H mommmHu :OHmH>OHOH OOHmH>OHOH :OHOH>OHOH NO.OH OOHOOOOH OO.OH OOHOHOOH OO.OH OOOOOO OOEEOOOOHO OOEEOHOOHO Ocm OOHOOOO OO.HN OOOOOO NN.HN oopmmoo OO.ON OOHOOOOH Ocm OOHOOOO «mHm kHumOz OoEEwHOOHO OO.NN OOHO eO.NN OOOOOO OO.OO mooppHeaoO rmnomHm prmoz Onm OOHOOOO OO.eO :OHm OO.HO mooppHeeou H0.00 OmoppHeeoo -msomHo OHpmoz OO.OO OHOO OHOHOOH OO.OO AHOO OROHOOH oe.eO HHOO OHOHOOH Oe.OO OOHmmaumHo OH.OO :OHmmsomHo O0.00 :OHmmsomHm One OHOpOOH use OHOHOOH Ocm OHOOOOH HOOO OoO HeeN OoO HOON OOO OOOHOOOHOO mOOOOHOHOHm OOOHOOOHOO mOOGOHOHOHm OOOHOOOHOO moo:OHOOOHO HOpOH OHOEOm OHmz OOHHOOOHO :OHpusapmcH HO mvonpoz .Oe OHOOH 126 OO.OH NN OH.OH , NO OO.OH Oe Oanm Hoom :Omo N0.0N OOH ON.NO ON Oe.ON Hm mamxm OEOm Oxmh NO.HO OON OO.OO OOH OO.OO ONH OOOOO O0.00 OON O0.00 OOH OO.eO OOH nozmc< OHOHpHoz HeOe OoO HeeN OoO HOON OoO OOOHOOOOOO honesz OOOHOOOOOO honesz OOOHOOOHOO Honesz mamxm HNHOH mHmE®m OHOZ Axom OOO OOHHOHOHO mOOHpmcHmem mo OOOHO .Oe OHOOH 127 Kinds of Examinations Preferred (By Age) When kinds of examinations preferred were studied by age, Table 48, it was indicated that the younger students liked multiple answer examinations better than the older students: 68.56 per cent of age group 21~31 to 47.37 per cent of age group 51 or older and 43.59 per cent of the 44o50,group. Comparatively, the older group preferred take—home examinations: 47.37 per cent of those 51 or older to 21.21 per cent of those 26‘31 years of age. This corre« lates with a slowing in the rate of response which occurs with increaSing age. Take-home examinations give adults more time to respond and an opportunity to use their many experiences and wide vocabulary effectively. Preferred Types of Evaluation (By Sex) Adults chose types of evaluations in this order: (I) frequent examinations (55.87 per cent), (2) a mid—term and a final (27.13 per cent), (3) short papers (25.10 per cent), and examinations and a term paper (15.99 per cent). .A "term paper only" or "a final examination only" were unp0pular. The only differences noted between males and female preferences were a slight disposition of females to prefer papers and a slight tendency for males to prefer examinations, as shown in Table 49. (Responses do not necessarily indicate separate individuals; each person 128 .Oe OOOO .H OHOmH .mmwm uHmOp OpOOHvaH poa OHO OHOOOH>HOOH OOOOHO xoom ammo maomlmxme Ommmm Amw< OmV Omnummoum maOHumaHawxm mo OOOHM .Oe OHAOH uoqu< OHOHanz O0.0H ON N0.0N OOH NO.HO OON O0.00 OON mHOuOH O0.0H N O0.0e O HH.Ne O N0.0e O OH HOOHO HO HO H0.0N O O0.00 OH N0.0e OH O0.0e NH, OO OOIee H0.0N OH OH.ON OH ON.OO OO H0.0e ON eO OeIOO OO.NH OH Oe.HO OO OO.NO OO OH.OO HO OOH NOINO O0.0H He HN.HN OO eN.OO eOH O0.00 HOH eON HOION Amdouw Andouo Omsouu Omwouw «Onionu ww< HOV mw¢ HOV mw< HOV mw< HOV mw< OH mw< mwmuamoumm Honesz owmuamonom umnafiz mmmunmouom Hopasz ammunmoumm Honapz mHmuoa 129 OH.ON ONH HO.ON NN OO.ON NO OHOOOO pHoHO OO.OH ON OO.ON Oe OO.NH OO HOOOO EHOH m Onm mfiowpmflwamxm HH.O Oe OO.OH ON OO.N OH HOOOO apme e OH.NN OOH ON.ON eO OO.ON ON :oHpooHaO {Om HOOHO o OOO shopOHz < OO.O OH OO.N O OO.O OH NHOO flownumfiflfim ‘xm HOOHO < NO.OO ONN NO.OO OOH OO.OO NOH OOoHpOOHeO -xm uaoscoum HeOe HoO HOON HoO HOON HoO OOHpOOHO>m OOOHOOOHOO HOOESZ OOOHOOOHOO honesz OOOHGOOHOO Hmaesz HO OQOH HOHOH onEom OHmz HXOO Omv GOHumsHm>m Ho momxe OOHHOHOHO .Oe OHQOB 130 could check more than one response.) Preferred Types of Evaluation (By Age) All age groups preferred "frequent examinations" (55.87 per cent), as Table 50 shows. The older groups chose "short papers" secondly, while the younger group selected a "mid—term and a final." Third choice for all was "examination and a term paper." A "term paper only" was less popular with the younger ages, and a "final only" was unpopular at any age. Examinations for Credit and Examinations to Waive Courses Approximately equal percentages of males and females would take advantage of examinations for credit: 62.40 per cent (156) of the males; 59.84 per cent (146) of the females. More men than women, 41.6 per cent (104) versus 32.7 per cent (80), would like to waive courses by taking examina- tions; the combined indication is that 37.25 per cent (184) are interested in waiving courses (without credit). Plans to Continue Education As shown in Table 51, adults working on bachelor's degrees numbered 46.56 per cent of the total, closely followed by master's degrees, 39.06 per cent of the total, and doctorates, 6.88 per cent. A few were non—degree or Special certification candidates. As many males planned to get master's degrees as planned to get bachelor's .Oe owoa .H oHnoe oom .Osouw omm HOHOOHuuom osu OH OOHOOHOOH nonsua onu Ho oum mowmuaoouom HHOO 131 HHOe HOV ON.ON eNH O0.0H OO OH.O Oe ON.ON «OH O0.0 OH HN.OO OON mHmuOH HOH Hov OO.HO O OO.HN e O0.0H O O0.0H O ON.O H O0.00. O HOOHO HO HO HOO HOV 00.00 «H O0.0H O ON.OH e HN.mN HH mo.H¢ OH omlee HeO HOV O0.00 ON O0.0H NH OO.NH w O0.0N OH O0.0 m OH.OO em melmm HOOH OoO OH.OH OH ON.OH OH O0.0 O H0.0N ON OO.N O O0.00 OO OOINO OHeON mov HH.ON HO O0.0H mm O0.0 HN HH.ON «O O0.0 NH O0.00 «OH HOION owoucou Hon ammuaoo Hon owouaoo non «mauaoo Hon MMWucoo non owouaoo Hon umfl Iuom Iasz luom Iauz [pom 1352 upon Iauz Iuom Iasz Iuom Iauz uomom shoe Ono HoaHh oaOHuonHaoxm ouomom uuonm o:OHuoaHamxm uomom egos Ono auouOHz OHao Hoch uaoavoum Aow< OmV aOHuwsHo>m Ho Omaha OouHOHoum .OO OHAOH 132 O0.00 eOe O0.00 eeN O0.00H OON meuoe HO.H O NN.O O omooaoom oz NN.N HH OO.N O OO.N O ponpo OO.O HO NN.O O OO.OH ON Opopopoon OO.OO OOH N0.00 OO OO.HO OOH OOHOOO m.hOpmoz OO.OO OON OO.HO ONH OO.HO OOH oopOoO m.HoHo:oom ON. H oe. H HOHpcoOoHu Hoowsoze OO.O NH OO.N N OO.O OH HoooOoO-oon momHSOu HO Honaoz OopHeHH HeOe HoO HeON HoO HOON HoO OOHpo omoucoonom Honfizz omopcooaom Honesz omoucoopom honesz uanpnou kuoe oHoeom OHoz HO unopxm COHHOOOOH oscHucou op mcon .HO oHnme 133 (41.60 per cent) while more females planned to stop at the bachelor's level (51.63 per cent bachelor's compared with 36.47 per cent master's). Of the males, 10.40 per cent planned for doctorates contrasting with 3.27 per cent of the females. How Students Were Financing Their Education Table 52 shows that 54.25 per cent of the adults were working full or partetime; 43.32 per cent had financial aid from their spouses; 27.13 per cent were using savings; smaller percentages had loans or scholarships. Males, however, reported 69.60 per cent were working; 42.40 per cent were using government funds; 37.20 per cent were using savings and wives were paying or aiding in 31.20 per cent of the cases. For females, financial sources were: spouse is paying, 55.74 per cent; working, 38.52 per cent; 16.80 per cent used savings; 16.39 per cent used loans; 10.25 per cent scholarships, and less than 1 per cent .government aid. More information about financial aids available to adults would be helpful, and_greater interest in helping adults financially could be stimulated. Many adults who are not now able to afford a college education would be likely to return for additional education if finances were available. (Responses do not indicate sepa- rate individuals; each person could respond to more than one part of the question.) 134 OO.HN OOH NO. N OO.NO OOH OO< ucoacho>ow ON.HH OO ON.OH ON ON.OH OO OOOONOHOOUO OO.OH NO OO.OH OO OO.OH NO OOOO NO.OO OHN ON.OO OOH ON.HO ON OOONOO mH omsomm OH NN OOH OO.OH HO ON.NO OO OOOO>OO ON.OO OON N0.00 OO O0.00 ONH one-pNOO No HHOO OcOxNoz HOOO MOO NOON OoO HOON MOO OOOuachm ommucoohom Nonasz ommpcoohom ponesz ommpaoohom Nonesz mo muonuoz Hmpoe onEom mam: cowpmuscm pause mqfiocmcflm opoz mucovsum 30: .Nm oanme 135 V. VOCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS This section depicts the vocational characteristics of adult undergraduates including number employed, neces— sity for employment, types of employment, length of time spent on a job, and future employment plans. Number Employed Of the adult undergraduates 329 (66.60 per cent) worked full-time, part~time or occasionally. Two hundred eight (83.20 per cent of 250) men worked as compared with 121 (49.59 per cent of 244) women. The adult males who worked fulletime numbered 107 (42.80 per cent of the total 250); females who worked full‘time numbered 50 (20.49 per cent of the total 244). These figures account in part for differences in student income in Table 7, page 52. (Differences in numbers working in Table 52 and this table may be due to the fact that "working occasionally" is included in Table 53.) Necessity for Employment In Table 54, employment was a financial necessity to 265 adults (53.64 per cent of the 494 studied). Almost three-fourths (181) of the adult males found working a necessity compared with about one-third (84) of the adult females. Fifty-nine adults did not answer the question. 136 Om.HH om omnommou oz H0.0m ONH NN.wO mHH O0.0N Hm oz «a.mm mom mO.vm Om OO.NN HwH mo» HOOO OOO HOON MOO NOON OoO owmuaoohom Nonesz ommuzouuom Nonesz ommpaoohom nonesz Haves onEom onz paoeonmEm New zuHmmoooz .Om oHan O0.00 mmm mm.mO HNH o~.mw wow Hmwoe NH.OH ON mm.HH mm O0.0H HO NAHHOOHBHOOOUUO OO.ON NOH HN.NH NO OO.ON OO HON0-0\HO oEHH-uNmm mN.Hm NmH mO.oN om ow.~O NOH oEHBuHHnm HOOO WOO HOON MOO NOON OOO OONoHaam mmmucooyom Nonesz ommwaouaom Nonanz owmpqoohom nonesz mEHH Hmuoe onEom onz woonmEm Nonssz .Mm oHan Ill lll 1 l fllllll llalllll Ill lul.‘ I I “I'll Ill . 137 Occupations of Adult Undergraduate Students Although each adult may have held several jobs, the category recorded was the highest status job each had held. In Table 55, most of the women were found in office, clerical and sales jobs (57.66 per cent). The only other category for women that was significantly large was professional work (32.22 per cent). None of the women listed themselves as housewives. On the other hand, men's jobs covered a variety of areas: military (28.29 per cent), service work (21.97 per cent), skilled labor (16.09 per cent), professional work (9.75 per cent), office, clerical and sales (8.29 per cent), and executive and managerial (7.80 per cent). (The figures given are on the basis of 205 male and 180 female respondents. The fact that 385 listed occupations as contrasted with 329 in Table 53 indicates they may have been employed in the past but were not necessarily employed at the time of answering the questionnaire.) Number of Years at Various Occupations Some indication of the number of years spent in vari— ous jobs is summarized in Table 56. When the adults were asked to indicate from "one" to "nine or longer” years spent on jobs they had held, it became evident that not too many had held a variety of jobs. Not shown in the table was Job IV to which only 83 responded. Most had held 138 OOO O0.00 OOH O0.00 OON HOOON OO OO. H ON.ON OO OUO>NOO NNOOOHOZ lul ll: lll lll lll @mfisomdom HO OO.O O NO.HN OO Ogoz ouN>NOO ON NN.NO OO ON.O ON ONO: HOOOOOOOOONO HNH OO.NO OOH ON.O NH OOHOO OOO HOOHNOHO .OUOOOO NH OO. H OO.N OH NOOOOO: no o>Hu=uoxm O NO.N O NOOONOOO ho gonzo Eumm N OO. H OO. H chzo OOOOOOOO OO O0.0 N OO.OH OO NOOOO OOHHNOO HH HH.H N ON.O O NOONoz Hmscmz HOOH OOO NOON OOO Hmpoe ommuaoopom Nonezz ommucoouom Nonaaz :OHummsooo monEom monz mucowSHm opmswmuwgowca pst< mo mnoHummsooo .mm oHnmh 139 OO.OO OON O0.00 OOO O0.00 OHO HOOON an OIH- MNIINI HONI a mOI BOOB Ho mfiwz OO.O N NN.N O OO.N OH OOOHm O0.0 N HN.H O OO.H O qo>om OO.N O ON.O OH O0.0 OH OOO ON.O OH OO.O OH OO.O NN O>Om OO.O OH NH.NH OO OO.HH OO Naom OO.OH HO NO.NH HO OO.OH HO OONON NO.ON OO NN.NN ON ON.OH NO oze HN.NO NO NN.NO OOH H0.0N ONH Ono HOON OOO HOOO OOO HOHO OOO ommpcoohom nonesz ommpcooaom Nonesz ammucoonom Nonesz mama» HHH OOO HO OOO H OOO msoHpmmsooo mSOHNm> um mama» mo Nonezz .om oHan 140 jobs from one to four years which probably reflected some employment during the university years for self or spouse, or employment preceding going to the university, or years spent in military service. The rise in percentages at "nine or longer" reflected older students who had long— time careers. Differences between males and females in number of years spent on Specific jobs were insignificant. Reasons for Changing Jobs Table 57 shows that the most-named reason for changing jobs was for a better Opportunity. Decided differences showed between males and females: for males - better opportunity (76.12 per cent of those responding), job unsatisfactory (21.29 per cent); for females «-marriage or family interfered (34.67 per.cent), better opportunity (30.65 per cent), spouse moved to different area (28.64 per cent). For females, jobs tended to be determined or changed by the job locations of their husbands. Future Work Plans In Table 58, it is indicated that 74.29 per cent (three- fourths) of the adults planned to work full-time in the future; another 16.40 per cent (about one-sikth) planned at least part«time work; only 7.89 per cent (about one-twelfth) were uncertain or thought they would not work. Almost all of the males who answered, 94.4 per cent, indicated definite plans to work full« or partatime in the future; more females, 141 O0.00 Omm mm.mm mmH mm.mm mmH HOOOH mo.ON HN N0.0N mo mN.H N wonownopaH OHHEmm No omeNNmz mm.OH mm OH.NN om mN.H N moN< ucohomem ow wo>oz omsomm O0.00 ONH OO.OO HO NH.ON OHH NOOOOONOOOO Nouumm OO.NH OO OO.O OH ON.HN OO NNOOOOO lmemmca now HOOO OOO HOOH OOO HOOH OOO ommuaoohom proe owmpnoohom Honesz owmuaoouom Nonesz mnemmom onEom onz mnoh qumqmco How mnommom .Nm oHnt 142 HO.H N omnommoh oz wm.wm NwO om.wm OON om.wm NON HapOH Nw.m mN Ow.m ON OO.N m :Hmuhooca NO.N OH OO.H O OO.N O Ooz NHOOOONO O0.0H Hm HN.NH NO oo.mH mm oEHH lphmm .mo» ON.ON Now No.00 ONH ON.ON NmH oEHN -HHOO .Oe» HOOO OOO HOON OOO NOON OOO ONO: ommacoouom Nonesz ommucoopom honesz omwuqoopom Nonesz op manm oHOEom mcmHm Mao: ouapsm .wm oHan 143 9.84 per cent, were uncertain. It is notable, however, that 86.88 per cent of the females planned to work in the future. Of the 247 males who responded, 96 per cent indi— cated future work plans; of the 240 females who responded, 88 per cent indicated future work plans. VI. PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF ADULTS Section VI develops the difficulties which adults had in coming or returning to the University, where they reO ceived assistance, andOtheir needs as they saw them. A. Data from Questionnaires Difficulties Encountered in Returning to the University The most frequent difficulties which confronted adults were: courses given at times they could not attend, lack of time to study and read, insufficiency of courses at apprOpriate times, fear of exams, cannot afford cost, must make arrangements for family while away, tranSporta— tion, courses uninteresting, lack of appropriate courses, and competition from adolescents. Difficulties which were most frequently mentioned by male adults were insufficiency of courses at apprOpriate times, lack of time to study and read, courses given only at times they could not attend, inability to pay costs, fear of exams. On the other hand, most frequent difficul- ties encountered by the adult female were: courses given at times they could not attend, necessity to make arrange— 144 ments for family while away, insufficiency of courses at appropriate times, lack of time to study and read, and fear of exams. The first five difficulties cited by males and females showed two outstanding differences: males classed finances in the group while females mentioned the difficulty in making arrangements for the family while they were away. Women mentioned cost in sixth place; men had apparently little worry about care of family while away. Both groups had difficulty with arranging transportation to classes. Those returning to jobs after classes were especially handicapped. In Table 59 judging from the percentage figures, women, on the whole, encountered more difficulties than men in coming or returning for more education. (Re- spondents could check more than one reSponse.) Difficulties Encountered in Coming or Returning to the University (By Age) The same list of difficulties was studied according to age_group in Table 60. Problems seemed magnified in the 32*37 age group. The oldest group had fewer problems in attendance times. The younger adults found courses less interesting, but as the groups grew older their interests were broader. The younger group experienced more difficulty with costs. Fear of examinations was heightened in the 38«43 age groups, but universally present. Arrangements for family were most difficult for those between 32 and 43 145 O0.0 Om ON.m OH oo.w ON wammm :umoa OO OHO OOO OO.ON OO OO ON HO -ON.OH OO OOOO ONOOOO a.mmu OO.O OH OO.O O OO.O OH OOOOOOO NHOOOO ON.ON NOH OO.HO NN .OO.ON ON Omom wan NOSOm on oEHH mo MomH OO.N OO OO.HH ON OO.O O OOOHz um mommmHu ou cm on OONON ooe OO.NH HO NO.O NN -O0.0H OO OOONOONOO lnHza momhsou ON.ON NOH OO.Hm NN .O0.0N ON moefie oumNNQONmm< um momusou mo koaoHoHMMSmnH NO.mm mNH NO.NO OOH ..Oo.NN mo Ocouu< u.qwu so» moEHH um G0>HU mmmHDOU NN.O OO H0.0 HN -OO.OH NN OOONOOO OOOONO loumm< mo MumH HOOO OOO NOON OOO HOON OOO ommpcoohom honesz ommpcounom Nonezz ommuaoouom Nonssz moNuHSUNmmwn HwHOH onEom mfimz HXom kmv prmpo>ch map ou maHGNSNOm :N wowoucsoocm monHsonwNQ .Om oHnme 146 NN.O OO .O0.0 ON -O0.0H ON Oucou :moHow< Scum QOHpNquEOU O0.0 Nm ON.O OH ON.N OH mEoHnonm >2 :H woumo luoqu ono oz ON.O HO NO.O NH OO.N OH OOOOO OOONOOO pow on So: on mm whozmc< pow a.mmu N0.0H Oo ON.OH NO -O0.0 NN anoNMMNn :OHpmpNommnmNH HO.NH OO ON.OO HO OO.N N NOzO OHOOO NHOOOO OOO muqoaomcmu 1N< oxmz umnz OO.HN NOH OO.mN Ho -O0.0H OO mamxm mo wNmNm< HOOO OOO HOON OOO NOON OOO ommpcoopom Nonezz ommpnoohom Nonssz ommpaoohom Nonasz mowanonmHn Hmpoe onz HwoscHycouO oHan 147 MN.N NO.NH mm.m~ mN.mm NN.O mm Ho NOH mNH mO 0N.m om.m mN.mH Ow.om mN.m mm.~H om.~ NN.Om om.mm ON.OH NH OH O0.0H wm.m O0.0N mN.Hm O0.0H mH om NQ.N MO.HH OH.Nm ON.OO mm.mH NH mm NO OH om.m mm.mH mo.m~ OO.Hm mm.w OH HO ON mm mm unwflz um mommMHu ou ow cu Oaufis ooN wafi tumououafi In: ammuaoo mmaHH mum IHHmoHQQO um mmmusoo mo mono IHUHmmamGH vaouu< uoc taco mmaHH um co>Hu ammunoo womanoo oumHum Iouagd mo xomH *«AHwO mow «mwmucmo lumm kuoa AHOH OOO Hon mwmucoo .lgz luom HoHOHo no Hm HOO OOO non mwmuamu luom omIOO ow< lgz HOO OOO, non owmuaoo non lgz mOlmm OOO luom HOOH OOO mwmuaoo luom NMINm uw< NOON Nov Mon ammunmo lug—z luom HOION OOO Amw< hmv OuHmuo>HcD ou wnHauauom no waHaoo :H vmumusnoocm moHanoHHMHQ non lasz NOH=OHOONO .00 OHan 148 NO.NH mm ON.O H om.N H Hm.ON mH OO.HO mm N0.0H Nm hm3¢ oHasz NHOaOm mom mucus lmwawuu¢ 832 gas: ON.HN NOH mO.HN O Hm.om m O0.00 NN OO.NN ON OH.OH OO mQOHu Imawamxm mo vfimum< NO.O OO OO.HN O ON.OH O OO.OH N HO.O O O0.0 OH OHHOOO aummH ou OHO ooa OH.ON OO ON.m H NO.NH m OH.NH HH mm.o~ NN mm.NN Om umoo whomm< wonamo O0.0 OH ON.O H OO.H H OO.N O N0.0 OH Ouumupo 3.3mm O0.0N NOH N0.0N m HN.wN HH mm.Om NN mO.Hm mm HO.w~ mN vmom gum hvnum ou mafia mo xomH OOHHOO OON NOH 3 OOO OOO 3O 3 NOOH O3 HflN OloO «mwmuaoo umn owmuamo non owmuamo non ammudmo non owwuaoo Hun ammunmo non luom labz lumm lauz luom lasz luom laaz luom lasz Imam labz huHsoOMMOn Hmuoa uoOHo no Hm omlOO mOlwm leum Hmlom ow< ow< mw< uw< owd AmonaHuaoov .OO oHamH 149 .momw aflonu obww uoa OHO mHmavO>anH mouna«* .maouw oww sumo 6H moumawmuwumuas ustm mo muopasa mo mum mowMucmoumm« .OO OOOO .H «Haws NN.O mO o~.m H ON.OH O m~.o O mm.mH OH N0.0 mN muaoomoH Iov< aoum aOHuHuumEou Hm.o Nm OO.N m Hm.N m Hw.m O mm.N om maanoum a: :H vmumo luouaH one 02 Hm.o Hm ON.m H om.m H on.H H No.0 N mO.N HN namwO Omuumum uow ou 30m ou mm mumzmad uoo uoaamo mo.OH mo ON.mH m NO.NH m OH.NH HH OO.HN mu mN.OH NN uHsoOMMHa . mH aoHu [Muhammawua OOHHOO O3 OOH 3 OOO 3 HO «3 43H 3 NOON O3. «owmudmo non mwwucoo won mwmunoo non ommucoo Hon ammunoo non ammuaoo awn luom lauz luom labz Inmm labz luom Iauz luom lauz luum laaz huHaoHMMHn Hmuoa umvHo no Hm omlOO mOlmm leum Hmlom om< ow< ow< ow< ow< Avmsaauaoov .oc OHQOH 150 years of age. (Each respondent could check more than one response.) Where Students Received Help in Coming or Returning to the University Males turned to their friends for help and informa- tion about coming or returning to the University; females were more likely than males to use University agencies. Table 61 shows that the sources of information for males and females in or of usage were: the Admissions Office, the Registrar's Office, friends, other pe0ple, and other University agencies. It would appear that more informa- tion available from a single source would be of benefit. (Respondents to this question were not limited to one answer.) What Adults Need at the University (Check List) Adults were in rather close agreement regarding their first ranked needs at the University, as shown in Table 62: (1) special academic advisement and counseling, 56.28 per cent; (2) a recognized adult center, 45.55 per cent; (3) scholarships and financial aids, 45.34 per cent; (4) registration and advisement by telephone, 30.16 per cent; (5) special assistance in procedures, 21.86 per cent; (6) more information in the catalogue, 17 per cent; (7) op- portunity for a testing program, 16.60 per cent; (8) more information in the schedule book, 9.51 per cent. 151 O0.0N mHH mN.0N Oo OO.NN mm mhmnuo NN.NN OHH O0.0H mO O0.0N mo mvcmHNm OO.OH NO NN.HN OO OO.NH OO OOOUOOOO xufimuo>Haa hmnuo OH.NO OOH NO.Hm ON OO.Nm HO oonmo mconmHew< HH.ON ONH OO.NN NO O0.0N NO oonwo m.nmhumHOmm HOOO OOO NOON OOO NOON OOO . «OOOQOUNOO Nonesz owmpcoouom Hmnesz ammunooamm Nonesz moHocoO< Hmuoe on50m on2 . 7 . OuHmnm>ch may on Ochhspmm No OaHEou cO mHmz Oo>Oooom muqovspm egos: .Ho «Hams 152 OH.OO OOH HH.OO OO OO.NN OO OOOOO NO paoEomH>O< wan :OHpmhumeom Hm.O NO ON.NH Hm O0.0 OH Moom OHSOmnom GH GOHH -mEnomcH who: OO.NH OO m0.0H OO ON.mH Om meQHmumu :O :OHu INEHOMGH 0902 OO.OH NO NN.HN OO OO.HH ON . OONOONO mnHumoB m Now kuHasunommo OO.HN OOH OO.NN NO O0.0H HO moNSOOUOHm GH woman -mHmm< HmHoomm ON.OO ONN OO.OO OOH OO.NO NOH OOHHOOOOOO Ocm acme -omH>O< UHEOO smu< HmHummm O0.00 mNN NN.OO OHH OO.NO OOH OOH< HmHo -cqum Oaw mmfinmNmHonom O0.00 mNN OO.HO ONH O0.00 Om Monaco pH3O< OONHamooom < HOOO OOO HOON OOO NOON OOO ommpcoouom Hmnesz ommucoohmm ponasz ommuaoohom honesz mummz HOOOH onEom onz HOOOH OUOOOO NOOO90>O=O OOO Om Oomz OOHOOO OOO; .NO OHOOO 153 At the time of this writing, more information has been added to the catalogue and to the schedule book. B. Data from Open-ended Responses Suggestions for Improvement of Adult Educational Services for Undergraduates Two hundred fifty-five adults responded by essay or letter to the open-ended question asking for comments or suggestions on how the University could improve its ser- vices to the mature adult coming or returning for additional education. Many used this means to express their apprecia- tion at being asked for their opinions. The responses con- stitute an interesting document of 45 single-spaced pages. Because of their length, they have been analyzed and are presented in outline form. The complete responses are available at the Student Affairs Office, the University College, Michigan State University. The suggestions were tabulated in ten categories. Frequency Suggestions: of Mention: (1) Housing 1. 'An undergraduate hall for adults 6 2. Rooms only - not board 3 3. Pay-as-youfgo meal plan 1 4. Choice of room and board or room only 5. More information available to adults on off-campus housing 6. Give precedence to Michigan’ residents on married housing l—l le-Il—I (2) (3) (4) 154 Special Academic Advisement and Counseling Additional: 1. Improve adult counseling service for all part-time students - day and evening 2. Advice on how to return 3 Aptitude tests to determine interests 4. Special program coordinator to handle all details 5. Help in scheduling classes for the DONG o o o 9 9 working student. Help in planning a degree program Help in learning how to study Check on progress of individual stu- dents who have problems Enforce academic advisement program in business ' Special Orientation for Adults 1 Improve Enrollment and Registration Procedures 0‘ (II b (NNH o o o o o 0 Special adult registration Allow registration by mail Enroll and possibly register by phone More information available on pre- registration Assistance in registration in classes to fit commuter's schedule Permit registration on special program basis (non-degree) Pay only for credits taken (eliminate 1-3, 4-7, etc., set up) Have enrollment and registration materials available in the evening (would require some offices Open at night) ReServe spaces for evening, part-time, and transfer students who are re- quired to take specific courses in a _given period of time A central office where all adults may go who have schedule problems Simplify the admissions and readmis- sions forms Eliminate applying for readmission after one or two terms' absence 23 (5) (6) 155 Improved Evening Program 1. Enlarge course selection a. More courses in foreign languages b. More courses in business ' ' c. More courses in Arts 8 Letters d. More courses on Saturdays e. More courses in Arts and Crafts 2. Give adults first chance at evening sections 3. Make it possible for one to attain a degree in Evening College 4. Schedule night classes so one may take two Classes the same evening (6-8, 8-10, etc.) 5. Have advisers available in the evening _6_ Night classes during summer ' 1 Academic and Curricular Improvement for Adults 1. Refresher courses for adults (Math specified by three) 2. Special classes for adults only 3. Allow a more flexible course selection for adults 4. Have longer class meetings and fewer classes 5. Increased understanding on the part of the professors of adults' needs and responsibilities 6. Smaller classes 7. More independent study courses 8. More extension courses in areas other than education 9. Greater respect for adults from gradu- ate assistants ' 10. Greater variety of subjects offered at times suitable for adults 11. Recognize that the many commitments of adults leave less time for extensive reading and term papers 12. Correspondence courses (especially in agriculture - 1) l3. Extend the No Preference category beyond 85 credits (suggesting possibly a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree) 14. More elective credits 15. Orient courses toward adults 16. A means of speeding up programs for adults ‘ 17. Offer more summer courses l-‘l—‘l—‘I—‘N-bN (110‘ OlHOO 12 545-5 LN NNN l—‘N 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 23 156 Fewer mass lectures Integrate volunteer and field work into the curriculum and credits Use programmed learning Revise the curriculum to reflect modern trends Fewer term papers in Police Adminis- tration Revise the curriculum in Landscape Architecture (7) Suggestions for Basic Courses 1. 2. 3. 4. GUI Permission to waive required courses Career-oriented courses instead of ‘Basics Improve Basic courses Have Basics scaled for adults (perhaps an adult track) Allow substitute courses for Basics A minimum requirement in Basics and languages Tests to determine the amount of Basics an adult needs to take Have more Basics available off-campus Have Basic courses begin at earlier hours at night - off and on campus Arrange Basics in blocks - to meet fewer times weekly Shorten summer Basics, i.e. five- week or one half-term completion (8) Evaluation and Grading Improve grading system Use pass-fail grades for electives Minimize variations in grading among instructors teaching the same course Use self-evaluation devices with programmed and computerized learning Revise testing procedures Have more frequent exams Have one exam to determine the grade (9) Financial Aids 1. 2. 3. 3 Financial aids for adults Special scholarships and grants for adults ' Financial aid for part-time students hfld l—‘UJ hfl £0 Fwd h' o: m (DPHHFJH #4 4>O\ CHH H H (AND! 157 (10) Special Adult Facilities Physical l. Accommodations for commuters (check- room, coffee machines, etc.) 4 2. Study area (Morrill, Berkey, library or adult lounge) 3 3. A coffee shop for adults 2 4. Coffee machines in class buildings 2 5. An adult center 1 Social 6. A way for adults to get acquainted 6 7. Adult social activities 2 8. A way for adults to express their opinions 2 9. A club for adults 1 10. Discussion groups 1 11. An organized program of physical education 1 12. More family recreational facilities modestly priced 1 Library 13. More books and publications 2 14. Special study area 1 15. Improved cross-reference section 1 Language Labs 16. Keep language labs open all day and evening 1 Bus Service 17. Continue commuter bus service during Spring and summer 2 Parkin 18. Remove parking restrictions for adults (near classrooms or on campus) 18 Nursery 19. Day care center 4 20. Baby-sitting pool _1 20 56 Totals 102 suggestions 325 frequencies The suggestions given by the adult undergraduates can be summarized as follows: «ht/4NH (7‘01 1 O‘OCDV 158 Areas Frequencies Housing 13* Special Advisement and Counseling 50 Special Orientation for Adults ‘ 10 Improved Enrollment and Registration Procedures ' 29 Improved Evening Programs 40 Academic and Curricular Improvement for Adults 69 Basic Courses 30 Evaluation and Grading 15 Financial Aids 13 Special Adult Facilities 56 Academic and curricular improvement, special adult facilities, special advisement and counseling, and improved evening programs were the most pressing needs as judged from these responses. Individual items most frequently mentioned were: (\Jl'-| mVOU'l-b (N Special academic advisement and counseling. Removal of parking restrictions for adults (especially thoSe who are working and commuting). Enlarged course selection available for adults (ni ht, summer, blocks of time). Refresher courses for adults. Special orientation for adults. Permission to waive required courses. Improved enrollment and registration procedures. Financial aid for adults.' Each of the ten categories had sub-items of significance for plans to meet the needs of this important portion of the undergraduate student body. Some of the most pressing needs here were: Counseling and testing before readmission. An enlarged evening program. An enlarged summer program. A degree program which can be completed on a part-time basis. A special living area for older undergraduates. 159 6. A per credit fee instead of charges for 1-3 credits, 4-7, etc. ' 7. Out-of—state fees waived for Spouse of full- time student. 8. Enroll and possibly register by phone and/or mail. 9. Have some offices open at night or week-ends. 10. Courses meeting once weekly in blocks of time. 11. Use of independent study. 12. An improved faculty attitude toward the older student. 13. Recognition that adults have financial needs - Scholarships, grants, etc. 14. A special building or facility for adult and commuter students. 15. An organization of and for mature students. 16. Special parking facilities for part-time, working, mature students. 17. A nursery or day-care center for children. Chapter IV will summarize the research data which has been detailed in this chapter and will develop specific and general implications, as well as present some sugges- tions for further research. CHAPTER IV SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS This study was designed to identify the numbers of adult undergraduates at Michigan State University in the fall term, 1966, and to study their characteristics and their needs. Computer records were used to determine the pOpulation to be studied; a questionnaire was deve10ped to obtain the desired information, and an 0p- portunity was given for Open-ended responses from the .group. One thousand ninety questionnaires were mailed to the adult students; five hundred twenty-five, or more than 48 per cent, replied; four hundred ninety-four re- Sponses were analyzed. Details of the methodology are outlined in Chapter Three,pp. 39-41. The data assembled may be used as a basis for the improvement and development of educational programs for adults. Chapter Four presents a summary of the findings regarding adult undergraduates and their problems and needs; some comparisons with other studies described in Chapter Two; suggestions for future related research; implications of the study, and a concluding statement. 160 161 I. SUMMARY OF FACTORS DESCRIBING ADULT UNDERGRADUATES Personal Characteristics A majority of the adults enrolled as undergraduates fall term, 1966, were males, almost three to two (61 per cent to 39 per cent) in the over-all_group, and 51 per cent to 49 per cent in the 494 studied. In the study, the male group was significantly younger than the female group: 89 per cent of the males were 37 or less while 60 per cent of the females were 37 or less. The adults were primarily white, 96 per cent, and married, 76 per cent. About one- fourth (24 per cent) of the males were single as contrasted with almost one-tenth (9 per cent) of the females. More females were divorced or widowed, but this was a small percentage (11 per cent, about one-tenth) of the females. That the females were older as a group (39 per cent were 38 or more years of age) was probably a factor in the larger number of divorced or widowed females. The adults studied were primarily from "non-urban" backgrounds with almost 70 per cent of the group born in population areas under 150,000; more than 41 per cent were from towns of less than 10,000. More than three-fourths were from midwest backgrounds (78 per cent) and had their early education there (79 per cent). More than half (56 per cent) of the students in the study had incomes: 73 per cent of the males and 40 per ‘Cent of the females. Government stipends to veterans were 162 probably a factor in adult incomes. Of 478 respondents, almost four-fifths (79 per cent) were very or moderately satisfied with their lives, females Slightly more than males. Only three and one half per cent of the 478 were quite dissatisfied. It would appear from these percentages that dissatisfaction with life is not a major factor in the seeking of more education by adult undergraduates. Their satisfaction with life was very similar to their satisfaction with their current jobs: 82 per cent indicated "life satisfaction" and 74 per cent "job satisfaction." More males, 11 per cent, than females, 4 per cent, were dissatisfied with their jobs. It would appear from this and from the reasons for return- ing listed on pages 102 and 103 that job dissatisfaction is a somewhat more Significant factor for males than for females in coming or returning for more education. It was found that adult students read widely, and that while males participated in recreational and church activities, females, generally, participated not only in these but in club, community, volunteer and cultural activities. Summary In a capsule,then, it appeared that the undergraduate adults to be served by education in the particular institu- tion studied included more males than females; younger males 163 than females; more married females than males; students coming mostly from small or moderately populated areas; "midwesterners" with modest income levels; people rather well-satisfied with life and jobs; widely read individuals interested especially in church and recreational activities, with the females a somewhat more civic-minded group than the males. Family Background The adult undergraduates tended to come from homes where their fathers were not college graduates. Only 22 per cent of the 494 studied indicated that their fathers had education beyond high school. More mothers than fathers had education beyond elementary school, 79 per cent versus 72 per cent; fewer mothers than fathers had education beyond high school, 19 per cent versus 22 per cent. How- ever, the levels of education of mothers and fathers were quite similar. An analysis of the occupations of the fathers of the students in the study showed that the students tended to come from middle class homes. The most-named occupations were: skilled laborer, business owner, executive or manager, manual worker, or farm owner or Operator. About 42 per cent of the mothers had not worked outside the home at any time; the most usual time for work by the mothers outside the home was during or after their children's 164 college years or high school years; mothers worked least frequently when their children were pre-schoolers. The income level of their parents was thought by 58 per cent of the adults to be average. About one-fourth (26 per cent) thought their parents' income below average; less than one-fourth (21 per cent) thought it above average. This would tend to confirm a middle-class background. Ninety per cent of the adults believed that their parents' occupations had not influenced their career choices. The largest percentage, 25 per cent, of the adults studied reported one sibling. However, 24 per cent reported four or more, and 21 per cent two siblings. That almost one-fourth of the group studied came from large families may have been a factor in their non-completion of college soon after finishing high school. Twenty-six per cent of the siblings reported were in college or had .gone to college; 74 per cent had not_gone to college. The figures reported did not include young siblings who had not yet reached college age. There seems to be an indica- tion from the above and from personal experiences of the writer to have a number of "first of the family to go to college" students at the University. More than 52 per cent of the spouses of adult students had some college education; more husbands than wives had done graduate work; more wives had completed high school Jand.had begun but not finished college. The figures confirm 165 the tendency of wives to "put their husbands through" college first and to resume their own education at a later date. Seventy-seven per cent (380) of the adult students classified their Spouses' occupations. Of the 494 adults, 30 per cent were engaged in professional work; 15 per cent were in office, clerical and sales work; 12 per cent were classified by their spouses as housewives; other smaller percentages were spread throughout the remaining categories. It appeared that more male Spouses were in higher status occupations, in professional, and executive and manager categories. Male spouses of adult students had higher incomes, $5,000 or less to $15,000, than female spouses who had $5,000 or less to $10,000. This finding agreed with the higher status jobs reported above. That the children of the adult males were younger than the children of the adult females studied is confirmed in Table 23. The finding correlates with the higher age level of the females in the study. About 3 per cent of the adult students reported dependents other than children. Summary Summarizing information about family background, it can be stated that a majority of the adult undergraduates came from "non-college” parental backgrounds where the levels 166 of education of their parents were quite similar; they tended to come from middle-class homes on the basis of parental occupation and income; there was no particular pattern in the number of siblings, although the fact that one-fourth of those responding indicated four or more sib- lings may have influenced the amount of education possible for some of them; a majority of the spouses of the adult students had some college education, but more male spouses had done graduate work; male spouses tended to be in higher status occupations than females. Educational Characteristics More than half (54 per cent) of the adults were full- time students. More males were full-time (68 per cent); more females were part-time (59 per cent). Most of the adults planned to attend the University regularly (89 per cent). Approximately three-fourths (78 per cent) of the males enrolled in social science, business, agriculture, engineer- ing and education; almost nine-tenths (86 per cent) of the females enrolled in the traditional curricula: education, arts and letters, no preference, social studies and home economics. Education enrolled 10 per cent of the males and 41 per cent of the females. Almost three-fourths (74 per cent) of the adults were juniors or seniors which can be accounted for, in part, by 167 transfer students and returning drop-outs. Seventy adults (14 per cent) indicated that they had no college experience prior to fall of 1966. Of this group, the males had finished high school more recently than the females. There was some discrepancy, however, in class rankings due, probably, to uncertainty as to number of credits necessary for each class level and to a time lapse in answering the questionnaire. Of the entire group studied, more than one-fourth (27 per cent) had over two years of college work since com- ing or returning to the University; one-fifth (20 per cent) had more than one to two years; almost one-half (47 per cent) had a year or less. There were no responses from 27 stu- dents. Only 23 per cent of the group studied had not at- tended another college indicating, again, a high number of transfer students and a tendency to take courses at a number of institutions as location and time permitted. Many adults had taken non-credit courses, eSpecially through high school adult programs, the armed services, university evening colleges, business and industry offerings, and commercial colleges or trade schools. The most frequently mentioned reasons for not going on to college after high school were: financial problems, military service, tired of going to school, school was not interesting, lack of confidence, wanted to get married, .grades not good. Military service and lack of interest were more important reasons for males in limiting educational 168 attainment; financial problems were greater for males than for females; marriage was a more important factor for women than for men. There was no attempt to study the combina- tion of factors which may have been involved in individual cases. Reasons listed frequently by the adults for dropping out of college were: financial, marriage, lack of inter- est, family responsibilities, scholastic, emotional problems, unhappiness, military service, did not like college or uni- versity. For the males, lack of interest, scholastic reasons, and military service were important; for the females, mar- riage and family responsibilities as well as lack of inter- est were important. A positive influence on the number of years of educa- tion attained by adult students was the attitude of family members. Only a few of the adults (12 per cent) felt that parental attitudes and 7 per cent that relatives' attitudes had negative influences. Additional factors influencing positively the number of years of education attained by the adults studied were nearness of a suitable educational in- stitution, availability of books, and military service. Availability of money had almost equally positive and negative effects. Some adults were deterred by the lack of a nearby educational institution. The most-named reasons by adult students for entering or returning to the University for additional education were: 169 to get a degree, to improve income potential, for intel- lectual stimulation, to continue an interrupted college career, to prepare for a job, to become more socially use- ful, to secure a better job, for advancement on the job, and to supplement family income. Male reasons for enter-1 ing or returning to the University tended to be more utilitarian than those of the females. Becoming more socially useful grew more important with increasing age. Increasing income potential was significant to the younger adults and to those whose children may have been of college age. Nearness and reputation were the most significant factors in adults' choosing this University. For males and younger students reputation was most important; for females and older students, proximity. Certain special programs brought adults to this University, such as the Education Intern Program, Police Administration, Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, and Packaging. Adults overwhelmingly preferred courses on campus: 85.22 per cent gave their approval to this method of continuing one's education. Some interest was indicated in extension courses and independent study. It is significant for curriculum planners that adults were interested in courses in improvement of reading, how to study, how to take tests, improvement in writing and speaking, "new math," and orientation to college, as well 170 as refresher courses in mathematics, literature, history, foreign language and science. More males and younger adults were concerned with reading and studying; more of the older adults were concerned with new mathematics and scientific deve10pments. Interest was indicated in refresher courses for credit. Most of the adults were satisfied in classes with younger students. About 20 per cent of the adult males preferred classes with other adults. The adults reporting liked regular day courses, 61 per cent; night courses, 35 per cent; long sessions once weekly,1 27 per cent; summer courses, 24 per cent; once weekly courses with independent study, 20 per cent. More night, summer, and late afternoon classes were desired by adults. "Lecture and discussion" was the most preferred method of instruction followed by "lecture only.” "Mostly discus- sion" was more acceptable to males than to females; females liked "reading and writing of papers" better than males. Adults generally were unreceptive toward TV classes and 1Hollis Farnum, Director of Advisory Services, Uni— versity of Rhode Island, found that "college students may learn more in one three-hour class a week than in three one- hour classes." This was true of students with comparable ability as judged by scores on achievement tests. The ad- vantage may come from the "opportunity to go into greater depth in discussion without interruption.' The advantage of the long class was greater in literature and philoSophy Ehan in calculus." Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. XLIX, June, 1967, 38. , 171 programmed learning. This may be due to some extent to lack of exposure to these methods. Males liked multiple answer examinations (64 per cent) better than females who liked to write essay (55.33 per cent) or take~home examinations (32.38 per cent) better than males. Essay and multiple answer examinations had almost equal votes from women. Also, younger adults pre— ferred multiple answer examinations while older adults tended to choose takeOhome examinations.z For evaluation adults preferred "frequent examina« tions." Less popular were "a mid«term and a final," and "short papers." Males preferred examinations; females liked writing papers somewhat better than males. All age .groups preferred frequent examinations. In second place, according to age, were "short papers" for the older student, "a mid—term and a final" for the younger students. "Finals only" were unp0pular at any age. More than 61 per cent of the adults were disposed toward taking examinations for credit; more than 37 per cent indicated an interest in waiving courses without credit (more males than females). Of the adults, 47 per cent were planning for bachelor's degrees, 39 per cent for master's and about 7 per cent for doctorates. As many males planned to get master's as ZThere is recent evidence that essay examinations provide the most valuable insights. "Student—Faculty Dialogue on Courses," Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. XLIX, February 1967, 267. 172 planned to get bachelor's. Fewer females planned master's. Doctoral plans were made by 10 per cent of the males versus 3 per cent of the females. More than half of the adults (54 per cent) indicated that they worked full- or partstime to make it possible to _go to the University: 43 per cent had aid from Spouses; 27 per cent were using savings; small percentages had loans and scholarships. Differences in male and female support were notable: more males were working, more were using ‘government funds and savings; more females indicated that their spouses were paying (55 per cent versus 31 per cent for males). Summary Summarizing briefly: more adult undergraduates were fullOtime than partwtime by a small margin; they planned to attend the University regularly; most of the group were following the traditional majors; fewer men were in science than one might expect; many of the adults were in professional education; a majority were upperclassmen; females coming to the University for the first time had been out of high school longer than their male counterparts; almost three-fourths of the adults had attended another college or university; many of the adult students had taken non~credit courses at some time; military service and lack of interest were important reasons that males did not 173 .go to college directly from high school whereas marriage was the most significant reason for females; similar reasons to the above were given for dropping out of col- lege except that males also named lack of interest and scholastic reasons as important, and females also named family responsibilities and lack of interest; attitudes of family members were generally positive influences on the number of years of education attained by the students as were proximity of a suitable educational institution, availability of books, and military service; the mostO named reasons for coming or returning to the University were to get a degree, to improve income potential, for intellectual stimulation, to continue an interrupted college career, to prepare for a job, to become socially useful; the students chose this University because of nearness and reputation; they preferred courses taught on campus; they asked for certain "aid" and "refresher" courses; the group expressed a desire for more night, summer, and later afternoon classes as well as long ses- sions once weekly; "lecture and discussion" was the most‘ preferred method of instruction; examinations preferred were multiple answer, essay, and take—homes with males liking multiple answer examinations better and females preferring essay examinations; "frequent examinations" were preferred by most Students, followed by ”a mid‘term and a final" and "short papers"; most adult undergraduates were 174 planning for either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree and fewer women were planning advanced degrees; much of their financial support was from working, aid from spouses, or savings. Vocational Characteristics When asked about their employment, 67 per cent of the adult undergraduates said they worked full-time, partOtime, or occasionally: 83 per cent of the males and 50 per cent of the females. This contrasts with 54 per cent who in— dicated they worked full-~ or partatime to finance their education. More males, 43 per cent, worked full-time than females who worked full«time, 21 per cent. Of the adults, 54 per cent felt working was a necessity; about threeO fourths (72 per cent) of the males compared with oneOthird (34 per cent) of the females. The males in the study were engaged in a variety of occupations (listed in order of frequency): military, service work, skilled labor, professional work, office, clerical and sales, and executive or manager; most of the females were in office, clerical and sales jobs (58 per cent) or in professional work (32 per cent). (It should be noted that the highest status job was the one used in this occupa» tional report.) The number of years Spent at various occupations differed little for males and females. Younger groups 175 stayed with specific jobs for shorter periods; older groups spent longer periods in career occupations. Early jobs were somewhat temporary while these individuals were in military service, going to school, or finding the way toward more permanent employment. Although "better opportunity" was the most frequently named reason for adults changing jobs, the reasons for changing differed sharply for males and females: for males~~better opportunity, 76 per cent, and job unsatis— factory, 21 per cent; for femaleSOOmarriage or family inter- fered, 35 per cent; better opportunity, 31 per cent, and Spouse moved to a different area, 29 per cent. ThreeOfourths (74 per cent) of the adults planned to work fullOtime in the future; only one—twelfth (8 per cent) were uncertain or thought they would not work. Of the 247 males who responded, 96 per cent indicated future work plans compared with 88 per cent of the 240 females who responded. Summary More than two~thirds of adult undergraduates worked full~time, partOtime or occasionally; more men than women worked; a majority of the adults found working a necessity; the males in the study were engaged in a variety of occupa- tions while the females were mostly in office, clerical and sales, or professional work (such as nursing, teaching); 176 early jobs of the students were somewhat temporary and older students had worked for longer periods at a given job; jobs were changed for a better Opportunity most freO quently, but for females marriage and family responsibilities and spouse's moving to a new job were important factors; .generally, the adults planned to work in the future, with males indicating that 96 per cent planned to work and females indicating that 88 per cent planned to work. 11. PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF ADULTS Summary from Questionnaires The mostOmentioned difficulties of adults in returning to the University were: courses given at times they could not attend, lack of time to study and read; not enough courses at appropriate times, fear of exams, cost too ,great, difficulty in making arrangements for family while away, transportation problems, courses uninteresting, lack of apprOpriate courses, and great competition from adoles- cents. Males had greater difficulty with finances; females had greater difficulty in arranging for their families while they were away. Transportationsegetting to classes and back to work or homeOOpresented problems for males and females. Younger adults experienced more difficulty with costs and lack of interest. Fear of exams was greater in the older groups. Difficulties seemed to reach their highest 177 percentage for the 32-37 age group, and family arrangements were most difficult for those between 32 and 43 years of age. Adults indicated a lack of information and sources for it when attempting to come or return to the University, or perhaps they did not know where to get the desired informa- tion. They gleaned some information from the Admissions Office, the Registrar's Office, other University agencies and from friends. The needs of this group as adults reported them were: special advisement and counseling, a recognized adult "home" or office or center, scholarships and financial aids, registration and advisement by telephone, special assistance in learning about procedures, more information in the cata- logue and schedule book, and an Opportunity for a testing program before readmission and enrollment. Summary from Open-Ended Data It was significant that 255 (about 52 per cent) of the students in the study were concerned enough to write para— _graphs or letters in addition to the structured responses. Many used this means to express appreciation that someone had bothered to ask for an expression of their opinions. Judged from the Open-ended responses, the most press- ing needs were: academic and curricular improvement, special adult facilities, special advisement and counseling; 178 improved evening and summer programs, special track general education courses; improved enrollment and registration procedures; changes in evaluation and grading; financial aids; improved housing plans, and special orientation for adults. Specific suggestions important to planning for adults are listed in Chapter III, pages 153O159. Particular emphasis was given to changes in parking restrictions for adults, having some offices Open at night or weekOends, and a special organization of and for mature students. III. SOME COMPARISONS It should be stated again that no studies were found in a search of the literature which were confined to adult undergraduates taking onOcampus credit courses. Some peripheral studies were summarized in Chapter II. Follow— ing are notable similarities to the present study. A predominant vocational reason for adults continuing their education was mentioned by Liveright and Miller. Other reasons were to continue an interrupted college career, to complete a degree, for promotion on the job, and for teachers' certification and promotion.3 In the present study vocational reasons were less significant than in 3A. A. Liveright and Harry L. Miller, Adult Education in Colleges and Universities (Brookline, Massachusetts: The Center for The Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1960), pp. 14-15. 179 Liveright and Miller's study. Whipple stressed the comO plex motivations of adult students,4 and Dyer mentioned the heterogeneity of evening college students. He indicated a median age of thirty-plus for that group. Phyllis Sensor in discussing difficulties of women in returning to colleges and universities indicated that they have fewer financial problems than men but have great dif- ficulty with lack of time for home duties and study. She stressed their need for longer classes which meet less often.6 Frances DeLisle indicated a need for a centralized facility, a recognized individual to make decisions for adults, and great flexibility in programs.7 Undergraduate students resemble to some extent the entire Spectrum of adults interested in continuing education, on both a credit and non«credit basis, as reported by John- stone and Rivera. These adults came from the smaller popu- 4James E. Whipple, Especially for Adults (Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1957), p. 9. 5John Dyer in Liveright and Miller, loc. cit. 6Phyllis Sensor, "A Study of the Mature Women Students Attending Day Classes at Riverside College During the Spring Semester, 1964," Research in Education (Washington, D.C.: Educational Research Information Center), Vol. VII (July 1967), 41. 7Frances DeLisle, A Stud of.Academic Advising of Undergraduate Students (East {ansing, Michigan: OffiEe of nst1tutiOna1 Research, Michigan State University, May 1965), p. 10. 180 lation areas; they had more education than the average adult; the younger adults and males had more of an occupa~ tional orientation while the older group and females were more interested in general knowledge and expansion of social horizons. All seemed to prefer classroom work. The authors found more dissatisfaction in the all-inclusive ,group they studied than was found in this research.8 Christie found that "the greatest contributing facO tors to a student's success are the encouragement and enthusiasm of his or her Spouse."9 These were also posi« tive factors in a high prOportion of cases in this study. Christie found too that adult students are engaged in a wide variety of occupations. Knox reported that a majority of the students he studied were men, married, lived in a city, were between 25 and 45, and were employed full-time. Many (though a smaller proportion than in the present study) were return~ ing for a degree; vocational reasons were most often men- tioned, but cultural and social reasons were in second and third place. Of the older students studied, more were 8John W. C. Johnstone and Ramon J. Rivera, Volunteers for Learning (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company, 1965), passim. 9Richard Christie in Articulated Instructional Media Newsletter, Madison, Wisconsin: UniverSity of Wisconsin Extension Service, 1967, p. l. 181 married, with older children and higher occupational status, and with higher intellectual and social reasons for return- ing. The adults planned to attend regularly (fourOfifths had attended the previous year). One-eighth (12.5 per cent) in his group had no previous college experience which compared closely with about 14 per cent in the present study.10 IV. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH "The development of university level educational programs for adults can be materially improved and facilitated by a modest but continuing program of clientele analysis."11 The present writer would underline the above statement and suggest periodic studies of the adult undergraduate _group at this University as well as at other institutions;* By sharing information and working cooPeratively, programs for this segment of adults could be developed on the basis of knowledge of student numbers, characteristics, and needs. Cooperative research and development of programs by several institutions would demonstrate the importance of special planning for the group, minimize overlapping of programs, 10Alan B. Knox, A_Summary Report on Adult Colle e StuO dents (Syracuse, New York: University—COIIege Adult Educa- t1on Division of Syracuse University, 1959), passim. 111bid., p. 12. 182 curtail costs, and improve the quality of education avail— able. Such programs, unhampered by vested interests, would provide an especially fertile ground for educational innovaO tion and research. It would be important to know through periodic inquiry the numbers of adults desiring degrees, the motivations Of V/ the_grgup, the stability of their characteristics and needs, the suggestions and advice emanating from the adult students. It would be helpful to learn from periodic studies the numbers of adults in the community and in surrounding areas who would be potential adult undergraduates. Information on the number of commuters in the group and the distances they commute would be desirable. The development of a com- muter map or chart would be useful. Other information which would be desirable in a future study includes grade point averages of those responding and the number of those responding who were first in the family, immediate or extended, to go to college. A follow~up study of the adult undergraduates in this research could be of value, including the percentage who completed their degrees. It would be appropriate to discover how a better base of communication could be established in the community between potential students and educational agencies, and how appropriate information about programs and opportunities might become public. 183 V. IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY_ The adult undergraduates at Michigan State University represent only a portion of the total adult program. Kellogg Center for Continuing Education offers an outO standing program of non~credit courses, a number of offm campus "extension" courses for credit, and specialized courses such as "University of the Air" programs. How« ever, it was evident from the questionnaires and Open- ended responses that there are needs of adult undergradu- ates which are not being met. Information about the characteristics and motivations of these students can be used to develop a program to meet their needs in a given institution and in similar institutions. There are several additional considerations. Does an educational center have an obligation to serve the community?. In this case the community involves large out- lying areas as well as the more immediate environs. Sec- ondly, is there an important public relations value in meeting the needs of adults? Over long periods of time, public support is likely to come from satisfactions derived from benefits received. Much of the chapter to follow is concerned with (1) specific implications for changes which result directly from the study, and (2) more generalized implications for the education of adult undergraduates. 184 Focus on Specific Implications Scheduling. It was evident that most of the students desired degrees. Many of them who were working or were partstime students were not offered a continuing program at hours which enabled them to achieve a degree at night or on a partOtime basis. One student reported attending eleven years at night and was still unable to find a field in which to get a degree from night-course offerings. Another reported desperately hunting a final 38 credits to graduate. Special scheduling is imperative: sequential night classes; once~per«week classes (where attendance is permitted, encouraged, and financed by many employers); fewer class meetings with provision for independent study; a more adequate summer program with day and night classes; examinations for credit, and waiver examinations for inde— pendent study or for experience. Included in the data was a plea by those who worked on campus for an Opportunity to take at least one class per term during the day. Two well~paid technicians were refused Opportunities to go to one class per term for courses necessary to proceed with a degree. In the name of humanitarianism, education, or labor relations, such Opportunities should be commonplace. Admissions and Registration. Many returning adults Spoke of their "shock" at the registration Site. (Efforts have been made to simplify the registration process.) Some 185 of the helps asked for included: special letters for adults with information at the adult level ("present letters are intended for adolescents"); simpler applica- tion and readmission forms (the forms have been revised); making it easier to return to the University after being out for a term; more information by mail; advisement by telephone; section reservations by telephone; payment of fees by mail; calendars of academic events to be available since adults usually do not get to campus at apprOpriate times to obtain newspapers; preOadmission brochures on how to get financial assistance; and assurance that reserva- tions will be made for adults to get into specific classes when there are no alternative courses possible. ,Orientation. Many adults felt they needed a separate orientation program from the one devised for eighteenOyear— olds. The typical orientation program was labelled a "farce" for many of the older students. The tests taken at orienta- tion were not considered valid for an adult who has been away from academics for a period of years. They were con— sidered tests of information which is common to recent high school students. One adult reported failing all of the orientation tests except one, but later having a 3.5 average at the University. Counseling and Advising. Many adults asked for a recognized place to which they could turn for extensive help before or at the time they submitted an admissions or 186 readmissions request. They underlined, "Please stress the importance of better high school guidance" or ”Some— where «_give us help before and during a university educa-~ tion." One student said, "I was bounced from one office to another. It was ridiculous. My friends have had the same experience." They asked for individualized programs, for flexibility, for someone who has authority to make adjustments and who is identifiable. Many times they turned to friends or students whose information though welIOintended was no longer current or was misleading. Lack of adequate help was expressed by some of the students whose questionnaires were not included in the study because they had graduated. They felt a need for advising which might have helped them choose a different degree, or teacher certification, or the proper courses for graduO ating with minimum credits. Other pleas heard were: "Don't use graduate students for advisers" and "Please look beyond our G.P.A. (grade point average) 1 we need help." Through counseling, the fears common to adult students can be alleviated: fear of examinations, of inability to Study or to read, of class discussion, of being outOOdeate, and of competition from adolescents. Instruction. Faculty who recognize the problems of adult students, who are sympathetic, understanding, and COOperative are especially important. A request was made for faculty "who know how to teach," who "speak English,” 187 who "recognize that group projects are difficult for working students." "Why sit through a mass lecture when you can_get the same thing out of a book?" The adults were asking for materials and methods which give cognizance to differences characteristic of mature students. They asked for refresher courses, a ”lecture and discussion" method, and frequent examinations. Living Accommodations. While many adults live off- campus and many commute great distances, there are those who try living on—campus. One respondent in her middle thirties who had left her five-year—old child with her mother, and who was recently divorced, returned for six terms to finish a degree. She was housed in a four-student suite with a roommate of eighteen who was on the "mod" side. The variety of conflicts can be imagined. An effort should be made to plan a living area for those adults who return to on—campus living. They surely would be better situated in graduate dorms than with eighteen-year-old freshmen. Finances. It is still not adequately realized that adults may need financial aid. More scholarship aid should be available to them, and more information on financial aids should be given to them 1 to the public, generally, and to those applying for admission or readmission. It is likely that more adults would be in regular attendance at institu- tions of higher education if they could afford the costs involved. 188 If husband and wife or several family members are attending a university, a joint fee schedule should be available. It is especially difficult for out-ofastate students to pay double fees for husband and wife. This study indicated that the males had greater financial problems than the females, many of whom were older and had the support of their husbands. Divorced and widowed females tended to have major financial problems, however. Onesthird of the wives were supporting their husbands, fre- quently by nursing, teaching, or secretarial work. Transportation. For those who may work fifty miles or greater distances from the University, transportation is a critical problem. For others, such as a nurse who came to morning classes on a part—time basis, the cost of campus bus tickets for a few rides weekly was excessive. For those with physical handicaps, or increasing age, adjustments need to be made. To whom does the adult under- ,graduate turn - or has it become such a hurdle at this point as to end further efforts toward a degree? Again the commuting adult must carry from great dis- tances where his car is parked all the regalia and para— phernalia necessary to a student 1 perhaps lunch included. Where can he deposit this burden during the day or half-~ day he walks or busses from area to area? Some centralized facility would appear to be a haven. 189 One adult suggested his need as "being able to drive on campus, damn it!" Time is an important factor for adults who must hurry to job and/or family obligations. Miscellaneous Suggestions. Perhaps an indication of the relevance of studies of this kind can be found in the numbers of students who said, "Thanks for asking my opinion," or "This is the first time anyone has bothered to ask my Opinion on anything." Others gave names and addresses ask— ing for a report or summary of the study. Do we not need to seek the advice of these important adults in planning University programs? Have there been representatives from this group on Spartan Round Table, in decision-making groups, or involved in program planning? Have activities or courses or facilities or programs been devised with a knowledge of or recognition of their needs? Many of them say, "I wish I had finished college. . . ." They have many reasons for expressing that wish. That the adults felt appreciative of the Opportunity given them by the questionnaire was evident, also, in many margin responses. The questionnaire became a sort of friendly dialogue between student and University. When asked for reasons they did not go on to college after high school, these comments were offered: "Only boys went on for an education; girls were secretaries"; "Nineteen thirty— four depression, World War II, children to put through college - now it is my turn"; "And so, married instead, 190 divorced 1 and after five years and three children . . .” Whether honesty, modernity, or flippancy, one student named his recreational activities as "sport cars and sex." When asked about satisfaction with present life, these responses were made: "The strain seems to be on my wife"; "College is largely a disease. I don't like being sick." And when asked about satisfaction with present job, one answer was: "Very satisfied 1 just quit." They have not lost a sense of humor. Some Generalized Implications Universities and colleges need to recognize many changing patterns in education. More peOple want and need more education. Greater numbers of adults have educational needs. They have not asserted them as yet. It appears that if colleges and universities do not meet the educa- tional needs of adults, other agencies, business, industry will take over this function and develop heterogeneous programs within their own institutions. Adults, looking for degrees, are gently knocking at the door now. "Lifefspace" motivations12 should be significant to in- stitutions of higher education. [Older students are more socially and culturally motivated « and less concerned with vocational reasons - in continuing their educations.| Even 12John Dyer in Liveright and Miller, loc. cit. 191 those adults who indicate primary vocational interests have strong secondary social and intellectual motivations. It would seem, therefore, of importance to develop at least one program, one degree, obtainable on a partOtime basis, that would meet the "lifeOSpace" demand. Such a program, whether it is a Liberal Studies Degree or another name, would enable an adult to move clearly, carefully, and rapidly toward the degree goal, whether employed full~time, a housewife, a drop«out, underprivileged, or merely desirous of an education. Thus, a specially designed liberal education program would serve to complement a vocationally—oriented plan and would stand alone for those desiring intellectual stimulation, cultural development, and socially useful orientations. At the present time there is a tendency toward develop— ing separate programs, "Orientation Programs,” for women. Such programs are useful for they provide the orientation, assistance and diagnostic services which are helpful and needed by adults who have been out of high school or college for a period of time. However, it should be recognized that returning males need a similar program. If one accepts the thesis that women are underprivileged and that the under- privileged need more of everything, then excluding males might possibly be justifiable. Women are paid less for their work; they do have lower status occupations, and fewer do have advanced degrees. Nevertheless, a program should 192 be designed which will be available to all adults, male - and female, desiring to go to college or to return to college in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Women should be encouraged to go into higher status jobs, to take more master's degrees and doctorates, and should have very flex- ible programs as they follow their husbands from college to college or job to job. Statistics in the study Show an extremely small per- , centage of Negroes who come or return for continuing educa— tion as adults. Programs should aid, serve, and appeal to all of our citizens. Since the adult undergraduates in this area tend to come from medium and small cities as well as rural back— .grounds, programs for them could well consider their char— acteristics and needs. The adult students can also be identified as tending to come from middle class or middle income homes, a factor which has educational import. While most of the students felt their parents' occupations had not influenced their own choices, a drive and motivation from parental ambition seemed a strong undercurrent. Noteworthy, too, was the high correlation between the educational levels of father and mother, and between student and spouse. The study brings into focus the increasing numbers of women who are working. Eighty«seven per cent of the enrolled adult women indicated plans to work. Some factors 193 leading to the increased work plans of females are the increased costs in educating one's children, the desire to make a social contribution, the need for continuing intellectual stimulation, the changing role of women, and the tendency for high percentages of collegeOeducated women to work. Included in the educational pattern for women should be plans to work outside the home at various times during their lives. It would be helpful to have this philosophy built into our educational plans. A current trend toward interest in the social sciences and humanities was evident in the college enrollments of both males and females. DevelOping programs should con— sider the changing motivations of the adult students. With the advent of compulsory military training, followed by a great increase in numbers of males in mili-- tary service, men began coming to the universities and colleges with G.E.D.'s . certifications of high school equivalencies - obtained by some while in service. This ,group especially needs counseling and assistance prior to enrollment in university programs. Additionally, the veterans returning to complete degrees are faced with unbelievable adjustments. One recently-returned veteran went from the battlefront to classwork in the University in one week's time. Early and continuous help is important to these adults. 194 Females tend to stay out of college longer than males before beginning or resuming education due to their family responsibilities. For potential students in this category, a nursery for young children may be essential. Because many of the adults have attended one or several other colleges, a number of problems arise needing special care: transfer of credits, information on proce- dures, adjustment to new methods, and the Shock of examina- tions and grades at a new institution. It is significant to a college or university that most of the adult students indicated a preference for taking courses on campus. To them the atmOsphere, students, faculty, activities, facilities, are an important part of continuing education. CONCLUDING STATEMENT Quoting again from Berniece Neugarten of the University of Chicago and referring eSpecially to the adult undergradu- ate: We are Operating with expectations of adolescence in an institution that has been _geared to adolescence, and it is very clear today that we must worry about how to fit an educational system to adults when thI system hasnft been built for adults before. 3 13Berniece Neugarten in Sarah E. Sagoff, Adults in Transition (Summary of a Conference at Chagham, MassaEHusetts, May, 1965. Winchester, Massachusetts: New England Board of Higher Education, and Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965), p. 8. lll [Illll Ill l Ill-I'll 1 III II I. l. l I 195 Crimi adds: If there are unmet "collegeOIevel" edu~ cational needs among adults in the community, and if meeting such needs would violate no important element of institutional policy or philOSOphy, and if such actions can also bring significant values to the college, is it not bOth expedient and appropriate for each col— lege to examine carefully its Opportunities and possible obligation in the field of adult education?14 And Donald Michael concludes: The inexorable pressures to innovate fundamentally and wisely in the substance and methods of guiding, teaching, and counseling, and in thoSe of administration, will be enor- mous and unendingO—and we will be desperately short of wise men to implement these funda« mental changes.) Indeed the most important lesson pivOtal institutions will have to learn is how to change rapidly and frequently. This will be exceedingly difficult to do, but the degree to which the challenge is met will determine the extent to which, twenty years from now, we have a society that gives mean— ing to the individual. ' If this study has fOcused attention on a neglected ,group and has identified characteristics and needs of adult students which will serve as a foundation on which to begin the deve10pment of more effective programs for adult under- _graduates, the purpose of the dissertation will have been 14James E. Crimi, Adult Education in the Liberal Arts Colleges (Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberal Educa- tlon for Adults, 1957), p. 38. 15Donald Michael in Sarah E. Sagoff, op. git., p. 25. 196 achieved, and some contribution may have been made toward a society interested in Vgiving meaning to the individual." SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS Aker, George F. Adult Education Procedures, Methods,and Techniques. Syracuse, New York: The Library of Continuing Education at Syracuse University, 1965. Bergevin, Paul Emile, Dwight Morris and Robert M. Smith. ' Adult Education Procedures; A Handbook of Tested Patterns for Effective PartiEipatlon. CheenW1ch, Connecticut: Seabury Press, 1963. Bergevin, Paul. A_PhilOSOphy for Adult Education. Greenwich, Connecticut: The Seabury Press, 1967. ,zBerner, Robert F. Educational Opportunity at the College Level for Part-time Adult Students in The Niagara Frontier: A Working Paper gn_Milla?d'Ei11more Colle e. Norman, Oklahoma: Association of Univer- s1ty Evening Colleges, 1965. Bills, R. E. Learning More About Learning. Washington, D.C.: Association ofiSUpervision and Curriculum DevelOpment, 1962. Brunner, Edmund de Schweinitz and Others. An Overview of Adult Educational Research. Chicago: iAduIt Educahion Associatihn of the United States, 1959. Burkett, J. B., and Paul G. Ruggiers. Bachelor of Liberal Studies: Development of a Curriculum at thE‘Un1ver- ‘ Slt of Oklahoma. Brohhline, MassaChuSEtts: Center for thE Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965. Burns, Hobart W. (ed.). Sociological Backgrounds of Adult Education. Brookline,—Massachfisetts: Center—for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1964. Burton, W. H. The Guidance of Learning Activities. New York: Appleton Century—Crofts, 1962. Carey, James T. Forms and Forces in University Adult Education. Chicago: Cénter fhr the Study of E1beral Education for Adults, 1961. 198 199 Clark, Burton R. Adult Education in TransitiOn; A Stud of Institutional Insecurity. Berkeley: Univer51ty Of California Press, 1959. Crimi, James E. Adult Education in the Liberal Arts Colleges. Chicago: Center far the Study of E1bera1 ¢ E ucation for Adults, 1957. Cronbach, L. J. Educational Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace 8 Co., 1954. DeCrow, Roger (ed.). Growing Time. Brookline, Massachu- setts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1964. Dennis, Lawrence E. (ed.). Education and A Woman's Life. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1963. ' O-Dyer, John P. Ivory Towers in the Market Place: The Evening College in Edfication. Indianapolis: Bobbs- Merrill, 1956. Field Test §_Evaluation pf Selected Adult Basic Education Systems. New York: Greenleigh Associates, Inc., 1966. Ginzberg, Eli and Associates. Life Styles of Educated Women. New York: ColumbiaUhiversity—Press, 1966. Goldman, Freda. A_Turning tg_Take Next: Alternative Goals in the Education of Women. Brookline,iMassachusetts: Center fOr the Sthdy of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965. H—Havighurst, Robert J. and Betty Orr. Adult Education and Adult Needs. Chicago: Center for the Study of Liheral Education for Adults, 1956. Houle, Cyril 0. Continuing Your Education. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964. Houle, Cyril 0. Major Trends in Higher Adult Education. Brookline, MassaChusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, March, 1959. Jensen, Gale, A. A. Liveright, and Wilbur Hallenbeck. Adult Education: Outlines of an Emer in Field of Univers1ty Study. Wash1ngton, DT—CTT' AduIt Educat1ohhAssociation o t e United States, 1964. 200 Johnstone, John W. C., and Ramon J. Rivera. Volunteers for Learning. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co., 1965. Keppel, Francis. The Necessary Revolution in American Education. New York: Harper and Row,—I966. Kidd, J. R. Financing Continuing Education. New York: The Scarecrow Press, 1962. Kidd, J. Robbins. The Implications of Continuous Learning. Ontario, Canada: W. J. Gage, 1967. Klein, Paul E. and Ruth B. Moffitt. Counselin Techniques i3.Adult Education. New York: McGraWOH1Il Book Co., 46. Knowles, Malcolm S. The Adult Education Movement in the United States. New York: Hdlt, Rinehard andTWinston, Inc., 1962. Knowles, Malcolm S. Handbook gf.Adult Education. Washing— ton, D.C.: Adult Education Association of the United States, 1960. H.Knox, Alan B. A Summary Report on Adult College Students. Syracuse, New York: Univers1ty College, Adult Educa- tion Division of Syracuse University, 1967. Kuhlen, Raymond G. (ed.). Psychological Backgrounds 2: Adult Education. Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberaleducation for Adults, 1963. Little, Lawrence C. A_Bibliogra§hy of Doctoral Disserta- tions on Adults an u t ucainn. Pittsburgh, PennsylVania: University of Pittshurgh Press, 1963. Liveright, Alexander A. Special Degree Programs; Liberal Education for Adults. Washington, D. C. American Council on_Educat1on, 1964. Liveright, A. A., and Roger DeCrow. New Directions in Degree Programs Especially for Adults. Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1963. Liveright, A. A., and Freda Goldman. Significant DevelOp— ments in Continuing Higher Education. Brookline, Massachhsetts: Center fOr the’Liberal Education of Adults, 1965. 201 ' Liveright, A. A., and Harry L. Miller. Adult Education in Colleges and Universities. Brookline, Massachu- setts: T e Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1960. London, Jack, Robert Wenkert, and Warren 0. Hagstrom. Adult Education and Social Class. Berkeley: Survey ResearchiCenter, 1963. Lorge, Irving. Psychology of Adults. Chicago: Adult Education Association Of he United States, 1930. McConnell, T. (Thomas) R. A_General Pattern for American Public Higher Education. New York: McGrawOH 11 Co., 1962. McKeachie, Wilbert J. Psychological Backgrounds of Adult Education. Chicago: Center for the Study of_L15eral Education for Adults, 1965. Miller, Harry L., and Christine H. McGuire. Evaluating Liberal Adult Education. Chicago: Center fOr the Study of L15era I Education fOr Adults, 1961. Miller, Harry. Teaching and Learning in_Adult Education. New York: Macmillan Co., 1964. Morphet, Edgar L., and Charles 0. Ryan. Designing Education for the Future, N3. 2. New York: CitationPress, 1967. .HMueller, Kate. Student Personnel Work in Higher Education. Boston: Houghton M1 If11n, I961. _— New York University, Division of General Education and Extension Services. Associate in Arts Degree Program for Adults. New York: New York—University, 1964. President's Commission on the Status of Women. Margaret Mead and Frances 0. Kaplan (eds.). American Women. New York: Scribner, 1965. Sagoff, Sara E. Adults in Transition. (Summary of a Confer- ence at Chatham, Massachusetts, May 1965. ) Winchester, Massachusetts: The New England Board of Higher Educa- tion, and Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1965. Sanford, Nevitt. The American College. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1962. 202 Schweinitz, Edmund D., and Others. An Overviewgf_Adu1t Educational Research. Chicago: Adult Education Association of the United States, 1959. Solomon, Daniel, William E. Bezdek, and Larry Rosenberg. Teaching Styles and Learning. Chicago: Center for theStudy o 1 eral EducatiOn for Adults, 1963. Staton, Thomas Felix. How £2 Instruct Successfully: Modern Teaching Methods in Adult EdUcation. New York: McCraw«HiII, I960. Steffek, Ralph L. Categories of Liberal Arts Degree Programs Available to Adult Part time Students. Ann Arbor: Extension Service, University of Michigan, 1964. .OStern, Bernard Herbert. Never Too Late for College: the Brooklyn Degree Program fOr Adults. Chlcago: Center for the Student 0 1 eral EducatiOn for Adults, 1963. Stern, Milton R. PeOple, Programs, and Persuasion: Some Remarks About Promoting University Adult Education. Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1961. 'Taylor, Harold, Gordon W. Blackwell, and Margaret Mead. Today and Tomorrow: Three Essays on Adult Education in the Future. Brookline, Massachusetts: Center rar the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1961. Ulich, Mary E. Patterns of Adult Education. New York: Pageant, 1967. Verner, Coolie, and Allan Booth. Adult Education. Washing— ton, D.C.: Center for Applied Research in Education, 1964. Whipple, James B. Especially for Adults. Brookline, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1957. ' Whipple, James B. , and Gary A. Woditch (ed. ),. Oakland Papers: Symposium on Social Change and Educatlonal ont1nuity. Brookl1ne, Massachusetts: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1966. 2>Wientze, King M. Factors Associated with the Achievement of Adult Students. St. Louis: Washington University Cdllége, 1964. 203 B. PERIODICALS I "Adults as Students: Volunteers for Learning," Carnegie Corporation of New York Quarterly, XIV (January, 1966) pp. 5‘67 . ”Adult Education Is In," Michigan Education Journal, XVLIII (March, 1967), pp.’36-37. ‘,Allen, Lawrence A., and Others. "A Profile Study of the Evening Student O His Interests, Motivations and Characteristics," Adult Education, XIII (1963-1964), p. 209. Brown, M. Allan and Others. ”Persistence in University Adult Education Courses," Adult Education, XVI (Winter, 1966), pp. 101-114. Carson, Raymond P. "Factors Related to the Participation of Selected Young Adult Males in Continuing Education." Ed.D. thesis, Florida State University, Department of Higher Education. Summarized in Adult Education, XVI, No. 4 (Summer 1966), p. 24. Dalrymple, Willard. "The College DrOp—Out Phenomenon," The National Education Association Journal, LVI lApr1I, 1967), pp. ll-l3. Eklund, Lowell. "The Oakland Plan for the Continuing Education of Alumni," Adult Leadership, XV (November, 1966), pp. 154-156. Ellena, William J. "Man's Tomorrows," Phi Delta Kappan, XLVI (April, 1965), p. 387. Farnum, Hollis. Phi Delta Kappan, XLIX (June, 1967), p. 538. Fitzgerald, Laurine, and Alton Raygor. "The Minnesota Plan, Reading and the Returning Adult Coed," Adult Leader- ship, XII (October, 1963), pp. 101~102. "OMayhew, Louis B. "Review of Literature," School and Society, XLIX (October, 17, 1964), pp. 284—285. O.McGrath, Earl. "Research on Higher Education for Adults," Educational Record, XII (Winter 1964), pp. 89-96. News Item. ~Phi Delta Kappan, XLIX (March, 1967), p. 375. "Population Trends Signal School Needs," National Education Association Research Bulletin, XLVI (March, 1968), pp. 24-28. 204 Schlossberg, Nancy K. "Adult Development: Research and Practice," A,D.§.A. Newsletter (Detroit: Association for the DevelOpmental Guidance of Adults, October, 1967), p. 2. Schultz, Raymond E., and R. Curtis Ulmer. "How Do Day and Evening Students Compare?", Junior College Journal, XXXVII (September, 1966), pp. 34-36. Seaborg, Glenn T. "The Cybernetic Age: An Optimist's View,” Saturday Review, XLIV (July 15, 1967), p. 23. Sensor, Phyllis. ”A Study of the Mature Women Students Attending Day Classes at Riverside City College During the Spring Semester, 1964," Research In Education. Washington, D.C.: EducationaltRESearch InfOrmation Center, Vol. VII, July, 1967. Stern, Milton R. "Generation in Command," Adult Leader- ship, XV (March, 1967), pp. 309-310; 333. "Student Faculty Dialogue on Courses," Phi Delta Kappan, XLIX‘(February, 1967), p. 267. Woodring, Paul. "Education,” Saturday Review, XLIX (October 15, 1966), p. 91. C. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Articulated Instructional Media Newsletter. (Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Extension Service, 1967). 'Centra, John. "Considerations in Establishing a Special Degree Program for Adults” (East Lansing, Michigan: Office of Institutional Research of MiChigan State University, 1966). DeLisle, Frances H. "A Study of Academic Advising of Undergraduate Students" (East Lansing, Michigan: OffiCe of Institutional Research, Michigan State University, 1965). Gould, Samuel B. "Quality in Adult Education" (Address to the Association of Evening Colleges, Louisville, Kentucky, November 17, 1958. Association of Univer- sity Evening Colleges and the Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults of Brookline, Massa- chusetts). 205 Howe, Harold, 11. "Recruiting for the New Partnership” (Address at the Georgia Vocational Association, Atlanta, Georgia, March 18, 1966). Miller, Paul A. "The University and Adult Education" (Address at the University of Rhode Island, October, 1966. COpies released by the Center for Continuing Education, Durham, New Hampshire). University of Washington Brochure. (Seattle: University of Washington, 1964). D. THESES Busby, Walter Alvin. "A Multivariate Analysis of the Relationship of Academic Motivation, Aptitude, Socio-Economic Status, and Age to Persistence in an Adult Evening School.” Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1965. Evans, Helen Marie. "Survey of the Citizens and Civic Leaders of Selected Michigan Communities to Determine Needs, Interests, and Motives Related to Adult Educa— tion." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1957. Holden, John B. "Factors Relating to the Financial Support of Continuing Education as Revealed by a Study of Selected Michigan Communities." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1955. ’ .HHunt, Beverly English. ”Characteristics, Perceptions and Experiences of Married Women Students at Lansing Community College." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1966. -Kouzoujian, John. "The Contributions of Selected Recipients of the Fund for Adult Education Grants in Producing Needed Leadership in the Promotion of Liberal Adult Education." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1965. Lynk, William Alexander. "A Study of the Relationships Between Socio-Economic Status and Reasons for Par- ticipating in Adult Programs in the City of Baltimore, Maryland." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1964. 206 Schwartz, Leonard C. "Adult Education in Selected Com-~ munity College of State University of New York, Its Support and Control According to the Records and as Reported by College Officials." Unpublished Ed.D. thesis, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 1966. Treloar, William Purdy. "Study of Selected Factors Inhibiting the Development of Adult Education in the State of Michigan, 1957a58." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1960. E. NEWSPAPERS The State Journal [Lansing, Michigan], October 9, 1967, p. B2. White, Jean M. "200 Million Computer Lie," (from The Washington Post) in The State Journal [Lansing, Michigan], November 19, 1967, p. . APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE 208 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN February 24, 1967 The Student Affairs Office of the University College be— lieves that the needs of mature adult students at Michigan State University differ from those of students coming ' directly from high schools. We hOpe through this ques- tionnaire to determine the characteristics, desires, needs and suggestions of your group. How can the University better serve you? ' Your c00peration in this study may provide information which will stimulate the University to establish facilities for aiding mature adults who are coming to the University for credit courses. Your Opinions and suggestions are important. Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability. If you prefer not to be identified, do not Sign the questionnaire. If there are items which you prefer not to answer, omit them. Any information given is strictly confidential and the questionnaire will be read only by me. Mildred B. Erickson, Counselor 170 Bessey Hall Check G/) on the line in front of the numbers the appropri— ate response or responses. Use the back of the question- naire if more space is desired for comments. Part I 1. Are you returning to the University 1. full-time (10 or more cr./term) 2. partOtime (no. cr. usually carried__) N [ISII you plan to attend regularly 1. yes 2. no 3. For what reasons did you enter or return to the Univer— sity for additional education (check all that apply) 1. to get a degree 2. to continue an interrupted college career 3. to prepare for a job 4. for advancement in my present job 209 __ 5. to secure a better job __ 6. to prepare for a different job __ 7. to keep up with my husband's (or wife's) attainments __ 8. to keep up with my children __ 9. for intellectual stimulation __10. to provide a leisure time activity __11. to improve my income potential __12. to supplement family income __13. to become more socially useful 14. to prove I can do it 15. to meet new peOple 16. friends interested me in returning __17. others I In which college and department are you presently enrolled Department __ 1. no preference __ 2. agriculture __ 3. arts and letters __ 4. business 5. communications —— 6. education :: 7. engineering ___ 8. home economics .__ 9. natural science .__10. social science __11. veterinary medicine Have you changed your mind about the areas of study you would like to pursue Ul-fi-(NNl—l Do original area chosen initial area changed to area changed again to present area chosen still undecided you prefer to take courses in classes with other "adults" to taking courses with younger students (check all which apply) IIS’IIIII NH‘< MDMNH (A yes no some separately; some together makes no difference ’ other prefer to attend (check all which apply) regularly scheduled day courses special courses offered once weekly, day time, for two or three hour sessions night courses 210 summer courses late afternoon courses Saturday courses weekOend seminars . courses which meet one hour weekly and provide for independent study 9. courses which meet for dayOlong sessions for two weeks per term ' 10. other arrangements (specify) OONO‘UW-F- Which kinds of exams do you prefer (check all which apply) 1. multiple answer objective 2. essay 3. take home exams 4. Open book exams 5. others (specify) For evaluation of your work, do you prefer 1 frequent examinations 2 a final examination only 3. a midterm and a final exam 4. a term paper 5. examinations and a term paper 6. short papers 7 others (Specify) 1. take examinations for credit in areas where your experience or previous study qualify you .__ 2. take examinations to waive courses where your experience or previous study qualify you What methods do you prefer for continuing your education (check all which apply) ‘ . enrollment in courses on campus extension courses independent study correspondence courses educational television . on the job courses others (specify) \lOU‘I-hblNl-J 12. 14. 211 Evaluate the following methods of instruction a to your preference Like Dislike . lecture only lecture and discussion mostly discussion division into committees to pursue areas of interest mostly reading and papers T.V. classes programmed learning other bMNl—l OO\IO\U'I o o o o ccording Not Certain Have you taken non~credit courses in (check all apply) . high school adult programs university evening cOlleges COOperative extension services armed services business, industry .government commercial colleges or trade schools public lecture Courses private instruction other (specify) oomVQU'I-PLNNl-l H that Where did you get help in planning your return university (check all that apply) registrar's office admissions office other university agencies (specify) to the friends others (specify) (fl-h (NNH Did you encounter difficulties in returning to university (check those which apply) 1. lack of appropriate courses courses given at times you cannot attend insufficiency of courses at appropriate courses uninteresting too tired to go to Classes at night lack of time to study and read family objects can't afford cost too old to learn easily OWVO‘m-QIMN the times C15) 17. 18. 19. OWVC‘U'I-hMNl-l 212 afraid of exams must make arrangements for family while away transportation is difficult can't get answers to how to get started again no one interested in my problems competition from adolescents others (specify) feel that adults returning to the university have (check those which apply) a recognized adult center for assistance scholarship and financial aids special academic advisement and counseling special assistance in procedures opportunity for testing program more information in catalogue more information in schedule book registration and advisement by phone others (specify) For what reasons did you choose to come to this University (check those which apply) 0% \lO‘U‘IACNNl-l O nearby reputation of institution expense less scholarship aid husband or wife working in the area husband or wife studying at the University other family member attending the University (specify) parent employed at the University other (specify) Are you interested in these special courses for returning adults (check all which apply) COG) ::1 \IO‘UT-RMNr-l improvement in reading improvement in Speaking improvement in writing the new math new scientific deve10pments course community services course orientation to college course for returning adults ‘ how to take tests how to study others Are you interested in "refresher” courses either for credit or no~credit in 1. 2. 3. 4 math science agriculture business 20. 21. 22. 23. 213 communications reading arts literature and history foreign language others ' excellent .good average below average comments: How would you evaluate or assess the courses which you have taken in your major area excellent ,good average below average comments: How would you evaluate or assess the elective courses you have taken (Bk-(NNH excellent good 'average below average comments: Your educational level fall term 1966 high school graduate; if less Specify year completed freshman (l~40 quarter hours) sophomore (41‘85 quarter hours) junior (86-130 quarter hours) senior (l3l~180 quarter hours) If you had no previous college experience prior to fall 1966, how long had it been since you were enrolled in high school 1. 20 3. 4. 5 O one to three years four to six years seven to ten years eleven to fifteen years more than sixteen years 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 214 If applicable, the number of years prior to fall 1966 since you were enrolled in college for credit 1. one or less _— 2. two to five 3. six to ten 4. ten to twenty 5. more than twenty How many credits have you earned since returning to the University ' . less than fifteen fifteen to thirty thirty—one to forty-five fortymsix to eighty-five eighty-six or more m-bLNNl-l How many other colleges or universities have you attended 1. none :: 2. one __ 3. two __ 4. three __ 5. more than three Which of these factors influenced the number of years of education you have attained Positively Negatively attitude of parents attitude of spouse attitude of relatives . attitude of friends . attitude of children m-hUJNl-l Which of these factors influenced the number of years of education you attained Positively Negatively l. availability of money 2. nearness or distance- away of a suitable educational instiO tution 3. availability of books and cul« tural media 4. military service 5 others - explain 30. 31. 32. 33. ||||°H 23H: HH 215 applicable, what were the reasons you did not go to college after high school (check all that apply) bMNl—l l—‘O‘OWVOU'I tired of going to school felt I had enough education felt I Should get practical experience could get the job I desired without going on to sChool ‘ ' military service desired to get married .grades were not good there were financial problems school wasn't interesting to me lack of self—confidence other (please specify) If you went to college and stOpped before completing it, what were the reasons (check all that apply) PJH HObWVGM-fiMNl—i financial scholastic lack of interest military service marriage family responsibilities emotional problems, unhappiness didn't like the college or university inadequate course offerings didn't like social life ' other (please Specify) How are you financing your education (check all that apply) IIIIEIIIIII O‘U‘l-bMNl—l g 1. 2. 3 4 5 working full or part time savings SpouSe is paying loan ' scholarship .government V.A. Bill eneral, are you satisfied with your present life very satisfied moderately satisfied a little dissatisfied very dissatisfied comments: 34. 35. 36. 216 If applicable, are you satisfied with your present job 1. very satisfied —— 2. moderately satisfied —_ 3. a little dissatisfied —— 4. very dissatisfied —_'5. comments: what extent do you plan to continue your education limited number of courses (non-degree) two year credential bachelor's degree master's degree doctorate ' other (specify) C‘U‘ktflNl—l Part 37. 38. 39. 40. Do you plan to work in the future __ 1. yes, full-time __ 2. yes, part-time __ 3. probably not __ 4. uncertain 11 Your sex 1. male __ 2. female Your age '_y l.' 26-31 __ 2. 32-37 __ 3. 38-43 4. 44-50 :::5. 51 or older Your race 1. white 2. negro 3. oriental 4. specify other Your marital status __ 1. single __ 2. married __ 3. divorced __ 4. separated __ 5. spouse deceased 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 217 Your place of birth MDMNH farm or rural small town (under 10,000) small city (10,000-150,000) medium-sized city (150,000-500,000) large city (over 500,000) Your place of birth U'I-file—l east midwest west south other Region where you had the major portion of your elementary education 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. east midwest west south other Your father's level of education MhMNH attended high school but did not graduate completed high school ' attended college but did not graduate has college degree ' other (specify) Your father's occupation OONO‘U‘l-hOJNl-l manual worker - no special training required skilled laborer ‘ business owner farm owner or operator executive or manager office, clerical, and sales worker professional worker service worker Your mother's level of education 01-5me attended high school but did not finish completed high school attended college but did not finish completed college other (specify) 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 218 Did our arents' occu ations influence our choice Y of career '__ l. decidedly __.2- very little __ 3. not at all __ 4. comment: Did your mother work outside your home (answer all that apply) __ 1. while you were pre- school __ 2. during your elementary school education __ 3. during your high school education __ 4. during your cOllege education __ 5. after 4 above or presently working __ 6. has never worked outside the home In your Opinion was the income level of your parents (while you were one to 25 years of age) 1. below average 2. average ' 3. above average 4. don't know. Number of sisters and brothers __ 1. none __ 2. one __ 3. two __ 4. three __ 5. four or more The number of your sisters and/or brothers of 19 years of age or older who 1. did not complete high school 2. completed high schOol :::: 3. did not go to college ____ 4. are in College ‘ ___. 5. .graduated from college ___ 6. has done graduate work ___ 7. other (specify) Educational level of spouse, if applicable (answer all that apply) finished elementary school began but did not finish high school cOmpleted high school began but did not finish college was graduated from college has done graduate work other (specify) \lO‘U‘l-FUINH 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 219 Occupation of spouse (now) __ 1. manual worker (no special training required) __ 2. skilled laborer ' __ 3. business owner __ 4. farm owner or operator __ 5. executive or manager 6. office, clerical, sales worker 7. professional work 8. service work 9. housewife married, your spouse's income level (now) $5,000 or under $5,001-$10,000 $10,001-$1s,ooo $15,001-$zo,ooo more than $20,000 |||||"‘l||| H'z MbLNNl—l Your dependents, if any Number children ages 1-5 children ages 6-13 children ages 14-17 children ages 18 or older other dependents (II-bLNBJIW| o o o o o The number of your children eighteen years of age or older (if any) who ' ' Number did not graduate from high school were graduated from high school attended college but did not graduate were graduated from college ' have done graduate work ' U'l-‘P-(NNH o o o o o Are you employed 1. full-time 2. part-time (1/4 - 3/4) 3. occasionally 1. yes Is employment a financial necessity to you :: 2. no 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 220 Your personal income level now (if employed) $1, 000- $3, 000 $3, 001- $6, 000 $6,001-$9,000 $9,001-$12,000 $12,001-$15,000 above $15,000 ONU'l-bCNND-J Your occupational history 1. job 1 length of time 2. job 2 length ofitime 3. job 3 length of’time 4. job 4 length of time 5. others length ofitime If you have had several jobs, what were your reasons for changing jobs job unsatisfactory better Opportunity spouse moved to different area marriage or family interfered other (specify) MbMNH Which of the following do you read regularly (check all that apply) 1. newspapers 2. magazines 3. books (not assigned for courses) In which of these activities do you participate regularly (check all that apply) __ 1. church __ 2. club __ 3. community __ 4. volunteer __ 5. cultural .__ 6. recreational (Specify favorites) __ 7. others It would be very helpful to have additional comments and suggestions from you on how Michigan State Univer- sity Can improve its service to you as a mature adult returning for additional education. (Signature - if you care to) ICHIGAN STATE UNIV. LIBRARIES llHI111111111”I11111111111111111111“11111111 31293100198948