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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:07 PM CDT
EIU hosting orientation Saturday for commuters

By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com

MATTOON — Sometimes they’re called “nontraditional students.” They also are referred to as “mature adult learners.”

But whatever the label, they are an important part of the student population at Eastern Illinois University, which is hosting “An Adult Student Orientation Day” from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday for students who commute to classes.

This first-ever orientation will convene in the Martin Luther King Jr. Union, and is free for all current and prospective nontraditional students, said Bethany Craig, coordinator of program development at the EIU School of Continuing Education.

“The Adult Student Orientation Day is an opportunity for individuals to receive information that will help them during their EIU experience,” Craig said. “This event is being held in order to help students gain the tools needed to be successful in school, (and) for students who live a distance away from campus so that they have the opportunity to meet with people and departments with which they will be interacting.

“This event will give them the tools to have a seamless transition into the university.”

Craig said more than half of students who return to college fall into the nontraditional category. “They have life and work responsibilities that differentiate them from the traditional student,” she said.

The number of these types of students is on the rise, Craig added. “Adults are recognizing the need to finish their degree for future promotions and increases in salary,” she said.

Craig also said, “For some, it’s a way to keep their mind active and engaged.”

Regardless of their motives for going back to college, nontraditional students play a vital role at EIU, said Craig.

“They are valued for the contributions they bring to the university in terms of experience, background and knowledge,” she said.

Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.

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