Onondaga Community College

According to the American Association of Community
Colleges, the national average age of students attending community
college is 29. And while many factors contribute to the decision to
return to college, the current economy is often cited as a significant
reason why community colleges in particular are reporting record growth
in the numbers of nontraditional-age adult students.

Sheryl Wood of Clay was in the workforce for nearly two
decades before deciding to go back to college earlier this year. She
was looking for convenience and affordability and after investigating
her options decided to enroll at Onondaga Community College. As a
nontraditional student, working full time with kids, a husband and a
home to care for, Sheryl researched the class offerings to find the
ones that would give her the most flexibility. Ultimately, she decided
that online classes work best for her. She’s now in her second semester
pursuing an associate degree in humanities.  

“For me, at the end of a long workday, I need something
that works around my schedule,” she says. “With online classes, I can
carve out the time in my day that works best for me—usually evenings—so
I can complete all of the reading and class assignments. It’s really
working well for me.”  

When she returned to college, Sheryl thought she might be
the only student older than 19 or 20 in her classes. In fact, nearly 40
percent of OCC’s student population is composed of nontraditional age
or adult learners. Since flexibility and convenience are often the keys
to success for people who juggle both work and family priorities, OCC
offers hundreds of classes in the evening, on weekends and online.
There are also degrees offered in an accelerated format—two nights per
week for two years—designed to specifically meet the needs of working
adults. 

But flexible class schedules are just part of the
picture. Without the support services that traditional “day” students
receive, adult learners can often feel disconnected and out of touch,
particularly if work or family obligations make it nearly impossible to
come to the campus from 9 to 5.

Jerry Farnett is OCC’s evening program coordinator. He
works with evening students to learn what they need to be successful.
“My job is to provide key services for students by bringing a little of
what goes on during the day, into the evening,” says Farnett. “We’ve
partnered with many support services to create information sessions,
new student orientations and study skills workshops all at times that
are convenient for working adults.”

One resource that Sheryl has taken full advantage of is
NightWriter, a unique program that’s part of the college’s Study Skills
Center. NightWriter is a free service open to all students that
combines technology with evening hours to provide assistance with
writing assignments. Students e-mail their questions (and sometimes
their writing-in-progress) and receive near-immediate response and
feedback. “NightWriter is a great resource for experienced writers and
those of us who haven’t written research papers in a while,” says
Sheryl.

OCC continues to meet the needs of working adults with
the launch of a new accelerated degree program in General Studies this
fall, which includes classes in communication at work, public speaking
and conflict resolution. For more information about Onondaga’s degree
programs, go to www.sunyocc.edu and click on Admissions, or call
498-2000. For information about the accelerated degree programs, call
498-2818.