Echo February 11, 1977

              fceonvEs
Proposed amendment
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Tod Hanson departs
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A look at Augsburg's older students
Augsburg College
George Sverdrup Library
Minneapolis, Minnejota 55454
'Grandpa will graduate in May' or
4Shhh, Mama has to get an A'
By LAURIE SUTTON
Features Editor
You've probably seen us on campus.
We're the ones who don't wear jeans.
We're all commuters. Some of us have
gray hair. Sometimes we bring our
kids to school. Most of us remember
when Eisenhower was president and
some of us remember Harry Truman.
Occasionally we've been called
D.A.R.s (Damn Average Raisers) by
younger classmates. We're representative of a growing national
phenomenon called the older student.
Older students are generally defined
as over-25, non-traditional students,
who have either never attended
college before, or have been away
from school for several years.
In 1975, 3.7 million adults registered
for college courses in this country,
which was 34 percent of total college
enrollments. By 1980, the U.S. Census
Bureau estimates that older students
could form 40 percent of the total
enrollments.
Several   factors   account   for   this
influx into higher education: a high
rate of unemployment has caused
people to seek new skills; the women's
movement has encouraged reassessment of women's (and men's) goals;
and an increasing divorce rate as well
as the "empty nest syndrome" have
drawn many women out of the home
and back to school.
A program begun in 1973 at
Augsburg called "New Dimensions"
provides assistance and encouragement for the older student. New
Dimensions offers a four-week
seminar which has two purposes: it
eases the transition to campus by
helping adults to gather information
about their skills and abilities, and
acquaints or refreshes them with study
skills they'll need to do college work.
New Dimensions is the brainchild of
Louise McColl, director of the program
and an Augsburg graduate. McColl
came back to school as an adult
student herself and saw the need for
such an orientation. She worked for a
year after graduation as secretary to
Bruce Gildseth, who was then vice
president for Student Affairs and Dean
of Admissions. She then submitted a
proposal for the program.
Since the first New Dimensions
seminar in January 1974, 129 women
and one man have participated. Many
New Dimensions "grads" are now
full-time Augsburg students.
"I love my work," McColl says.
"It's so rewarding for me to see adults
become aware of their potential." She
has worked with students from 25 to
66-years-old and cites lack of
self-confidence and lack of direction as
the two main problems of the older
student.
Most older students are also afraid
they won't fit in with younger students
and    feel    guilty   about    asking    for
Continued on page 8
NEW DIMENSIONS DIRECTOR LOUISE McCOLL. left, enjoys a visit with
Francine Chakolis. New Dimensions grad and a social work major.
Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Vol.83,  No. 12  Feb. 11,1977