Older students may find resources limited
By Kelvin Wee
Emerald Reporter
Adult learners returning to
college after a break from high
school often find there are many
obstacles that threaten to mar
their move back into the world
of education.
Adult learners consititute
about 25 percent of the total stu
dent population at the Universi
ty. according to Linda Devine,
the internship coordinator with
the Office of Student
Development.
In October of 1985 Ronald
l^rsen, a graduate student with
the Department of Sociology,
conducted the “Survey of
University of Oregon Attitudes
and Experiences” that also
dealt with opinions of adult
students on campus.
The survey found older
students are less likely to attend
any orientation activities,
especially those of a social
nature, and older students have
a harder time making friends
connected with the University.
“It's inherent in adult
learners to have a lot of different
activities in their life that they
have to balance,” Devine said
"And because of that it is rare
that you will find an older stu
dent with the time and energy
(to participate in such ac
tivities)," she added
In order to help adult
students adapt to college life,
the Office of Student Develop
ment is encouraging them to
organize informal lunches and
meeting places where newer
students can go to meet other
returning students.
"We’re trying to help them
develop their own informal net
work." Devine explained, "so
that they can have a place to
meet other people who are in
same age groups, or others who
have children the same age as
their own. or even people who
live in the same town so they
may commute together."
The group held its first unof
ficial gathering during the
Orientation Week where about
15 percent of the new adult
learner population showed up
These students got to meet
returning students, who advis
ed them on where they could
find solutions to problems new
students were facing
"We are also seeing a lot
more men get involved with
these meetings," Devine added,
“and this is mainly because
there is no formal group on
campus that serves the needs of
older men who are coming bark
to school.”
The office of the Registrars'
began a statistical breakdown of
the student population by age
last year. In the course of their
work. It found that adult
learners consituted over b495 of
the total enrollment of 17050
students.
"It is not presently possible to
know how the older student
population has grown becuase
we only began to classify by age
last year,” said Tom North, the
statistition for registrar's office
"But the report for this year will
be released in a few weeks and
we can begin to monitor that."
he said.
As with most students, adult
learners frequently come across
problems with finances. The Of
fice of Veterans' Affairs has
been working to help veterans
obtain aid financially.
"Financial assistance for
veterans has become complex in
the last year." said Hilda Yoe
Young, Director of Veterans Af
fairs, adding "There's now the
old G.l. Bill and the new G.l
Bill, then there's the veterans
education assistance program
(VEAP). which is also very
complicated."
Young added lhat Congress
has also now added the Na
tional Guard and the Reserves to
the education program
Veterans are on a stringent pro
gram because they are only
allowed to take courses that ap
ply directly to their degrees,
and this is checked upon
regularly.
Young feels that most of the
activities are focused towards
the younger students and
therefore the older students do
not feel there is support much
for them here.
"I don’t think that older
students are looking for a sup
port group." Young added,
"but there needs to he a place in
the student union which is set
aside where older students can
meet other students their own
age. Like a center for the older
students because they are really
more mature and not really in
terested in going to the next
party."
More information about
special services for adult
learners and veterans may be
obtained by visiting the ap
propriate offices in 3t>4 Oregon
liall. or by calling tiHti-:t21b for
the Office of Student Develop
ment. or tiHti-:tl 1H for Veterans'
Affairs.
Student dies
University honors stu
dent John A, Hoc:ken III,
an advocate for better
campus access, died of
complications associated
with Musc ular Dystrophy
on Sept 23, He was 19,
A "brilliant student,"
according to Honors Col
lege Director Richard
Stevenson, Hocken came
to the University with 53
advanced placement
credits and was a junior
physics major at the time
of his death
Hocken was a member
of an architectural ad
visory committee and
helped in the planning for
the placement of an
elevator in Chapman Hall,
where the Honors College
is located When install
ed, the elevator will bo
dedicated to Hocken.
A 1986 graduate of
Churchill High School in
Eugene. Hocken captain
ed the chess team and
earned a National Merit
Scholarship, a Presiden
tial Scholarship and a
scholarship from the
Foundation for Excep
tional Children.
Force
Continued from Page 1
didn't, they’ve gone outside to
the press with frequent
derogatory remarks about in
dividuals." Willard said.
"What this raises to the com
munity is that they aren't will
ing to trust the governmental
process." she said.
Political beliefs and economic
self-interests have played a role
in the attempt by some members
of the task force to limit the
scope of the ordinance, said
Kona Friend, a task force
member.
According to Friend, the pro
posals initiated by the "pro
business" faction of the task
force would prohibit activities
which would likely never occur
in Eugene, such as the manufac
ture or testing of a nuclear
weapon, but would allow other
activities, such as applied
research and the manufacture of
components and software
Although Willard is affiliated
with the Eugene Software Coun
cil, and other members of the
task force list business occupa
tions (Robert Ellis, president of
a high-technology company
called CEO; Jim Piercey. presi
dent of the Eugene-Springfield
Metrobusiness Partnership; and
Rob Bennett, city councilman
and developer), Willard said
economic self-interest didn't
play a part in the proposals put
forth by some members
"There's no conflict of in
terest." Willard said.
Accusations of such motives
by other task force members are
"part of the name calling, the
intimidation factor." she said
Johnson said he is unsure
what the City Council will do
with the new version.
"I hope the council will see
this does address the issues that
they had originally been con
cerned about and that they will
adopt it.” Johnson said. "I have
no reading of the council posi
tion on this ”
“It's our hope that they
would see this and understand
that this is the legal solution
and anything else is to go too
far," he added.
The council was expected to
take up the task force's recom
mendations at a Dec. 7 meeting
after a public forum took place
in late October and the task
force met again “for the pur
pose of clearing up certain
unresolved issues." said Glen
Potter, a staff assistant in the Ci
ty of Eugene’s intergovernmen
tal relations division.
And according to Willard,
there is another version in the
works. Her own.
"I’m going to try to come up
with something that meets the
needs of everyone.” she said,
adding she wanted to meet the
objectives of the five members
who presented the version
Wednesday without involving
them directly.
"I have a sneaking suspicion
the City Council will get four
(versions).’’ Willard added.
Semester
Continued from Page 1
The semester calendar for the
academic year 1990-91, which
was approved last spring by the
State Hoard, shows classes
beginning Aug. 29 and ending
May 10 with Christmas break
from Dec. 21 to |an.H
Spring break will l>e a little
earlier than usual; taking place
March 9-17. Labor Day anil
Thanksgiving vacations also
will be honored on Sept. 3 and
Nov. 22 through 25
respectively.
Annual tuition will not be
raised as a result of the semester
change, according the the State
System of Higher Education's
conversion governing
principles.
One of the most challenging
problems in making the transi
tion will la’ dealing with one
term only courses, such as some
skiing courses offered only dur
ing the winter term. "If you
have a one quarter course you,
have to decide whether to drop
it. expand it or amalgamate it
with another," said Mate.
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