Creating a Bridge to Post-Traditional Male Student Success at a Community College

Abstract

[EN] Post-traditional students appear to be the highest growing population of students on American college campuses. About 1/3 of the people, who are working and learning, are over the age of 30, which is a very substantial increase over what we saw in the 1980s and 1990s. Carnevale (2015). However, data suggests male students do not persist at the same level as their female counter parts in higher education. The enrollment in colleges has been favoring females since the 1970’s (Borzelleca, 2012). Given this increase in post-traditional students this paper will examine the experience of post-traditional male students as they attempt college level learning. This research paper investigates what supports and services are necessary for male post-traditional students to attain success. During the fall of 2022 a comprehensive qualitative research study was conducted involving 8 post-traional male students at a community college in an suburban New York location.. Keywords: Post-traditional students, male students, adult students, transformation