WestConn Non-Traditional Students

Reach Out To Support Each Other

DANBURY — Sitting down to do your homework while your 12-year-old works on hers, finding the library card files you remember have been replaced by computer databases, and trying to remember study skills you have not used in decades are not typical experiences for WestConn’s traditional students.

However, these are just a few of the situations the university’s non-traditional students, defined as those over age 25, encounter daily.

That’s why two of WestConn’s “non-trads,” 46-year-old Monica Sievel of Newtown and 54-year-old Jeanne Billett of Redding, recently formed the WestConn Non-Traditional Student Organization (NoTSO).

“We want [non-trad students] to feel a connection and know that others here are experiencing the same things they are,” Ms Sievel said.

According to university records, more than 1,000 of WestConn’s nearly 5,000 students are non-traditional ones. These students frequently outperform their traditional counterparts, earning higher GPAs, but they can feel disconnected from other aspects of university life.

To get other students involved in NoTSO, Ms Sievel and Ms Billett have planned a three-part “Latte & Library” series, meant to create the opportunity for the university’s non-trads to mingle with each other and to gain helpful information about WestConn’s best resources.

Their first event in September drew nearly a dozen students for an introduction to the Ruth Haas Library and the resources available there. They also distributed a handout of orientation information, which answers questions about the availability of technology assistance and child care, where to get a parking pass or student ID, and where to get a cup of coffee or a bite to eat.

They are planning a second event later in the semester, which will highlight tips on research methods and resources for research papers. During the spring semester, NoTSO will offer the third session, which will focus on making the most of academic advising and career develop resources that are offered.

Ms Sievel said that although the group and its events will be tailored to non-trads’ needs and interests, they would not be off-limits to traditional students.

“We don’t want to discriminate,” she said. “If traditional students want to check in on us and see what we’ve got to offer, they’re welcome.”

For more information about NoTSO or the “Latte & Library” series, email billett001@wscu.edu or sievel001@wcsu.edu.