Chapter+4

// Audience profile //When looking at our audience, it is helpful to compare statistics between the Oshkosh area, and the United States as a whole. The best way to do this is to look at data from both areas, and get a better feel for our audience by examining the different elements that make up our current audience profile. This section will aim to address this component further. All of the information collected in the following tables was found on Americanfactfinder.com from 2000 (latest known data that compares these two regions), and was compiled to allow for simple examination and evaluation. The following information about the general population is helpful when considering higher education, because it represents our student’s backgrounds, and aids in understanding how we can better serve them. **Table One: Ages** //
 * Chapter Four**
 * **Oshkosh** || **% of People** || **United States** || **% of People** ||
 * **Under 5 Years Old** || **5.0** || **Under 5 Years Old** || **6.8** ||
 * **18 Years and Older** || **81.8** || **18 Years and Older** || **74.3** ||
 * **65 Years and Older** || **10.2** || **65 Years and Older** || **12.4** ||
 * Table Two: Race/Ethnicity**
 * **Oshkosh** || **% of People** || **United States** || **% of People** ||
 * **White** || **90.9** || **White** || **75.1** ||
 * **Black or African American** || **3.2** || **Black or African American** || **12.3** ||
 * **American Indian &**
 * Alaska Native** || **0.6** || **American Indian & Alaska Native** || **0.9** ||
 * **Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander** || **0.0** || **Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander** || **0.1** ||
 * **Asian** || **3.6** || **Asian** || **3.6** ||
 * **Some Other Race** || **0.6** || **Some Other Race** || **5.5** ||
 * **Two or More Races** || **1.1** || **Two or More Races** || **2.4** ||
 * **Hispanic or Latino** || **1.8** || **Hispanic or Latino** || **12.5** ||
 * Table Three: Economic Characteristics**
 * **Oshkosh** || **Numbers or % of People** || **United States** || **Numbers or % of People** ||
 * **Median Family Income (Dollars)** || **48,750** || **Median Family Income (Dollars)** || **50,046** ||
 * **Median Household Income (Dollars)** || **36, 324** || **Median Household Income (Dollars)** || **41,994** ||
 * **Families Below Poverty Level** || **6.4** || **Families Below Poverty Level** || **9.2** ||
 * **Individuals Below Poverty Level** || **13.5** || **Individuals Below Poverty Level** || **12.4** ||
 * Table Four: Social Characteristics**
 * **Oshkosh** || **% of People** || **United States** || **% of People** ||
 * **High School Graduate or Higher** || **83.4** || **High School Graduate or Higher** || **80.4** ||
 * **Bachelor’s Degree or Higher** || **23.2** || **High School Graduate or Higher** || **24.4** ||
 * **Speak a Language Other than English at Home** || **7.8** || **Speak a Language Other than English at Home** || **17.9** ||

When looking at all of this data, it appears that not surprisingly Oshkosh is on par with the rest of the country in most areas. The growing trends of the Oshkosh area mirror what is happening in the rest of the country. When examining earlier statistics from the last decade, it is obvious that there are a growing number of minorities, other languages spoken at home besides English, as well as a decline in people who are employed and owning homes (http://www.census.gov/population/www/). This is crucial knowledge for educators to master due to the need to be aware of all things current in regards to their students. Our student body and their families are reflected in this data, and can be broken down further to incorporate our main focus for this handbook. Traditional and nontraditional students in both areas of advising and residence life are part of these statistics and drive how we as educators approach our need to serve these students. What does this mean in particular for our traditional and nontraditional student audience? //Traditional Students are “those aged twenty one and younger who are most likely to have followed an unbroken linear path through the education system” (Bye, Pushkar, & Conway, 2007). This group of students has typically been seen as having access to many resources and on campus services to help them throughout their college career. On the other hand nontraditional students are in need of these same resources. These students are those twenty five and above that typically have taken a break from education at some point in their lives, and are returning later in life. These students also are more likely to attend part time while working close to full time hours. Nontraditional students also are more likely to be supporting children at home, be a single parent, as well as to have dropped out of high school to attain a GED. What is very overwhelming to think about is that it has been estimated that 73% of undergraduate students now fall under the category of nontraditional ([|http://www.nces.ed.gov/]). This number should raise some flags for educators, and in relation to advising and residence life, there are many factors that come into play. Advising is crucial for this population of students in order to lift some of the stress involved with heading back to school. “To alleviate// students' //stress and bewilderment, academic advisors can guide// students //through the maze of general education requirements, academic policies and deadlines” (Hollis, 2009, p.6). Advisors need to remember that nontraditional students may need extra help and guidance in choosing classes, and getting from admission to graduation in its entirety. With a continuously growing number of nontraditional students going back to college, advising should be one of the top priorities to help ensure that these students’ needs are being met. As far as Residence Life is concerned, more traditional students have typically called campus housing home, but it is possible that with the number of nontraditional students continuing to grow, that more of these students will want to move into residence halls, or other types of on campus housing. The challenge here is to ensure that both traditional and nontraditional students can live collectively and respectfully on the same campus, and in some instances under the same roof. Services need to be in place that can assist both traditional and nontraditional students with appropriate housing selections. // What area needs more attention? //There are a group of students out there that may also fall under the nontraditional category, who also posses more barriers to learning and may require additional attention. These students are called underserved students. Underserved students can be defined as “low income students, those who are first in their families to attend college, and minority students” (Green, 2006, p.21). These students require more support than traditional students. Underserved students are also “more likely to be women, older than traditional college age, employed full time, and to support dependents living at home” (Nomi, 2005, p.1). Every single one of these characteristics can also describe nontraditional students, which is why it is so important to include this population when discussing areas that can be improved. While nontraditional students and underserved students are two different groups, there are many elements that do overlap, and certainly enough similarities between them to warrant more attention. Underserved students are also a group of students that have difficulty staying in school. They have lower graduation rates, and much higher dropout rates than traditional students. “The educational attainment of young Americans is declining and degree attainment for Latinos and African Americans is less than half that of Whites and Asians” (Green, 2006, p.23). There is no doubt that the barriers associated with being an underserved student play a part in the reasons why this group of students have lower retention and graduation rates. Like nontraditional students, the numbers of underserved students are also growing as the nation experiences a demographic transition within the population (Green, 2006). As the numbers grow it is important to adopt current curriculum and student service standards to meet their needs. Advising and Residence Life are no exception to this.// Places to locate more valuable information // http://www.wisconsin.edu/ Website for the University of Wisconsin System http://www.wtcsystem.edu/ Website for the Wisconsin Technical College System http://nontraditionalstudents.today.com / Website that includes helpful information for nontraditional college students