Adult and Graduate Student Services
a. General Description
Adult and Graduate Student Services (AGSS) provides programs, services, and support to
the growing population of students over the traditional age enrolled at Texas A&M
University. The 1996 student body profile states that 8,797 or 20.9% of the students
enrolled were 24 years of age or older. AGSS provides publications and listings to help
adult and graduate students with the challenges of higher education and to help with their
specific needs. AGSS continues to provide support to students who want to discuss their
specific needs and challenges associated with returning to school, age differences in
classes, and differences for adult learners. AGSS staff also advise the recognized student
organization for adult and graduate students over the age of 24, The New Traditional
Students (TNTs).
b. Target Audience
Primary Target Audience:
- Students enrolled at Texas A&M University that are over the age of 24 years
- Students under the age of 24 who are married and attending college with children
- Graduate students
- Unmarried students who are parents
- Students who have been financially independent from their parents.
Secondary Target Audience:
- Students contemplating enrolling at Texas A&M University either as transfer
students, first year students, returning students or graduate students.
Tertiary Target Audience:
- Family members of students over the age of 24 years.
- Family members of graduate students.
c. Delivery of Program or Services
Child Care Resources
- AGSS provides lists of available child care options for students with children. Listings
are compiled and distributed in the AGSS office
Transitions
- Transitions is a two-day optional orientation program for undergraduates over the age of
24 and graduate students. AGSS coordinates facilities, food, programming, and
registration.
Graduate Student Orientation
- AGSS collaborates with the Office of Graduate Studies in planning and organizing an
orientation program for new graduate students.
TNTS - The New Traditional Students
- Student organization that focuses on needs of undergraduate students over the age of 24
and graduate students. The organization provides social as well as peer support and
advised by AGSS.
d. Marketing of Programs and
Services
Child Care Resources
- On-site: Students can pick up a listing of center and home-based child care providers in
the Bryan/College Station area, students interested in caring from children in the
student/parents’ home, and information on how to choose a child care provider.
- Internet Search Information: Students are provided the Texas Department of Protective
Services web site address through the AGSS brochure, web site, and semester newsletter.
The Little Maroon Handbook (student handbook geared to graduate
students)
- Orientation Distribution: Students attending Graduate Student Orientation and
TRANISTIONS receive a copy.
- On-site: Students can obtain a copy in 112 Koldus and the Office of Graduate Studies
TRANSITIONS
- Direct mailing of pre-registration materials are sent to students (graduate and
undergraduate) accepted for fall semester enrollment.
- Pre-registration materials are delivered to the International Students Services Office
to be distributed to new incoming students over the age of 24.
- Web site registration is available to students accessing the Adult & Graduate
Student Services home page.
TNTS - The New Traditional Students
- On-site: Students can obtain information in the Office of Adult & Graduate Student
Services on TNTs meetings, membership, leadership opportunities, and participation
opportunities.
- Battalion Advertisements: Information is presented on meeting locations and
membership.
- Web site information: Students are introduced to TNTs through the AGSS web site, Student
Activities web site, and TNTS web site.
- Campus Publications: Whoop!Start and many other campus publications list TNTs as
a place to become involved at TAMU.
e. Collaborative Efforts
- Office of Graduate Studies
The collaborative relationship has been recently redefined to recognize the
contributions Student Life and more specifically, AGSS, can make in providing programs and
services for graduate students.
- Career Counseling
AGSS is working with Career Counseling to meet the unique needs of adult and graduate
students. A number of different topics that this population hesitate to address within a
"traditional" workshop setting will be presented during sessions marketed
specifically to adult and graduate students.
- Graduate Student Council
The Coordinator of AGSS serves as the secondary advisor to Graduate Student Council. A
half-time clerk in this office provides clerical support for Graduate Student Council.
- University Owned Apartments
A collaborative relationship has been established with University Owned Apartments. Given
that the majority of the students living within this complex are adult and graduate
students, efforts have been made to communicate services and programming between the two
offices. AGSS has provided information to students at evening meetings on "Balancing
School, Work, and Family." Additional communication is happening as newsletters are
distributed from each office at the other, and students are referred to each office from
the other.
- Department of Recreational Sports
Efforts have been made to develop a collaborative relationship with Recreational Sports in
order to ensure programming that adult & graduate students will utilize. Discussion
have begun on the scheduling, type, and class size necessary to constitute an open class
and one that adult and graduate students will participate in. Efforts to maintain this
relationship include email communication and meetings.
- Eisenhower Project
The opportunity to work with students involved in the Eisenhower Project has provided a
collaborative effort in assessing adult and graduate students’ needs. Adult and
graduate students’ needs at Texas A&M have been defined by this project and the
results enable the Adult & Graduate Student Services to create appropriate services
and programming.
- Association of Non-Traditional Students In Higher Education (ANTSHE)
A supportive relationship has been established between ANTSHE and the office of Adult
& Graduate Students Services. Through listserve contacts, conferences, telephone
conversations, and email, information is distributed that educates the Coordinator of
Adult & Graduate Student Services. This results in better programming and services to
students.
- American College Personnel Association, Commission XVII – Commuter Students &
Adult Learners
Involvement in this commission provides support, information, and resources that
increase the quality of programs and services to adult and graduate students. Information
is communicated through newsletters, email, telephone conversations, conference
attendance, and regional meetings.
f. Evaluation and Assessment
- Assessment of adult and graduate needs
- Evaluation of Transitions program
g. Resources
Personnel
- Coordinator, Adult and Graduate Student Services - Identify adult and
graduate student needs. Coordinate, develop, plan and implement programs and services to
address these needs. Supervise a part-time Clerk III and manage financial budgets for
service area. Advise The New Traditional students (TNT) organization and serve as
co-advisor to Graduate Student Council.
- Clerk III (part-time) – Greet visitors, be responsible for daily
office tasks and reception, answer phone calls, and make referrals to appropriate offices
and services. Provide clerical support to the Coordinator of Adult and Graduate Student
Services and the Graduate Student Council.
h. Primary Obstacles
- Identifying students who fulfill the current definition of adult learner or
non-traditional student. Without accurate data on who adult learners are, what their
contact information is, and areas of campus they are on ,it is difficult to provide
information and services.
- Decentralized admission policy for graduate students makes it difficult to identify
newly admitted graduate students
- Communicating with adult and graduate students. This population of students possesses
multiple role responsibilities to fulfill, making communication difficult.
- Limited resources and funding to meet the needs of adult and graduate students.
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