New Program Assists Adults Re-Entering College

A new program introduced by the Admissions Office this past year is meeting with great success, according to Katherine Sweeney, registrar and director of admissions. Called the Returning Adult Re-entry Program, it is designed to ease the transition into college for adults who have been out of school five or more years. Participants must have already applied for enrollment, she says, and they commit to attending the two-week sessions. The effort is being spearheaded by Associate Director of Admissions Carol Giardina.

"As a former returning adult student, I realize the impact of adding classes, research, and projects to an already full schedule. I also know that returning to school was the best thing I could have done for my family and myself, so I wanted to encourage others to take the leap," says Ms. Giardina.

The Re-entry Program is only possible, she says, because of the united effort of other staff and faculty. The sessions offered include the following subjects and ASU faculty and staff members:

Financial Aid and Admissions Opportunities for Adult Students, Willene Holmes and Carol Giardina
Secrets of Student Success, Angie Kitchens and Ginny Luke
Collegiate Placement Examination Reviews—Dr. Bill Dodd, Ms. Cynthia Craig, and Mr. Thomas Gardiner
Collegiate Placement Examination—Angie Kitchens and Kathy Herrington
START-UP Orientation—Kathy Thompson, Tim Bonds and Sarah Hammond

Feedback from participants has been extremely positive, according to Ms. Giardina. "To measure the impact of the program, we plan to track the success of re-entry students (persistence and academic performance) and compare the results with life enrichment students who enrolled without participating in Returning Adult Re-entry," she says.

"I believe that support like the Re-entry Program can make a critical difference in the successful transition of older students to Augusta State," says Ms. Giardina.