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The term “nontraditional students” (NTS) is widely used in higher education research, but its definition varies across studies. Objectives This systematic literature review aims to examine how researchers define NTS in U.S.-based studies and identify potential definitional issues. Methods We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, searching EBSCO databases (Education Research Complete, Education Full Text, and ERIC) for peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2022. We analyzed 65 papers that met our inclusion criteria to assess the definitions used for NTS. In this systematic literature review we focus on the definitional issues related to how researchers use the term nontraditional students in US-based studies. We review 65 papers from search results containing 432 papers to understand how researchers define nontraditional students. Of the 65 papers reviewed fully, 33 papers included a specific definition of nontraditional students, 15 included an unspecified definition of nontraditional students, and 17 papers did not include a clear definition at all. Our work suggests that researchers use a clearer definition, such as from the NCES, to define nontraditional students and focus their attention on the seven categories given by NCES. 

This full research paper explores the role of faculty mentors in supporting student mentees. Faculty mentors of undergraduate students have the ability to make an academic, professional, and/or personal impact on their students. For example, mentors may provide assistance with course planning, share career goal feedback, offer life advice, etc. The benefits of these relationships may prove to be especially valuable in competitive fields such as engineering. While students stand to gain much in mentor/mentee relationships, these interactions can be mutually beneficial, producing positive effects for mentors. Despite the importance of faculty mentoring undergraduate students, there is a gap in understanding what enables faculty mentors to feel effective in their roles. The majority of studies focus on student-related outcomes and do not delve into the mentors’ side of the relationship. Addressing this gap can serve to enhance the quality of student education by providing insight into mentoring relationships. This paper will utilize Zachary’s model for effective mentoring to understand the foundation of effective mentoring. This model provides a framework for understanding mentor-mentee interactions by describing the seven elements of an effective relationship: reciprocity, learning, relationship, partnership, collaboration, mutually defined goals, and development. Mentors in academia are put in the position to orchestrate student growth through these areas by lending their guidance and expertise. In order to better understand the faculty mentor experience within one-on-one and small-group faculty-to-student mentoring relationships in the undergraduate setting, this qualitative project will study a cohort of engineering faculty mentors of undergraduate engineering students at a mid-sized research university in the Midwest. Two research questions will be examined: a. What are the factors that enable faculty mentors of undergraduate engineering students to feel effective in their role? b. How can engineering faculty be supported to enhance their mentoring interactions? The primary focus of this study will be to fill a critical gap in the understanding of faculty mentoring of undergraduate students by investigating the factors that enable faculty mentors to feel effective and proposing strategies for their support. 

In order to diversify and increase the engineering workforce, there is a documented need to better support nontraditional students (NTS) pursuing engineering degrees. Yet, most models of student support are currently based on the traditional model of engineering education that takes place in a place-based, residential, research driven institutions. In this paper, we analyze semi-structured interviews to understand the needs of NTS in engineering and outline ways in which they can be better supported towards their degree. We use theoretical work on Moore's Theory of Transactional Distance which focuses on dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy. We found that NTS in our sample were dedicated to completing their degrees for practical, and specific reasons and were looking for a work-life-education balance. Participants almost never used any resources other than their instructors and cared most about flexibility of scheduling their classes around their other commitments. This contrasts with current work within the literature that argues for increasing engagement and offering a range of services to engineering students. Our research discusses findings from interviews of five nontraditional students in engineering. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed then open-coding and thematic analysis were performed by the research team. Results showcase major themes from the interviews such as Financial Security, Home Commitments, Motivation, Personal Well-Being, Academic Support, Social Support, and Other Concerns. We discuss these findings in the context of determining ways to support nontraditional students on campuses where these students are most prevalent and often overlooked within the research community. 

This Complete Research paper describes the experiences of commuter students pertaining to integration during COVID-19. Many colleges and universities host a large population of commuter students who often live at home and also work part-time or full-time jobs. Although there are varying definitions of commuter students, typically they are defined as someone who does not reside in University housing and primarily live at home with their families. Commuter student needs differ significantly from residential students. On top of academics and extracurricular activities, commuter students face the daily challenge of commuting to and from campus. However, a recent report found that there were more students that wanted to and or chose to live at home even with the extra demands on being a commuter student. The COVID-19 pandemic has added another challenge to commuter students as well. The incorporation of online classes and having almost no opportunity to be in on campus in person has left many students, especially commuter students, feeling isolated and disconnected from university life. The pandemic allowed for many technological solutions to attending classes but the challenge to stay connected and involved was often overlooked and left some commuter students disheartened.