Self-investment is key to retaining adult women students.(Clinical report)

Engaged students are highly satisfied students. They stay and complete their degrees in greater numbers than do their less interested peers. Much of the retention research over the years has focused on engaging traditional age students at mostly residential schools.

But what about the nontraditional student, specifically the older woman? What strategies can engage them so they make the sacrifices necessary to complete their education?

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One solution is to encourage them to view their education as an investment in themselves, said Dr. Annemarie Vaccaro, clinical assistant professor in the college of education at the University of Denver. Vaccaro reported the findings from her qualitative study of nontraditional women at the NASPA/ACPA conference held in Orlando in April.

Engagement defined

Educational researcher George Kuh defines engagement as "the time and energy students devote to educationally sound activities inside and outside the classroom, and the policies and practices that institutions use to induce students to take part in these activities."

The National Survey on Student Engagement defines it as the level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student/faculty interactions, enriching educational experiences and a supportive campus environment. In other words, engaged students come to class prepared, take part in class discussions and keep their eyes on the prize.