Teaching nontraditional students yields lessons in marketing—and beyond
Image credit: "Students in class, Pitzer College" by Claremont Colleges Digital Library on Flickr
For the past ten years, I've had the opportunity to serve as an adjunct professor at three colleges in my community. Most of the students I've worked with are “nontraditional”—over the age of 25, that is, with job and/or family responsibilities in addition to their studies.
My focus on this group isn't coincidental. When I was a young struggling college student, I ended up on academic probation. I decided to reboot by working full time and going to school at night. Most of my classmates were older than me—much older, in some cases. As it turns out, however, being surrounded by non-traditional students helped me discover a different perspective. My older classmates were eager to learn and not very tolerant of those who weren’t—including me, until I adjusted my attitude.
In short, my former classmates inspired me to the point where I eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree and continued on to complete two master’s degrees. I remembered them with gratitude throughout my studies and, later, this informed my decision to teach. What better way, I thought, to give back to those who supported me by doing everything I could to encourage and help today’s nontraditional students? And what better place to do it than in the classroom?
Well, just as I was surprised by what I discovered when I began taking night classes more than 20 years ago, I’ve found something equally as unexpected as a teacher: all the lessons I’ve imparted to my students over the years have been more than equaled by what they’ve taught me. And many of the things I’ve learned are highly relevant to another aspect of my professional life: my “day job” in higher education marketing.
Here are some of the most important things I’ve learned about—and from—my students:
They're smart. This should go without saying. However, there’s often an unwarranted bias against nontraditional students. “If they were college material,” the often more subtly-stated arguments imply, “they would have enrolled right out of high school.” If you’ve worked with these students, you don’t need me to tell you that’s patently untrue. Not only do they compete well with traditional students in terms of academic performance, but they’re just as worldly, if not more so. For marketers, then, it’s important to understand how this audience is different without talking down to them. If you don’t respect their intelligence, your institution will quickly fall off their short list.
They are intently focused on the outcome of their education. For many nontraditional students, a degree is a means to an end. It’s all about what education enables, with campus amenities and activities being decidedly secondary. Marketers generally do a good idea of remembering this, but they must make a strong case for their institution offering a superior pathway to a career. Provide real world evidence, therefore, that your college or university can move a nontraditional student forward faster, more affordably, or better positioned for improved employability or earnings.
Many colleges sound the same to them. The main problem with the point above is that most colleges don’t understand the imperative to differentiate. They talk about preparing students for careers, personal attention, and quality faculty as if those benefits are unique and not the absolute minimum standard for a nontraditional prospect. Marketers must lead their institutions to understand that it’s no longer enough to simply promote what you’re good at. The only thing that matters is where you’re truly better than the competition.
They are absolutely intent on getting the most for the money. Today, every institution is being asked to defend the return on the investment made by its students. There are no tougher customers on this issue than nontraditional students, due to the fact they usually foot the bill themselves and are hyperaware of the sacrifices they will have to make to afford an education. ROI should, therefore, be one of the leading arguments made by every marketer aiming to reach nontraditional prospects.
They will not tolerate anything less than a world-class experience. While nontraditional prospects are understandably more cost sensitive than many traditional prospects, it’s important to think beyond affordability alone. Due in part to the proliferation of online options available to them, they know they have options and they won’t settle. As a faculty member, it’s critical that I remember this and bring my absolute best to every class I teach. And as a marketer, I need to be equally as aware that this demand for excellence begins long before a student ever sets foot in a college classroom.
They want to be proud of the school they attend. In short, legacy matters. This is where it’s difficult for many new entrants into the online space. They simply don’t have the track record to convince nontraditional prospects that they’re worthy choices. If your institution has proud alumni, feature them. If you can make a case for your institution being recognized and respected by employers, do so. Nontraditional prospects will envision their name on your institution’s diploma and decide whether what they see inspires them to turn that vision into reality—or turn somewhere else.
They have fears mainly about not fitting in. Many of the nontraditional students I’ve worked with have confided that they, at least at one point, were concerned about whether they would fit in on a college campus. While it’s easy to dismiss this concern, it is enough of a barrier that many prospects never get beyond it. Marketers, then, must take every opportunity to demonstrate how their campus environment welcomes nontraditional prospects. Certainly don’t overstate the facts, but if you have a thriving nontraditional student body, showcase it and the support systems you have in place to help them succeed.
They are keenly interested in developing substantive relationships with faculty and their classmates. A related point is that nontraditional students don’t just want to be tolerated on campus. They want to thrive, be challenged, and have the opportunity to find friendships, mentors, and a network that lasts beyond graduation. Marketers, then, should demonstrate how their institution fosters such relationships. Don’t think of the nontraditional experience as solitary. While nontraditional students are certainly independent, they value connections as much as anyone else.
There’s one more thing you can do to ensure better results in your work with nontraditional prospects: talk to them. In addition to everything stated above, I’ve learned that they’re an incredibly generous group, eager to share their perspective. If I hadn’t experienced this as a student, I may have never recovered from my initial failures. Today, I’m reminded that it was nontraditional students who gave me the opportunity to do this work in the first place. If I don’t continue to harness the opportunity to learn from them, I’ll suffer—both as an instructor and in my efforts as a marketer.
