The New Face of College
Just 20 percent of college-goers fit the stereotype of being young, single, full-time students who finish a degree in four years. College students today are more likely to be older, part-time, working, and low-income than they were three decades ago. Many are the first in their families to go to college.
On this episode of American RadioWorks: a look at under-served populations and identities in the American college system. Hear how universities are adapting to serve these new students, and what they must do to remain engines of social mobility.
"The New Face Of College" is part of a four-part series from the acclaimed documentary unit of American Public Media. Revisit the first episode here, and the second episode here.
We'll visit Amherst College, a leader among elite schools in recruiting and serving non-traditional students. Learn what steps they take to ensure those students succeed once they're there. Then: discover the "access + excellence" mission at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The student body is 80 percent Hispanic and largely low income, and is helping UTEP become a top-tier research institution. Leaders at the schools believe all public regional universities can follow their example: educate the students they have, not the ones they wish they had. Lastly, travel to the Yakama reservation in Washington, where Heritage University is bringing liberal arts to migrant farmworkers and tribal members. To stay afloat, the college is reaching beyond its historic population of low-income enrollees to attract a wealthier student body population.
Airs Saturday, September 6 at 6am on 93.9 FM and 7am and 2pm on AM 820; Airs Sunday, September 7 at 8pm on AM 820
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