By: Lucy Dixon

The return of non-traditional students (anyone aged 25-95) to college is at an all time high. No wonder. Going back to college is the most confidence-building, life-improving step a person can take in a lifetime. I should know. I returned as a ‘non-traditional’ student. It took a life-changing event to be the catalyst that got me to the registrar’s office. My father passed away and I was suddenly faced with the ‘life is short’ concept on a personal basis.

My advice to you is…don’t wait for a catalyst. Be your catalyst. What do you want from a higher education? Better salary? Increased employment options? Prestige? Let’s face it, few non-traditionals go back to college simply for the academic growth. It doesn’t matter why you return to further your higher education. The point is to go for it. You will find that all of the above reasons will be met.

Make a plan. If you know what you want to study that’s great. If you are unsure, go to the college and talk to counselors. Do research on the internet. Consider what piques your interest. Time and money are too short to be experimenting with different subjects. Go to the financial aid office and the registrar’s office. After a couple of semesters, I went to the dean of my department and asked for old classes that I’d taken in years past to count for required present-day classes. Professors are so delighted to have non-traditional (serious) students that they will bend over backwards to help you reach your goals.

Most importantly, do not allow yourself the option to stop. Keep taking one class after another. When I went back I took classes every single semester without a break. It kept me in college mode and on track.

Although you will make friends in your classes, it is a good thing to let your pre-college friends know your plans. That way they can know that you will be busier than usual. Hope that your friends will support your new endeavor but I found that some resented my return. They felt they were being left behind. Remember this…it is YOUR future you’re working on. Who knows? You may be an example for others to follow. And a higher degree is a magnet for people on the lookout for a potential partner. Someone who has followed through on their education shows perseverance, reliability and accountability. Attributes we all admire in people.

When I got my undergrad degree, I immediately (after another trip to the financial aid office) began my masters degree. Now I have both. Can you imagine that? I never thought I’d be here.

I have a great job that I love in a field I’ve always been interested in, making better money than I’ve ever made. I have my self-respect and the respect of my loved ones. It was the death of my father that prompted me to return to college. I only wish he were around to see that I made it.

Walking onto a college campus in Atlanta for the first time in years is a whole new experience if you’re LGBT. Gay students and faculty are proud and not afraid to assert their authority to get their rights. The roots of this validation grew out of the campus LGBT groups, who provide meeting places and a sense of community to Atlanta’s gay scholars. Here’s the FENUXE 411 on Atlanta’s largest, gayest campus groups!

Emory University Office of LGBT Life

Emory’s gay group started in 1991 and quickly went to work arranging a large protest in response to an incident in which two gay students were harassed. The protest led to an expansion of the Office of LGBT Life’s resources which later helped the group secure employment protection and domestic partner benefits for Emory’s gay students and faculty. The group continues to fight for the LGBT community with multiple programs and organizations within the LGBT Life office to keep Emory’s gay community safe and connected.

http://www.emory.edu/CAMPUS_LIFE/LGBTOFFICE/

Georgia State Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity

“The Alliance” is Georgia’s first gay-straight student alliance. Founded in 1982 with just a handful in attendance, the group’s numbers have skyrocketed to include over 700 members. The Alliance meets in a different room on campus every Thursday night and gets together for a variety of events including cookouts and Braves games. Make sure to swing by the State Ballroom at the Student Center for their popular spring and fall drag shows.

www.gsualliance.com

Georgia Tech Pride Alliance

Due to the forced secrecy of gay people at the time, no one is sure which gay group was Georgia Tech’s first. What is known is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) got its charter passed by the Student Government Association in 1988 by a single vote on a highly conservative campus. Later renamed Pride Alliance, the group flourished with the times and now meets regularly on and off campus for volunteer opportunities and planning sessions. Stop by their office and pick up a copy of FENUXE while you’re there!

http://www.pride.gatech.edu/

Charles Middleton made history in 2002 when, with his longtime partner by his side, he was inaugurated as president of Chicago’s Roosevelt University, becoming the first openly gay president of a major university. He’ll be part of history again on August 6^th when his campus hosts the first ever conference for openly gay and lesbian university presidents.

FENUXE caught up with Middleton to see how he got here, what campus life is like for LGBT students and when he thinks there will be an openly gay university president in the South.

Fenuxe: At what point in your career did you decide to come out?

President Charles Middleton: It was about 20 years ago when I was dean of the college of arts and sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder. That’s where I made my initial statement of who I am.

Fenuxe: How did it go?

Middleton: It went well, up to a point. But that was back in the late 80s, early 90s and I think in the end it probably played out as one of the reasons I left the university in a not so happy way. It turned out to be terrific because I would have never gotten here otherwise.

Fenuxe: Did the climate get better as your career went on at Bowling Green and the University System of Maryland?

Middleton: I think that if you’re impatient it can seem like we’re not making progress, and I’m impatient on so many fronts so I spend a lot of time being frustrated. But as a historian I also take a longer view. There’s enormous progress that’s been made in my lifetime. You know, I grew up in the South in the 50s. Guys like me were in pretty bad shape there, they were hidden. I think we’ve made progress but we ain’t there yet baby.

Fenuxe: Did the gay issue come up when you were being considered for the position as president at Roosevelt?

Middleton: Yes, I raised it. I was in a long term relationship with another man, so for me it was really easy. I wouldn’t do anything in any way that would compromise my relationship with him. I raised it because it had never happened before that anyone had ever selected a gay man to be president. So I told them they’ll never pick me and here’s the reason why. And the search firm person told me, “Oh they already know about that and they still want to talk to you”—which of course completely surprised me. So, I learned long ago that you had to be honest and true to yourself first and then with everything else, people will deal with it in their own way. It’s always about them, not you.

Fenuxe: What is the climate like for LGBT students on college campuses now compared to before?

Middleton: Right now, it’s more of a mixed bag for students and others. Since more people are out and more people know people that are out and have family members who are out, the understanding of these issues is more personal and not so abstract as it was, say 30 years ago. But I still think it’s never easy. When you have to come to grips with this aspect of who you are, it’s hard no matter how the environment is.

Fenuxe: You were raised in and went to college in the South and there are currently no openly gay presidents here. What do you think the chances are of it happening here?

Middleton: Of course it’s going to happen. When I grew up, who would have known that you’d have black presidents at American Southern universities and yet they do all over. So I think this will happen in due course but I think it’s gonna be a tougher nut to crack in the South than probably in any other region. There are lots of vice presidents at Southern universities who are LGBT. It’s the question of the last position. That’s why I say it’s not a glass ceiling, it’s a plexiglass ceiling because you can’t break through it—you have to work around it.

Fenuxe: How did the conference of gay and lesbian university presidents come together and what are the goals?

Middleton: We thought there were two or three [gay presidents] then there were four then five, and we woke up one day and said “oh my goodness there’s 20-something!” so we thought maybe we should do something at least to consider whether or not we as a group can address some of our unique issues. And most importantly, how can we be mutually supportive and also supportive of those people a little bit younger who have the potential to be presidents as they seek their way into this level of leadership.

Fenuxe: How important is it to have LGBT people in positions of power?

Middleton: I think it’s critical. It’s the fact that younger people see successful older people in the community having careers and lives that in many respects are perfectly ordinary in the general scheme of things and that this [being gay] is not a disadvantage. They need to believe that they can make something of themselves and further their life over time. It’s very clear around here that our students and particularly our staff and faculty who are out or not find it, I guess…comforting and/or encouraging to see that I’m sitting over here in the corner doing my thing.

But I don’t think it’s a unique thing for us. I think it’s very important for there to be women and minorities who play the same role elsewhere. You either believe in equality or you don’t, you cannot parse equality. People are either equal or they’re not. Once you’re not, then the debate is not about equality, it’s about who you’re going to discriminate against. So we’ve moved beyond that to some degree but we have a ways to go.

Fenuxe: When you were in the closet way back when, what would you have said if someone told you that you would be the first openly gay president of a major university?

Middleton: I would have wondered what they were smoking and how I could get my hands on some of it. I’m not afraid to say that I’m of a certain generation, ya know? [laughs]

In the midst of a bad economy and an even worse job market, there’s one trend growing more than ever: the rise of the non-traditional student.

More and more people faced with limited job prospects are taking advantage of educational opportunities they might never have considered during the boom times. But aside from the obvious reasons, what other factors are causing “non-trads” to take the leap and get back on campus?

The Tech Factor

“User-friendly” is a common buzz word associated with technology, and it’s a driving force behind the influx of non-traditional students.

The Sloan Consortium, an organization focused on online education, surveyed over 2,500 colleges and universities and discovered a 17 percent increase in online course enrollment from 2008 to 2009. That figure dwarfed the 12 percent increase from 2007 to 2008.

This affects non-traditional students in particular. Going back to college after a number of years can be intimidating either due to rusty academic skills or dealing with the majority of their peers being much younger.

But with the proliferation of online courses, the barriers drop. There’s greater ease with which non-trads are able to jump back into the fold.

They Want YOU

In recent years, colleges have shown a willingness to not only accept more non-traditional students, but to actively recruit them.

Georgia Perimeter College has mounted an aggressive campaign to attract older non-traditional students. Their Prime Time Movers program offers free tuition to individuals 62 years and older good for a 2-year stint and an associate’s degree.

Colleges are realizing the benefit of a diverse student body and they’re seeking that goal with a vengeance.

Money Matters

Naturally, the search for diversity on college campuses includes the LGBT community. Many foundations and individual donors across the country are funding scholarships for LGBT students.

The Point Foundation is the largest source of gay scholarships. Their entire goal is to mentor and give financial support to LGBT students. They do not exclude scholarship candidates based on age or on the amount of time since last enrolled in school, leaving the doors wide open for gay non-trads.

Warm Climates

When it comes to LGBT individuals seeking to jump back on campus after a prolonged break, gay-friendly campuses are a welcome addition. Georgia’s colleges and universities abound with active LGBT student groups.

Georgia State University’s Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Georgia Tech’s Pride Alliance, Emory University’s Office of LGBT Life and the University of Georgia’s Lambda Alliance are but a few of the organizations providing a safe place for gay students to be themselves.

Non-traditional LGBT students might be surprised at the gay-friendly campus culture upon their return. “For me personally and the majority of our friends, we’re comfortable at UGA,” says junior Joshua Barnett. “My partner and I walk around campus and downtown and don’t really think twice about holding hands.”

Georgia State University student and former President of the Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity Elijah Sarkesian echoes Barnett’s sentiments—to a degree.

“Overall, there’s a lot of support for the LGBT community from the administration,” he says. “In terms of the climate among the student body, I’d say it’s widely positive but not completely. There’s going to be elements of homophobia wherever you go.”

One to Grow On

Non-traditional students are a sign of the times. They come from all backgrounds, all ages, all sexual orientations. Their return to college happens for a variety of reasons. Gay non-trads in particular see on-campus benefits in the form of their own personal growth.

Decatur resident Jennifer Karlebach graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2005, went out into the workforce for several years, got laid off and now attends Life University. “I feel more comfortable being gay at Life than I did at Kennesaw State, but I also feel more comfortable in my years and my age and my life,” she says. “I’m gay and I’m proud of it.”

You’re back in school and looking to socialize, but dorm mixers and frat parties are not your thing anymore. What to do? Throw the perfect house party. After all, it’s just like a dinner party but with more people and less inhibitions.

The Invite

Acknowledge your temptation to rely solely on the Facebook invite for your party. Then ignore it. Facebook event invitations get sent out every time some queen plans on changing hairstyles in this town. Go with the multi-pronged approach: Facebook, Evite and text blast.

Inside Tip: Anyone who replies “Sounds like fun!” actually means “Sounds like I’m not coming!”

The Attire

Summer casual with an upscale twist is the goal. Ladies, slip on a sundress but glam it up with a pair of strappy sandals and a strand of 30” glass beads. Men, rock the designer jeans with a fitted, untucked white button-down and flip-flops then accessorize with a bracelet and watch combo from David Yurman. Give it the old college try.

Inside Tip: The one who correctly guesses the amount of people wearing polos is probably wearing a polo.

The Drink

Expect a mix of grads and undergrads so plan accordingly. A keg is appropriate but your PBR days are a thing of the past so go higher-end. Try a Yuengling or splurge for Fat Tire. Lay off providing liquor though: the expense will get more out of control than a Kathy Griffin sighting at Blake’s.

Inside Tip: Buy only enough wine to last till 9. Few drink the vino all night.

The Drinking Game

Sure you’ve been off-campus for a few years, but it doesn’t mean you can’t play a good old-fashioned drinking game. Don’t waste time with intricate rules. Just drink every time someone takes out their iPhone. Last one to remember their major wins…or loses, whichever.

Inside Tip: The iPhone 4 does not have a coaster app. The iPhone 3 is a coaster.

The Food

Food at a college house party would be more out of place than leather night at The Livingston.

For some it’s a sign of the times or it’s about straight-up cash. For others it’s all about status or it’s a noble quest. FENUXE found the benefits of going back to school.

It pays to be gay.

“Gay for pay” has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to LGBT scholarships. Donors and foundations are responsible for a generously gay variety of local and national scholarships. Check out The Point Foundation or the Human Rights Campaign’s scholarship page and get that paper!

The job market sucks.

The job market is more competitive than the catwalk at Joe’s on Juniper. If you’re hitting dead-ends and sick of the lines at the Department of Labor, why not go back to school? When all else is equal, the higher degree wins.

You like money.

Think a degree doesn’t matter when it comes to money? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics would like a word with you. The median weekly earnings of those who never went to college: $624. For college graduates? $1,140. That number more than doubles with an advanced degree.

You hate your job.

You hate your boss or you hate your profession but you don’t know what to do. Stagnancy calls for a reboot. What did you always want to do but were afraid to try? What’s your passion? You’ll have less motivation to make the switch when the economy is rolling so go get the skills you need now!

You like your job and want to go further with it.

Maybe you’re an LGBT activist, but a law degree will help round out your skill set. Or you’re the manager at a popular restaurant, but a business degree will help you own your own spot someday. Whichever the scenario, you love your job so much that you never want the ride to end.

You’re a shallow bastard.

Sometimes, a degree is all about ego—a 2-year, 4-year or even longer pursuit to prove you’re better than everyone else. “What’s that you say, waitress? Oh I gave you a copy of my master’s degree instead of my credit card? My apologies, minion.” It’s okay to admit it.

You like to learn.

A simple thirst for knowledge is one of the healthiest, most admirable qualities a person can have. To want to know more about the world around you, to always wonder “how?” and “why?”—this is how progress is made, how discoveries happen. It’s what keeps the world evolving.