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Returning women find voice in University group
Ada Simanduyeva
- Staff Reporter
A Kenyan mother of four traveled more than 8,000 miles to the United States to pursue an opportunity unavailable in her home country.
Her goal: return to school and earn a Ph.D.
"I was (in the United States) before I knew there were opportunities for women of my age to go back to school," Edith Mussukuya said.
She is one of more than 4,000 returning women students over the age of 30 pursuing a University education.
The newly formed Returning Women Students is an organization that helps women like Mussukuya deal with issues facing students coming back to school after a lengthy hiatus. The organization deals with issues such as child care, financial woes and peer tutoring.
"I knew that we had to be represented, and there were special issues ignored by the University," said Ellen Birmingham, the group's president.
The University English senior said she feels returning women students have complicated lives since a lot of them have families.
"I had no voice and representation at campus for my issues," Birmingham said. "I knew that there were other returning women that felt the same way."
The organization began last November with a Web survey sent to all returning women students. Birmingham received 420 responses.
She said the group has struggled to unite all the returning women because of the busy schedules of possible members.
Sandy Keyes, a University psychology sophomore, is also a returning student. "It's something that I wanted to do for 30 years, and the timing's right, so I decided to do it," Keyes said.
One of the biggest obstacles facing the women is financial aid. Many members need grants and scholarships to finance their education.
Keyes said although money is available from some sources, it is hard to find out exactly how to receive it.
Another issue of concern is a lack of advisers familiar with the issues of returning students. The Returning Women Students group is trying to set up an advocacy program. "We need advisers who are attuned to our special needs," Keyes said.
Also, since many of the members have families and work, advising office hours are not convenient for them. Later office hours would benefit a majority of returning students with hectic schedules.
The group is also trying to create mentorship and peer-tutoring opportunities in math and science programs. Birmingham said there are no such services for returning students.
The only college that offers peer tutoring is General College, but women in other colleges do not have the same privilege. There is also a need for tutors who are of similar ages as returning students, Birmingham added.
Janet Alazar, an international relations senior, is the vice president of the group. She said there should be a specific office with a paid staff to take care of re-entry students.
"Once students feel a sense of belonging, they excel academically better," Alazar said.
Ada Simanduyeva covers international perspectives and welcomes comments at adasa@daily.umn.edu.
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