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cOMPASSION I N FASHION

 

Grand Valley State University vis-iting professor Ruth Butler wasgoing to be a nun when she rst

started college at what was then calledMercy College of Detroit, now Univer-sity of Detroit Mercy.

“My rst year of college I was in aconvent — I was going to be a nun,”Butler said. “So I wised up about that,and then transferred to Eastern (Michi-gan University) and dropped out aftermy second year of college.”

That was the rst time she droppedout of school, followed by another se-mester or so at Eastern and then a seconddrop out. A few years later, she returnedto University of Detroit and double-ma- jored in English and religious studies.

“I’d been in school all these years, 14years by then, and always doing what I

was supposed to do and following theplan, the structure you’re supposed tofollow,” Butler said. “I remember sittingduring the summer… and I just said,

‘You know, I don’t have to do what peo-

ple want me to do, I can do what I want.Even if it’s nothing.’

“And it was one of my top ve rstgrown-up decisions.”

She ended up going back to college afourth time for her teacher certication,all-in-all taking her just short of nineyears to complete her education.

Dropping out at GVSUAccording to records kept by Insti-

tutional Analysis, of the 20,818 studentsenrolled for the Fall 2010 base term (witha Winter 2011 follow-up term), GVSUsaw 5.4 percent, or 1,125 students, “dropout.”

Phillip Batty, director of InstitutionalAnalysis at GVSU, said the term “drop-

out” is not exclusive to students whodropped out of college completely or

Dropping out to Drop back in

*The term ‘dropout’ also inludes students who did not drop out permanently, but were either takinga semester o, doing study abroad or internships or transerred to other universities or olleges.

Figures provided by GVSU Institutional Analysis 

GV faculty, student discuss what it’s like to toe the line between college, career and the pressures that come with the challenge 

BY ANYA zENTMEYER

GVL MANAGING EDITOR

1,184 # fds*

FaLL 2007 FaLL 2008 FaLL 2009 FaLL 2010 FaLL 2011

% f lelled(ded) 6.0 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.3

1,154 1,117 1,126 1,110

“I’d been in shool

all these years, 14years by then, and

always doing what Iwas supposed to do

and ollowing theplan, the struture

you’re supposed to

ollow.”

RUth bUtlERPROFESSOR

SEE DROP OUT, A4

 

permanently. The term, as usedin the university’s records, alsoconstitutes students who aretaking a semester off, doingstudy abroad or internshipsor sometimes transferring toother colleges or universities.

For fall of 2011, the esti-mated number of dropouts atGVSU (based on data as of Thursday) is marginally lowerthan fall of 2010 at 5.3 percent,or 1,110 of the 21,124 studentsenrolled.

“About 200 (17 percent)of each years’ dropouts weredismissed or in jeopardy of dismissal status due to poorgrades,” Batty said. “Also,previous years’ data haveshown that 20 to 25 percentof the dropouts re-enrolled atGVSU within a year.”

Senior Tayler Keefer madeit through nearly three years atGVSU before taking a semes-ter off, a decision that, muchlike Butler’s, was an expres-sion of freedom in a time of confusion.

“I went for three years, andI guess I felt like I was pushedon this path that everyonewas supposed to follow out of high school, especially com-ing from Forest Hills,” saidKeefer, who attended ForestHills Central High School inthe suburbs of Cascade, Mich.“I mean, I went to school andI liked it, but I guess afterawhile it just got really stress-ful, because it was like, ‘Whyam I doing these classes if Idon’t know exactly what I’mdoing?’”

In August, Keefer got a full-time job at Spectrum Healthas a registration specialist, andtook the semester off beforereturning this winter.

Stuck on the fence of what she felt she should do,and what she felt like societywanted her to do, Keefer tooka leap of faith.

“(I dropped out) becauseI guess I just decided that, at

the time, there were more im-portant things to focus on thanschool,” she said. “But I’venever had to say that to myself before, you know? No oneusually says there are moreimportant things than school.”

For both Butler and Keefer,the constantly-posed questionsof major completion and con-crete career plans were, andcontinue to be, intimidating.

“It’s not hurting you, butit’s just another reminder thatyou’re either on the track oryou’re not on the track,” But-ler said. “So, who cares whatAunt Sally thinks in yourday-to-day life? It’s just likesociety calling up and saying,‘Hey, where are you, whatare you doing, what are yourplans?’ And I know that putspressure on them — I see itin my kids, I see it in students— you know, ‘What am I sup-posed to be doing?’

“You kind of measureyourself, not even consciouslyeven, but it’s there. I think it’sexpecting a lot of us at an agewhen we’re just not ready todeclare our life goal.”

For Keefer, coming back toschool was synonymous withanxiety. She worried about thelogistics of picking up whereshe left off; what old profes-sors would think about herabsence, if she would be ableto handle due dates and dead-line pressure the second timearound.

“I went to my rst classesand I realized no one caredthat I hadn’t been in school —I was the only one who cared,”Keefer said. “You see all thesepeople viewing you and think-ing you have to go to school,you have to stay on track butsometimes you may go off track a little bit. It doesn’t ruinthings as much as you thinkit’s going to.”

The nancial aftermath Though problems with -

nancial aid weren’t a factorfor Keefer, Michelle Rhodes,director of nancial aid atGVSU, said there can be dif -

ferent repercussions for stu-dents who drop out, depend-ing on the situation.

If they drop out during asemester, nancial aid must doa calculation to see if the fed-eral government requires theuniversity to return any of thenancial aid the student wasreceiving, and can result in abill for the student followingassessment.

If a mid-semester drop outimpacts their academic prog-ress, they may not be eligiblefor aid when or if they return.Likewise, if a student was re-ceiving scholarships, there isno guarantee those scholar-ships will be reinstated uponreturn, Rhodes said.

If a student takes enoughtime off, their loans could gointo repayment.

“I would encourage anystudent who has questionsabout this to contact our ofcebefore they drop any classes totalk about their specic situa-tion,” Rhodes said.

Making sense and press-ing on

All money matters aside,Butler said looking at collegefrom an alternative perspec-tive can help make the transi-tion easier.

“There are a couple waysto look at a post-high schooleducation,” she said. “One isto become a more well-round-ed better person. The more

you learn about the world thebetter you’ll understand it andthe better citizen of life you’llbe. Most people do get a job.That’s a fact. And sometimes adegree is a minimum thing toget your foot in the door.”

Keefer said she’s excitedto have a clear goal again nowthat she’s back in school. She’snot sure if she’ll drop outagain, but she has made peacewith uncertainty.

“I’m still trying to work outif I want a college degree, butI think that’s just because I’mstill growing up and I don’tknow what I want,” Keefersaid. “No one knows whatthey want. I think, though, atthe end of the day, I’m goingto want a college degree.”

Butler’s advice to studentslike Keefer is simple: keepyour chin up.

“A lot of people are in thissituation, it’s a very rare per-son who when they were a se-nior in high school says ‘Yes, Iwant to be this and I’m on thefour-year plan to be this,’” shesaid. “It’s a wonderful gift tohave that, but it’s not unusualnot to have that. So, just do thebest you can, you’re not byyourself. And if you’re goingto do it, you’ll go back to it if you are meant to, if it’s whatyou really want to do.”

managingeditor@lanthorn.com

GVL / Anya Zentmeyer

Hitting the books: GVSU senior Tayler Keefer, studies her notes

once again after taking fall semester off of school to work.

DROPOUTcontinued from A1