Jo Ann Seiple,
Former Dean,
UNCW College of Arts and Sciences

"Non-traditional students typically tend to regard higher education as a privilege rather than as a right. They are at the university because they have a strong inner need to be here, and they feel fortunate to have been accepted. They regard their education as their own responsibility, and they regard every class they take as an important component of that education.

"Whatever your personal circumstances, almost all of you have had to make - and continue to make - sacrifices of one kind or another to be here, and you don't want to waste a single dollar of your financial investment or a single hour of your time.

"As you take in new ideas and information, process it through your own experience, and share your resulting insights with others in the classroom; you offer truly unique perspectives that enrich everyone's learning, including your professors'. In this way, you are truly partners with the faculty in this business of education, and we are a better, stronger institution for your being here."

  -   Dean Jo Ann Seiple, ASL Induction Ceremony, 2002.