In Fall 1974, St. Edward's welcomed seven new students to campus as part of New College , an experimental one-on-one degree program for adult students whose access to higher education was limited by family, work and community demands. New College now has more than 2,500 alumni who hold jobs in just about every imaginable field.

The first program of its kind in Texas and among the first in nation, New College embraced an educational philosophy 30 years ago that has since grown into a nationwide trend. According to the Aslanian Group, a consulting and research firm specializing in adult education, 73 percent of today's undergraduate students are nontraditional in some way. The majority of students are over 25 years old, work, have kids, are financially independent from their parents and did not attend college straight out of high school.

Unlike traditional undergraduate programs geared toward full-time students with little real-world experience, New College offers college credit for learning gained through life experiences and an accelerated program enabling students to complete entire courses in five to seven weeks versus the standard semester system. And like all educational offerings at St. Edward's, New College expresses the university's mission through teaching excellence emphasizing the liberal arts, critical thinking skills, moral reasoning and values analysis, and an international perspective.

St. Edward's will celebrate the success of New College at an anniversary party on Saturday, April 2, for all New College faculty, staff, alumni and current students.

he party begins with a roaming reception at 6 p.m. , followed by dinner, a keynote address delivered by New College graduate Luci Baines Johnson, '97, and recognition of New College faculty. Cost of the event is $25 per person for alumni and guests and $20 per person for current students and guests. Register online.