International Speaker Discusses Productivity During Change as Part of National Non-Traditional Student Week at Colorado State University

William Bridges, internationally known speaker, author and consultant who helps individuals and organizations deal more productively with change, will speak at Colorado State University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

Bridges is author of the best-seller "Managing Transitions"  and a recent, updated version titled "Transitions." The pair have sold more than 1 million copies. He also published "The Way of Transition," a partly autobiographical study of coming to terms with profound changes in his own life and transforming them into times of self-renewal; and "Creating You & Co.," a handbook for creating a work-life that not only survives but capitalizes on today’s frequent and disruptive changes.

     National Non-Tradition Student Week is Nov. 6-12, and Colorado State will hold several events focused on helping non-traditional students build skills that facilitate successful transitions. Non-traditional students are 23 years old or older and have experienced either significant breaks in their education or are pursuing a university degree for the first time.

"The theme for the week at Colorado State University is transitions, because non-traditional students experience a major transition when they return to school to finish or start a degree," said Jan Rastall, adult learning coordinator at Colorado State.     

Bridges has worked with Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Qualcomm, Kaiser Permanente, Amoco, Time-Warner, Stanford University, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other large organizations to effectively address change. He also launched professional seminars in 1988 and has trained thousands of other professionals to conduct transition-management programs within organizations.

He has worked with companies and public agencies in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

     Educated originally in the humanities at Harvard, Columbia and Brown Universities, Bridges was a professor of American Literature at Mills College, Oakland, Calif., until 1974. He is a past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology. The Wall Street Journal listed him as one of the top 10 independent executive development presenters in America.

     Doors open at 6 p.m. for Bridge’s address. The event is sponsored by the university’s student advocacy offices including Associated Students of Colorado State University, Housing and Dining Services, Off-Campus Student Services and Resources for Adult Learners, Non-Traditional Students Club, Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, The Career Center, Vice President for Student Affairs Parents Fund and the university’s wellness programs including Hartshorn Health Services, Campus Recreation and University Counseling Center.

The event is free and open to the public; however, tickets are required for entrance. Tickets are available at the Campus Box Office in the Lory Student Center. Only two tickets will be issued per student ID. For more information, visit http://www.whatsup.colostate.edu/. For ticket information, call (970) 491-4TIX (4849).

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