Abstract
The purpose of this article is to review the rites of passage concept; to describe the rites developing among reentry women in both university and home environments; and, finally, to discuss the purposes of and necessity for such rites. Nineteen adult women students were interviewed in depth on the campus of a major midwestern university. Analysis of the data indicates that reentry women and their families are fashioning rites of passage peculiar to their return to higher education in quest of a degree. These rituals facilitate the transition, offer approval, and mark progress during the passage from non-degreed to degreed status. Spontaneous development of ceremonies suggests there are some needs specific to women who are simultaneously student, wife, and mother that are not being met by traditional university rituals and familial practices.