scholarly journals Navigating College with MAAPS: Students' Perceptions of a Proactive Advising Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Matt Van Jura ◽  
Kaity Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
State University ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Limited Income ◽  
Future Practice

In 2016, State University (a pseudonym) implemented a proactive advising approach known as Monitoring Advising Analytics to Promote Success (MAAPS). The initiative was designed to improve academic achievement and retention measures for first-generation students and students from limited-income backgrounds. Using a qualitative methodological design, the purpose of this study was to learn about students' experiences with MAAPS advisors and their overall perceptions of the program. Findings confirm prior research that suggests some students may benefit from advisors' proactive communications and holistic approach. However, the design and implementation of MAAPS discouraged many from participating in the initiative, highlighting several implications for improved future practice.

scholarly journals Assessing and Improving the Experience of Underrepresented Populations: A Participatory Design Approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott W. H. Young ◽  
Hailley Fargo ◽  
Steve Borrelli ◽  
Zoe Chao ◽  
Carmen Gass ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
State University ◽  
Student Group ◽  
Underrepresented Populations ◽  
Native American Students ◽  
American Students

How can we ensure that underrepresented populations succeed at our institutions? Participatory Design offers one answer to this question. Participatory Design is a socially-active, values-driven approach to co-creation that seeks to give voice to those who have been traditionally unheard. A team of librarians from Penn State University (PSU) and Montana State University (MSU) followed a parallel design process with two different populations: PSU worked with first-generation students and MSU worked with Native American students. Each project team facilitated a series of 10 workshops with student participants that followed a three-phase process: exploration, generation, and evaluation.•During the exploration phase, we explored topics, concepts, and problems relating to the library experience of participants. •During the generation phase, we generated ideas and potential solutions around key topics explored in the first phase. •During the evaluation phase, we evaluated and implemented the most desirable, feasible, and viable solutions generated in the second phase. Through this process, the first-generation student group at PSU produced new service designs for engaging other first-generation students, while the Native American student group at MSU produced a seven-part poster series and social media campaign designed to welcome Native American students into the library. In addition to co-designing new services, Participatory Design also aims to generate political outcomes that focus on empowering participants. The foundational values of Participatory Design include mutual learning, power sharing, and the equal recognition of expertise among all participants. Within this equity-focused, participatory framework, the students participants became expert library users who expressed readiness to advocate for the library to their peers. More than that, the students—members of underrepresented populations who often feel at the margins—developed a stronger sense of place and confidence on campus that will contribute to their success at our institutions. And for the librarian facilitators, the in-depth co-design process enhanced our ability to understand these student populations. We gained new insights into the experience of our student participants that we can apply to better serve these important populations. Ultimately, the Participatory Design process equipped us with the tools and insights to assess and improve the conditions of their success.In this way, we found Participatory Design to be an empowering, compassionate, and effective approach for designing and assessing library services and experiences. This paper will present the principles of Participatory Design, our step-by-step process, and the challenges and limitations of this approach. The key takeaway of this paper will be practical recommendations for building a sustainable, participatory design and assessment program with underrepresented populations.

Play Hard

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-71
Author(s):  
Janel E. Benson ◽  
Elizabeth M. Lee
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
High Status ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Greek Letter ◽  
Private High School ◽  
Greek Letter Organizations

Chapter 3 focuses on first-generation students who fit a Play Hard geography. Although academic achievement is important for many Play Hard students, it is less of a driver in students’ lives than for those in other geographies. Students arrange their lives more around leisure, participating in high-status social venues of athletics and/or Greek Letter Organizations where they meet more peers from more affluent and continuing-generation families than those in other geographies. Most who entered a Play Hard geography participate in athletics and/or attended a private high school. The small percentage of first-generation students who make their way into a Play Hard geography includes the greatest variation of experience along gender and racialized lines. Students located in a Play Hard geography experience varying levels of comfort, often participating at a steep cost to their sense of self-esteem or enjoyment.

Investigating first-generation students’ perceptions of library personnel

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Borrelli ◽  
Chao Su ◽  
Shenetta Selden ◽  
Lana Munip
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
State University ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Penn State

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived role of library personnel in supporting first-generation students at Penn State University Libraries, and also how students’ perceptions of library personnel change over time, and the various experiences that influenced their changes in perception.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed focus groups to solicit input from first-generation students. A four-step team-based approach to qualitative coding process was developed including the development of a codebook informed by common themes and concepts drawn from the literature.FindingsFindings indicate that operating from a deficit of library cultural capital often results in low awareness of available services and changes in perception are more influenced by personal exploration than limited interactions with personnel. Further, while currently employed interventions are well targeted, opportunities exist for enhancing efforts.Research limitations/implicationsAs this is a case study, the findings are not generalizable. Per conducting only four focus groups, the experiences of participants may not represent the typical scope of personnel-related interactions.Originality/valueThis study adds to the limited body of evidence that first-generation students’ struggle from a deficit of library-related cultural capital.

Test Anxiety in Potential First-Generation Students: A Longitudinal Examination of the Role of Psychological Needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Natalie Spadafora ◽  
Emily L. Murphy ◽  
Danielle S. Molnar ◽  
Dawn Zinga
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Report ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Secondary

It is estimated that 15-22% of students have high levels of test anxiety (von der Embse, Jester, Roy, & Post, 2018), which can be associated with greater academic stress and poorer educational performance (e.g., Steinmayr, Crede, McElvany, & Withwein, 2016). First-generation students (where neither parent has completed post-secondary education) are a critical group to study given that they are at higher risk for poorer educational attainment and being unsuccessful at the post-secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between basic psychological needs and test anxiety in a sample of first-generation Ontario high school students across two points in time (N = 147;  Mage = 14.82, SD = 1.28). Self-report data was collected as a part of an on-going longitudinal study focusing on students attending a high school with specialized programming to enhance the transition to post-secondary institutions. Results from cross-lagged path analyses indicated that being older, female, and having higher levels of needs frustration significantly predicted higher levels of test anxiety over time within this sample. Our results highlight important educational implications, emphasizing the importance of fostering classroom environments where students perceive their psychological needs to be met, particularly within this unique population of students.

scholarly journals The effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and type of degree attained: evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Julia A Wolfson ◽  
Noura Insolera ◽  
Alicia J Cohen ◽  
Cindy W Leung
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Effect Of Food ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Objective: To examine the effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and degree attainment. Design: Secondary analysis of longitudinal panel data. We measured food insecurity concurrent with college enrollment using the 18-question USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Educational attainment was measured in 2015-2017 via two questions about college completion and highest degree attained. Logistic and multinomial-logit models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were estimated. Setting: United States (US) Participants: A nationally representative, balanced panel of 1,574 college students in the US in 1999-2003 with follow-up through 2015-2017 from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Results: In 1999-2003, 14.5% of college students were food insecure and were more likely to be older, non-White, and first-generation students. In adjusted models, food insecurity was associated with lower odds of college graduation (OR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.88, p=0.01) and lower likelihood of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree (RRR 0.57 95% CI: 0.35, 0.92, p=0.02) or graduate/professional degree (RRR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.86, p=0.022). These associations were more pronounced among first-generation students. 47.2% of first-generation students who experienced food insecurity graduated from college; food insecure first-generation students were less likely to graduate compared to first-generation students who were food secure (47.2% vs. 59.3%, p=0.020) and non-first-generation students who were food insecure (47.2% vs. 65.2%, p=0.037). Conclusions: Food insecurity during college is a barrier to graduation and higher degree attainment, particularly for first-generation students. Existing policies and programs that help mitigate food insecurity should be expanded and more accessible to the college student population.

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