Mental, Physical, and Financial Health Concerns of Underrepresented Undergraduate Students During Initial Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Nelson ◽  
Matt Honore ◽  
Jen Lindwall ◽  
Arjun Viray ◽  
Lisa Marriott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Training ◽  
High Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Research Training Program

In April 2020, at the onset of COVID-19 in the U.S., we implemented a weekly survey of underrepresented undergraduate students participating in a biomedical research training program. The 10-week survey collected qualitative and quantitative data on mental health, physical health, and financial health. Responses indicated high stress during the pandemic, particularly during the survey’s final weeks which occurred during a period of social unrest. Physical health declined throughout the survey, stabilizing in its final weeks. Financial health declined initially and stayed low throughout. Students from certain demographic groups, such as first generation college students and those with dependents were disproportionately impacted. Qualitative responses highlighted the intersectionality of the three constructs and illustrated the impacts of these events.

scholarly journals Influences on Faculty Willingness to Mentor Undergraduate Students from Another University as Part of an Interinstitutional Research Training Program

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. ar35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle X. Morales ◽  
Sara E. Grineski ◽  
Timothy W. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Willingness To Serve ◽  
Research Training Program ◽  
Primary Institutions

In 2014, the National Institutes of Health invested $31 million in 10 primary institutions across the United States through the Building Undergraduate Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program; one requirement of BUILD is sending undergraduate trainees from those primary institutions to partner institutions for research experiences. Mechanisms like BUILD are designed to broaden research opportunities for students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined faculty willingness to mentor undergraduates from other institutions through structured training programs. Survey data from 536 faculty members at 13 institutions were collected in Fall 2013 and analyzed using multiple statistical techniques. Results show that faculty who valued the opportunity to increase diversity in the academy and those who believed that mentoring undergraduates benefited their own research expressed greater willingness to serve as research mentors to visiting undergraduates, and faculty who perceived that they did not have the ability to accommodate additional students expressed less willingness to do so. Most respondents viewed student and faculty incentives as motivating factors in their willingness to mentor, but their perspectives on different types of incentives varied based on faculty career stage, discipline, and research funding status. Results have important implications for designing multi-institutional undergraduate research training programs.

scholarly journals Transitioning to College: Experiences of Successful First-Generation College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R Ricks ◽  
Jeffrey M Warren
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
College Seniors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Transition Experience ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Generic Qualitative ◽  
High School To College

This qualitative study explored the high school to college transition experiences of ten successful first-generation college students (FGCS). Participants were college seniors at an historically black university in the United States. A generic qualitative research design was used, including in-depth, semi-structured interviews to collect and analyze data. Participants reported that the transition experience led to confusion with academic and financial procedures, various emotions including anxiety and fear, the realization that they had deficits in academic skills, and the receipt of support from family members and others. Cultural and social capital appeared to play key roles in their success. Student affairs professionals are encouraged to explore targeted, individualized strategies that meet the needs of FGCS as they transition to college.

scholarly journals First Generation College Students’ Perceptions of an Academic Retention Program

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Schelbe ◽  
Martin Swanbrow Becker ◽  
Carmella Spinelli ◽  
Denesha McCray
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Team Members ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Academic Retention ◽  
Program Components

This qualitative study examines the perceptions of students enrolled in a campus-based program designed to promote academic success and retention of first generation college students. Method: Twenty-five undergraduate students in the program participated in focus groups and interviews to share their perceptions and experiences. Research team members conducted a thematic analysis on the focus groups and interviews transcripts. Findings: Students reported program components that contributed to their academic success and retention including support, expectations, resources, and preparation. Students also described concerns about how students’ needs changed over time and how students in the program were perceived on campus.

A Typology of Supports for First Generation College Students in the U.S.

2017 ◽  
pp. 348-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Midkiff ◽  
Leslie Grinage
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
First Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
The U.S

First generation college students, students who are the first in their families to enroll in college, are a unique group, in that their parents' level of education in addition to their race, gender, or socioeconomic status, is an indicator of persistence to degree completion. While colleges and universities have historically created programs to assist this group, those initiatives have ranged in purpose, level of institutional and/or government support, and intended audience. This chapter develops a typology of the support programs that currently exist to serve first generation college students attending four-year colleges and universities in the United States. It begins by exploring the academic and financial challenges many first generation college students face, and concludes by offering recommendations that institutional policymakers can implement to expand the possibilities for improving the success of this distinctive group of students.

Resilience Through Family: Family Support as an Academic and Psychological Protective Resource for Mexican Descent First-Generation College Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 153819272098710
Author(s):  
Amber Jimenez ◽  
Brandy Piña-Watson ◽  
Gabriela Manzo
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Family Support ◽  
First Generation ◽  
College Persistence ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Mexican Descent ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
First Generation College

The present study examines the potential protective effect of familial support among first-gen Mexican descent college students regarding GPA, college persistence, and depressive symptoms. Participants included 487 Mexican descent college students from across the United States (66.7% first-gen). Results indicated that being a first-gen student was not related to the outcomes; however, family support was related to better academic and psychological outcomes (lower depressive symptoms and higher college persistence) regardless of generation status.

A Companion Animal in a Work Simulation: The Roles of Task Difficulty and Prior Companion-Animal Guardianship in State Anxiety

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Stewart ◽  
Oriel Strickland
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
High Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Lower State ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Human Animal

Abstract Human-animal interactions often have positive physiological and psychological outcomes for humans. The current study extended research in this area by studying three variables that have never directly been examined together within a laboratory setting: task difficulty level (moderate versus extreme), the human-animal interaction (present or absent), and participants’ companion-animal guardianship status (yes or no) to determine whether a companion dog would reduce self-reported state anxiety. The participants were undergraduate students from a large western university in the United States who performed timed paper-and-pencil tasks either with or without the presence of a companion dog under varying degrees of task difficulty. Spielberger’s State/Trait anxiety measures were used to assess reactions to the work setting. Results indicated that although the mere presence of a dog is not enough to lower state anxiety for all participants, the interaction of companion-animal guardianship status and task difficulty was significant. Companion animals may assist in stress relief for people in average-stress jobs who already have positive feelings toward companion animals but may have no effect for people in high-stress jobs or who do not already enjoy the company of animals.

scholarly journals Supporting Biomedical Research Training for Historically Underrepresented Undergraduates Using Interprofessional, Nonformal Education Structures

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa K. Marriott ◽  
Aaron Raz Link ◽  
Roberto P Anitori ◽  
Ernest A Blackwell ◽  
Andrea Blas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Program Support ◽  
Research Training Program

Research experience provides critical training for new biomedical research scientists. Students from underrepresented populations studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are increasingly recruited into research pathways to diversify STEM fields. However, support structures outside of research settings designed to help these students navigate biomedical research pathways are not always available; nor are program support components outside the context of laboratory technical skills training and formal mentorship well understood. This study leveraged a multi-institutional research training program, Enhancing Cross-Disciplinary Infrastructure and Training at Oregon (EXITO), to explore how nine institutions designed a new curricular structure (Enrichment) to meet a common goal of enhancing undergraduate research training and student success. EXITO undergraduates participated in a comprehensive, 3-year research training program with the Enrichment component offered across nine sites: three universities and six community colleges, highly diverse in size, demographics, and location. Sites’ approaches to supporting students in the training program were studied over a 30-month period. All sites independently created their own nonformal curricular structures, implemented interprofessionally via facilitated peer groups. Site data describing design and implementation were thematically coded to identify essential programmatic components across sites, with student feedback used to triangulate findings. Enrichment offered students time to critically reflect on their interests, experiences, and identities in research; network with peers and professionals; and support negotiation of hidden and implicit curricula. Students reported the low-pressure setting and student-centered curriculum balanced the high demands associated with academics and research. Core curricular themes described Enrichment as fostering a sense of community among students, exposing students to career paths and skills, and supporting development of students’ professional identities. The non-formal, interprofessional curricula enabled students to model diverse biomedical identities and pathways for each other while informing institutional structures to improve diverse undergraduate students’ success in academia and research.

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