Social integration (i.e., feeling a sense of belonging, involvement, support, or connectedness) is an important factor in university student retention, especially among students of color from underrepresented groups. Despite theoretical models and correlational evidence pointing to the relevance of these social experiences, few studies have…

With the need to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates, higher education institutions need to identify and improve ways to increase underrepresented STEM student retention rates. Cypress College in Southern California implemented a program called STEM[superscript 2] (Strengthen Transfer Education and…

In this program evaluation study, we analyzed the impact of interpersonal validation and participation in living-learning communities (LLC) on retention and GPA via regression and propensity score matching. The LLCs were designed to improve outcomes for underrepresented, low-income and first-generation students at a Midwestern regional public…

Only 11% of community college (associate's-degree) students transfer vertically and obtain a bachelor's degree within six years, despite over 80% originally intending to do so. These leaks in the transfer pipeline disproportionately affect students from underrepresented groups, who are more likely to attend community colleges and to leak out of…

First-generation college students (FGCS), nearly 50% of which identify as Hispanic, are an underserved population. The psychosociocultural theoretical framework posits that individual, environmental, and cultural factors contribute to the academic success of Hispanic students. This study examined the relationship between these factors (i.e.,…

Regional comprehensive universities with access-oriented missions provide critical pathways for increasing the number and diversity of STEM graduates. The BOND program at California State University, Fresno supports the transition to college for first-time, full-time freshmen in selected STEM majors. BOND incorporates a learning community, active…

The transfer pathway from community college to university holds promise for advancing equity in STEM because it is followed by disproportionately high numbers of underrepresented students. Among the challenges these students face is cultivating belonging in multiple institutional settings. By combining belonging and validation theories, this…

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 10 Native Hawaiian members of Hawai'i's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community to understand how they navigate their cultural and professional identities. This article explores one of the major themes--being first-generation college students--and the narrators'…

For many, college is a period of transition, marked with acute stress, threats to success, and decreases in self-efficacy. For certain groups of students, the risk of these poor outcomes is elevated. In this study, 348 students from a large residential university in the western United States were surveyed to understand the role of psychological…

This study highlights program retention among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students in a STEM Intervention Program (SIP) aimed at increasing the representation of underrepresented students in STEM fields. We applied London et al.'s STEM Engagement Framework to determine factors that distinguish who stays in a SIP and…

We use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the validity and reliability of three non-cognitive factors--resilience, grit, and growth mindset--as well as to examine whether those factors predict academic success for a sample of students primarily represented by first-year African American students at three Historically Black Colleges and…

Since the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) introduced high-impact practices (HIPs) in 2007, scholars have argued that students' involvement in these programs is associated with a range of positive outcomes. Namely, participation in HIPs is thought to promote student retention and help close achievement gaps between…

Female, Black, Latinx, Native American, low-income, and rural students remain underrepresented among computer science undergraduate degree recipients. Along with student, family, and secondary school characteristics, college organizational climate, curricula, and instructional practices shape undergraduates' experiences that foster persistence…

Underserved students express a high interest in earning a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree. However, their ACT benchmark indicators tend to be much lower than their peers, especially for students who report more than one underserved attribute. There are a number of STEM intervention programs (SIPs) that are designed…

In February 2015, the Urban Universities for HEALTH (Health Equity Alignment through Leadership and Transformation of the Health Workforce) learning collaborative site team at the University of Cincinnati held focus groups seeking to understand the contributing factors of underrepresented minority students' decision to study within the Academic…