This paper describes the results of surveys and interviews from over 1800 students in five large STEM classes at a research university when classes abruptly moved online for spring quarter 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine how students' expectations compared to their realities at the end of the quarter; what factors impacted their…

Despite the U.S. having one of the highest college access and participation rates in the world, equity gaps exist that impact access and success for first-generation, low-income, underrepresented students in higher education (Cahalan et al., 2020). The goal of going to college is often imperiled for first-generation, low-income, transfer students…

First generation African American students are less likely to enroll in a higher education institution after completing high school compared to other racial and ethnic groups. The problem of perceived barriers that prevent first generation African American college students from degree completion was addressed in this study. First generation…

This extended literature review explores the history, challenges, and needed supports for immigrant populations pursuing higher education, specifically focusing on first-generation American, second-generation college-bound students (FGASGCBS). Students from immigrant populations face multi-dimensional barriers which can hamper them from accessing…

Hispanic first-generation students, learning online at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) community college, deserve to be taught using approaches designed specifically to engage them. Research on promising practices being implemented in online course design abound. This study sought to investigate how culture is represented in the curriculum of…

Higher education research often defines success as retention and graduation, yet for many marginalized student populations who are the first in their family to attend college, many other identities, and experiences factor into this notion of success. For Chicana/Latina first-generation college students, their cultural backgrounds, multiple social…

Faculty members have been found to be important for student recruitment and engagement, yet few studies have investigated how faculty members share their personal identities on their institutional (.edu) profiles. This gap in the literature is problematic, as prospective students have asserted that students are drawn to faculty members who share…

In this student voice essay, I reflect on my experiences thus far as a first-generation college student. I share how the Center for Academic Retention and Engagement (CARE) program at Florida State University has contributed to my success. I then discuss the problems and challenges faced by first-generation low-income college students. Next, I…

Despite the existent gender parity in undergraduate biology degree attainment, gendered differences in outcomes are prevalent in introductory biology courses. Less is known about whether these disparities persist at the upper-division level, after most attrition is assumed to have occurred. Here, we report the consistent presence of gender equity…

In July 2022, the University of California (UC) permanently eliminated the standardized tests requirement for its freshman admissions in order to alleviate the severed socioeconomic gap and college access barriers that were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical policy analysis research explored the immediate effects of UC's policy…

Many college students, especially first-generation and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students, desire courses and careers that emphasize helping people and society. Can instructors of introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses promote motivation, performance, and equity in STEM fields by emphasizing the…

Although not a universal practice, many U.S. postsecondary mentoring programs employ paid student mentors as part of a structured student-to-student (peer) mentoring model. Limited research has explored how student mentees view paid mentorship and if mentees can detect whether their mentor is paid or unpaid through mentor behavior. This…

Self-efficacy has a strong influence on the learning and motivation of science students at the postsecondary level, especially in upper division science classes, which are key to student success in science majors. This empirical mixed methods research study (N = 205) examines the associations between students' participation in an online…

In the past decade, we have seen a significant growth in Latina/o college enrollment. Rarely is Latino families' engagement in their children's educational aspirations acknowledged for this increase in the rate of Latinas/os attending college. I examined how first-generation Latina/o students reflected on and retold stories of how their families…

The purpose of this study is to understand the personal impact of first-generation community college students of color have after taking a psychology course. This research study focused on studying groups of people who were excluded from past research and were missing during the literature gap. This qualitative study examined the general impact…