The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the phenomenon of strategies college instructors enact that support the academic success of historically underrepresented students [HUS] (i.e., first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color) experiencing academic struggle. A critical-constructivist epistemology was…

Converting a first-term, accelerated summer organic chemistry course to a flipped format reduced the achievement gap in the flipped course and in the second-term traditional lecture course between Non-Repeaters taking an accelerated course to "get ahead" and Repeaters taking the course to "get back on track". The difference in…

This study examined person and environment contextual factors associated with career decision-making difficulties among Black first-generation students (FGSs) attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Using Lewin's field theory, we investigated the predictive value of person and environment factors on help-seeking behaviors for 63 Black…

Many first-generation college students -- whose parents have not obtained a four-year college degree -- experience a "cultural mismatch" due to a lack of alignment between the independent values of their university (consistent with the culture of higher education) and their own interdependent values (consistent with working-class…

Monitoring Advising Analytics to Promote Success (MAAPS)is a multi-institutional project of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) initially funded and supported by a US Department of Education First in the World Grant to Georgia State, the lead UIA member on this project. MAAPS is a large-scale randomized-controlled trial designed to validate…

Prior research suggests that first-generation college students are less likely to succeed compared to their non-first-generation peers (Engle & Tinto, 2008; Gibbons et al., 2019; Pascarella et al., 2004; Spiegler & Bednarek, 2013). Further, when faced with crisis, students may experience psychological, financial, or other related distress…

Those from marginalized populations, many of whom are first-generation college students (FGCS), often face barriers to accessing secondary education (Pitre & Pitre, 2009). Additionally, when students from such groups do successfully enroll in post-secondary educational opportunities, their graduation rates remain low (DeAngelo, Franke,…

This study examined the lived experiences of first generation college students at a women's college and how their social identities contribute to their perceived sense of belonging on campus. Strayhorn's (2012) Model of a Sense of Belonging was used as a theoretical framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven…

Student engagement on college campuses is linked to a range of student outcomes and student retention (Tinto, 2007). Engagement in support programs can be even more important for underserved populations including first generation students. First generation students are more likely to leave a four-year institution at the end of the first year and…

This narrative research study examined the college transition stories of first-generation college students who participate in Division III athletics at a small, private, liberal arts institution. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight first-generation college students who were recruited for and actively participate in varsity…

This narrative research study explored the lived experiences of first-generation Black men who joined a Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) as an undergraduate student and graduated from a predominately White institution (PWI). In particular, this study focused on their lived experiences with finding a sense of belonging; and how their…

Due to structural inequity, White students, those whose parents attained a university degree, and those from upper/middle class households are more likely to attain a doctoral degree. One federal program, the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, provides undergraduates with academic and financial support to help marginalized…

Using the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education and a latent class analysis of 28 outside-the-classroom activities and behaviors, we developed a typology of outside-the-classroom student engagement during the first year of college. We find ten classes of student involvement: academic artist, party athlete, serious athlete, conventional…

Systemic inequalities in higher education have contributed to lower retention and completion rates among low-income, first generation, and racially/ethnically minoritized students, who we refer to as "at-promise" students. In response, educators have implemented comprehensive college transition programs that offer students holistic…

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a consortium of diverse colleges and universities, provides support for integrating genomics research into undergraduate curricula. To increase research opportunities for underrepresented students, GEP is expanding to more community colleges (CC). Genomics research, requiring only a computer with Internet…