Considerable scholarly attention has been devoted to how gender, race and various other demographic factors shape the odds of majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. Such work has identified sizable disparities in access to STEM fields across various dimensions. In turn, these empirical findings have informed…

The Maine Community College System provides this letter in accordance with 20-A MRSA §10013. This law requires the Maine Community College System (MCCS), University of Maine System (UMS), and Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) to provide the following information about first-generation college students by January 15th of each year: (1) Data regarding…

Objective: Among two-year college students, alcohol and marijuana use, related consequences, and risk factors for use are not well understood. We examined differences between two- and four-year students in alcohol and marijuana use, consequences, and perceived descriptive norms, and explored whether two-year status moderated associations between…

Developing an engineering identity is crucial for students pursuing an engineering degree. Community college students may experience greater difficulty building and maintaining engineering identities than their peers at 4-year universities. The purpose of the present study is to examine how socioeconomic status (SES) and the S-STEM scholarship, a…

This case study examines the transfer experiences and sense of belonging in STEM among historically marginalized and excluded students transitioning from Pima Community College to the University of Arizona. Utilizing mixed methods, survey data from two student cohorts are analyzed to gain insights into their transition process. The study…

Objective: The prevalence of illnesses related to VPDs is higher among older adults and college students experience them despite decades of vaccine availability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College Health Association (ACHA) emphasizes that all students should provide vaccine proof or receive immunizations prior to…

This qualitative study explores the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students (FGCS) within a sport management program at a Midwestern university. Drawing from interviews with ten FGCS, this research delves into the academic, social, and career-related obstacles these students encounter over time within the program. Prior…

We examine the impact of encouragement emails sent to high-performing students in a principles of microeconomics course at a large state university, aimed at motivating them to take additional economics courses and consider an economics major or minor. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find some evidence of an increase in the likelihood…

First-in-family (FiF) students experience significant barriers to university participation and are less likely to seek mental health help. This can contribute to increased dropouts when compared to non-FiF students. Using a mixed methods approach, we aimed to ascertain sources of mental health support and underlying factors for the preferences…

This study describes course withdrawal behaviors in the Texas public higher education institutions and examines the predictors of course withdrawal by using statewide administrative datasets. The findings showed that two-thirds of the college students in the sample withdrew from at least one course, highlighting course withdrawal as a prevalent…

This qualitative study aims to establish a knowledge base and learn about the experience of first-generation transfer students who have completed their Associate in Art (AA) degree from a community college and have transitioned to a four-year public university. The study aims to examine first-generation transfer students' sense of belonging and…

The research problem it is not known if and to what extent the difference exists in self-efficacy and self-reported academic performance for first-generation college students and continuing-generation college students in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study is to determine if and to what extent the difference…

Although 80% of students who enroll in a community college intend to transfer, less than 35% complete the transfer within six years (Barshay, 2020; Cepeda et al., 2021; Jabbar et al., 2020; Jenkins & Fink, 2015). The demand for college-educated workers has increased, creating a gap in the job market and impacting the economy. As the need for…

A program of specialized and targeted support for justice-impacted students at Our University does not currently exist. This study sought to uncover the needs, challenges, and strengths of justice-impacted students and to determine what our student experience team members needed to know and have available to them to best support this emerging…

The goal of this action research was to bring awareness of the first-generation community college identity and acknowledge that this identity has many layers. It is important community colleges across the state use the information provided in this action research to be well-informed on how to better support first-generation students. This…