THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL IN THE 1ST YEAR OF COLLEGE

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:The research on student retention and success suggests a wide range of personal and social attributes on the part of students and a wide array of practices on the part of the institution that impact retention rates, student performance, and the overall experience for students at a university (Fike & Fike, 2008; Fitzgibbon, 2012; Goldman & Goodboy, 2014; Renn & Reason, 2012; Robinson, Le Riche, & Jacklin, 2007; Tinto, 2012; Wilcox, Winn, & Fyvie-Gauld, 2005). The purpose of this study is to understand the 1st-year experience of students at a midsized, Midwestern state university in the United States. In a mixed-method study, a research team of students in an educational leadership doctoral program asked undergraduates to describe their experiences during their 1st year at the university.The research questions asked students to describe cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of their university experience, including their sense of belonging at the university, how trust was created, how they learned to navigate the university system, or gain institutional knowledge, as well as how networks were developed which could facilitate learning.LITERATURE REVIEW:According to Stanton-Salazar (1997, 2011), relationships between faculty and staff with students have the power to transform school cultures in a positive way, which then creates a positive experience for students. The foundational components of the relationship between the faculty and students are reciprocity and trust at both individual and collective levels. Stanton-Salazar (2011) defined reciprocity as helping others without expecting anything in return. He characterized trust as being mutually respectful. He further stated the importance of these two qualities in three realms.First, relationships need to be collaboratively beneficial and intentionally built between those in power (in this case, university personnel) and their students to benefit the student's academic development. This leads directly to the importance of social networking, the second realm Stanton-Salazar (1997,2011) described. Technological social networking can be an important component of these social networks. For example, professors and students knowing each other outside of the classroom setting and beyond the content expertise is one component of social networking. Discussion boards or social networking sites can be used to support out-of-class social contact. A third realm is the development of trust and relationships that allow for the transfer of institutional knowledge (that is, knowledge of the way the university system works). Stanton-Salazar (1997) stated that the funds of institutional knowledge include key points of knowledge a student must have in order to navigate an institutional setting effectively. Learning the way one professional, educational setting works can help a student work within other, similar institutional settings. Social networks and relationships that develop this institutional knowledge help students-especially first-generation college students-become aware of how to succeed within the institution. For example, if a student is struggling with coursework, are proactive mechanisms in place to support the student? Do faculty or staff understand the impact of low socioeconomic background on students (Bettinger & Baker, 2011; Stephens, Hamedani, & Destin, 2014)? When faculty and staff are aware of other aspects of student needs outside of the content area of the classroom, students can have the confidence to persevere.Social capital theory, according to Stanton Salazar (1997, 2011), allocates responsibility to the personnel who work at the university to convey institutional knowledge to students, especially students in their 1st year, nontraditional students, or those whose family members did not attend college. In addition to academic or cognitive knowledge, noncognitive skills are considered important for students to develop. …