College Success Research Articles

Describing College Success Indicators for First-Generation College Students in Colleges of Agriculture

Earning a bachelor’s degree has been documented as a potential social equalizer in American society. Yet, it has also been documented that first-generation college students (FGCS) have incongruently accessed and earned college degrees. This phenomenon has potentially perpetuated life-long differences in social outcomes in American society. As research continues to explain the experiences of FGCS, little has been done to explore differences for FGCS by college major or affiliation. However, a small but growing body of researchers are examining the experiences and outcomes of college of agriculture and related sciences students, specifically those enrolled at land grant institutions. The researchers in this study sought to describe college success indicators including on-campus involvement, leadership, and sense of belonging by generational status, and college affiliation at a large, midwestern, public, research-intensive institution. Overall, it was found that no differences were reported by generational status or college affiliation for the investigated college success indicators. These findings are different than previous literature in that FGCS were not lesser than their peers. Consequently, these findings add to the understanding of FGCS college experiences insofar as college affiliation may be playing a mitigating role in disparities among FGCS.

Banking on the Future: Student Academic Performance, Retention, Graduation, and Instructor Type

Students experience challenges with persistence, retention, graduation, and overall academic success in colleges and universities, particularly when courses are taught by adjunct instructors. Using a sample of 21,274 student results in three different general education disciplines from 2010 to 2019, the authors found that there was a disparity between adjunct and full-time faculty members in those key outcomes. The purpose of this study is to analyze data about student persistence, retention, and academic skills and its relationships with type of instructor (adjunct or non-adjunct) to consider the means by which the results may help to respond effectively to negative indicators in those areas. In addition to including adjunct instructors in professional development and student engagement activities on campuses, strategically hiring full-time faculty may result in gains that offset the higher financial outlay for those instructors.

Online Counseling as a Service in College: A Generation Z Perspective

Online counseling is a service provided to students for the academic success of students in college. This research is a type of survey research where the research object is the young generation aged 15-25 years. The number of research subjects was 561 people consisting of students and university students. The data collection technique uses questionnaires to obtain data on the needs of Generation Z for online counseling. Scores are graded in percentages and grouped by “important” categories. The results showed that Generation Z’s need for online counseling was “urgently needed”. The findings of this study show that 93.7% of Generation Z (538 respondents) want online counseling as a support system for their learning success in college as much. They are comfortable doing online counseling through WhatUp social media as many as 69.9% (401 respondents) and Video Call media as much as 18.5% (106 respondents). The problem they wanted to address when doing online counseling was the most learning problems with 33.6% (193 respondents). Generation Z feels offline counseling is more convenient 65.9% (378 respondents) compared to online counseling 34.1% (196 respondents). Thus, universities can consider the needs of Generation Z for online counseling services.

Report of the 2021-2022 Strategic Engagement Standing Committee

For the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) strategic engagement is critical to the success of colleges and schools of pharmacy in expanding pharmacy and public health practice, meeting programmatic needs, and fulfilling institutional missions. The 2021-2022 Strategic Engagement

Guest Editorial: Fostering Connections in Higher Education

This special issue of Student Success explores the importance of “connections” that contribute to students embarking upon, participating in and achieving their academic and other goals in higher education. While there are many possible connections and relationships that contribute to student success, this special issue focuses on the pedagogies and practices that contribute to students feeling connected and supported in their journey into and through higher education. In Relationship-rich education: How human connections drive success in college, Felton and Lambert (2020) highlight the importance of human relationships for an “excellent college experience”. Certainly, connection and relationship building is even more vital since COVID-19. Therefore, in this special issue, we explore the multitudes of connections that are two-way and contribute to students transitioning into, participating in and succeeding in higher education, as well as how higher education itself has been enriched by the increasing diversity of students. This includes the attention that has been paid to inclusive practices that has the potential to benefit all students.

Adviser Value Added and Student Outcomes: Evidence from Randomly Assigned College Advisers

This paper provides the first causal evidence on the impact of college adviser quality on student outcomes. To do so, we exploit a unique setting where students are randomly assigned to faculty advisers during their first year of college. We find that higher adviser value added (VA) substantially improves freshman year GPA, time to complete freshman year and four-year graduation rates. Additionally, higher adviser VA increases high-ability students’ likelihood of enrolling and graduating with a STEM degree. Our results indicate that allocating resources towards improving the quality of academic advising may play a key role in promoting college success. (JEL I23, I26, J24, J31, O15)

Early Academic Success in College: Examining the Contributions of Reading Literacy Skills, Metacognitive Reading Strategies, and Reading Motivation

ABSTRACT More knowledge is needed regarding the student factors that impact academic reading and success in college beyond traditional measures of college readiness. This study examined the contributions of student factors specified by the Proficient Academic Reader framework—reading literacy skills, metacognitive reading strategies, and reading motivation—to performance on a complex academic reading task and cumulative GPA across three semesters within the first two years of college. Hierarchical regression models were estimated using a sample of 166 students at a four-year public institution. Results indicated the importance of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and problem-solving reading strategies to academic reading performance and early college GPA. However, some of these effects diminished after controlling for students’ standardized test scores and high school GPA. The findings imply that institutions should implement sustained support for reading skills and strategies across disciplines.

The Key to Success Is the Ability to Adapt

In this essay, I reflect on my first-year experience and share insights into what college success looks like for me. I discuss several challenges that I have faced so far, including peer pressure and burnout. I also talk about the skills I have learned and the opportunities I have taken advantage of to enhance my college experience and success. I conclude by offering suggestions for colleges and universities to enhance student success. Overall, I believe the ability to adapt, from both the student and the university perspective, is key to student success in college.

A Rocky Landscape: Challenges with College Transition and Completion for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer.

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults with cancer have lower college attendance and graduation rates than their peers, but the reasons for this and extent to which cancer impacts college is unknown. This study explores post-high school experiences of young adults with cancer, detailing impacts of diagnosis and treatment on higher education attainment. Materials and Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design disseminated nationally obtained data regarding post-high school transition experiences in adults diagnosed with cancer before age 25. Results: Participants (n = 47) indicated struggles with employment and education; 81% attended some college, but 44% have not completed their degree, citing logistic challenges and lasting effects of therapy as major barriers. Nearly 20% of participants reported that cancer made higher education too difficult, so they did not attend, and most of these individuals (66.6%) are unemployed. Qualitative findings detail that accessing appropriate accommodations was made difficult by a lack of understanding from college faculty and staff. Conclusion: For many, cancer presents a barrier to higher education attainment; changing course of studies, repeating classes, and switching majors may impact degree completion. A minority of students with cancer access educational supports or get assistance obtaining these resources from their medical or high school team. Changes to clinical practice to ensure supports for young adults transitioning from high school have the potential to create improved pathways to higher education success. Additionally, supporting college faculty and staff understanding of cancer and its late effects may be a low-cost, high-impact way to improve adolescent/young adult college success.

From Information Literacy to College Success: Ensuring Equitable Educational Experiences for First-Generation Students, A Practitioner’s Perspective

This poster contributes to this ongoing discourse by elucidating the prominent role academic libraries can play in first-generation student learning and engagement. The author details the process of planning and developing a brand-new credit-bearing library research course to illustrate how tailored information literacy initiatives addressing the learning needs of first-generation students can be a viable solution to the problem of disempowerment in higher education. The poster highlights a practitioner perspective on major aspects of the course implementation, including needs analysis, content creation, assessment techniques to evaluate both student learning and teaching effectiveness in this semester-long course, along with challenges encountered along the way.

Creating a caring, responsive environment for students with childhood trauma

Working at a historically Black college, I have seen the impact of childhood trauma on a person's development and college success. In a survey of our college campus, we found that 82% of students experienced either food or housing insecurity or both in the past year. The presence of poverty and trauma has been a continuing presence throughout many of their lives. We discovered that 35% of students had experienced homelessness at some point. Fifty percent of students surveyed had a family member who had been a victim of physical violence.

Prevalence and Impact of Exposure to Childhood Domestic Violence on College Students’ Health and Perceived Academic Success

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aimed to understand the prevalence of childhood domestic violence (CDV) exposure among college students and the relationship between CDV exposure and college students’ perceived academic success and physical and mental health Method A web survey was conducted related to the prevalence of CDV and its impact on college students’ physical health, mental health, and perceived college success. Results Of the 822 responses, 44.8% (n = 368) of the participants were exposed to CDV. Those exposed to CDV reported poorer physical and mental health and diminished perceived college success. Discussion These findings suggest that the impact of exposure to violence during childhood is significant and has a cumulative effect. Future research should focus on students’ help-seeking for CDV and their experiences seeking services from campus resources. The study also indicates a need for educational staff and practitioners who work with college students to be educated on the impacts of CDV.

RESILIENCE AMONG STUDENT PARENTS IN COLLEGE: VOICES OF LATINA STUDENT MOTHERS

There is a steady increase in the number of student parents in the United States. However, there is a dearth of studies focusing on the issues related to student parents. Utilizing the Integrative Model of Development, we examined the risk and promotive factors in the lives of eight Latina student mothers, ages between 22 to 29 years old, in navigating college success while raising children through the lens of intersectionality of identity (i.e., ethnicity, motherhood, and social class), which may position them at various levels of segregation, racism, and other forces of oppression. Additionally, we examined the juxtaposition of motherhood and college education from the lifespan perspective. The Latinx population is growing exponentially in the United States, more specifically in the state of California. While there are many studies undertaken on Latinx students on campus, fewer studies focused on Latina student mothers in higher institutions. Our study on Latina student mothers identified risk and protective factors while this group of college students navigate their education and motherhood. We make recommendations for higher institutions to support student parents on college campuses. Directions for future research are discussed.

College Academic Coaching Can Increase College Success and Later Earnings

College Academic Coaching Can Increase College Success and Later Earnings

27.2 Mental Health and Educational Functioning in College Students With ADHD: Trajectories and Correlates of 4-Year Trajectories

Emerging adults with ADHD are susceptible to risk factors (eg, executive functioning deficits) that predict lower probability of college success. Most prior studies have been cross-sectional, have not identified ADHD with diagnostic rigor, and have not included a non-ADHD comparison group. This paper will identify the nature and correlates of mental health and educational trajectories in college students with and without ADHD, using a rigorous diagnostic method.

Create a caring, responsive environment for students with childhood trauma

Working at a historically Black college, I have seen the impact of childhood trauma on a person's development and college success. In a survey of our college campus, we found that 82% of students experienced either food or housing insecurity or both in the past year. The presence of poverty and trauma has been a continuing presence throughout many of their lives. We discovered that 35% of students had experienced homelessness at some point. Fifty percent of students surveyed had a family member who had been a victim of physical violence.

Partner with Admissions to address student concerns

Over the past year, I've revised my book for parents, high school educators, and other related professionals on how to prepare students with disabilities for successful college transition (Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities, 3rd Edition will be released in February of 2023). Throughout that process, and in two years running an online community for parents focused on transition issues, as well as more than a decade of making presentations around the country, I've seen how much families don't know, misunderstand, or have been misinformed about the postsecondary environment. In my next three columns, I'll discuss what I've learned and suggest ways for you to provide information so that everyone has a better experience with the transition process.

The Iterative College Choice Process of Students with Disabilities: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background: Although students with disabilities are enrolling in higher education in larger numbers than ever before, they are still underrepresented in colleges and universities, particularly among four-year institutions. College choice has been explored across multiple facets, but limited research has examined the college choice processes of students with disabilities. Research Questions: (1) What factors are most influential to the successful college choice processes of students with disabilities? (2) To what extent are these factors different from those that influence the choice processes of students without disabilities? (3) How do students describe the influence of key factors on their college choice process? (4) How does the college choice process for students with disabilities vary across institutional types? Setting: This research took place at three public institutions in the state of Massachusetts, one public research university (Research University [RU]) and two regional comprehensive universities (City State University [CSU], Suburban State University [SSU]). Research Design: We utilized a convergent mixed methods study composed of survey research and qualitative interviews. Participants: For the quantitative survey, we recruited students with and students without disabilities by sending invitations to a random sample of 30% of students at RU and all students at CSU and SSU. A total of 1,981 students completed the survey. For the qualitative interviews, we recruited students via a targeted email invitation sent through the disability services office on each campus, resulting in 27 participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected through a quantitative survey and a qualitative interview. The survey took approximately 15 minutes and took place over Qualtrics; data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and chi-squared tests. Qualitative data were collected through 60- to 90-minute semistructured interviews and were analyzed through deductive and inductive coding. Conclusions and Recommendations: Our findings revealed that although students with disabilities considered the same factors as their peers without disabilities, they faced additional considerations related to the quality of disability services and accessibility of the campus. We also found that although factors such as family, school, and distance had similar influence across students with disabilities, subtle distinctions emerged in how students approached these categories when they chose a research university versus a regional comprehensive institution. We concluded with recommendations for further research into how disability and institutional type shape college choice and for practices to help students with disabilities in their college search and choice processes.

A Comparison of Academic Load and Student Perspectives on Education Between America and China

Education is a significant contributor towards shaping the future of our society. However, education systems and academic values in distinct countries such as the United States and China may vary and therefore have different impacts on students living in different parts of the world. This influenced this study in terms of student perspectives on various aspects of their educational experience, which includes academic load at school, tutoring, extracurriculars, and preparedness for future success in college or careers. The results show that overall, middle school and high school students in China have a higher academic load because they have more classes and spend more time at school, doing homework/studying, or receiving tutoring. However, student perspectives on the importance of grades vs. personal qualities are fairly similar between American and Chinese students, with less value on grades and standardized test scores towards future academic success. Because China has a traditionally stricter stance on academic rigor and standardized testing, this insight represents a potential shift in mindset towards education in the modern day. Future research can seek to confirm this in other regions and countries to seek a more accurate and cohesive overview of student perspectives on education.

Analyzing Reading Assessments through a Randomized Trial

Reading is critical to success in college. Faculty members often decry students who come to class without reading, and unprepared for the lessons of the day. Yet, relatively little empirical research assesses how to best stimulate collegiate reading and what types of reading assessments provide the best student learning outcomes. This paper assesses two common ways of assessing reading compliance and learning—reading quizzes and Course Preparation Assignments (CPAs)—using a randomized trial in a large introductory political science course. The data show that students are more compliant with completing the reading quizzes vs. the CPAs, and that students prefer completing the reading quizzes to the CPAs. Data from the 2020 Assessing Critical Reading Techniques study demonstrate little substantive difference between the two groups on the measured learning outcomes through either the exams or the papers. These findings provide empirical support that traditional methods of reading checks or assessments can provide value to the student learning process. Implications for instructors across different course formats are discussed.