WELCOME! Presenters: Caity Hoover Ruth Huang Kjirsten Kennedy

Why are we here?  Explore experiences of first-generation, low-income and transfer students in higher education  Obstacles & Strategies  Access  Student involvement  Academic support

Terms for today  Low-income students  Total annual household income is less than $25,000/year (Seay, 2006)  First-generation students  Students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) did not complete a baccalaureate degree (LCC, 2013)  Transfer students  Enter university from another higher education institution

Pair-up & Share-up  Discuss with a neighbor your perceptions and understanding of the following student populations:  First-generation students  Low-income students  Transfer students

Terms for today  Low-income students  Total annual household income is less than $25,000/year (Seay, 2006)  First-generation students  Students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) did not complete a baccalaureate degree (LCC, 2013)  Transfer students  Enter university from another higher education institution

Access to Higher Education Learning Goals:  Gain awareness of how you and others came to be students at SU  Danger of a single story Danger of a single story  Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  TEDGlobal (2009)  Where I am from poem

Student Involvement Learning Goals:  Reflect on your own involvement  Gain knowledge of relationship between college involvement and persistence  Continuum Activity Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

Student Involvement  Degree of involvement signifies degree of commitment to educational experience  Students’ perceptions of campus environment influences their ability to integrate into university life  Positive effect on academic success & degree attainment

Academic Support Learning Goals:  Understand obstacles related to academic preparedness  Develop skills to better support peers through learning assistance techniques  Identifying Obstacles  Timewasters Activity  Methods for Success

What are some obstacles in academic success/support?  Competing responsibilities  Weak English and/or math skills  Poor study skills and study behaviors  Physical & mental illness or conditions that are not obvious

Strategies for success in academic support  Monitor student progress & create a culture of success  Offer services at times that work for employed students  Be aware of societal & emotional concerns that could affect students

What did we learn?  Gain awareness of how you and others came to be students at SU  Gain knowledge of relationship between college involvement and persistence  Develop skills to better support peers through learning assistance techniques

Written Reflection  Examen Today we discussed and participated in activities that explored the experiences of first- generation, low-income and transfer students in the higher education system, specifically in areas of access, student involvement and academic support.  What was something new that fascinated me?  What remains unclear/surprising to me?  What can I take from this workshop and put into action?

References  Astin, A. W. (1999). Student Involvement: A Developmental Theory for Higher Education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5),  Forbus, P. R., Newbold, J. J., & Mehta, S. S. (2011). First-generation university students: Motivation, academic success, and satisfaction with the university experience. International Journal of Education Research, 6(2),  Lansing Community College (2013). Are you a first-generation college student? Retrieved November 19, 2013, from  Lundberg, C. A., Schreiner, L. A., Hovaguimian, K. D., & Miller, S. S. (2007). First- generation status and student race/ethnicity as distinct predictors of student involvement and learning. NASPA Journal, 44(1),  Malone, H. (2013). The Search Stage: When, Where, and What Information Do Urban Public High School Students Gather About College. Journal Of School Counseling,  Roberts, J., & McNeese, M. N. (2010).Student involvement/engagement in higher education based on student origin. Research in Higher Education Journal, 7,  Roman, M. A. (2007). Community College Admission and Student Retention. Journal Of College Admission, (194),

References  Seay, S. (2006). Strategies for Success: Improving the Academic Performance of Low-Income Adult and First-Generation Students in Online General Education Courses. Journal Of Continuing Higher Education, 54(3),  Stebleton, M. J., & Soria, K. M. (2012). Breaking Down Barriers: Academic Obstacles of First-Generation Students at Research Universities.Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), 17(2),  TEDGlobal. (2009). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story. Retrieved from  Wang, X. (2009). Baccalaureate attainment and college persistence of community college transfer students at four-year institutions. Research in Higher Education, 50(6), doi: /s z  Woosley, S. A., & Shepler, D. K. (2011). Understanding the early integration experiences of first-generation college students. College Student Journal, 45(4),

Thank you! Thank you for participating in tonight’s workshop!