Showing papers in "Journal of College Student Development in 2016"

"Just Go in Looking Good": The Resilience, Resistance, and Kinship-Building of Trans* College Students.

Abstract: This article explores the strategies transgender college students use to navigate gender-dichotomous collegiate environments. Using a critical collaborative ethnographic methodology (Bhattacharya, 2008), this 18-month ethnographic study alongside 9 transgender students elucidated how gender operates as a discourse to regulate the collegiate life as well as the various spaces through which the participants traversed. Study data also highlight the pervasive intersections of participants’ various social identities as well as speak to the importance of developing kinship networks among transgender students as a strategy to remain resilient and successful in college.

Racial Arrested Development: A Critical Whiteness Analysis of the Campus Ecology

Abstract: This paper analyzes the campus ecology (Renn, 2003, 2004) literature from the perspective of Critical Whiteness specifically problematizing perceptions of safety and inclusion on the college campus. Relying upon Sullivan’s (2006) ontological expansiveness, Mills’s (1997) epistemology of ignorance, and Leonardo and Porter’s (2010) Fanonian interpretation of racial safety, we argue that there is too high a premium placed on social comfort during the undergraduate experience which actually leaves White students at predominantly White institutions in perpetual states of racial arrested development. We conclude that intentional, targeted racial dissonance is necessary for both White students to develop their racial selves while concurrently being aware of the ugly realities of contemporary racism.

Development of a Sense of Belonging for Privileged and Minoritized Students: An Emergent Model

Abstract: This article reports findings from a constructionist grounded theory study with 51 first-year college students. We explored student definitions and development of a sense of belonging during their first year of college. Belonging for all participants was shaped by 3 themes: environmental perceptions, involvement, and relationships. Yet, there were vast differences in the ways students from privileged and minoritized social identity groups defined belonging and made meaning of the 3 emergent themes. A model of belonging for privileged and minoritized college students is presented.

Influencing Academic Motivation: The Effects of Student–Faculty Interaction

Abstract: Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, we examined the influence of student–faculty interactions on student academic motivation over 4 years of college. Results suggest that several forms of student–faculty interaction, such as quality of faculty contact, frequency of faculty contact, research with faculty, personal discussion with faculty, and out-of-class interactions with faculty, have a positive influence on academic motivation, even when controlling for a host of student background characteristics and institutional characteristics, including a precollege measure of academic motivation.

Intent to Persist in College Freshmen: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Mentorship

Abstract: We surveyed 237 first-time college students to examine the extent to which social-cognitive factors—self-efficacy, perceptions of mentorship, high school GPA, ACT scores, first-semester college GPA, and demographic characteristics—influence freshmen’s intent to persist. Standard multiple regression and MANOVA were conducted to determine the influence of the selected characteristics on intended persistence. The findings show that college self-efficacy and perceptions of mentorship were the strongest predictors for intentions to persist past the first college semester, whereas ACT, GPA and socioeconomic status did not predict intent to persist. Implications for freshmen retention at 4-year institutions and directions for future research are discussed.

Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Adjustment Among Ethnically Diverse College Students: Family and Peer Support as Protective Factors

Abstract: Adopting a risk and resilience perspective, the current study examined whether family cohesion and peer support functioned as protective factors against the negative effects of racial/ethnic discrimination by peers. The sample included 142 ethnically diverse college students. The results showed that while greater perceived discrimination was related to poorer adjustment (in terms of depressive symptoms, somatization, and loneliness), peer support, but not family cohesion, modified some of these relations. The findings highlight the importance of identifying protective factors in the contexts of family and peers. Doing so moves research on discrimination beyond targeting only individual-level characteristics (such as a stronger ethnic identity or personal coping strategies) to include factors concerning a broader network of support in understanding how the negative effects of discrimination may be tempered.

Career Aspirations and the First Generation Student: Unraveling the Layers With Social Cognitive Career Theory

Abstract: Undergraduate students who are the first in their immediate family to go to college represent a unique population on campus deserving special attention to their educational and career development needs. We explored career development characteristics of first-generation college students and compared them to those who are not first-generation, using Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s (1994) social cognitive career theory as a theoretical base. Findings indicated significant differences between the 2 groups, and the importance of college self-efficacy and college outcome expectations for the career aspirations of first-generation college students.

Competition, Anxiety, and Depression in the College Classroom: Variations by Student Identity and Field of Study

Abstract: In light of rising academic stress and an increase in diagnosed mental illnesses among adolescents and young adults, this article offers the first comprehensive analysis of relationships between perceived competition and depression/anxiety among college students. Analyses were conducted by using clinically validated instruments for depression and anxiety and a diverse, national sample of 40,350 undergraduates from 70 institutions. Multivariate logistic regressions reveal that high levels of perceived competition in one’s classes are associated with increased risks of depression and anxiety, especially among queer, first-generation, Black, and Latino/a students. Discrimination and peer support moderate these relationships, suggesting avenues for future research and educational interventions.

A Qualitative Analysis of Multiracial Students' Experiences With Prejudice and Discrimination in College

Abstract: Mixed-race persons constitute a substantial and growing population in the United States. We examined multiracial college students’ experiences with prejudice and discrimination in college with conducted focus group interviews with 12 mixed-race participants and individual interviews with 22 mixed-race undergraduates to understand how they experienced prejudice and discrimination during their college careers. Analysis revealed 8 types of multiracial prejudice and discrimination which were confirmed by individual interviews: (a) racial essentialization, (b) invalidation of racial identities, (c) external imposition of racial identities, (d) racial exclusion and marginalization, (e) challenges to racial authenticity, (f) suspicion of chameleons, (g) exoticization, and (h) pathologizing of multi-racial individuals. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Utilizing Critical Race Theory to Examine Race/Ethnicity, Racism, and Power in Student Development Theory and Research.

Abstract: Recognition of social forces (racism, privilege, power) to the extent that is required by critical race theory (CRT) results in a paradigm shift in the way that we theorize and research student development, specifically self-authorship. This paradigm shift moves the center of analysis from individual, to the individual in relation to her political, racialized, environment, which then provides a new vantage point to capture additional developmental processes. In this article, each dimension of self-authorship is reconsidered with revised questions that seek to examine the ways that race/ethnicity, racism, and power influence the self-authoring process.

The Impact of Diversity Courses on College Students' Moral Development.

Abstract: We utilized data from a multi-institutional longitudinal study to investigate the association between diversity-related coursework and moral development among students over 4 years of college. Our findings parallel the prior research, which support the positive effects of diversity on college students, by offering new evidence that diversity experiences positively impact moral development. Further, the findings revealed that students who enter college with lower precollege academic ability might experience greater gains relating to the impact of diversity coursework on their moral growth.

Undocumented and Unafraid: Understanding the Disclosure Management Process for Undocumented College Students and Graduates

Abstract: Previous qualitative studies on undocumented college students have primarily focused on their lived experiences; however, little research has been done to consider the disclosure process or identity management for undocumented students, particularly students who self-identify as “undocumented and unafraid.” Using research on legal consciousness and disclosure of hidden identities, I employed Latin@ critical race theory as an analytic lens to examine the many processes through which undocumented students “come out” within the context of higher education and beyond. Based on interviews with 7 Latin@ undocumented college students and graduates, in this article I explore 3 themes: biographical construction of legal status, the fluidity of fear, and empowered disclosure.

Supportive College Environment for Meaning Searching and Meaning in Life among American College Students.

Abstract: We examined whether American college students who perceive their college environment as supportive for their meaning searching report higher levels of meaning in life. We also examined whether students’ perception of college environmental support for meaning searching moderates the relation between the presence of and search for meaning. Students’ perception of college environmental support for meaning searching significantly predicted their presence of meaning in life above and beyond the variance accounted for by searching for meaning and life satisfaction. The relation between the presence of and search for meaning differed by the levels of students’ perception of college environmental support for meaning searching. For students with a lower sense of college environmental support for meaning searching, the presence of meaning decreased as searching for meaning increased. In contrast, for students with a higher sense of support, the presence of meaning increased as searching for meaning increased. The findings suggest that a supportive college environment for meaning searching may promote American college students’ sense of meaning by buffering the potential negative effect of searching for meaning.

The Importance of Developing Students' Academic and Professional Identities in Higher Education

Abstract: In higher educational research, there is a growing recognition that students’ academic achievement is influenced by their opportunities for academic identity development; however, less attention has been given to the process and development of students’ professional identity. In a qualitative study among 26 Danish and 11 Australian university students, we found that, regardless of educational background and broader educational context, many students indicated the need for professional identity, but were unable to develop it. Furthermore, a lack of clarity about professional identity was experienced as loss of goal-orientation and motivation, uncertainty, stress, and perceived poor academic achievement.

Homesickness at College: Its Impact on Academic Performance and Retention

Abstract: For this study we identified factors exerting significant influence on homesickness and explored the impact of the homesick experience on students’ academic performance and retention in the first year in college. The findings reveal 2 constructs underlying the homesickness scale: homesick separation and homesick distress. Demographic variables found to impact students’ level of homesickness included gender, residence, and parental education. Homesick distress resulted in a significant, albeit small, explanation of the variance of first-semester GPA and first-year retention.

The Estimated Effects of College Student Involvement on Psychological Well-Being

Abstract: Student affairs research touts the advantages of college student involvement such as student organization, Greek, and intramural sports involvement. Wolf-Wendel, Ward, and Kinzie (2009) described involvement, engagement, and integration as used interchangeably within the literature. Here, we use involvement as what Wolf-Wendel et al. (2009) noted as individual student responsibility and analyzed it at the student level, yet we are cognizant and aware of the similarities between involvement and engagement and the limitations our data had in distinguishing between the two. In fact, there is extensive research focused on student involvement in college suggesting that quality involvement leads to higher levels of student learning and development (Astin, 1977, 1993; Gellin, 2003; Kuh, Kinsey, Schuh, & Whitt, 2005). Astin (1993) suggested that students significantly involved on campus have greater developmental growth than do students who are not involved or those who contribute less effort. Further, Webber, Krylow, and Zhang (2013) asserted that “students will get the most out of college when they devote time and effort to their college activities” (p. 592). The role of student involvement is dependent upon both whether students are involved and the level of involvement. Although much of the literature on student involvement has focused on its association with aspects of cognitive learning and development (Gellin, 2003; Pike, Kuh, & Gonyea, 2003), these are not the only dimensions of student growth in college shaped by student involvement. Bowman (2010) identified a positive relationship between involvement in campus experiences during the first year of college and psychological wellbeing. Specifically, cocurricular involvement (i.e., student organizations, Greek life, among others) significantly predicted several aspects of psychological well-being including: students’ personal growth, positive relationships with others, and purpose in life. Student psychological well-being is an important issue of growing interest in U.S. higher education (Kadison & DiGeronimo, 2004; Soet & Sevig, 2006). The National College Health Assessment (2014) found that increasing percentages of students experience mental health challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-harm behavior). Of students reporting mental health challenges, 47.4% found it traumatic or very difficult to handle their academic work (National College Health Assessment, 2014). Additional research suggested that poor mental health

The Meaning of African American College Women's Experiences Attending a Predominantly White Institution: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract: Because both race and gender are important to the development of African American women, student affairs professionals need to understand the unique experiences of African American women within the context of the college environment. In this phenomenological study, we examined African American women’s lived experiences as college students at a predominantly White institution with a purpose of exploring what meaning African American women ascribe to those experiences. Findings describe the experiences of these women, including themes of multiple worlds, belonging, expectations, awareness of their surroundings, and coping. We suggest implications for college administrators, student affairs professionals, and faculty, as well as offer ideas for future research.

Upwardly Mobile: Attitudes Toward the Class Transition Among First-Generation College Students

Abstract: First-generation, working-class college students are on the path to upward mobility and may have social and psychological problems related to cultural differences between the working class and the middle class. In her study, Hurst (2007, 2010) reports that students of working-class origin often choose loyalty to one class. However, I revise Hurst’s model after finding that, while upwardly mobile students identify more with either the working class or middle class, they can do so without rejecting the other. The findings also indicate that colleges can encourage a healthy class transition by providing support with student organizations, role models, and coursework.

Postsecondary Strengths, Challenges, and Supports Experienced by Foster Care Alumni College Graduates.

Abstract: Young people transitioning from foster care to college experience unique identities and circumstances that make being successful in college especially challenging. We used qualitative survey data from 248 college graduates who were formerly in foster care to explore the strengths, challenges, and supports they experienced while in college that affected their success. A qualitative content analysis of responses to 3 open-ended survey questions revealed 7 global themes related to participants’ college experiences: positive self, overcoming, interpersonal relationships, finances and logistics, academic orientation, physical and mental health, and independent living skills. Subordinate themes are identified and participant quotes are provided to help illuminate participants’ postsecondary experiences. A primary goal for this study is to increase awareness of this hidden population on college campuses and provide a better understanding of their unique circumstances and needs. This information can be used by colleges and advocates to improve support services for these youth.

Professional Identity, Career Commitment, and Career Entrenchment of Midlevel Student Affairs Professionals

Abstract: The purposes of this study were to identify factors of midlevel student affairs administrators’ professional identity and to examine the association of those factors to career commitment, career entrenchment, and demographic characteristics. Principal axis factor analysis derived 3 dimensions of professional identity: career contentment, community connection, and values congruence with the profession. Regression analyses conducted on 377 survey responses revealed that 3 of 4 demographic characteristics, all 3 career commitment subscales, and all 3 career entrenchment subscales were significantly associated with at least 1 of the professional identity subscales. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Career Exploration among College Students.

Abstract: College is a significant time for undergraduates to declare majors and choose career paths. For many undergraduates, choosing both a major and a career path is challenging. Among the reasons why undergraduates experience difficulties in this decision-making process, are having too many options, not viewing enough options, and not feeling prepared to make that choice (Gati, Krausz, & Osipow, 1996). It is important for professionals in higher education to not only understand these difficulties, but also to develop and implement strategies to help students accomplish these developmental milestones. In doing so, higher education professionals can promote students’ academic success and contribute to increased retention rates by encouraging students to engage in the behavioral and adaptive components of career exploration and planning. Previous research has focused on interventions that promote career exploration and discovering why students encounter difficulties in choosing a major. Meta-analyses have demonstrated the effectiveness of classroom interventions (Oliver & Spokane, 1988; Spokane & Oliver, 1983; Whiston, Sexton, & Lasoff, 1998), and research shows that many universities deliver career interventions through dedicated career decision-making courses (Mead & Korschgen, 1994). However, there has been limited research on the behavioral and adaptive components of career exploration and planning specific to careerrelated interventions. As a result, our study was designed to address this gap by investigating the effectiveness of a major/career planning course that focused on the behavioral and adaptive components through occupational engagement, career adaptability, and student career construction. The construct of occupational engagement is an integral part of Krieshok, Black, and McKay’s (2009) trilateral model of adaptive career decision-making. According to Cox (2008), occupational engagement is the behavioral component within this model. This component emphasizes the need for individuals to understand the world of work by learning about and participating in various activities to contribute to their fund

Toward a History of Student Affairs: A Synthesis of Research, 1996–2015

Abstract: This article offers a synthesis of over 40 journal articles, book chapters, and books related to the history of student affairs published since 1996. Within this literature, scholars have explored the roles and responsibilities of early student affairs administrators (“positions and practice”), demonstrated efforts to establish a distinct field (“professionalizing”), and revealed how early student affairs administrators encountered sexism, racism, and homophobia (“problems”). This synthesis also reveals opportunities for future research into the history of student affairs.

College Sport Participation and Student Educational Experiences and Selected College Outcomes.

Abstract: Using data from a random sample of first-year students in the 2009 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), we compared engagement in educationally purposeful activities in college, a set of educational outcomes, and the relationship between student engagement and educational outcomes for nonathletes and student-athletes participating in low- and high-profile sports. Findings indicate that nonathletes and student-athletes participating in low- and high-profile sports report similar levels of engagement in various academic areas. However, high-profile student-athletes face additional challenges to achieving educational outcomes to the level of nonathletes and low-profile student-athletes, and benefit differently from the engagement.

How College Affects Students: Volume 3. 21st Century Evidence That Higher Education Works by Matthew J. Mayhew et al. (review)

Abstract: How College Affects Students: Volume 3. 21st Century Evidence That Higher Education Works makes a major and enduring contribution to the literature on how college affects students. The findings detailed in this volume will occupy scholars and practitioners for years to come. This current volume is inextricably tied to the How College Affect Students: Findings and Insights from Twenty Years of Research (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991) and to How College Affects Students: Volume 2. A Third Decade of Research (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Moreover, this current volume will maintain similar stature to the 1991 and 2005 volumes. No other books make such an important contribution as this trilogy. Like the previous two volumes, the authors of this third volume also meticulously and thoroughly review the empirical research that addresses the same six major questions:

Examining Department Climate for Women in Engineering: The Role of STEM Interventions

Abstract: Women comprise over half of the total under­ graduate population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014), yet remain underrepresented in a number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (National Science Foundation [NSF], 2014). Although women have steadily increased their repre­ senta tion in STEM fields like agricultural and biological sciences since the mid­1960s (NSF, 2015), women’s share of bachelor’s degrees in engineering peaked at 20% in 2000 (NSF, 2014). The lack of growth in women’s engineering degree attainment con tin ues despite initiatives to recruit and retain traditionally underrepresented students in engineering. Research in STEM education has histor­ ically focused on individual­level factors to explain students’ decisions to enter and persist within STEM, such as women’s pre­ college academic preparation (Ethington, 1988; Trusty, 2002). While such studies are helpful in understanding how students’ participation in high school math and science courses differentially impact patterns in postsecondary STEM enrollment and degree completion, these approaches fail to capture structural factors, such as the impact of negative environments (in the classroom and on campus), on students’ entry, persistence, and degree attainment in STEM. In a study of campus climate, Rankin and Reason (2005) examined how different students experienced different climates on the same campus and found that, when compared to males, female students reported higher rates of gender harassment, defined as “any offensive, hostile, or intimidating conduct that interferes unreasonably with one’s ability to work or learn on campus” (p. 50). Women’s negative experiences within institutional spaces create “chilly” or even hostile climates, often magnified in male­dominated STEM fields, where there is little gender diversity and there is a perception that women are unable to “do science” (Rolin, 2008). Rolin (2008) argues that this chilly climate is embedded in the curriculum, in classroom interactions, and within the culture of STEM departments. As the culture of STEM has long been perceived as a masculine (and White) domain, the culture of departments functions as a means of social exclusion by limiting who feels welcomed (Tate & Linn, 2005). While climate is undeniably felt, these perceptions have real consequences for student experiences and outcomes. Hurtado, Clayton­Pederson, Allen, and Milem (1998) provide a framework to understand how the historical legacy, structural diversity, and psychological and behavioral dimensions of an institutional context shape how students experience the

The Differential Effects of Internship Participation on End-of-Fourth-Year GPA by Demographic and Institutional Characteristics

Abstract: Recent college graduates face more uncertainty in finding employment today than they have in the past (Spreen, 2013). Colleges and universities encourage students to participate in internships to increase their employment potential. Participation in internships is one of 10 practices that the Association of American Colleges and Universities has designated as “high-impact” for their promise in fostering engagement, persistence, and learning among undergraduate students (Brownell & Swaner, 2010; Kuh, 2008). Although no consensus for the definition of internship exists, O’Neill (2010) suggests that internships are generally experiential learning opportunities that include reflection, onsite guidance, and the ability to gain exposure to a career a student is considering in a real-world setting. Despite the rising popularity of internships and other high-impact practices in college curricula and cocurricula, until recently, little empirical research had been conducted to confirm anecdotal evidence suggesting the power of this educational experience for student learning (Brownell & Swaner, 2010).

Cultural Community Connections and College Success: An Examination of Southeast Asian American College Students

Abstract: Low rates of college success continue to be a persisting problem in the United States, particularly among Southeast Asian Americans and other populations of color. The purpose of the current inquiry was to understand how cultural community connections influence the success of Southeast Asian American college students. Qualitative methods were employed and face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with 34 Southeast Asian American undergraduates. Participants identified 3 types of connections that facilitated their success in college: physical, epistemological, and transformational cultural connections. Implications for future higher education research and practice are discussed.

Exploring the Relationship Between the Three Dimensions of Self-Authorship

Abstract: Through a year-long study of welfare-to-work students in the community college CalWORKs program, we investigated what self-authorship development looks like by examining developmental progress, and whether there are patterns in development along the three dimensions of self-authorship. Findings demonstrate progress toward self-authorship, but development across the dimensions was not synchronous. Although the intrapersonal dimension was the most common leading dimension, the greatest amount of development occurred along the cognitive dimension and the interpersonal dimension was most likely to show developmental regression. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.