First-year seminars (FYS) are well-tested and trusted programs to facilitate students' transition to college. This study adds to the body of evidence about the value of seminars through analysis of a large multi-institution dataset and documentation of the positive association between participation in a first-year seminar and student engagement in…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore perceptions of first-generation college students with strengths-based development experiences. "Strengths-based development experiences" were defined as those that leveraged a student's results from the CliftonStrengths® assessment provided by the Gallup Organization. This…

Student self-perception is related to persistence in science. Yet how self-perception develops over time is less clear. We examined student self-perception trajectories and their relationship with gender, persons excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEER) status, and first-generation college student (FGCS) status across a yearlong introductory…

Since the 1990s, colleges and universities throughout the United States have witnessed a substantial increase in student population demographics. In particular, upticks have been reported in the number of first-generation students enrolling in colleges and universities. There is evidence that first-generation college students often face…

Using data from the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Senior Survey, I compared first-generation students' self-reported levels of engagement and outcomes with those of continuing-generation students at 16 private liberal arts colleges (N = 7,611). Membership in the first-generation group demonstrated significant, positive main…

This qualitative study describes the experiences of 16 successful first-generation college students (FGCS) utilizing a theoretical lens, informed significantly by bioecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), which guided our qualitative analyses of interview transcripts to examine the activities, roles, and relationships of these students…

The effect of service-learning courses on student growth was compared for 321 first-generation and 782 non-first-generation undergraduate students at a large urban university. Student growth encompassed both academic and professional skill development. The majority of students reported significant academic and professional development after…

Based on an examination of related literature, reviews the pre- and post-enrollment characteristics of first-generation community college students, and discusses what colleges should do to help these students be successful. Asserts that while considerable research exists on first-generation students on four-year college campuses, the findings and…

This study, part of the longitudinal national Study of Student Learning, investigated the precollege characteristics and college experiences of 825 first-generation college students compared to those of 1,860 traditional students at 23 diverse institutions nationwide. First-year gains in students' reading, math, and critical thinking abilities…