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An Initiative Of NASPA and The Suder Foundation

Research & Policy

Dedicated first-generation research allows for evidence-based decision-making that is critical to student success. This section highlights both foundational research and recent scholarship that informs understanding of the student experience, institutional approaches to programming, and identification of supports and barriers for first-generation students. Timely updates on public policy discussions shaping first-generation student success are also provided. In addition to the filters below, please utilize the “search” bar in the top, right corner to search by keyword, author name, or publication title.

Josh Farris student
For First-Generation College Students, More Peer Support, Scholarships, and Resources

Nationwide, an increasing number of students are the first in their families to pursue higher education. A common theme: mentors and a support system.

School Library Journal / January 2019
2018 Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey- Mentoring College Students to Success
2018 Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey

The 2018 Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey explores how colleges and universities inspire students to achieve and looks closely at the source and nature of college mentoring relationships.

Gallup & Strada Education Network / December 2018
black female reading in library
The Role of Parental Education on First-Generation Students' Cognitive Gains in College

Scholars have recently noted that increases in critical thinking skills are not being attained by college graduates as previously thought.

Journal of College Student Development / December 2018
classroom full of students
Protective Factors Among Postsecondary Students

The authors examine the existing literature on the effects of low SES on postsecondary education in order to explore what assists these students in maintaining a steadfast behavior.

Journal of Research in Technical Careers / December 2018
Two Steps at a Time
Two Steps at a Time

For first-generation students, getting into college can be the biggest challenge of their lives. And the hard part comes next.

The Aspen Institute / December 2018
male student pink button up in class
Reaching Individual Success and Empowerment (RISE): A First-generation, Co-curricular, Academic, and Social Engagement Model

FAU developed a research informed program that engages students in co-curricular, high impact educational practices.

Journal of Business Diversity / December 2018
An Examination of a Cross Sectional Summer Bridge Programs

Summer bridge programs have grown increasingly popular as a strategy for providing students with the knowledge and skills required for college success.

International Journal of Education and Social Science / December 2018
Examining Retention and Transfer in Relation to Incoming Student Data for First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Students: What Differences Exist?

The study finds that parental education gaps in outcomes persist even after statistically controlling for incoming student information, and the effects of some predictors differ by parental education.

Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice / November 2018
Rows of Books
A Critical Review of LIS Literature on First-Generation Students

This review offers a critical analysis of the library and information science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) from the last 40 years

November 2018
SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY AFFORDANCE AND DIGITAL INCLUSION: FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS

This case study to investigate how social media usage impacts first-generation college students.

November 2018
Supporting First-Generation Students’ Adjustment to College With High-Impact Practices

This qualitative case study describes some of the issues faced by incoming first-generation college students at a private, 4-year institution in the northwest.

October 2018
ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2018
ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2018

The aim for this report is for these diverse institutional stakeholders to leverage these findings and recommendations to contribute to institutional IT and academic goals and, most importantly, to student success.

October 2018
33 Simple Strategies_Book
33 Simple Strategies for Faculty: A Week-by-Week Resource for Teaching First-Year and First-Generation Students

33 Simple Strategies for Faculty is a guidebook filled with practical solutions to this problem.

Nunn, 2018 / October 2018
tired student in library
The Role of Academic Distress, Financial Stress, and Support

The authors analyzed data from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2013–2014 database to provide insight about student anxiety as reported by students and their counselors.

October 2018
two latino students studying
Factors Predicting College Outcomes for Students Participating in the College Assistance Migrant Program

This article examines factors associated with college outcomes in a migrant Latina/o college student sample enrolled in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

October 2018
First-generation Student Success: A Landscape Analysis

Across higher education, engaged communities of university leaders, practitioners, scholars and students are working tirelessly to craft approaches that unlock the vast potential of first-generation students.

The Center / October 2018
Living a Motivated Life- A Memoir and Activities
Living a Motivated Life: A Memoir and Activities

This memoir follows the author through forty years, revealing how he selected vocational pursuits guided by his understanding of intrinsic motivation and transformative learning.

Wlodkowski, 2018 / October 2018
striped shirt female studying with friend
Two-Stage Predictive Modeling for Identifying At-Risk Students

This study proposes an analytic approach which combines two predictive models (the predictive model of successful students and the predictive model of at-risk students) to enhance prediction performance for use under the constraints of limited data collection.

September 2018