The aim of this study is to examine the impact of diversity on student engagement and academic success within a university setting. Understanding the impact of diversity at postsecondary institutions is important because the population of the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, a trend that is also reflected in educational institutions. Previous research has largely focused on diversity among the study body (i.e. admissions) and in the classroom (i.e. curriculum). However, the current study focuses on student experiences with diversity outside of the classroom. Student interactions with peers from diverse backgrounds were measured using the Experiences With Diversity Index (EWDI) subscale of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). An ANOVA was conducted to compare group differences on experiences with diversity based on gender, race/ethnicity, and generational status. The results found Hispanic college students reported more frequent experiences with diversity than did their Black or White peers. A moderated regression was conducted to examine the relationship between experiences with diversity and academic success (GPA). The results found no significant relationship between diversity experiences and GPA, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, or generational status. Recommendations for future practice and research are discussed.

ABSTRACT First-generation college students earn college degrees in the United States at much lower rates when compared to non-first-generation college students. These students frequently face different challenges accessing and completing college degrees than those encountered by their peers with college-educated parents. A key challenge for institutions of higher education (IHE) is to develop effective policies, programs, and resources that support college completion among first generation college students. First-generation students are far from a homogenous group. Rather, they exist on a spectrum of familial experiences with higher education. For instance, important differences may exist between students who have a parent who did not complete high school and those that have some college, or even postsecondary graduate education experience. Students’ familiarity with higher education institutions and processes, as well as their social networks and family resources greatly influences first-generation college students’ success in college. Yet, typically, first-generation college students are broadly defined as students whose parents did not earn a college degree. This definition fails to acknowledge potentially meaningful differences in student backgrounds. Moving forward, developing definitions for first-generation college students that more clearly describe their parents’ educational backgrounds holds promise for improving higher education institutions’ abilities to better align their support efforts with student needs. This study takes first steps to explore the application of alternative ways of defining first-generation college students, as well as understanding how IHEs currently identify first-generation college students at the point of admissions and track students once they matriculate. Specifically, in this dissertation I developed a typology of possible definitions for identifying first-generation college students. Subsequently, I conducted a national survey of public, four-year, baccalaureate degree-granting IHEs where I applied this typology to better understand institutional policies and practices for identifying and tracking first-generation college students. The study’s findings show that IHEs tend to adopt one of two general definitions for first-generation college student. The first definition does not take into account whether or not students’ parents participated in higher education, while the second lumps together students with and without parents with any exposure to college, but without a college degree. The processes and IHE administrative offices used to track first-generation college students from matriculation to graduation is institutional specific and not uniform across IHEs. The analysis shows that many IHEs are trying to identify and support first-generation college students. However, differences in definitions used by institutions poses challenges for the field, at large, in its efforts to understand the needs of this group of students, as well as makes it difficult for institutions to align supports and services with student needs. Taken together, this exploratory study raises important questions for policymakers and educational leaders who are interested in expanding college access and success for first-generation college students.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / Unrestricted

Within the last twenty years, the number of undergraduate-age Nigerian immigrants to the United States has substantially increased. Most young Nigerian immigrants moved to the United States for better educational opportunities for themselves. The United States is viewed as the land of opportunity for young Nigerian immigrants because of the numerous options available in American universities. However, the reality of life as an immigrant especially for young Nigerian adults is often a challenging experience. Young Nigerian immigrant students face a lot of adversity because they have to deal with issues such as a new school environment, a foreign culture and living arrangements that might entail living with extended family members; challenges they are often not prepared to deal with and which ultimately format the direction of their lives. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the conflict experiences of 5 Nigerian women who lived with extended family while attending college at the undergraduate level 15-20 years ago and the impact this experience had on their identity formation and future aspirations. Guided by IPA, the central research question shaping this study was: How did undergraduate Nigerian immigrants (who came to the United States 15-20 years ago,) make sense of their intra-extended family conflict experience? With the use of in vivo coding, exploratory comments and extensive, cross-analysis of the participants’ responses, six key themes emerged: (1) Welcome Season, (2) Challenging situations, (3) Irrelevance, (4) Therapy & Motivated, (5) Impacts, and (6) Self-Reflection. By conducting this research, the intent is that the findings from this study will create more awareness and initiate dialogue on this topic to educate and inform relevant stakeholders.

This is the first Canadian study to determine current procedures and practice in for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts English-speaking Canadian public universities. and to determine Arts advisors' perceptions of the impact of academic advising on student development and retention. A questionnaire was mailed to 82 academic advisors at 41 English public universities across Canada. Responses received represented 73% of eligible universities. Personal interviews followed with nine volunteers. Results showed that academic advising practice is not guided by formal policy that links the service to university and faculty goals. Instead, advising is evolving in response to the call for university accountability. Advising practices appear to be changing to meet the expectations and demands from students that their undergraduate experience facilitates the achievement of academic goals in association with career goals and other personal goals. Despite the lack of guiding policy on Arts academic advising, there is considerable amount of consistency in current practice across Canada. Advising is primarily a Faculty responsibility and the responsibility for delivering general academic advice has largely shifted from professors to professional advisors. Advisors have a broad range of responsibilities and extensive decision-making authority, especially in the areas of program planning with students, and in interpreting and applying policies and procedures. The hours that students can gain access to advising differs among Arts advising units. However, the methods of delivering advice are similar. In all advising units the student to advisor ratio is extremely high. Most units are responsible for providing the service to thousand of students. Arts advisors are also extensively involved a variety of outreach and liaison activities directed at potential and current students and the broader university community and the public. Arts academic advisors believe that advising improves student persistence to degree completion and hence also improves university retention rates. At the same time, some advisors perceive that central administration does not recognize the importance of the service and that this lack of recognition combined with heavy advising loads, complex policy and program regulations, and shrinking resources affects the quality of academic advising. Despite the difficulties mentioned by advisors, many advising units have initiatives in place to expand their academic advising service through joint strategies with other student services that will link students' short-term and long-term academic, career and life plans. The study concludes with recommendations on developing academic policy and programs, as well providing suggestions for further research. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between engaging in minimum levels of physical activity as defined by ACSM and perceived quality of life. A total of 43 college students were included in a repeated measures, quasi-experimental design research study that produced an overall retention rate of 65%, which resulted in 15 students being placed in the treatment group, and 28 students being placed in the control group. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare the quality of life mean scores over three administrations of the Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), which resulted in no significant main effects for either the time measure or the group measure, but did produce a significant interaction effect. Post hoc analyses showed there was a significant difference between the treatment and control groups' quality of life mean scores only during the second administration of the instrument. Further analysis showed that the control group had significantly higher quality of life domain scores for six of the 16 quality of life domains. There were no significant differences between groups across any of the physiological measures. These findings did not support previous research that increasing individuals' level of physical activity will enhance their perceived quality of life. Instead, this study only provokes more questions about the connection between physical activity and perceived quality of life.

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Detection of sub-optimal effort is a critical element of all psychological assessment procedures. Failure to consider the validity of the client's performance and symptom reporting may result in inaccurate conclusions about the degree of impairment. Because the American with Disabilities Act requires colleges to provide accommodations for students with documented disabilities, providing resources for students feigning impairment may ultimately drain university resources intended to help those students with disabilities. This study sought to examine the relationship between two different types of measures of effort and variables related to academic ability. De-identified archival data was gathered from the University Accessibility Center (UAC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) which provided psychological assessments for accommodation seeking students (N = 602) for a reduced fee. Measures used to detect sub-optimal effort included the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Word Memory Test (WMT), Validity Indicator Profile (VIP), California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), Reliable Digit Span (RDS), and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Advanced Edition (IVA-AE). Measures indicating academic ability included select subtests from the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement Third Edition (WJ-III). Additionally, Matrix Reasoning of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) was included as a cognitive measure of nonverbal IQ. Two point biserial correlations were conducted. Results indicated that the nonverbal portion of the VIP had a significant relationship with writing fluency. The TOMM also had a significant relationship with writing fluency. Additionally, results demonstrated that Reliable Digit Span had a significant relationship with Academic Fluency, Writing Fluency, Letter Word Identification, and Math Fluency. Data suggests that university disability service offices may wish to include the RDS, TOMM, and VIP in their considerations of effort.

This study aimed to take asset-based approach and identify Latino male students who were persisting in college, and to identify what strategies made them successful. This qualitative study consulted Tinto's revised student departure model, Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, as well as Yosso's theory of community cultural wealth. A phenomenological design was utilized to identify the shared experience of first-generation Latino male college students who had persisted in college and maintained a 3.0 grade point average. Findings revealed that Latino students entered college with goals to provide better opportunities for the next generation. They encountered unfamiliarity, culture shock, and marginalization, all obstacles centered not on academic preparedness, but on unfamiliarity with the environment. They used their linguistic, navigational, and aspirational capital to navigate their two worlds. Their cultural upbringing stressed a strong commitment to family and community, i.e. familismo. They found community among in-group peers and college staff. This support network provided what Laura Rendon refers to as validating experiences. Once familismo was obtained they gained a sense of belonging and grew their cultural capital to become familiar with the college going culture. The learned the rules of the game which enabled students to focus on their goal of earning a college degree.