Principles of Best Practice with Principles of Best Practice with Diverse College StudentsDiverse College Students

UC Irvine

Student Affairs

October, 2008

Main PointsMain Points

• Questioning assumptions and normsQuestioning assumptions and norms

• Theory and research about key Theory and research about key outcomes:outcomes:– Student academic successStudent academic success– Sense of belongingSense of belonging– Preparation for a diverse Preparation for a diverse

workplace/societyworkplace/society

Implications for Student Affairs workImplications for Student Affairs work

The Challenge: Educating Students The Challenge: Educating Students in the Context of Inequalityin the Context of Inequality

RationaleRationale

• Demographic shifts: 60% of Americans will be Demographic shifts: 60% of Americans will be from a distinct racial/ethnic group, CA is from a distinct racial/ethnic group, CA is diversediverse

• Student body diversity promotes learning Student body diversity promotes learning outcomes, better prepares students for diverse outcomes, better prepares students for diverse workplace and society, and better prepares workplace and society, and better prepares them as professionals (Sandra Day O’Connor, them as professionals (Sandra Day O’Connor, 2003)2003)

• Economic benefits: Equalizing B.A. degree Economic benefits: Equalizing B.A. degree attainments across groups will generate billions attainments across groups will generate billions in tax revenues and maintains high skill jobsin tax revenues and maintains high skill jobs

Maximizing The Benefits of Maximizing The Benefits of Diversity for Student Learning and Diversity for Student Learning and

DevelopmentDevelopment• Changing minds, changing Changing minds, changing

assumptions: Diversity is an asset, assumptions: Diversity is an asset, inequality is the problem/Students are inequality is the problem/Students are ready to learnready to learn

• Concept of “inclusive excellence,” Concept of “inclusive excellence,” focusing on student success (AAC&U)focusing on student success (AAC&U)

• Attention to multiple forms of a diverse Attention to multiple forms of a diverse learning environment, including learning environment, including representation, perceptions of the representation, perceptions of the climate, and interactions across groupsclimate, and interactions across groups

Transition and Adjustment to Transition and Adjustment to CollegeCollege

First Year FindingsFirst Year Findings

Theories of TransitionTheories of Transition• ““Rite of Passage” – Leaving prior Rite of Passage” – Leaving prior

relationships behind to form new ones relationships behind to form new ones (Tinto/Van Ganepp)(Tinto/Van Ganepp)

• Vectors of Student Development-Achieving Vectors of Student Development-Achieving Autonomy / InterdependenceAutonomy / Interdependence(Chickering & Reisser)(Chickering & Reisser)

• Social and academic integration, Social and academic integration, engagementengagement

• Period of disequilibrium- familiar habits and Period of disequilibrium- familiar habits and routines, automaticity are not viable—routines, automaticity are not viable—yields stress but also a tremendous yields stress but also a tremendous learning opportunity (Ruble, Piaget)learning opportunity (Ruble, Piaget)

Academic Adjustment: ChallengesAcademic Adjustment: Challenges

• 97% of freshmen expected to make at least 97% of freshmen expected to make at least a B average, but 77% actually reported they a B average, but 77% actually reported they did so (only about 17% reported making A’s)did so (only about 17% reported making A’s)

• About 40% reported they were completely About 40% reported they were completely successful adjusting to the demands of successful adjusting to the demands of college—6% were unsuccessfulcollege—6% were unsuccessful

• Students thought they were unsuccessful Students thought they were unsuccessful managing their time 15%, getting to know managing their time 15%, getting to know faculty 21%, developing effective study skills faculty 21%, developing effective study skills 11%11%

Fewer Students Studying 6+ Hours Fewer Students Studying 6+ Hours a Week as High School Seniorsa Week as High School Seniors

0

10

20

30

40

50

Perc

en

tag

e

6+ Hours Studying

Transition Conceptual ModelTransition Conceptual Model

Student Background

Pre-college Academic

Achievement

Financial Concerns

Family as External Push or Pull

Factor

College Entry Social and Academic First Year Experiences

First Year Outcomes

Campus Structures that Link the Social and Academic

Systems (specific programs, memberships, courses,

advising)

Peer EnvironmentQuality of cross-racial friendshipsRacial ClimateCompetitive Climate

Academic Development and Performance

Psychological Sense of Integration:

Success in Managing the Academic

Sense of belonging at the institution

Hurtado, Chang, Saenz, Espinosa, & Cabrera, (2007).

Predicting Successful Management of Predicting Successful Management of the Academic Environmentthe Academic Environment

PositivePositiveExpects contact with Expects contact with

professorsprofessorsAbility to manage timeAbility to manage timeInteraction with TA Interaction with TA

(URMs)(URMs)Social self-concept (URMs)Social self-concept (URMs) Academic advising by a Academic advising by a

junior/senior peerjunior/senior peerWorking with academic Working with academic

advisor to select advisor to select coursescourses

Hrs/wk studying or Hrs/wk studying or homeworkhomework

Relevance of courseworkRelevance of courseworkCollege GPACollege GPA

NegativeNegativeConcern about financing Concern about financing

collegecollegeInterfering family Interfering family

responsibilitiesresponsibilitiesClimate: hostile racially Climate: hostile racially

or competitiveor competitiveAcademic advising by Academic advising by

another freshman another freshman peer (URMs)peer (URMs)

Social Adjustment: Too Much or Social Adjustment: Too Much or Too Little?Too Little?

• 60% were completely successful in 60% were completely successful in developing close friendships with other developing close friendships with other students; 58% participated in student clubsstudents; 58% participated in student clubs

• Increase in drinking in first year: 62% Increase in drinking in first year: 62% drank wine or liquor, 55% drank beer drank wine or liquor, 55% drank beer frequently or occasionally –26% report 6+ frequently or occasionally –26% report 6+ hrs/week partyinghrs/week partying

• 48% felt lonely or homesick frequently or 48% felt lonely or homesick frequently or occasionally, 35% felt isolated from occasionally, 35% felt isolated from campus lifecampus life

Personal/Emotional Adjustment Personal/Emotional Adjustment and Renegotiation of Relationshipsand Renegotiation of Relationships

• Freshmen survey reflects an all time high of Freshmen survey reflects an all time high of parental involvement in college decisionsparental involvement in college decisions

• Family support to succeed is important, but Family support to succeed is important, but interfering family responsibilities detract interfering family responsibilities detract from academic adjustment and sense of from academic adjustment and sense of belonging in collegebelonging in college

• 39% frequently felt overwhelmed by all they 39% frequently felt overwhelmed by all they had to do, 31% reported occasional difficulty had to do, 31% reported occasional difficulty with roommates, 13% reported depressionwith roommates, 13% reported depression

Sense of Belonging/Attachment to Sense of Belonging/Attachment to the Institutionthe Institution

• Social cohesion – students have other Social cohesion – students have other choices if they don’t feel a sense of choices if they don’t feel a sense of attachment to the institutionattachment to the institution

• Research suggests connecting the Research suggests connecting the academic and social systems to engage academic and social systems to engage studentsstudents

• Finding a niche that connects students Finding a niche that connects students to the larger campus environmentto the larger campus environment

Predictors of Sense of Belonging in Predictors of Sense of Belonging in the First Yearthe First Year

PositivePositiveAcademic advising by a Academic advising by a

peer (junior/senior +)peer (junior/senior +)Academic support Academic support

program for URMsprogram for URMsCross racial interactionsCross racial interactionsChange in ability to Change in ability to

conduct researchconduct researchSuccessful management Successful management

of the academic of the academic environment environment

Social self-conceptSocial self-conceptFamily support to Family support to

succeedsucceed

NegativeNegativeInterfering family Interfering family

responsibilitiesresponsibilitiesPerceptions of a hostile Perceptions of a hostile

racial climateracial climateConcern about financing Concern about financing

collegecollegeCompetitionCompetition

Implications of Research FindingsImplications of Research Findings

• Facilitate methods of support and Facilitate methods of support and challenge—disequilibrium is challenge—disequilibrium is uncomfortable but a necessary part uncomfortable but a necessary part of growth and developmentof growth and development

• Validating students’ competencies Validating students’ competencies and ability to overcome challengesand ability to overcome challenges

• Racial dynamics within the institution Racial dynamics within the institution can undermine college adjustmentcan undermine college adjustment

Undergraduate Outcomes for a Undergraduate Outcomes for a Multicultural SocietyMulticultural Society

• Pluralistic Orientation – Thinking and Pluralistic Orientation – Thinking and interacting skills for a diverse interacting skills for a diverse workforce and societyworkforce and society

• Complex Thinking – Sociohistorical Complex Thinking – Sociohistorical attributions, multiplicity, contextual attributions, multiplicity, contextual knowingknowing

• Perspective-taking – Ability to see the Perspective-taking – Ability to see the world from someone else’s world from someone else’s perspectiveperspective

Informal Peer Interactions and Informal Peer Interactions and Campus-facilitated InteractionsCampus-facilitated InteractionsCampus PracticeCampus Practice Knowledge about Knowledge about

diverse groups diverse groups (curricula)(curricula)

Diversity co-Diversity co-curricular activitiescurricular activities

Intergroup dialogueIntergroup dialogue Community serviceCommunity service

Quality of informal Quality of informal peer interactionspeer interactions

OutcomeOutcomeComplex thinkingComplex thinking

Pluralistic orientationPluralistic orientation

Perspective-takingPerspective-taking

All outcomesAll outcomes

Implications of Rethinking Implications of Rethinking AssumptionsAssumptionsStudent Affairs Can Shape the Climate for Student Affairs Can Shape the Climate for

Learning:Learning:

• Creating new expectations/facilitating Creating new expectations/facilitating transitiontransition

• Acknowledge multiple demands on student Acknowledge multiple demands on student timetime

• Eliminating hierarchy/increase collaborationEliminating hierarchy/increase collaboration

• Intentional facilitation of intergroup relationsIntentional facilitation of intergroup relations

• Harnessing the power of the peer group Harnessing the power of the peer group

CIRP Research ReportsCIRP Research ReportsFirst Generation, Black, Asian, & First Generation, Black, Asian, &

Latina/o Students—Trends and College Latina/o Students—Trends and College StudiesStudies

• Advancing in Higher Education:

A Portrait of Latina/o College Freshmen at Four Year Institutions, 1975-2006

Sylvia Hurtado, Victor B. Saenz, Jose Luis Santos, Nolan L. Cabrera

ResourcesResources

Higher Education Research Institute—Higher Education Research Institute—reports on freshmen and research on reports on freshmen and research on students and faculty: www.heri.ucla.edustudents and faculty: www.heri.ucla.edu

Science students:Science students:www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/nihwww.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/nih

Journals-Journals-

Research in Higher Education, Journal of Research in Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Higher Education, Journal of College Student DevelopmentStudent Development