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First Generation Student Achievement & Challenge at UM
For all incoming students, the University is a new and exciting
place; young people arrive eager to bask in the Maize and Blue and
assume the role of college student. Every incoming first year student
also faces many challenges in acclimating to the University environment
and culture, from the serious (such as learning how advising works), to
the seemingly mundane (like understanding what furnishings to bring to a
residence hall.)
For those U-M students who are the “first generation” in their
families to attend college, this new and exciting place can also pose
some unsettling threats. Taken altogether, their experiences can
accumulate to affect their academic performance and even their
persistence to graduation.
Compared to U-M students for whom one or more parents attended college, first generation students experience:
- higher anxiety and acculturative stress
- fewer connections on campus
- lower high school grades
- longer length of time to graduation (potentially with higher financial burden), and
- lower rates of retention and graduation.
First generation college students also bring unique strengths
and perspectives to the University, including resilience,
interconnectedness, social confidence and social connection skills,
drive, and perseverance – strengths which some may not yet realize can
help them in gaining social capital during college. University faculty
and staff can help first generation students to develop and explore
these traits and improve their college experience and retention and
graduation rates (Dennis, Phinney, and Chuateco, 2005).
Parent and Student Expectations
Collier and Morgan propose that “implicit expectations” and “tacit
understandings” about the college student’s role are obtained from
parents who attended and graduated from college (2008). For instance,
some first generation students come to college at a deficit in their
understanding that faculty members in varying subject areas will have
different expectations for students’ work, resulting in confusion and
underperformance (Collier & Morgan, 2008). Their conversations
around the dinner table likely did not include “What are elective
credits?” and “When can one use the university health center?” Compared
to peers whose parents attended and graduated from college, first
generation students are more likely to be from families of lower
socio-economic status, ethnic minority backgrounds, and have parents
with fewer expectations for their educational or career attainment
(Stephens, Fryberg, Markus, Johnson, & Covarrubias, 2012).
A New Culture
According to researchers, “cultural capital” is one half of the
recipe to success at college (Collier & Morgan, 2008). The absence
of cultural capital, the learned and tacit understanding of the college
student’s role and campus culture, contributes to acculturative stress
for first generation students.
The experiences of domestic first generation students on a college campus are comparable to the immigrant experience.
Stresses from academic and social changes early in the college
experience are likely more significant impediments for first generation
students than for their non-first generation peers (Jenkins, Belanger,
Connaly, Boals, & Duron, 2013). While most research literature
regarding acculturative stress is focused on
immigrant
experiences, these researchers contend that the experiences of domestic
first generation students are comparable to the immigrant experience.
Smaller Peer Groups
84% of incoming U-M students in 2007 had at least one parent who attended and graduated from college.
First generation students are not only unfamiliar with campus
culture, they are significantly outnumbered (Jenkins et al., 2013). From
students’ perspective, membership in this category can be incredibly
isolating since up to 4200 students (84 percent) in the incoming 2007
cohort self-reported as having at least one parent who attended and
graduated from college. Jenkins and colleagues, among others, proposed
that first generation students have more difficulty obtaining social
support for this reason.
First generation students also experience more post-traumatic stress
symptoms, and have less life satisfaction on campus compared to their
non-first generation peers, both measures which may be ameliorated by a
strong social support network or exacerbated by the absence of one
(Jenkins et al., 2013).
Values Mismatch
Promoting independence as a primary value and required aspect of
obtaining a college education may alienate those first generation
students who were socialized with values of interconnectedness.
Stephens and colleagues propose a cultural mismatch theory in which
higher education institutions promote high levels of independence to
students, a value which may parallel the mainstream media’s depiction of
the “American way of life” but are more common for middle-class,
college educated, and white Americans than many others (Stephen et al.,
2012). Promoting
independence as a primary value and required
aspect of obtaining a college education may alienate first generation
students from their working class families, many of whom were socialized
to emphasize a counter value of interconnectedness (Stephens et al.,
2012). In fact, their study of administrators and students at top
universities around the country found that administrators primarily
espouse independent values for students, while first generation students
expressed the need for interdependence (Stephens et al., 2012).
To compound this challenge, the move to a college environment often
coincides with a break in the connection with the student’s family and
non-college attending peers. At the exact time of acculturative stress
and challenge, first generation students may be rejected by their
support systems (who can feel abandoned by or cut off from a member of
the community who “left”). First generation students may also experience
difficulty reaching out to peers who may not understand or appreciate
what they are experiencing (Attinasi, 1989).
Methodology
Since 1993, U-M Student Life Research has administered the CIRP
survey (in connection with the national survey coordinated at the
University of California at Los Angeles). During the past 22 years,
95,420 University of Michigan entering students have participated in
this survey, with a typical response rate in the past decade of 79%.
This information provides a unique window to study trends like what
they’ve been doing, how they see themselves, and what they want in their
futures. Studying these trends affects how we create meaningful
learning experiences for each generation of undergraduate students.
The survey contains questions regarding student demographics, family
background, high school experiences, social and political beliefs, and
future expectations. The information from these students was matched
with information from the U-M Office of the Registrar about the same
cohort of students: How many students had graduated as of August 2014,
how many semesters they took to graduate, and when students departed the
university if they did not graduate.
Demographics
First generation students are defined as students whose parents did
not attend or did not graduate from college. Collectively, “first
generation” students belong in two groups. The first group includes all
those whose parents have no college experience whatsoever, (about 325
students or 6.7 percent in this dataset.) The second group includes
those whose parents attended college but did not graduate, (up to 340
students or 6.8 percent in this dataset).
High School Academic Achievement
Students with parents who did not attend college fared consistently lower than their peers in high school academic achievement.
Over 80 percent of U-M students in the incoming 2007 cohort, across
all parental education categories, reported maintaining an average high
school grade of A- or above.
Yet first generation students fared consistently lower than their
peers in high school academic achievement. For instance, at least 18
percent of first gen students reported an average high school grade
lower than A-, (almost double the rate of other students). This is a
marked discrepancy, and a statistically significant one. Whether or not
grade point average is tightly linked to college success is a matter of
conjecture; regardless, it can have an impact on a student’s
self-confidence and self-efficacy.
Self-Confidence
UM students generally come to college with high previous academic
marks; yet grades do not always illuminate how confident students feel
about their skills and abilities. We were interested in analyzing not
just self-reported grade point averages, but also students’ perception
of their academic and other confidence.
Students whose parents had no college background fared lowest in
intellectual confidence and writing ability, and higher social
confidence levels than students whose parent graduated from college.
Table 1: Student self identification as in the “highest 10 percent”
|
Parental Educational Levels
|
Student Self-Rating Category
|
No college
|
Some college
|
College graduate
|
Academic ability
|
35.3%
|
33.3%
|
41.6%
|
Math ability
|
24.5%
|
20.5%
|
28.2%
|
Intellectual confidence
|
23.0%
|
25.9%
|
25.0%
|
Social confidence
|
17.7%
|
17.9%
|
16.8%
|
Writing ability
|
10.6%
|
15.2%
|
14.2%
|
One entering assumption in starting this
analysis was that more parental education leads to more confidence. Yet
this finding was not the result of the analysis. Instead, findings were
mixed. Students whose parents had
some college education
reported the lowest levels of confidence in math and academic ability.
Students whose parents had no college background fared lowest in
intellectual confidence and writing ability. Students who had a college
graduate as a parent reported the lowest levels of social confidence.
These mixed results point to a key challenge - students may indeed
experience the mastery they express in the survey, or conversely they
may feel less safe communicating their lack of mastery of key skills.
Such expression of a high confidence level may challenge first
generation students’ willingness and ability to seek the help they need
early in their collegiate careers.
Graduation: If and When
Graduation rates at U-M are high for all groups of students, but the time to degree shortens with parental college experience.
Almost 76 percent of U-M students in the cohort whose parents
completed college completed their own degrees in four years or less.
Another 16 percent completed their degrees by spending more than four
years at the University. Similarly, for first generation students whose
parents have
some college experience, about 73 percent
graduated in four years or less, while about 15 percent took more than
four years to graduate.
However, first generation students whose parents did not attend any
college fare notably worse. Only 67 percent graduate in 4 years or less,
and 20 percent are able to finish in more than four years. Irrespective
of time to degree, total graduation rates do not differ notably among
all three groups. Yet this finding suggests an increased financial
burden on first generation students, especially those whose parents have
no college background at all, in both additional costs of undergraduate
attendance and in the delay of starting post-bachelors degree
employment or graduate study.
Table 2: Graduated from UM: If and When
|
No college
|
Some college
|
College graduate
|
No completion
|
12.4%
|
12.7%
|
8.2%
|
More than 4 years
|
20.5%
|
14.4%
|
15.9%
|
4 years or less
|
67.1%
|
72.9%
|
75.9%
|
Financial Worries
Varying degrees of financial concerns in the first year (none,
some or major) did not seem to affect degree completion rates of first
generation students.
In addition, at a time when the rising price of a college education
is a regular national news item, we were interested in analyzing if the
incoming 2007 cohort had financial concerns that affected their
completion rates. Specifically, we questioned if first generation
students cite financial concerns at college entry that corresponded to
their ability to reach degree completion. On the contrary, we found that
varying degrees of financial concerns in the first year (none, some or
major) did not seem to affect completion rates of first generation
students in the incoming 2007 cohort.
Most first generation students who did not complete their degrees,
(about 75 percent in this sample), reported that they had no or some
financial concern when they started their undergraduate careers at the
University. Simply put, while financial concern had some relationship
with parental educational status, it did not have a particular pattern
with graduation rates or time to completion.
Departure from the University
At least 12.5 percent of first generation students had not graduated after six years.
Most undergraduate students at U-M graduate; but at least 12.5
percent of first generation students in the 2007 incoming cohort did
not. In contrast, only about 8 percent of non-first generation students
did not attain a Michigan diploma.
Table 3: When do non-graduates leave the university? n=221
|
No college
|
Some college
|
College graduate
|
Year 1
|
35.0%
|
52.2%
|
34.3%
|
Year 2
|
25.0%
|
13.0%
|
23.6%
|
Year 3
|
20.0%
|
8.7%
|
12.9%
|
Year 4
|
5.0%
|
4.3%
|
12.9%
|
Year 5
|
5.0%
|
13.0%
|
7.9%
|
Year 6 and beyond
|
10.0%
|
8.7%
|
8.4%
|
The majority of first generation students who do not graduate leave the university during their first or second year.
The departure pattern for students whose parents have no college
background is similar to departure patterns of non-first generation
students. However, the departure pattern for students whose parents have
some college background is notably different. For students
whose parents have some college, surviving the first year is key; over
half of those departing did so during year 1. For all other students,
departure can continue in substantial numbers throughout the college
career. This suggests that a variety of retention strategies are needed
throughout the student’s tenure, and that there is no specific pattern
that applies to all first generation students, or to all students in
general.
Jenkins and others raised considerations for students’ persistence to
graduation that are beyond academic achievement or level of involvement
on campus (Jenkins et al., 2013). A variety of negative experiences in
the first few semesters (such as acculturative stress, alienation,
unfamiliarity, fear) without the social capital or knowledge of campus
resources that could assist could be among the less obvious reasons that
first-generation students at the University do not persist to graduate
(Jenkins et al., 2013).
Implications for Faculty and Staff
While first-generation students who are admitted to the
University may have similar academic preparation to non-first generation
students, there are marked differences in their academic, social, and
personal experiences on campus.
While first-generation students who are admitted to the University
may have similar academic preparation to non-first generation students,
there are marked differences in their academic, social, and personal
experiences on campus. The quantitative data from the first year and
departure show us that in some important ways, first-generation students
are at a disadvantage.
Future Directions for Exploration
Certainly more research could explore contributing factors. Are first
generation students at the University not resonating with the campus
climate? Do they perceive themselves to be less intelligent, competent,
and capable because they do not immediately know how to do everything a
student needs to know? How do we frame help-seeking and support for the
transition of first-year students to campus? Are we acknowledging and
normalizing that
every student will experience college
differently and that no one is better or worse than their peers? There
is an impressive array of resources on campus - is its utility lost on
first generation students who may not have the knowledge or desire to
participate?
There are the crucial turning points that occur between enrollment
and graduation that we must investigate to understand the experiences of
first-generation students on a micro level. How do they make decisions
about time management? For instance, do they prioritize academic
achievement over personal and social development? Or what support do
they have when managing a personal crisis? Are they not seeking help
because they don’t know where to go or are they choosing to be silent?
We turn back to Jenkins and colleagues’ proposition that first
generation students’ psychological state may be affected if their First
Gen experiences are pronounced, eventually affecting their level of life
satisfaction in college. This lack of satisfaction could lead to
non-completion of their degrees. In the event that they do graduate,
these students may not have participated in college experiences as
meaningfully as their non-first generation peers. This investigation
could highlight students’ decision-making abilities and go beyond just
its applicability for first-generation students. How does this affect
first-generation students’ use of their education and experiences at the
University after graduation?
All students entering the University are admitted because their
backgrounds and attributes suggest that they are capable of the rigors
of a Michigan education and of contributing to a vibrant and robust
campus community. No matter where an educator is on campus, our role is
to help all our students, including those who are the first generation
in the family to the university environment, to make that connection
throughout their careers to graduation.
References
Attinasi, L.C. (1989). Getting in: Mexican Americans’ perceptions of
university attendance and the implications for the freshman year
persistence.
Journal of Higher Education,
60(3), 247-277.
Collier, P. J., & Morgan, D. L. (2008). “Is that paper really due
today?”: Differences in first-generation and traditional college
students’ understandings of faculty expectations.
Higher Education, 55, 425-446.
Dennis, J.M., Phinney, J.S., & Chuateco, L.I. (2005).The Role of
Motivation, Parental Support, and Peer Support in the Academic Success
of Ethnic Minority First-Generation College Students.
Journal of College Student Development, 46(3)
, 223-236.
Jenkins, S. R., Belanger, A., Connally, M. L., Boals, A., &
Duron, K. M. (2013). First-generation undergraduate students’ social
support, depression, and life satisfaction.
Journal of College Counseling, 16, 129-142.
Stephens, N. M., Fryberg, S. A., Markus, H. R., Johnson, C. S., &
Covarrubias, R. (2012). Unseen disadvantage: How American universities’
focus on independence undermines the academic performance of
first-generation college students.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102 (6), 1178
