Introduction
In a recent Pew research article, “The Future of Higher Education”, college enrollment grew among all races and ethnic groups during this 16-year period (Anderson, Boyles, & Rainie, 2012). The article showed an increase of minority group students in a higher education institution. In 2012, Hispanics experienced the highest college enrollment growth in the past 16-year period, but only accounted for 9% of young adults (ages 25 to 29) with bachelor’s degrees (Anderson et al., 2012). According to the Pew research article, Anderson et al. (2012) states Hispanics are less likely than whites to enroll in a four-year college, attend a selective college and enroll full-time. Anderson et al. (2012) goes on to include that the majority of
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Padgett, Johnson, & Pascarella (2012), state that two factors for first-generation students not obtaining a bachelors degree is due to the significant disadvantage across, “first cognitive and secondly the psychosocial outcomes compared to students’ whose parents have at least some postsecondary education” (p. 245). According to the Sociologist theorist, Pierre Bourdieu (1991), the student’s social capital is one factor that could be limiting first generation college students from succeeding in navigating their way through the higher education academic environment. As stated by Anderson et al. (2012), with an increase of first-generation college students entering higher education has generated a concern for college officials in trying to assist students who are new to the college scenery, to succeed in their learning experience. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the success of first generation college students based on the resources that are provided for them on campus and the miscommunication between the departments that hinder the …show more content…
Betts (2009) goes on to list participants, which include students, faculty, academic advisor, and technical staff in the higher education setting who can become either a sender and/or a receiver. As stated by Betts (2009), as communication increases, simultaneously there is a greater opportunity for the message to be lost in translation due to technical interference. According to Coley et al. (2015), the ownership of the various programs and services in higher education are decentralized, with student issues handled by the department that seems best organized to address a particular issue or difficulty. For Gratz & Salem (1982), “decentralized environments fragmentation of effort occurs more frequently in the absence of a plan to coordinate and communicate about ways to address retention issues” (pg. 8-13). Betts (2009) includes in her article a national study of student retention practices supported that showed “75 percent of respondents reported that someone at their institution had some responsibility for coordinating efforts”, yet none of the respondents understood who or what were coordinating efforts currently in place between departments (para.
The documentary, First Generation, follows four first generation college students who try and balance the hardships of working, sports, being part of a lower socioeconomic status and handling the challenges of learning how to apply and cover the cost of hefty college tuitions. In this paper, I will discuss barriers that some students experienced, the benefits of attainting a college education as a first generation student and some of the challenges individuals faced once they were accepted into college.
Obtaining higher education is regarded as the ultimate symbol of status in the United States (US). Access to a college education in this country is seen as an expression of academic excellence and can provide access to unlimited possibilities. In the US, Ivy Leagues are considered the elite and represent the most powerful ideogram of educational opportunity. According to the National Center for Education Statistics [NCES] (2012), from 1999–2000 to 2009–10, the percentages of both master's and doctor's degrees earned by females increased from 1999–2000 to 2009–10 from 58 to 60 percent and from 45 to 52 percent. The NCES report (2012), found that in 2009-10, of the 10.3 percent Black students who earned Bachelor degrees; 65.9 percent were women. Of the 12.5% of Black students who earned Master’s degree in 2009-10, 71.1 percent were women; and of the 7.4 percent of Black students who earned doctoral level degrees (this includes most degrees previously regarded as first-professional, i.e. M.D., D.D.S., and law degrees), 65.2 percent were women (NCES, 2012)...
The author, Julia Brookshire Everett commenced the article, “Public Community Colleges: Creating Access and Opportunities for First Generation College Students”, by first characterizing first- generation college students and also expounding on the difficulties first-generation students encountered when acquiring post-secondary degrees. According to Everett (2015), the term ‘first- generation college student’ was first coined in the 1960s in order to regulate student eligibility for federally financed programs to aid students from low-income households.
African- American males have been underrepresented among college students and degree earners for years, however the reason for this is often misconstrued. The percentages of white high school graduates “In 1998-2000 had jumped to 46. However, only 40 percent of African-Americans and 34 percent of Hispanics in the same age group were attending college” (McGlynn, Angela Proviteira). The question then to pose, is why minority students are not succeeding in college compared to Caucasian students, “Only 47% of Black male students graduated on time
How does being the first in one’s family to graduate from college impact one’s desire to finish college? Some of the major barriers first generation college students face include lack of motivation, lack of support, and low income finances. Some freshman students might lack the motivation to do well in school because of the lack of appropriate role models or mentors in the academic environment. These difficulties can be tied to lack of support at home; the parents might not be concerned about their child's education, maybe the parent lacks the ability to guide them through college, the parent might not have the process of having not navigated it themselves. Parents might feel embarrassed that they don’t have any knowledge to help them through college.
The First part of my research showed more Latinas women are going to college, and their graduation rates have increased faster than any other group of woman. According to Maresshah Jackson (Center for American Progress) November 7 2013. Graduation rates for Latinas where 31.3 percent in 2010, still significantly lower than graduation rate for white woman at 45.8 percent. However, Latinas are the faster- growing female population in the country, but still lower graduation for college Jackson said Latinas hold only 4.4 of the degree earned. Because of these low graduation, rate some, famous people such as actress Eva Longoria have donate, money and time to the University of Los Angeles to hire more Latino teachers to help more Latinas obtain a college education.
Society today puts priority on a college degree, yet those who end up going to college are not always tended to. Of the entire undergraduate population in the United States, only 24 percent are first generation college students. From that group of students, only 11 percent earn a Bachelor’s degree after six years (Tugend). Often times first generation students are unaware of anything about college. This lack of knowledge leads to them not taking full advantage of all the resources available to them (Parks). Neither one of my parents went to college, so it was as much a learning process for them as it was for me. As a first generation student I believe that it is necessary for there to be some group of people that just devotes their time and attention to helping everyone take full advantage of everything they are being offered.
Hispanics have the lowest graduation rates and are drop out…that is a lie. More hispanics are graduating today than any other point in history. Even though the media portrays that education is horrendous, the graduation rate among Hispanics increased in the last few decades in the by educational improvement.
While overall college enrollment and graduation rates have risen for all minority groups, there continues to be concerns for this segment of the population, particularly for African American students. Even though there have been significant increases in enrollment and graduation figures over the past several decades, issues concerning retention persist. About 30 percent of African Americans who enroll in college drop out prior to degree completion (Rye, 2009). This is further documented by Museus (2011) who reports that less than one-half of minority students who begin college at a 4-year institution achieve a degree within 6 years. This is significant since college retention has been linked with both self-efficacy and future academic success (Brittain, Sy, & Stokes, 2009).
Success. Society tends to correlate “success” with the obtainment of a higher education. But what leads to a higher education? What many are reluctant to admit is that the American dream has fallen. Class division has become nearly impossible to repair. From educations such as Stanford, Harvard, and UCLA to vocational, adult programs, and community, pertaining to one education solely relies on one’s social class. Social class surreptitiously defines your “success”, the hidden curriculum of what your socioeconomic education teaches you to stay with in that social class.
Being a first generation college student has been my biggest struggle in life. For years, I was told to attend Allen Community College before any big changes of course I didn’t listen. For years I was told I wouldn’t last in a big university, I have been told I will be unprepared and behind. I have been told that three out of five first generations students do not complete a degree. Being told something isn’t possible is a hard thing to deal with.
SAT participation among Montgomery County schools' 2010 minority graduates drops. Retrieved from: http://www.cds.org/item/cds http://www.gazette.net/stories/09222010/montsch231827_32535.php The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. (2006).Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest Progress Begins to Show. Retrieved from: http://www.jbhe.com/features/50_blackstudent_gradrates.html.
As a minority and a first-generation college student, Brewer struggled at the University of Texas at Austin. Tough argues, many good students that come from a minority community “…get to a good college and encounter what should be minor obstacle, and they freak out. They don’t want to ask for help, or they don’t know how” (Pg.Tough 2). The lLack of confidence to reach out to the resources available at particular campuses forces marginal students out of college or even causing a delay in their graduation.
The competitive nature of the current higher education environment paired with the constant evolution and turbulence has forced institutions to look to new ways to deliver value to satisfy the buyer’s needs. With over 4,600 degree granting colleges and universities in the United States alone, the domestic and global competition level rival or surpass most other markets. Regardless of industry, failure to perform activities differently than your competition will result in a collapse. The ability to deliver unique, differentiated value is essential to surviving in competitive markets. As competition grows, higher education decision makers are forced to fit a niche market, market to a universal market while still using value differentiation methods or look to different revenue sources to maintain sustainability.
The future of education is very promising to younger generations. From Kindergarten though college many changes are brewing. On the horizon are things like smart objects, full-length online courses, and prosthetic devices designed to equalize education.