University of New England DUNE: DigitalUNE All Theses And Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 10-2021 Understanding First-Generation Hispanic Student Experiences With Community College Campus Resources Monica Medina Follow this and additional works at: https://dune.edu/theses Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Community College Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, and the Educational Leadership Commons © 2021 Monica Medina UNDERSTANDING FIRST-GENERATION HISPANIC STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS RESOURCES By Monica Medina B., University of North Texas (2010) MEd, Angelo State University (2015) A DISSERTATION Presented to the Affiliated Faculty of The College of Graduate and Professional Studies at the University of New England Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education It was presented on 10/01/2021 and reviewed by Gizelle Luevano, Ed., Lead Advisor University of New England Staci Grasky, Ed., Secondary Advisor University of New England Eduardo Moralez, Ph., Affiliate Committee Member Southern Methodist University ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2021 Monica Medina ii Portland Campus 716 Stevens Avenue Portland, ME 04103 (207) 221-4464 T (207) 523-1924 F College of Graduate and Professional Studies Doctor of Education Program This Dissertation was reviewed and approved by: Lead Advisor Signature: Gizelle Luevano Lead Advisor (print name): Gizelle Luevano Secondary Advisor Signature: Staci L. Grasky Secondary Advisor (print name): Staci Grasky Date: October 1, 2021 iii Monica Medina October 2021 Educational Leadership UNDERSTANDING FIRST-GENERATION HISPANIC STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS RESOURCES Abstract Community colleges serve as an essential gateway to higher education for Hispanics. Although first-generation Hispanic (FGHC) students continue to enroll in community colleges, there is limited research to explain their experiences using campus resources. This study’s purpose was to contribute to the existing literature on FGHC students and determine if their use of campus resources helped them succeed.
This study used the conceptual framework of academic engagement (Tinto, 1996). Nora’s (2003) and Nora et al’s (2006) student engagement theory as lenses to explain how FGHC students can have pre-college characteristics that can affect their social, academic, and overall goals for success in a college setting. This study examined how seven FGHC students were able to use their pre-characteristics to successfully navigate college life. Five themes emerged after coding interview data; background, challenges, college, resources and support, and lack of role models.
These themes answered this study’s three research questions. Participant responses showed a disturbing result: Although the seven participants lacked information on college resources or how to use them, they were able to successfully navigate college life and graduate from college. It is important to note that FGHC students are high in population yet lack the knowledge on college resources and how to access them. It was the goal of this study to help shed some light on the need for more culturally appropriate resources for success in college.
This study can help college administrators, staff, iv educators, and students by shedding light on the needs for more cultural resources like bilingual staff to help FGHC navigate college life. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank God for giving me the strength to be here today. I would also like to thank my mom, dad, sisters, brothers, and best friend for their support. A special thank you to my daughters Alazay and Alexis and my husband Victor for being my biggest supporters and always encouraging me to keep going.
Thank you for the consistent support in assisting me through this journey to Dr. Moralez, and my cohort. A very special thank you to Dr. Luevano for providing me with the resources that I needed to complete my dissertation successfully.
Luevano, your feedback always pushed me to improve my thinking and brought my work to a higher level and better understanding. In addition, I would like to thank my fur babies Bentley, Brady, and Bonnie thank you for consistently showing me love despite the type of day I was having. Finally, I would like to thank myself for never giving up when life became difficult. I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.
I hope to inspire others to not give up on their dreams and continue to dream big. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 Statement of the Problem .3 Purpose of the Study .5 Assumptions, Limitations, and Scope.5 Rationale for the Study .7 Definition of Terms.9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .11 Theoretical Framework: The Student/Institution Engagement Model .12 Hispanic Higher Education .15 Hispanic Culture: The Educated and Literate .17 Community College History .17 First-Generation College Students .19 First-Generation Hispanic College Students .19 Opportunities for and Threats to First Generation Hispanic College Students .21 Underprepared for College .22 vii Hispanic Serving Institutions .23 The Structure of Hispanic Serving Institutes .24 Hispanic Serving Institutional Resources .25 Community College Resources/Programming .28 Purpose of the Study .29 Instrumentation and Data Collection Procedures .32 Credibility and Ethics .32 Member Checking Procedures .33 Conflict of Interest .36 viii Presentation of Results .37 Demographics of Participants .42 Theme 3: Attending College .44 Theme 4: Resources and Support .45 Theme 5: Lack of Role Models .49 CHAPTER 5: Discussion, Recommendations, and Implications .50 Interpretation of Findings .59 Cultural and Language Assistance .59 Lessons from Participants’ Experience .60 Recommendations for Action .61 Recommendations for Future Research .64 APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .79 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Results of Data Analysis: Themes and Subthemes. 37 Table 2: Demographic Characteristics of Participants. 38 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Projected U.
Hispanic Population from 2017 to 2060. 1 Figure 2: The Nora Student/Institution Engagement Model. 13 xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION As the Hispanic population continues to grow, it will make up the largest portion of the United States labor force (Cerda-Lizarraga, 2015; see Figure 1). In 2018 Hispanics accounted for about 52% of all U.
population growth (Flores et al. An educated workforce can benefit their families, communities, and the United States as a whole. Hispanic Population from 2017 to 2060 Community colleges serve as an essential gateway to higher education for Hispanics (Clarke, 2016). In 2016, roughly 500 institutions met the federal enrollment criterion of having at 1 least 25% of full-time undergraduate enrolled Hispanics and were defined as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), enrolling approximately 2 million Hispanic students (Excelencia, 2021).
Among ethnic groups in Texas, Hispanics are the largest population of public two-year college enrollees (Paredes, 2019). As the largest minority group with the fastest population growth, it is imperative to understand and document how first-generation Hispanic college students experience community college retention strategies and find academic success. According to the EAB (formerly Education Advisory Board), in 2018, nearly a third of U. undergraduate students were first-generation students, defined as the first in their immediate families to attend college (Escarcha, 2018).
First-generation Hispanic students often decide to attend a community college to help their families have a better life (Banks-Santilli, 2015) and enroll in programs located close to home to assist with family responsibilities (Reyes & Nora, 2012). Hispanic students whose parents had some college education felt that support from school personnel would be available to them, unlike Hispanic students whose parents had no college education and knew nothing about campus resources (C. Community partnership in colleges sets the stage for a lifetime of learning, reaching out, and building connections that bridge barriers to cultural understanding and communication (Kemp, 2017). The National Center of Education Statistics (2018) stated that “minority students are more likely than White students to be first-generation students, 42% of Black students and 48% of Hispanic students were first-generation compared to 28% of White students” (para.
First-generation Hispanic students arrive on campus with less academic preparation, fewer social skills, and more fiscal challenges (Lascher, 2018). According to testimony before the U. Senate on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, FAFSA verification difficulties were significant 2 for first-generation college students, adding to the burden of securing financial aid (Reauthorization, 2019). Campus resources, including financial aid, diversity centers, and counseling centers, are essential for first-generation students, who often need them to help ease their college transition (Falcon, 2015).
In 2017, the Students for Education Reform (SFER) survey found that 36% of first-generation Hispanic college (FGHC) students felt that high school did not prepare them for college (Romero, 2017). This study examined how FGHC students engage with different campus resources and whether such students understand those resources to be beneficial to their academic success. The expectation was analyzing the experiences of FGHC students who use campus resources could provide more insight into FGHC students who succeeded and failed to complete a degree or certificate. Overall, the goal was to identify ways to help more FGHC succeed and complete a degree or certificate.
Ensuring that FGHC students and their parents understand the higher education process and how to access support services can change the graduation outcome for students (Paredes, 2019). Members of ethnic groups in Texas, including Hispanics, are the largest population of public two-year college enrollees and graduates (Paredes, 2019). Although Hispanics between the ages of 25 and 34 make up 41% of the Texas population, only 26% earned a degree or certificate. While 80% of Hispanic students at two-year schools intend to transfer to a four-year college, less than a quarter do.
According to Field (2020), 54% of Hispanic students finished college within six years, compared to 46% in 2002. Statement of the Problem Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) stated that not all students have experienced college in the same way. Many Hispanic first-generation students, who enroll in a community college, face 3 challenges such as financial barriers, insufficient family support, low self-esteem, difficulty adjusting to college life, and lack of college readiness (Falcon, 2015). Many FGHC students are not aware of campus resources or how to access them.
Research has shown that learning about how to navigate the first year of college is essential as it prepares students to be more successful in their college life (Yan & Sendall, 2016). If students can persist from the first to the second year of college, the likelihood of persisting to graduation increases (Romero, 2017). The Hispanic population continues to increase throughout the United States. Likewise, the number of Hispanic students pursuing higher education grew from 22% to 37% of all college students between 2000 and 2015 (Field, 2018).
Assisting students from diverse backgrounds to enter, engage in, and complete a higher education degree/certificate is crucial. Just as important is finding solutions to help remove or minimize obstacles FGHC students face (Taylor, 2019). Purpose of the Study FGHC students are susceptible to doubts about their academic and motivational abilities and may believe they are not college material (Brown University, n. The Clinton and G.
Bush administrations declared it a national priority to improve the access and success of Hispanic students in higher education (Nora & Crisp, 2009). Campus involvement can contribute to student learning, support for educational and personal goals, retention, and success (Komives, 2019). This study aimed to document and interpret experiences of first-generation Hispanic students who have relied on their institution’s on-campus academic and social resources that have helped students succeed. This will help administrators and faculty identify programs that influence the success of Hispanic students.
These academic and social resources will help bridge the knowledge gap that adversely affects many first-generation students’ undergraduate experience, thereby improving their chances of success in the community college environment. 4 Research Questions The researcher asked the following questions to guide the study: RQ 1. How do first-generation Hispanic graduates describe their use of campus resources throughout their community college experience? RQ 2. What campus resource(s) did the FGHC graduates find valuable to their college experience and or college success? RQ 3.
What social/cultural support on campus did the FGHC graduates find valuable to their college experience and or program completion? Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for this study comes from Nora’s (2003) student/institution engagement model.