Publication Date

2020

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Dugas, Daryl M.

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations (LEPF)

Abstract

Research has shown that community colleges are essential to the economic development of the communities they serve; therefore, it is imperative attention be given to ensuring the academic success of today’s fastest growing college population: first-generation Latin@ students. This study was founded on the principle that understanding the supports (experiences that decrease individual stress levels), challenges (experiences that increase individual stress levels), and coping strategies (behaviors used by the individual to relieve stress) described by first-generation Latin@ community college students who successfully persist in college will provide valuable information for reform efforts in higher education for all students.

Utilizing the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) as the framework for this study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 first-generation Latin@ community college students. Analysis of the responses indicated the students described supports as being connected with caring and invested adults, having substantial financial resources, experiencing a sense of community that resembled a family-like structure, and having validating school experiences. Additional findings indicate that first-generation Latin@ students face a number of challenges associated with their finances, finding balance, social positioning, and well-being. Finally, the findings from the present study revealed that the participants relied heavily on leisure activities and self-affirmation as coping strategies for relieving the stress associated with successfully persisting in college.

Recommendations include an emphasis on hiring and training culturally responsive faculty and staff, finding ways to alleviate the rising costs of college, and investing more heavily in student clubs and organizations that often provide first-generation Latin@ college students with the counter spaces they need to relax, engage in leisure activities, and experience the sense of community necessary to thrive. This author also advocates for more qualitative research aimed at understanding the lived experiences of other first-generation Latin@ college students.

Extent

246 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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