Final Research Methods Paper

Pilar Garcia and Vanesa Sierra

Higher Education Administration & Leadership Program, California State University of Fresno

HEAL 224 (01) -Research Methods

Abstract: This qualitative study examines different factors associated with college completion in
first-generation students enrolled in the College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP). We
examined how different factors affect student retention such as: validation, sense of belonging,
school connected and student support services. Strengthening or creating student support services
programs will help students navigate the college system and make connections creating a sense
of belonging. In addition, creating campus environments where students have validation is linked
to having higher student retention rates. First-generation students tend to have family
responsibilities, a need to work full-time while being a full-time student, and may need to get
financial aid in a form of loans are some factors that potential affect student retention, but
involvement in the CAMP program shows that students receive both personal and academic
counseling services as support through their educational career.

Keywords: First-generation Students, Retention, College, Migrant, Student Support Services

Introduction

As the years pass by, the diversity of students in higher education has increased and

changes from what is considered a traditional student student that comes from a “middle- and

upper-class backgrounds and are predominantly white” (Rendon, 2002). We now see a student

profile that includes students who identify in minoritized groups, underrepresented groups,
first-generation, non-traditional aged, veterans, etc. Based on previous research, it is reasonable

to hypothesize that there are many factors that affect student retention among the first generation

students such as campus environment, sense of belonging, validation, and student support

programs. Student retention is an ongoing issue specifically among the first-generation student

population. Most students receive support during their first year when in fact students overall,

first-generation students, need support and guidance throughout their entire educational journey.

A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that about 50% of the

student population within higher education are first-generation students (Hirudayaraj, 2011).

This student population faces many barriers and challenges when they become the first in their

family to attend and graduate college. Most of the first-generation students are from low-income

backgrounds, they are often the first in their family to navigate the college system, financial aid

and postsecondary work (The Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2021). There’s many

factors that affect student retention for first-generation college students but we want to explore

how student support services programs play a role in higher retention rates for first-generation

students.e purpose of this research is to build on on-going research to strengthen current

programs that support first-generation students at four year institutions in California to have

higher student retention rates.

Literature Review

Culturally Engaging Campus Environments and Sense of Belonging Model

In the article “The Impact of Culturally Engaging Campus Environments on Sense of

Belonging” by Samuel D. Musesus, Varaxy Yi and Natasha Saelua refer to a new theoretical

model of student success for racially and ethnically diverse student populations by Samuel D.

Muses, called the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model. This model is
correlated to a sense of belonging and how it relates to a student’s academic success (Museus, Yi,

and Saelua, 2017). Specifically, the model proposes that undergraduates students that have more

access to a culturally engaging campus environment are directly associated with higher levels of

sense of belonging (Museus et al., 2017). It’s further discussed that the CECE Model

acknowledges that external factors indeed do shape the student’s success outcomes. Many of

those external factors include the diversity of the faculty and staff student’s interact with, the

programs available to students, and events available to interact with other peers they might share

similar experience and backgrounds with (Museus et al., 2017). When a student is able to

resonate with members of the institution and peers, they will feel that they do belong; they're

able to find that sense of belonging that helps a student get through college. One way to gain a

sense of belonging is by joining student support services programs available at institutions such

as TRIO, EOP, and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). These programs are

committed to providing the necessary support for first-generation students.

Tinto’s Integration Theory

Tinto’s integration theory states that students need to go through a process of separation,

transition and integration that will maximize their likelihood of succeeding in college. The three

categories of the theory are “separation from their precollege communities, navigate a period of

transition into college life, and integrate into the academic and social subsystems of their

campuses to maximize their likelihood of success” (Museus et al., 2017). But this theory has

been criticized with some researchers finding that it suggests that “students must dissociate from

their cultural communities and adopt the dominant values and norms of their respective

campuses in order to succeed” (Museus et al, 2017) Other scholars have found that this mostly

affects students of color, in a community where many first-generation students are a part of. A
contrary example to Tinto’s theory would be Rendon (1994) explains the importance of cultural

validation of students, referring to the student’s background and identities in promoting success

in higher education. Another example, would be Museus (2011) reframing Tinto’s concepts of

academic and social integration by proposing the cultural integration concept; the concept of

cultural integration refers “to the ways in which educators can and sometimes do integrate

academics, social and cultural elements into singular spaces, curricula, programs, practices, and

activities” that create environments in which students are empowered, where they thrive, and

succeed (Museus et a., 2017). This correlates with the sense of belonging to students in college

because instead of having students forget about their cultural identity, the institution has or

creates programs and events, has a diverse community of staff and faculty, from which students

can see themselves and identify in different ways. Based on my understanding from Tinto’s

integration theory and the criticisms, students should be able to keep or develop their identity and

at the same time adapt to environmental factors that exist in the transition to college life.

Institutions may use Tinto’s theory but take into consideration the criticisms toward the theory to

make sure students are able to find their sense of belonging through different activities,

programs, and individuals they may relate to in different ways. One good example of this is that

Fresno State does their best to acknowledge different identity and minoritized groups through the

academic year; the institution has different activities for a month where students are able to

attend and meet other students, staff and faculty they might find themselves related to such as

Hispanic Heritage month.

Validation Theory

Some of the previous research mentioned above explains different areas that correlate

with the sense of belonging and how it affects a student’s development in higher education. In
some of those articles “validation” is a word that appeared various times. An important theory to

consider with this topic is Rendon’s Validation theory that refers to validation as “an enabling,

confirming and supportive process initiated by in- and out-of-class agents that fosters academic

and interpersonal development” that includes six different elements (Rendon & Munoz, 2011).

All six elements are important for the student’s validation but the second element in the

validation theory states that if validation is present, then students feel more capable of learning

and have a sense of self-worth which may lead to their success and completion of their college

degree. The sixth element explains that validation is the most important and critical when it's

incorporated in a student’s early college experience, specifically in the “first few weeks of class

and the first year of college” (Rendon & Munoz, 2011). This theory is important to keep in mind

as a higher education professional because it looks into the environmental factors such as the

physical surroundings, organizational structures, human aggregates and individuals that may

affect positively or negatively the growth and development of a student (Rendon & Munoz,

2011). As first-generation students going to college is a drastic change from leaving home, being

away from the norm of seeing familiar faces, thinking they need to get through college on their

own, when in reality something as simple as integrating the validation theory to the work higher

education professionals do will help students succeed. Getting to college is one accomplishment

but getting through college is a whole different load to take especially when it wasn’t meant for

someone that may identify as a student of color or first-generation student. Studies show that

validation is linked to having higher student retention rates, so implementing the validation

theory to higher education services is an important factor.

Student support services program

 In higher education, there are student support services geared towards the academic

success of first-generation college students. These programs are essential in the academic

development and college experience of first-generation students. For instance, student support

service programs provide students with a support system that gives them a sense of belonging,

motivating them to complete their education successfully. As mentioned previously, a sense of

belonging plays a vital role in the student development of first-generation and student support

services programs provide that for individuals. Although these programs help students reach

academic success, it's important to note that they are funded through "soft money," which means

their resources are based on the funding they get each academic year. This funding can

sometimes change based on the president who is in office. Due to the constant fluctuation of

funding, the programs can not always reach every student needing these services. Although these

programs help support many students at institutions, students from migrant backgrounds often do

not receive the same support.

College Assistance Migrant Program

As the first-generation student population increases, there is often a subset of college

students who receive little to no attention in the literature, such as students from migrant

backgrounds (Mendez, 2018). A migrant farmworker is defined as a person who works in

agriculture and has to migrate as the seasons change to work or sell crops. Eventually, the

children of farmworkers who make it to college often struggle to navigate higher education. This

can lead to students failing courses and then dropping out of school. Fortunately, a federally

funded program is designed to assist students who come from migrant backgrounds or are farm

workers themselves. The College Assistance Migrant Program, also known as CAMP, was

established by the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1972 (Mendez, 2018). This program was
designed to help with the ongoing retention issue across higher education. CAMPS goal is to

help students reach academic success, which then leads to increased retention. This retention

program provides students with the proper resources to be successful through their educational

journey. First-year of college students are provided with educational and financial support

(Mendez, 2018). Since most students come from low-income backgrounds, their financial

situation can hinder them. The financial support helps relieve some financial burdens that

students face, ranging from paying for their tuition to covering the cost of books. The students

are also required to take a pre-college course which helps them learn to navigate the college

setting. Additional resources that students are provided with are tutoring, advising, and

counseling. These educational and financial resources are essential to the academic success of

first-generation students who take part in CAMP.

A majority of the student population participating in CAMP are first-generation Latinx

students. They have limited financial and social resources, and CAMP can fulfill most of those

needs. These specific students often experience many academic hardships as they emerge into

higher education. According to Rendon (1994), these students require active intervention through

their college experience to navigate college successfully. First-generation Latinx students often

struggle to balance college, work, and family responsibilities. That is when student services

programs like CAMP become essential in the first-year experience. The support that CAMP

offers students often leads to a positive experience for first-generation students and higher

retention rates.

Additionally, the requirements for CAMP may differ based on the institutions. At Fresno

State University, the student must meet the eligibility and requirements. The student must be a

first-time freshman. They must have taken part in the migrant program anytime during k-12 or
the student or parent must have worked in agriculture-related work within the last two years. It

also requires the student to be a United States citizen or permanent resident. Once the student

meets these specific requirements, it is advised that students submit their application during the

priority deadline period. Thhe students have to attend a mandatory application interview, and

then the applicants are notified if they are selected. Once the applicants are notified, they must

meet the universities enrollment requirements. This process typically takes place in October, and

the program begins in July. After being admitted to the program, the students can receive

educational and financial resources that CAMP offers the students.

Methodology

This qualitative study will take place at Fresno State University. This institution has

established CAMP programs on its campus and is at the heart of the Central Valley, known for

the high concentrations of migrant workers because of the prominence of the agricultural

industry and seasonal work. We would partner with the current College Assistance Migrant

Program, and all participants who take part in the study would be current CAMP college students

between the ages of 18 and 24. The CAMP program has specific eligibility criteria that students

have to meet and our requirements to take part in the study would be similar to CAMPS. The

only specific requirement that we have is that the participants must be first-generation college

students.

Our study would be qualitative research as it's based on focus groups and interviews. The

goal is to have four focus groups and six interviews. The focus groups will be held for 30

minutes to 2 hours and the interviews will be 20 minutes to an hour. Most of the data would be

collected during the focus group sessions. Interviews would provide supplemental time for

follow-up questions that would provide additional needed information.

Limitations and Implications

The implications of this study would result in CAMP having a positive influence on the

retention of first-generation students. Students who participate in CAMP are more likely to

complete their educational journey. This student service program also contributes to the student's

success during moments of crisis as it helps them overcome any difficulties. As students face

challenges during the transition from high school to college, CAMP can assist with the transition.

Some limitations include the relatively small sample and variability within the sample as

we're only focusing on one California State University. Although we hope to get as many

participants as possible, we don't know if the majority will be lower or upper classmen.

Therefore, this study only provides a glimpse into the college experiences of specific students.

We also won't know what the data will look like for those who are no longer enrolled at Fresno

State but were part of CAMP during their time at the university. There may also be a lack of

first-generation migrant students who are not part of CAMP or are ineligible due to their

citizenship status.

Future Findings

Student retention among first-generation students is a topic that still needs more research

to be conducted to look more in depth into how different external factors affect the student

retention among first-generation students. More research on the student population of

first-generation students, will help higher education practitioners understand in what ways may

we better the higher education system such as implementing new programs or strengthening

current programs that provide the support and resources for first-generation students. In addition,

in the UC and CSU system there are some institutions, such as Fresno State, that have high

numbers of first-generation students and programs such as TRIO or CAMP that support that
student population, so conducting research will help see in what ways are institutions are able to

allocate more funding to those programs to support students throughout their entire college

journey.

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Survey Questions
1. Do these factors (i.e., campus environments, sense of belonging, validation, school
connectedness, support to stay in college, and prior high school experiences) predict
college retention for first-generation students.
2. How does CAMP participation affect the student retention among first-generation
students?
3. Does CAMP inbovelemntn predict higher academic achievement, sense of belonging and
school connectedness among first-generation students?