First-generation, low-income (FGLI), commuter students are hindered by not knowing what they do not know. Students lack the confidence, preparation, and social capital to ask questions, understand expectations, and feel like they belong. The looming drop-off of high school graduates, due to lower birth rates during the 2008 recession, finds universities shifting recruitment efforts to a demographic including increased numbers of commuter students considered low-income, first-generation to fill freshman cohorts. This historically untapped demographic challenges universities that have not fully considered the required resources and connections needed to promote student success for this student demographic. This phenomenological study explored personal interviews from a group of low-income, first-generation, sophomore commuter students at a Midwest, private institution. The study looked to understand the students’ perceptions of the campus community’s influence on their sense of belonging and their ability to academically succeed by listening to their personal stories about campus experiences during their first three semesters and exploring their off campus lives. Each student discussed a variety of unique concerns during their interview process that uncovered several themes expressed across the interviewees. Proposed solutions for each theme were developed to assist students with college navigation, parental pressure, faculty and staff influence, and racial discrimination. Proposed solutions directly addressed the themes experienced by first-generation, low-income, commuter students; however, the solutions addressed concerns also experienced by the student body as a whole.

Authors:
Kimberly Zuzenak, Creighton University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Kimberly Zuzenak is an Assistant Dean at Creighton College of Nursing with a passion for students' sense of belonging and academic success.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyzuzenak/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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