Praxis Paper

running head: THE HUSKIE FIRST SCHOLAR PROGRAM

Programmatic Intervention for First Generation College Students The Huskie First Scholar Program Javier Rodriguez, Amanda Santucci, Dina Sipiora, Shakaria Smith Northern Illinois University

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The academic, economic, and social barriers faced by first generation college students (FGCS) place them at greater risk for not completing college. FGCS are defined as the first in their family to attend college and whose “parents did not attend college”(Ramos- Sanchez, Nichols, 2007). A significant number of FGCS come from lower socioeconomic households and are members of ethnic minority groups; these students often suffer from a lack of college readiness, familial support, financial stability, and self-esteem (Falcon, 2015). Programmatic interventions focused on the academic, financial, and social needs of FGCS must be offered in colleges and universities in order to provide the students with the necessary support services to be successful in higher education. In this paper we will present a programmatic intervention centered on providing high school juniors, who are first generation college students, an opportunity to participate in a college level course at Northern Illinois University during their senior year. The programmatic intervention proposed is an academic opportunity for FGCS to attend one college level course at Northern Illinois University (NIU) while enrolled as a senior at a DeKalb County public high school. The intervention program will be called the Huskie First Scholar program (HFS) and will allow qualified high school students to participate in a college course during the spring or fall semester and to earn academic credit. The goal of the HFS program is to introduce FGCS to the college experience, both academically and socially, and to assist them in completing the course successfully. HFS students will have access to all the academic resources available to full-time students and they will be required to meet with their professor a minimum of three times

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throughout the semester in order to ensure that they complete the course successfully. In addition, Huskie First Scholar students will be eligible for a financial scholarship based on their participation and academic performance in the program should they chose to continue their education post high school graduation at Northern Illinois University. Literature Review The demographics of the college student population have changed since access to higher education expanded to include women, low-income students, and students of color (Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996). The increased socioeconomic and ethnic diversity in the college going student population resulted in many of today’s college students being identified as the first in their family to attend college or a first generation college student (FGCS). First generation college students are defined by various research studies as “students whose parents did not attend college” (Ramos-Sanchez, Nichols, 2007; Tym, McMillion, Barone, & Webster, 2004). First generation college students face the same anxieties as traditional college students, but “their experiences often involve cultural as well as social and academic transitions” (Terenzini et al, 1996). The college experiences of first generation college students include: “lower academic performance, more problematic transitions, and higher levels of attrition” (Ramos-Sanchez, Nichols, 2007). Because first generation students are the first in their family to attend college “they are more likely to lack knowledge of time management, college finances and budget management, and the bureaucratic operations of higher education” (Thayer, 2000). Research shows that the academic, social, and economic obstacles faced by first generation students leads to lowered self-confidence in their ability to succeed in college (Tym, McMillion, Barone, &

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Webster, 2004). These factors greatly influence a first generation college student’s ability to successfully complete a college degree at a four-year institution of higher education. Recent studies on the academic outcomes of first generation college students provided evidence that with the proper interventions before and during college, first generation college students are able to acclimate successfully to college, both academically and socially. The Pell Institute For The Study Of Opportunity In Higher Education (2006) reported that many first generation college students had low or no ambition to continue their education post high school (Engle, Bermeo, O’Brien, 2006). It was not until these students interacted in a positive academic environment with, both, high school staff and faculty from a higher education institution, did the possibility of college become a reality for them. The Pell Institute (2006) wrote: First generation students identified three crucial steps along the pipeline to college where support was most helpful in making a successful transition from high school: raising aspirations for college, navigating the college admissions process, easing the initial transition to college. Studies show that first generation college students benefitted greatly from pre-college programs that afford them an opportunity to experience the academic rigor of college level course work and the social environment of a college campus (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges & Hayek, 2006). The Huskie First Scholar is an example of a programmatic intervention at the pre-college level that offers first generation college students an opportunity to experience one college class with full academic support from faculty and social support from their peers in order for them to have a positive college experience that confirms and validates

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them as “college material” (Rendon, Linares & Munoz, 1994). Laura Rendon (1994) introduced validation theory as a way to address the issues faced by first generation students, low-income students, and students of color enrolled in higher education (Barnett, 2011; Ekal, Hurley, Padilla, 2011; Rendon Linares, Munoz, 1994). Rendon based the theory on her own lived experience as a first generation college student attending the University of Houston during the late 1960s (Osei-Kofi, 2011). Although, Rendon excelled academically during her elementary years, it was not until a junior high school debate club meeting that she first experienced validation for her intelligence and public speaking skills. This “interpersonal validation” from her peers encouraged Rendon to continue her studies, despite her living and being shaped in an environment that did not validate academic accomplishments (Osei-Kofi, 2011). Rendon shared that the validation she received from teachers, staff, and her peers in the K-12 school environment motivated her to enroll in college and pursue her dream of becoming a teacher (Osei-Kofi, 2011). Rendon explained that despite the academic success she experienced at college she would often feel torn between two worlds, her home and her college. Her parents wanted her to return home and work to help support the family, in contrast to her classmates and teachers who encouraged her to remain in college and attain her educational goal of becoming a teacher. Rendon’s experience highlighted the feelings and issues that many FGCS face as they begin college. Many FGCS experienced alienation from the two worlds they occupied (Thayer, 2000). This foreign experience can lead to feelings of marginality that increase the risk for FGCS to drop out of college.

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Schlossberg (1989) wrote that transitions to new roles and environments in our lives introduced feelings of marginality. Her work also focused on the feelings of mattering to one’s environment and to others. Bicultural individuals often experienced marginalization as they transitioned to an unfamiliar environment, for example: non-traditional college students entering into higher education. Thayer (2000) asserted that first generation college students find themselves “on the margin of two cultures” (p.5). Faced with leaving a familiar world for the unknown can lead to students feeling that they no longer mattered to their family or to anyone in their present environment (Schlossberg, 1989; Thayer, 2000). Schlossberg (1989) pointed out that “ a bicultural individual feels permanently locked between two worlds”. In order to help these students feel like they matter to both worlds, Schlossberg (1989) wrote that is imperative that families and faculty and staff in institutions of higher education pay close attention to first generation college students and stress that they matter to both worlds. She wrote that when students felt that they mattered “to an advisor or to an institution”, the students become more engaged in the learning process (Schlossberg, 1989). The involvement of college advisors, staff, and faculty in a student’s life can lead to students’ believing in their personal self worth. This type of validation from the school and its staff increases students’ feelings of validation as creators of knowledge and as important members of the learning community; it also helps FGCS develop self-esteem and adjust to a new social environment, the college campus (Rendon, Munoz, 2011). Validation theory will be practiced throughout the student’s participation in the

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Huskie Scholar First program (HSF) in three significant ways during the student’s time in the program. First, institutional support from both the high school and college will be present during the entire experience. Students will meet with both their high school academic advisor/guidance counselor and an academic advisor from the college to discuss their academic and social progress in the program. Second, the students will be required to meet with their professor at minimum three times during the semester to track their coursework and grades in the class. Finally, students will be provided access to all the academic support resources at the college, including: the tutoring and writing center, library, and a peer mentor. All three criteria must be offered and present during the student’s experience in order for the student to feel supported academically and socially. It is crucial that the student’s experience be validated both “by in and out-of-class agents” (Rendon Linares, Munoz, 2011, p.17). The support of faculty, staff, and fellow students will provide students with help navigating the unfamiliar environment of higher education in a positive and affirming manner that welcomes first generation college students to the campus and validates their college classroom experience. Context The Huskie First Scholar program is for select high school seniors from target high schools in DeKalb County. The students selected include first-generation college students in the top 10% of their class. These high school juniors will apply through an online application which will allow them to take a course at NIU for the fall semester of their senior year. These students will have the opportunity to take courses such as sociology, anthropology, genetics, foreign language, or a course of their choice in regards

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to their future career path. The most appealing aspect of this program is that students will take this course free of charge and if they perform well academically, they will earn college credit. These students will have the same benefits that an enrolled college student will have including the use of recreation and wellness center, access to library books, and student discounts. This will not only be beneficial to the students who will get a head start on the college experience, but it will also hopefully encourage these students to want to attend Northern Illinois University. Students in the Huskie First Scholar program will gain a great scholarship if they choose to attend NIU. If a student receives a grade of B or higher, they will be eligible for the Huskie First Scholarship of $20,000 over four years, or $2,500 per semester. The host college for the Huskie First Scholar program will be Northern Illinois University. This program will be overseen through the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning at NIU. The Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning allows students of all ages, whether it be prior to entering college or fourth year students, to gain learning experience inside and outside of the classroom. This office aims to provide opportunities for students to engage with others, apply what is learned to real-world problems, and developing strong networks (Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, 2017). The Office of Engagement and Experiential Learning will partner with the Admissions Office and the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to assure that all features of the program will be accounted. The NIU Admissions Office plays an important role in this program. This

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program is to help first generation students adapt to the college life prior to entering college, however, it also helps recruit freshmen students to attend NIU. The admissions office is in charge of contacting the Huskie First Scholar’s with application due dates and all information needed to complete the application process. Admissions counselors will encourage these scholars to attend NIU and remind them of the benefits they will earn through the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at NIU will provide the scholars with the benefits of free tuition while taking their chosen course as high school seniors. Along with this assistance, this office will provide these scholars with the $20,000 Huskie First Scholarship if they choose to attend NIU. This office will also be able to provide these students with information regarding additional financial aid and scholarship needs. Northern Illinois University is currently home to over 19,000 students and over 3,000 faculty members. Undergraduate students can choose from 57 majors, 73 minors, 88 emphases, and 6 pre-professional programs. The average high school class rank for Northern Illinois freshmen in regards to percentile is 62 and the average ACT score for freshmen is 22 (Fast Facts, 2017). According to the NIU Statement of Vision and Mission, the vision of Northern Illinois is, “to be the premier student-centered, research-focused public university in the Midwest, contributing to the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of the people of the region, the state, the nation, and the world.” The mission of Northern Illinois is, “to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service” (NIU Statement of Vision and Mission, 2012). The Huskie First Scholar

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program follows the University’s vision and mission by focusing on the betterment of students and providing these students with an opportunity to get accustomed to college practices. The Huskie First Scholar program is for high school seniors of any gender and racial/cultural background. The requirements for the program include that these select students must be in the top 10% of their class and be first generation students. This program is aimed at first generation students because typically it is more difficult for these students to adapt to college as they have no guidance from their family. The Huskie First Scholar program will give first generation students the opportunity to adapt to the college lifestyle by enrolling in a college course and having all of the amenities available to them as any college student would have. The target audience ties in directly with the proposed theories, which include Rendon’s validation theory and Schlossberg’s marginalized and mattering theory. As the Huskie First Scholar program works specifically with first generation students, validation theory reassures the idea of high school seniors adapting to a college atmosphere. Often, first generation college students have a difficult transition from high school to college. This program in relation to validation theory allows students the opportunity to interact with college peers, faculty, and staff to gain a greater sense of belonging. With these students being in DeKalb County, they do not have to stress about feeling alienated at a college because they will continue to live at home with their families and attend high school with their same-aged peers. Schlossberg’s theory relates to this target audience in the sense that these first generation college students will be working closely with the

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Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, their academic advisor, and professor to ensure academic success and personal growth. The relationships between students and their families, along with faculty and staff at NIU is essential to ensure student wellness and success. Theoretical Framework In the 1990’s the U.S. government started to fund the National Center for Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment, which was headquartered at Pennsylvania State University. This center had one purpose, to assess the influences of students’ out-of-class experiences on learning and retention (Linares & Munoz, 2011). While conducting research with students from mostly marginalized community’s, researchers coined a framework that would be used to describe the way in which students feel validated within higher education or their respective institutions. The second theory used in this paper is the one coined by Schlossberg’s, which is also known as “Marginalization and mattering”. This theory posits the idea that students, no matter their identity, will often, find a way to matter within their environment, even when they are a part of a marginalized group. Furthermore, the lack of psychological studies on how students try to make meaning of how they matter in an environment, most notably their campus, will help to influence and shape their meaning making (Schlossberg, 1989). Validation Theory, on the other hand, explains the means by which students feel validated or endorsed within their environment, or more commonly their campus. Students, especially FGCS are more likely to do better if they feel a sense of belonging to their campus and the different environments that make up the macro level environment (Ekal, D. E., Hurley, S. R., & Padilla, R. (2011). Such students already struggle with

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being a part of an ostracized class. For example, first generation students, students of color, students who are multiracial, students with disabilities, and even students within the LGBTQ community are all examples of students who are marginalized. For these students, it is important that they be validated within their campus but also with the faculty and staff. This positive validation improves the lives of these students, and changes the campus climate (Vaccaro, 2012). Marginalization and mattering,​ is a theory that examines how students try and make meaning of their different identities and how that affects the way they feel about being of importance in a certain campus climate. Some students of marginalized groups often come to college knowing that they are a minority, and they seek to fit in and feel like they matter to their campuses. However, some students report, feeling left out, not being smart enough, or just not being able to relate to anyone on campus. This is problematic because it can may bring forth negative effects on their schooling. Students who do not feel like they matter might care less about their grades, and may feel like their campuses do not care about them or their identities (Durham, 2008). By comparison, the more that students found comfort with their faculty the more they perceived themselves as mattering. This indicates that faculty and staff can shape a student’s perspective on their importance to their campus (Durham, 2008; Vaccaro, 2012). The two theories proposed here are both important for student success. Students need to feel that they belong in order to develop as a student. Feeling validated is an essential part of a student’s development because it allows them to feel comfortable in a college environment. This creates a sense of mattering, especially for students who are

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(FGCS), and apart of other marginalized classes. The theories proposed work together because you can not have one without the other. The theories proposed justify our use of an academic intervention in early states of college searching. The proposed intervention is an opportunity for FGCS to attend one college level course, while still enrolled as a junior or senior in high school. This unique opportunity allows students who are first- generation and part of another marginalized group to make meaning of themselves and to feel validated within higher education. As students earn the opportunity to work with faculty and staff in a more rigorous academic environment, they start to make meaning of their value as students, who may not have the same opportunities as regularly admitted students. While participating in this academic intervention, students can see themselves doing the work at a more advanced level and this helps them to witness their capacity to meet such demands. As it relates to the outcomes, the theories discussed help guide our reasoning for creating this academic intervention. While these students undergo the intervention, they are able to make meaning of their environment, all while feeling validated that they are doing a good job. Meeting with their respective professors in their field of interest helps to ensure that they are feeling included in the program and that the faculty/staff have their full support and best interest at heart. Validation theory encompasses the idea that in order for these students to feel like their work is valued, and they are taken seriously as students, they must see it and hear it from those with an authoritative status such as a professor or faculty worker. Marginalization and mattering also help guide the way that (FGCS) and other marginalized students understand themselves to find a place in their

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environment where they feel that they matter. In this type of intervention, as students take college courses, in this intervention they can feel the meaning that they are gaining just by being in a different setting such as a college campus. These theories go hand- in- hand together, they help students validate and make meaning of their identity and the environment that they will eventually inhabit. Programmatic Intervention The programmatic intervention proposed is an academic opportunity for FGCS to attend one college level course at Northern Illinois University (NIU) while enrolled as a senior at a DeKalb County public high school. The intervention program will be called the Huskie First Scholar program (HFS) and will allow qualified high school students to participate in a college course during the spring or fall semester and to earn academic credit. The first generation college students under the HFS program will have the opportunity to take real college courses on the campus of Northern Illinois University and earn college credit as long as they complete the class successfully. The courses range from anthropology to sociology to other subjects of interest in which the students can select the courses they feel meets their future career path. Also during our intervention, the students will get a tour of Northern Illinois University and have the opportunity to meet with many professors from various departments. We will be sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning and partnered with the Office of Admissions and the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. The students in our program will be issued a I.D card and have access to all the different resources on campus such as the campus recreation and wellness center, the library, the financial aid office, the TRIO

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office, the scholarship office and cultural resource centers on campus. Our program will be facilitated in classrooms by professors on campus. Depending on the course the student chooses to take, the building location will differ. First generation college students struggle with finding a sense of belonging. The validation theory explains how students who may be considered as underserved such as first generation college students must feel comfortable in their environment. According to Katrevich & Aruguete (2017), first generation students are more likely to enroll in remedial coursework and are not as willing to ask for assistance from peers or staff members. With our intervention program it will help high school students feel more comfortable with attending college and more familiar with the course work that they will be taking when they attend college. It also will help students be more advanced with college coursework. We plan to decrease the statistics of first year generation students enrolling in remedial coursework. The Huskie First Scholar program serves as a resource to prospective students as it encourages students to be better prepared for college coursework and the college atmosphere. In order to determine if our intervention is effective or not we will evaluate the statistics on first year generation students graduating from college. We will contact the DeKalb County high school counselors and advisors to determine if our intervention helps students not only attend college, but also excel in their coursework. Along with having a positive impact on these first generation college students, this program also serves as a way to encourage students to attend NIU which will improve retention rates. We hope that this program will persuade students to want to be a student at Northern

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Illinois University to begin their college career. Conclusion The proposed programmatic intervention, the Huskie First Scholar program, is an educational opportunity focused on providing first generation college students, currently enrolled at a DeKalb County public high school and in good academic standing, with an opportunity to earn college credit at Northern Illinois University. In order to be considered for the Huskie First Scholar program, the student(s) must apply through an online application available on the NIU website and submit, both, their high school transcripts and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or staff member from their high school. The student(s) must meet the following criteria to be considered for the Huskie First Scholar program: 1. The student must be a junior in a DeKalb County public high school. 2. The student must be a first generation college student. 3. The student must be ranked in the top ten percent of their high school class. The Huskie First Scholar program affords eligible first generation college students with the opportunity to attend a college level course at NIU and to earn college credit during the spring or fall semester of their high school senior year. The goal of the Huskie First Scholar program is to introduce first generation college students to the college experience, both academically and socially, and to assist them in completing the course successfully by providing them with support from their high school teachers and staff, NIU professors, peers, and the institution. Students who

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participate in the Huskie First Scholar program will be eligible for a four-year financial scholarship based on their participation and academic merit in the program, should they choose to continue their education at Northern Illinois University. Research highlights the academic, social, and financial issues faced by first generation college students can lead to lowered self-confidence in their ability to succeed in college (Tym, McMillion, Barone, & Webster, 2004). The academic, social, and economic barriers encountered by first generation college students greatly impact their ability to successfully complete a college degree at a four-year college or university, without the proper support and guidance. Studies have shown that with the proper academic and social interventions and with financial support from the institution, FGCS can successfully complete their college degree. The Huskie First Scholar program provides first generation college students with the necessary resources needed in order for them to succeed and thrive at Northern Illinois University. Students identified as first generation college students will receive the full support from, both, their high school and the Huskie First Scholar program office that will guide and encourage students to continue their education post high school by “raising aspirations for college, navigating the college admissions process, [and] easing the initial transition to college” (The Pell Institute, 2006). The mission of Northern Illinois University is, “to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service” (2012). The Huskie First Scholar program adheres to the University’s mission by providing first generation college students with an opportunity to earn college credit towards a college degree in

Huskie First Scholar Program order for them to experience ​“the American Dream- the promise that one can rise, through education and hard work, to any position in society” (Reardon, 2013).

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