Date of Award
Spring 6-14-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Susan McMahon, PhD
Second Advisor
Jocelyn Carter, PhD
Abstract
First-generation college students (FGCSs) make up one-third of all college students in the U.S. (Whitley et al., 2018). Yet, retention of FGCSs continues to fall behind that of their non-first-generation peers (Act, Research and Policy, 2012; Cataldi et al., 2018). Understanding FGCSs’ sense of belonging, and its predictors, is a key component to helping promote retention. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought many shifts and adaptations to education that impacted the overall college experience for students (Burki, 2020). This adaptation strained opportunities for social engagement, which deterred students’ abilities to feel a sense of belonging at their institution. The current study examined how institutional support services, programs for underrepresented college students, and natural mentoring relationships with faculty and staff influenced a sense of belonging throughout the pandemic. Participants were drawn from a larger multi-wave study on FGCS persistence (17-23 years old; 74.1% ethnic minority). Baseline data collection occurred the summer prior to participants’ entering their first year in college. After the baseline, participants completed four additional surveys throughout their first and fourth year in college (Times 1, 2, 3, and 4). A multilevel model was used to estimate within-person associations of use of programs for underrepresented college students, academic support services, and institutional natural mentoring relationships with a sense of belonging throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. Findings provide insight about how FGCSs experienced belongingness throughout the COVID-19 lockdown as well as how academic and support services and faculty relationships can foster a sense of belonging in underrepresented college students.
Recommended Citation
Garcia, Yesenia, "First-Generation College Students’ Sense of Belonging During COVID-19" (2024). College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations. 533.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/csh_etd/533
SLP Collection
no