Leadership Programmes In Higher Education - Research Paper Example

?A study to determine the need for support services and leadership programs for first generation in higher education Introduction The growing number of First Generation Students in the United States and their underrepresentation in the nation’s higher education system has raised a number of questions regarding the need for student support services and leadership programs for first generation students in higher education. There have been a number of studies and researches on the effectiveness and success rate of offering student support services and leadership programs to the needy first generation students. Studies have clearly demonstrated that the college studies have immensely assisted the first generation population to climb towards upward social and economic mobility. Similarly, it is also imperative to have a thorough understanding regarding the role of the faculty and staff in empowering and providing student support services to the first generation students. There is no doubt that the provision of student support services and leadership programs to such students necessitates large amount of funding from the part of the Government, institutions and other agencies. Generally, a student is categorized as a first generation student when his/her parents have not pursued education beyond their high school level and as per the National Education Longitudinal Study conducted in 1992 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), almost “26.5 percent of high school graduates meet this definition and are considered first generation students” (Forest & Kinser 262). As such, the educational attainment and achievement of these first generation students deserve primary attention in the context of the higher education in the United States as one can clearly notice that one’s economic as well as social mobility and economic success in the nation is directly related to his/her higher education level. This paper seeks to explore whether there is a genuine need to offer student support services and leadership programs for first generation students in higher education in the United States and in doing so the paper deals with the various aspects of the research question. Major Characteristics of First Generation Students One needs to take into account the level of academic preparation of the first generation students, the characteristics of their family members, their adjustment and expectations of their higher education, and the clash between their home culture and college culture while dealing with their higher education problems. As pointed out by Forest & Kinser, the “first generation students are more likely than other college students to delay their enrolment in college, and therefore, once they are enrolled, they are older than traditional students” (Forest & Kinser 262). Similarly, most of the first-generation students belong to low-income families and there are many who engage in longer work more hours than non-first-generation students to support the family. Many of these learners have dependants and therefore they need to fulfill their familial and financial obligations along with their higher studies. In the same way, majority of the first generation students suffer from lack of self-confidence and poor self esteem as they consider themselves as academically backward to their peers. As such, they fail to adapt themselves to the college academic environment and lack of support, motivation and guidance from the part of their friends, family members and relatives pose another great obstacle to their higher education. Similarly, most of them undergo anxieties, fears and frustrations and are haunted by their past experiences. London, in this regard, purport that the first-generation students confront not only the anxieties, isolation and conflict, dislocations, and difficulties of any college student but they also experience ‘substantial cultural as well as social and academic transitions’ (London 168). All these characteristics highlight the continued need to offer student support services, funding and leadership programs to the first generation students at the college graduation level. Necessity of support programs for the success of first generation students. The growing number of first-generation students has prompted many colleges to undertake various programs and initiatives to promote their higher studies prospects. This is very well recorded by Dina M. Horwedel when she states that with the growing number of Hispanic population which gave rise to a greater number of first-generation college students, “institutions of higher education across the country are creating and revamping programs to serve these students in efforts to increase their chances of obtaining a degree” (Horwedel). The support service programs for the first-generation students include offering them the necessary tutoring or remedial work in difficult subjects, the Toro Program for first-generation that caters to the general education needs of the first-year students (the participants displayed higher retention rates), summer bridge programs (consisting of Team-building and other activities) that aim at increasing the retention of first-generation students, meeting the academic needs of first-generation students through targeted courses, meeting their financial needs by providing them part-time jobs on campus, and organizing academic advancement program (AAP) that facilitates tutoring, academic support and peer-to-peer support programs (Horwedel). Mentoring is yet another significant strategy that can assist the first-generation students to complete their higher education successfully. There have been many initiatives undertaken by the Federal government to address the diverse issues in Higher education. The decreasing graduation rates in the nation has called for the need to identify specific challenges and to design competent student support programs with a view to increasing the success rates of low-income and minority students. For this, it is imperative to design an effective metrics that assess the progress of diverse learners in higher education; this metrics takes into account such factors as ‘remedial education enrollment, credit accumulation, retention rates and first-year success’ and “the progress and completion metrics be disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, income, age, enrollment status, degree type and discipline” (Jones). The Federal funding should be based on the findings from the metrics and it is essential that the Federal government tries to address all sorts of stratifications by race, class and ethnicity in higher education. Joe Tavares, the project director for the center for Student Opportunity, has rightly realized that there is a “distinct need to meet the higher education aspirations that we see with first-generation, low-income, rural, minority students” (Hernndez). It is thus evident from the literature reviewed that the success of first generation students in the higher education cannot be ensured without providing them timely student support and empowerment programs. Studies have shown that almost 30% of the college students in the United States are first generation students and it is interesting to notice that most of these first-generation learners are adult working learners who get themselves enrolled mainly in community colleges (Vien ). The first-generation students fail to get timely guidance from their parents regarding their higher education and many return to their higher studies as adults. The difficulties faced by the first-generation students in colleges are many and varied. Most of them are older, married, financially self-supporting and of low-socioeconomic status; their reading skills, mathematics ability and critical thinking skills are comparatively low (Vien). Researches among the first-generation students also reveal that their educational outcomes are poorer whereas their school dropout rates are comparatively much higher. Similarly the family-school conflict proves to be another crippling factor as far as the first generation learners are concerned; they lack study and time-management skills, are unable to adjust themselves with the academic environment and fail to receive sufficient amount of understanding and support from their family members, and coworkers. However, Vien observes that the first generation students who join for graduation are resilient and such first-generation graduates develops so much positive self-esteem and self-confidence that higher education proves to be highly rewarding for them (Vien). These positive outcomes offer the best testimony to the need to offer further student support services to the needy first-generation students. Obstacles faced by the first generation students. There are various factors that adversely affect the prospects of first-generation students earning a graduate degree. A survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA showed the various trends of first generation college students over time. The threw light on such significant factors as “the importance of parental encouragement, students’ reasons and motivations for going to college, students’ financial concerns and considerations while in college, the influence of home in the college choice process, students’ pre-college academic preparation, as well as students’ goals and values at college entry” (HERI Research Brief – First in My Family). It is worthwhile to consider the differences in first-generation rates between racial/ethnic groups. There was a considerable decrease in the number of African Americans attending their college studies since 1975. The research brief also showed that there was remarkable amount of parental encouragement for the first generation students even though their parents were quite ignorant of formal educational systems and higher education priorities. Every student does not enter college easily after their high school education and there will be drop outs due to different reasons and some students face difficulties to continue their studies even after entering the college. The first generation students, as already discussed, possess parents with low education or without college education and they need enormous support from the faculties and the college administration to boost them up and to produce better outputs since they lack support from their families. Before analysing the necessity of support programs it is essential to have a look in to the obstacles that the first generation students face in entering the stream of higher education and in obtaining academic achievements. The first generation students face academic challenges mainly due to the lack of academic knowledge and preparation for the course work (Anderson). Finding out the financial source for paying the course fee and for other related expense is another challenge faced by them. They struggle to cop up with the campus culture since they find it difficult to achieve their academic goals and to satisfy the expectations of their families with the campus culture (Anderson). The major challenges faced are elaborately discussed by Harper & Quaye in their seminal book on first-generation college students. For them, the crippling factors that adversely affect the higher education prospects of first-generation learners are their minority status, ‘low-income status, personal doubts, and lack of college involvement, institutional connectedness, family support, and academic and social integration’ (Harper & Quaye 262). All these factors or issues need to be properly addressed to promote the educational achievement of first-generation students. First generation students fail to overcome large amount of problems during their academic course in the college. The administrative departments of universities have started taking actions in order to help this minority student population. Increasing number of students who are compelled to drop their courses half way is the first and foremost issue faced by the institutions and the first generation students. Dr. Valery McKay, in this respect, observes in his study that 43 % of the first generation students fail to complete their graduation where as in the case of ideal students 20 % leave without finishing a degree (McKay and Estrella 357). The finding of the study reveals the significance of this issue. The chances for first generation drop outs are double when compared to other students and this is due to the fact that the first generation students face more issues than the ideal ones, like insufficient financial back up and lack of family support. Support programs thus planned should focus on reducing the rate of first generation drop outs and keeping it close to that of regular students. Kathleen Cushman had made an attempt to identify the point at which the drop outs of first generation students occur. The study revealed that about 25 % of the total first generation freshmen never return to his or her college after completing the first year and the meaning is that a heavy drop out occurs even at the earlier stages of their academic course (McGrath 2). Therefore it is evident that there are many troubling factors that torment the first generation students even from the beginning of their courses forcing them to leave their academic studies during the early days and it is the accumulation of these troubles that cause drop outs in the later phases of their academic course (McGrath 2) Universities and institutions have started planning and executing programs in order to support the first generation students to recognize the issues troubling them and to make self-advancements towards academic success. According to certain educational experts, social adjustment problems faced by the first generation students are the prime reasons for all other issues faced by them. The supporters argue that the difficulty in adjusting to college life creates a disturbing social situation as far as the first-generation students are being concerned. They consider the inefficiency of their parents to guide them on the college life due to their lack of experience as the root cause of this adjustment problem. Theron Snell pointed out the drawbacks of the theory of social problems in identifying the causes of backwardness and drop outs observed among the first generation students and he observes a mixture of the financial difficulties and their concentration on part time jobs have prevented such students from higher academic studies. Their parents fail to provide financial assistance for their academic studies and sometimes instead of receiving support from their family they are compelled to contribute to their families. Due to the lack of financial support they spend more hours on their work than studies (McGrath 3). Similarly, the first generation students are not able to spend required amount of time on their studies and therefore they exhibit poor performance in their colleges. The first generation students loose their confidence as a consequence of the poor academic results which eventually lead them to the discontinuation of their courses (McGrath 3) and this call for the need to provide student support services by which many can be retained and assisted to complete their studies. Student support programs –An overview A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics in 2005 clearly showed that the first generation students are at a very disadvantaged position with regard to their postsecondary education. The findings of the study revealed that the first generation students “completed fewer credits, took fewer academic courses, earned lower grades, needed more remedial assistance, and were more likely to withdraw from or repeat courses they attempted” (Chen ix). Similarly, their possibility to earn a bachelors degree was comparatively low compared to their peers whose parents attended college. All these factors have enhanced the need to provide effective and timely student support programs for these students. There are a number of agencies and associations and organizations who support the first generation students by providing financial assistance to their studies to prevent their higher rates of college drop outs. Studies have proved that the percentage of drop out is very high among the first generation students. The Walmart Foundation is one among the supporting organizations which provides funds over $ 10 million to the colleges which show immense interest on the overall development of first generation students and carry out activities accordingly. Their supreme goal was to reduce the drop out rates and provide funds for the development of strategies to support black and Hispanic third generation students (Grants Help First-Generation College Students Earn Their Degrees). The first Generation matching Grant Program is yet another program which supports the first generation students of the colleges and universities of Florida. The institution identifies the eligible students and decides the amount to be awarded to such learners (Florida Student Scholarships and Grant Programs). The Florida Opportunity Scholars program also offer support to the first generation students. A number of students who were facing financial barriers for their graduation got admitted in the University of Florida as result of this program. There were several reasons behind focusing on the problems of first generation students. Ensuring the entry of immigrants to the university and enhancement of the racial diversity among the students were the major objectives of the program. According to the annual report for the year 2009, “39 percent of scholarship recipients have been African-American, 27 percent Hispanic, 21 percent white, 11 percent Asian-American, less than 2 percent "other” and less than 1 percent Native American”. The data shows the pattern of distribution of the scholarship among the students in order to reach their goals (Supiano). The role of institutions and faculties As the first generation students face a number of difficulties during their academic course, it is essential for the institutions to take the responsibility of their success and to plan and execute support programs accordingly. Due to the lack of higher education, parents of the third generation students are compelled to undertake less paid jobs and they struggle to meet the day-to-day expenditure for their family and therefore very often the student is compelled to contribute to his or her family by employing himself/herself in part time or fulltime jobs. All these factors recommend the involvement of institutions and faculties in order to help the first generation students towards academic success. The presence of a peer support group, encouragement from the family, provision of interactions with faculties, financial support, making them mentally prepared for the academic course, implementation of programs to provide admission and to prevent drop outs etc are the key areas where the institution should pay immense attention in order to support the third generation students. It is necessary to make the freshmen familiar with the course structure as well as the objectives of the course as well as that of the institution. Villegas & Lucas are of the opinion that giving a formal orientation to the students would help the first generation students to be familiar with the campus atmosphere especially in the case of black minority students in white institutions. They could participate in group advising sessions, group social activities, if different groups of first generation students are formed (Villegas & Lucas 162). Studies have also proved that the intervention of a person at the crucial stage of an academic course of a third generation student could change his life and this is the point where the teacher could play the significant role as an adviser or a counsellor in the absence of an external support for the students (Rodriguez 7). A number of programs could be implemented in colleges in order to support the first generation students as explained below. Financial support service The objective is to provide financial assistance to the students who belong to poor families and who meet the low income criteria. Scholarships and grants can help them to overcome the financial barriers and to achieve better results in academic courses. There are a number of foundations which support the first generation students and institutions should make use of these funds in order to provide financial assistance to them and gradually a large scale reduction in the drop out rates of first-generation students could be observed. Funding Archibald & Feldman argue that the tuition and fees charged by American four-year colleges and universities (public and private together) has risen considerably since the 1980s and this has made it impossible for the first generation students to pursue higher studies without the assistance of Federal funding. For them, the complex financial aid system needs to be replaced as it has proved to be a real barrier to increasing the numbers of college-qualified students. On the other hand, the researchers purport that “the American higher education system has evolved over more than a century to meet a wide variety of social needs, including undergraduate teaching, graduate and professional training, basic research, and public service” even though the system is under stress due to its higher costs (Archibald & Feldman). Anderson, in this respect, observes that it is a great challenge for the first generation students to pay for their college studies. It is quite pathetic that many of the first generation students are quite unaware of the options for financial aid – including scholarships and grants, federal work study, federal student loans, and many private options. Similarly, the “UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute reports that first generation college students are twice as likely than their peers to have major financial concerns regarding paying for college” and the fact that many of them need to work part or full-time to support their families add to their misery (Anderson). As studies and researches have clearly pinpointed the success and positive impacts of student support and leadership programs for the first generation students it is imperative that the government, institutions and other agencies continue to provide funding for them. Funding is essential for the success of any program. Almost all the institutions where support and training are given to first generation students allot maximum funding to it. One can find a number of programs at the national level such as via TRIO designed to ‘complement federal financial aid’ and these programs are mainly targeted at “low income and first generation students, where low income is defined as 150 percent of poverty level (currently, about US $28,000 in net taxable income for a family of four), and where first generation is defined as neither parent having completed a bachelor’s degree” (Thomas, Thomas & Quinn 30). The government is giving much care to such groups and so funding is granted for the support of such programs. Similarly, the national higher education stresses funding on first generation programs and so if the government wishes to have high professionals and highly qualified personnel among the first generation students the support programs should be sufficiently funded. Leadership training Leadership programs ensure the participation of students in different academic and social activities and they can develop inter personal skills and leadership qualities along with their academic achievements. The third generation students are benefited by community interaction, social service and these activities help them to take away their feelings of being inferior to other students and to advance towards the main stream of the society. Health and wellness programs The objective of this program is to provide awareness to the students regarding different health related issues and medical assistance for miner illness and injuries. A mini health centre containing all the medical facilities would be helpful for the poor students who suffer from illness. Conducting awareness campaigns on AIDS and other such diseases would make them aware of the social impact of these diseases and the role of a responsible citizen in fighting them. Student employment As we have already discussed the first generation freshmen need financial support for the successful completion of their courses. Therefore the establishment of a student employment centre would help them in finding out part time jobs to allocate funds for their education without disturbing their studies, along with the financial assistance provided by the institution. Academic guidance It is necessary to provide opportunities for the better understanding of their curriculum even from the beginning of the course. A group of advisers focusing on the academic issues of the first generation students would help them to clear their doubts and may introduce better learning techniques for them (Student Support Programs and Resources). Since these students enter the stream of education after four or five years and this gap cause difficulties for the adaptation to the curriculum as well as to the college campus. This problem could be solved by the involvement of faculties by paying special attention on them. There is always hindrance on the pathway of first generation students. Familial issues and financial issues are the two major problems found to be troubling their studies and increasing the drop out rates. Appreciable efforts have been undertaken by the universities in order to support the first generation students. The society demand contributions from the first generation students after the successful completion of their courses. The contributions of a number of such personalities would have been lost in the absence of such support activities. Therefore it is evident that effective planning and execution of support programs would reduce the drop out rates and help the first generation students to achieve shining academic victories and to contribute to the society (McGrath 6). The success of the support programs necessitate the identification of the root causes for the backwardness of the first generation students or else it would become a peripheral approach and the program would meet with failure. Consider the example of a theft fighting program in a slum area where the majority population is poor. If the program is planed without identifying poverty as the root cause for the thefts occurring in that particular area, the program would not succeed in attaining its objectives. In the case of first generation students the problem arises when a comparison is made between the family issues and the social adjustment problems in order to identify which is the key issue among them (Davis 30). The social and academic issue plays the major role in creating difficulties for the first generation students during their academic course and the role of the problem of social adjustment also need to be considered. Planning support programs focusing on the remedial measures for pre existing traits would help the first generation students to overcome the barriers and to achieve academic success along with the accomplishment of institutions in reducing the drop out rates. Therefore it could be stated that the success of an institutions will be completed only after the implementation of successful support programs for the first generation students in order to lead them towards victory. First Generation Students and leadership programs The First Generation Students are a common phenomenon in all the universities. The number of First Generation Students is increasing in the present system which facilitates education for all students in contrast with the earlier traditions. These students are classified as “students with parents who never attended college at all and students with parents who attended “some” college” (Davis 3). These two categories are commonly called as First Generation Students. In analyzing the First Generation Student (FGS) it is understood that around 30% of university students are falling under this category. The Higher Education dealing with the United States of America predicts that “the changing demographics of the United States and the growing immigrant population indicate that the number of first generation students is likely to increase in the coming years”( Forest & Kinser 263). It is not their fault that their parents could not go beyond post secondary level. Education has become a right to all the people and so in all countries they give maximum exposure to higher education. This has led many students from all walks of social situation to achieve higher education and thereby higher academic goals. The first generation students differ considerably from other students as they have a different picture of the institution than the other students. In consulting many of the FGS it could be found out that they need to be considered differently to cop up with the other students. In many cases these students struggle to get over at many junctures of their university life as their previous knowledge is comparatively very poor. In such circumstances First Generation Students need to be offered various get support programs so that they can be brought up to the mainstream of higher studies. For this, almost all the institutions have put forward many programs in support of the FGS. For instance, the Mc Master University has many programs to support the FGS of it and the university seeks to bridge the gap between the First Generation Students and other learners. For this, the curriculum of the University “offers support from upper-year Peer Mentors, who are also FG students. In addition, the program gives FGS comprehensive knowledge of all the services and resources available to them on campus. The FYEO is positive that the project will encourage and support all First Generation students in being successful in completing their academic goals” (First Generation Students). Mentoring and the relationship among the first-generation students, the faculty and the non-faculty staff are significant. In this respect, Jeff Davis recommends that “institutions facilitate the development of personal relationships between first –generation students and non faculty staff for many of the same reasons they should facilitate personal relationships between first generation students and faculty”( Davis 198). The real mentoring system will surely envisage a free atmospheric experience to all the first generation students of each institution. There should be a serene atmosphere in the college where these students no longer feel alien. It is amazing that within a few programs these students are able to compete with the other students and at many instances such students move far ahead than the ‘traditional’ students. True, the former first generation students can also provide necessary support to their youngsters. This makes them feel at home and relaxed at college. The students’ background may be either positive or negative but due intervention on the FGs by the academic counselors can bring positive outcome in all levels. In dealing with all these levels it can be said that student support and empowerment programs are essential for overcoming the barriers of the first generation students who opt college education against all hurdles of their daily life. These programs act as catalyst for their academic growth and the accomplishment of their academic goals. In nutshell it can be said that these support systems are really valuable for a first generation student. Conclusions and Recommendations The increasing demand for the grant every year shows the success of the program in attracting the first generation freshmen to colleges for higher education. Institutions could conduct programs in order to make them aware of the grants provided by different foundations and direct their students to be the beneficiaries of these support programs. Teachers can identify the first generation students and their particular problems easily and could recommend solutions to overcome their difficulties, as they interact closely with the students. The first generation students differ from others as they have larger monetary constraints, poor educational and social training, inadequate family support and dissimilar outlook and these factors affect their academic performance adversely. The number of first generation students in colleges is increasing every year and it demands a further in-depth study on these distinguishing factors in order to find solutions for them. Since their parents do not provide essential information regarding the academic success and college life, the responsibility falls on the institution and faculties to make them prepared for the academic course. Many studies have proved that the training methods for ideal students who possess better family back grounds, self motivation for success and having obtained better grades previously will not suit the first generation freshmen and they require a different mode of approach. In order to serve this purpose the institutions could undertake the following programs with the help of their faculties and other staff members. (a) Introduce orientation programs and counseling support groups focusing the students from poor family back grounds who lack support from their parents. The service of professional counselors could be made use of and faculties who hold expertise in the field of counseling could contribute much to their students apart from their academic supports (Hicks). (b) Introduce programs which ensure the participation of parents of the first generation students (Hicks). A welcome or reach out program could be arranged for the parents to make them familiar with the college atmosphere with the support systems offered to their children immediately after the completion of the admission process of a course. Parental support is essential for students to check drop outs and family is considered to be the key component for the academic success of students, especially for the first generation students. (c) Implement an experience course for the first year students at the very beginning of their course introducing the useful tools and methods to fight the insufficient academic support. The course must be planned in such a way that the students should get a clear cut idea regarding the resources offered by the university as well as the expectations of the faculties regarding the course (Hicks). Including topics of the curriculum as a part of the course would provide a better understanding of the objectives of their institution for the first generation students. (d) Introduction of additional programs to ensure other supports for the first generation students. They lack so many facilities and support when compared with ideal students. Programs focusing on the job orientation, leadership training, academic awareness, personality development, and general topics should be implemented (Hicks). Extracurricular activities should be carried out in order to create bondage among the institution, faculties and the students. In fact the changing demographics of the United States and the growing immigrant population show that the number of first generation students is on the rise in the United States today. It is therefore imperative that the educational needs of this group are particularly addressed by the higher education department of the nation. This is very well suggested by Forest & Kinser when the authors observe: “Educational access and diversity are the hallmarks of U.S Higher education, and therefore it is in the best interest of society that all students be successful in reaching their educational aspirations” (Forest & Kinser 263). An improvement in the academic achievements of the first generation students is expected as a result of the funding and several support activities from different foundations and the institutions. Attainment of academic success turns to be unattainable for them in the absence of all these promotions. As we have already discussed first generation students face a number of obstacles during their academic course which shows the necessity of support programs. The students who are the beneficiaries of these programs attain mental readiness which is the most important requirement for a student to concentrate on his studies in order to achieve academic success. Majority of the first generation students make use of these opportunities and only a minute percentage among them fail to continue their studies or to achieve better academic results. Since the large majority is benefited it is essential to continue the support programs and funding as it immensely assists the first generation students to succeed in life crossing the all the barriers ahead. Faculties need to pay more attention to the problems of first generation freshmen prior to the needs of ideal students who have family support and financial stability. Works Cited Anderson, Ashley. 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Thomas, Liz., Thomas, Elizabeth & Quinn, Jocey. First generation entry into higher education: an international study. McGraw-Hill International, 2007. Print. Vien, Courtney L. Determined to Succeed: First-Generation Adult Students Meet Challenges with Resilience. University of Phoenix, Inc. October 22, 2010. Web. 23 Feb, 2011. < http://www.phoenix.edu/uopx-knowledge-network/articles/working-learners/determined-to-succeed.html>. Villegas, Ana Maria & Lucas, Tamara. Educating culturally responsive teachers: a coherent approach. Illustrated ed: SUNY Press, 2002. Print. Read More