The Transition to College for Underrepresented Students: Results for Biomedical Aspirants and Racial/Ethnic Minority Students

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The Transition to College for Underrepresented
Students Results for Biomedical Aspirants and
Racial/Ethnic Minority Students

• Symposia on Diversity in the Sciences
• University of Washington, Harvard University, and
  University of Louisiana Monroe
• October 2006
• Sylvia Hurtado, Professor and Director
• Higher Education Research Institute
• UCLA

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Issues

• Era of opportunity? Increasing number of
  college-age students from historically
  underrepresented groups and trends in student
  interest in the biomedical majors and careers.
• Racial/ethnic minorities have among the lowest
  levels of matriculation in biomedical fields and
  even lower rates of representation in research
  science careers (NSF, 2003).
• Goal Continue to diversify the pool of research
  scientists and to increase research in fields
  that will ultimately improve the health and
  well-being of underserved communities.

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Transition Conceptual Model
Note Model adapted from Nora (2005).
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Data and Sample

• Data source
• HERIs 2004 Cooperative Institutional Research
  Programs (CIRP) Freshman Survey
• YCFY administered at the end of the freshman
  year, resulting in over 26,000 students at 203
  four-year institutions who completed both
  surveys.
• Weighted to correct for non-response bias
• Missing value analysis
• Sample
• 5,049 students selected in three categories
• URMs science majors
• White/ Asian science majors
• URM non-science majors

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Academic Adjustment Success in Managing
Academic Environment

• Constructed by self-assessment of the following
  (alpha .78)
• Understanding what your professors expect of you
  academically
• Developing effective study skills
• Adjusting to the academic demands of college
• Managing your time effectively
• Getting to know faculty
• Three-point scale 1unsuccessful to 3completely
  successful

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Sense of Belonging (at end of 1st year)

• Constructed by assessing agreement with the
  following (alpha .84)
• I see myself as part of the campus community
• I feel I am a member of this college
• I feel I have a sense of belonging to this
  college
• Three-point scale 1strongly disagree to
  4strongly agree

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Analysis

• Basic Descriptives
• Comparison of means on outcomes and key variables
  (ANOVA Scheffes post-hoc test) for within and
  between group differences
• Series of blocked linear regression analyses of
  each dependent variable for each of the following
  categories
• URM science majors
• White/ Asian science majors
• URM non-science majors

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Mean Difference Tests (post-hoc)
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Regression Success at managing academic
environment
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Regression Success at managing academic
environment (cont).
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Regression Success at managing academic
environment (cont).
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Regression Sense of Belonging
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Regression Sense of Belonging (cont.)
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Regression Sense of Belonging (cont.)
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Implications

• More inclusive indicators are needed in studying
  adjustment and integration models
• Family support is important but unusual
  responsibilities detract from adjustment and
  sense of belonging
• Burden of financial concerns is more important to
  science students
• Studying the climate and improving intergroup
  relations is important for campuses achieving
  both diversity and excellence
• Combining CIRP and YFCY captures predisposition
  and transition and adjustment experiences

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Copies of the paper Publication online first,
Research in Higher EducationFor more information
on the project, reports of freshmen experiences,
presentations http//www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/ni
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• This study was made possible by the support of
  the National Institute of General Medical
  Sciences, NIH Grant Number 1 RO1 GMO71968-01.
  This independent research and the views expressed
  here do not indicate endorsement by the sponsor.