VOLUME 19
•
ISSUE 4
•
JANUARY 2021
THE TOOLBOX A Teaching and Learning Resource for Instructors
STUDENT-STAFF RELATIONSHIPS ARE CRITICAL TO POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS FOR FIRST-GENERATION, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS C
ollege completion rates have increased over Meghan E. Ecker-Lyster the past decade; however, first-generation and Adam Brazil Nadia Kardash low-income (FG/LI) students are still less likely University of Kansas than their wealthier peers to earn a college degree (Cahalan, Perna, Yamashita, Wright-Kim, & Jiang, 2019). While there are many reasons why students do not graduate, the literature suggests that part of the problem is that historically underrepresented students often feel disconnected from campus life (e.g., Nuñez, 2009). To mitigate the impacts of this problem research shows that positive interpersonal relationships between students and staff can make a meaningful difference (Tinto, 1993). While numerous studies (e.g., Zerke & Leach, 2010) emphasize the importance of students’ connections with staff, there is little practical guidance on how to actually form these relationships. Drawing on data collected from a larger qualitative investigation of FG/LI students’ experiences at a public, flagship, Predominately White Institution (PWI), this paper offers higher education staff practical suggestions for developing authentic relationships with underrepresented students. The findings underscored three practical guidelines for promoting student-staff relationships: mentoring, connecting to campus resources, and fostering diversity.
When I first arrived at school as a first-generation college student, I didn’t know anyone on campus except my brother. I didn’t know how to pick the right classes or find the right buildings. I didn’t even bring the right size sheets for my dorm room bed. I didn’t realize those beds were so long. So, I was a little overwhelmed and a little isolated.
— Michelle Obama, Attorney/ Author/First African-American First Lady of the United States National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina
www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox
1
