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First-generation student success and the SD-FIRST program

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Page Count

18

DOI

10.18260/1-2--41969

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/41969

Download Count

340

Paper Authors

biography

Cassandra Birrenkott South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Dr. Cassandra (Degen) Birrenkott received her B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2007. She received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering in 2012 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying mechanochemical reactions of a spiropyran mechanophore in polymeric materials under shear loading. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology where her research interests include novel manufacturing and characterization techniques of polymer and composite structures and the incorporation of multifunctionality by inducing desired responses to mechanical loading.

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Alycia Jensen South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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SD-FIRST Program Coordinator

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Jon Kellar South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Michael West South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Lisa Carlson South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Molly Moore South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Jesse Herrera South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Abstract

The higher education system can be nebulous – from entrance to graduation, processes involved with financial aid, work study, faculty office hours, forming student connections, career fairs, and more can be intimidating for many students. For first-generation students, whose family members have no or limited experience with the process, these hurdles can seem almost insurmountable. The SD-FIRST program will help fill in the gaps of first-generation students’ home-to-college transition, provide a robust support system by connecting existing campus resources, and provide guidance for staff and faculty on interactions and unique challenges with this student population. Programmatic elements specific for first-generation students, driven by evidence-based resiliency research, aim to provide academic, social, and economic support. The expected outcome of the SD-FIRST program is to achieve a sustainable increased retention and graduation rate, and an increase in emotional intelligence for students participating in the program. The initial cohort of SD-FIRST scholars began in the fall 2021 semester, and the details of the program as well as initial implementation are included in this paper.

Birrenkott, C., & Jensen, A., & Kellar, J., & West, M., & Carlson, L., & Moore, M., & Herrera, J. (2022, August), First-generation student success and the SD-FIRST program Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41969

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