Loading…
Attending this event?

The 2024 Upper Peninsula Teaching and Learning Conference (UPTLC) will be hosted by Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan, May 13-14, 2024. This year’s theme is Embracing Change: Meeting the Needs of Modern Learners. This theme captures the ongoing challenges wrought by the pandemic, the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and increased awareness of the diverse academic and mental health needs of today’s learners. This conference will create a community of educators invested in honing human and technological skills for successful, sustainable teaching and learning. 

The conference includes pre-conference interactive workshops, optional social activities, and a full conference day of concurrent sessions, poster sessions, and “Birds of a Feather” gathering time. We’re excited to share four timely conference tracks:

  • Teaching techniques for online, hybrid, or virtual learning 

  • Teaching and learning in the age of AI 

  • Engaging modern learners 

  • Self-care for college students and/or college employees

The UPTLC is a regional conference focused on the practice and scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education and K-12 education. The UPTLC creates a space for educators to connect, learn, share, and continue growing skills for teaching and learning. We invite educators and educational staff/administration to submit presentation proposals and/ or attend this conference.

5/7 - Registration is now closed; we can’t wait to see you at UPTLC 2024!

**schedule subject to change**
Back To Schedule
Tuesday, May 14 • 1:30pm - 2:15pm
First Generation Students in Higher Education: A Cultural Mismatch

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Tweet Share
Log in to leave feedback.




First-generation (FG) students, typically defined as those whose neither parent holds a four-year degree, comprise the majority of entrants into higher education in the U.S. With their numbers gradually increasing to over 50% in the past 15 years, FG students have become a focal point of retention efforts. Demographically, FG students are more likely to come from minority and lower-income backgrounds, often attending poorer-performing K-12 schools. Once enrolled, FG students, compared with continuing-generation students, are more likely to obtain lower grades, require more time for degree completion, and leave without degree completion.
Recognizing these challenges, many institutions have established programs specifically tailored to FG students, including tutoring, peer mentoring, time management and writing skills workshops, as well as social support groups. Our research on FG students (Cornell & Searight, 2023), along with that of Stephens et al. (2012)) highlight a broader issue—namely, the cultural mismatch between many FG students' backgrounds and the implicit values of U.S. higher education, often emphasizing individualism reflected in institutional mission and values statements. This perspective may conflict with the collectivist orientation of many FG students.
In addition to identifying a greater collectivist orientation among FG students, qualitative data revealed that FG students reported feeling less confident, unsure about the university’s hidden curriculum, and anxious about being discovered. The current deficit-oriented approach overlooks strengths that FG students bring, including loyalty to family and community, a strong work ethic, and the ability to overcome adversity. Case examples from a first-year seminar will elicit further discussion.
References

Cornell, A., & Searight, H. R. (2023). The challenges behind living a double life among first-generation university students: The clash between interdependent and independent identities. In P. J. Aloka & K. R. Mikuna (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Coping Mechanisms for First-Year Students Transitioning to Higher Education (pp. 142-159). IGI Global.
Stephens, N. M., Fryberg, S. A., Markus, H. R., Johnson, C. S., & Covarrubias, R. (2012). Unseen disadvantage: how American universities' focus on independence undermines the academic performance of first-generation college students. Journal of personality and social psychology, 102(6), 1178.
Speakers
avatar for H. Russell Searight

H. Russell Searight

Lake Superior State University
I am Professor of Psychology at Lake Superior State. My research/scholarly interests include alternative approaches to assessment in higher education, first generation students, medical ethics and social determinants of health

Tuesday May 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
JHUC 911
  Interactive Session, Engaging modern learners

Attendees (13)