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Hernandez Tibisay Action Research
Hernandez Tibisay Action Research
Hernandez Tibisay Action Research
studentsHernandez
in Abstract
Educational
Tibisay
thernandez@albany.edu
Opportunity
Program
at UAlbany.
This paper will discuss the many services
provided
by the Educational
Opportunity Program at SUNY Albany and will examine how the program is
perceived by current Latin students.
not to mention, the support system from the friends they made throughout summer. I was more
than a little disappointed that I did not have these same supports here at the University. In fact,
throughout my undergraduate career I ended up reaching out to the EOP office as a resource,
even though I was not a part of the program. Knowing EOP participants helped me become
acquainted with faculty who ran the program and were more than happy to assist me with any
questions I might have had.
This experience was the premise for my research questions: What are the educational
experiences of Latino students in EOP programs? What are Latino students perceptions about
EOP effectiveness at UAlbany? Which aspect of the EOP program do they find to be the most
beneficial in their educational success? These questions can give insight into how Latino students
view the University at Albany, and what impacts retention and successful graduation rates within
this demographic.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center (2010), between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of
native born Latino/as grew by nearly 38%, while that of the foreign born grew by 26%, for a
combined growth rate of 33%. Latino/as 25 years of age or older were more likely to have less
than a high school education (39%) than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States. Only
26% reportedly had graduated high school, 22% had some college, and only 13% had a college
degree. By contrast, a much higher percentage of their Black (17.5%), Asian (50.0%), and White
(30.7%) counterparts had completed college. While college completion rates for Latino/as in the
United States remain low, recent educational trends give hope for increasing the number of
Latino/as completing college. First, the percentage of Latino/as graduating high school reached
an all-time high of 70% in 2007 (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010). And, second, between 2007 and
2008, the number of first time, full-time Latino/a freshmen at postsecondary institutions grew by
15%, while the overall growth rate for all racial/ethnic groups grew by 6% (as cited in Tovar,
2015, p. 47). .
2. Scholarly Context of the Study
Scholars note that ability and academic achievement do not adequately account for the
disproportionate underrepresentation of Latino/as at 4-year institutions. In the case of Latino/as,
it is not merely access to college that has been reported as a problem, but also inequities in
access to resources, participation, preparation, transfer, and progression (Tovar, 2015, p. 48). In
2010, more students than ever before entered college reporting lower levels of emotional health
and higher levels of feeling overwhelmed. One quarter of college students indicated that stress
was a leading factor affecting their academic performance, with nearly 39 % reporting more
than average overall stress within the past 12 months. Academics, family problems,
relationships, and finances were some of the main issues students found difficult to handle
(Johnson, Wasserman, Yildirim, & Yonai, 2014, p. 76). While there is an increase in the numbers
of students of color participating in education, they also provided evidence of persistent
inequities related to the continued resistance to the inclusion of ethnic content in the
curriculum, disparities in rich and poor childrens access to well-qualified teachers, the fact
that Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans remain less likely to pursue degrees beyond the
baccalaureate, the growing Black-White wealth gap, and the increasing stratification of higher
education, yielding separate postsecondary pathways for Whites and for [Latinos] and African
Americans (Turner, 2015, p. 336).
McDonough and colleagues (McDonough, 1997; McDonough, Antonio, & Trent, 1997)
examined how the manifestation of this construct impacted students from various socioeconomic
backgrounds, as well as ethnic minority students, including Latino/a youth. Based on their
extensive studies, they concluded that low income and underrepresented students do not possess
adequate knowledge of what college is, the vastness and differences between institutional types,
and, significantly, knowledge of the admission process. McDonough has also noted how degree,
type, and availability of resources in school and within the family impede or enhance educational
opportunities for all students (as cited in Tovar, 2015, p. 51). Two decades of research
consistently demonstrates that students of color perceive the campus climate more negatively
than do White students, and students of color do, in fact, experience racial discrimination,
prejudice, and stereotypes at predominantly White institutions (Johnson, Wasserman, Yildirim, &
Yonai, 2014, p. 77)
Federally- and state-funded programs, such as TRIO, Upward Bound, Search for
Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK), and Educational Opportunities Program (EOP),
were established on public and private campuses nationwide to provide support to these students.
These kinds of programs are intended to integrate preparatory academic skills with social
bonding experiences that will enhance the students connections with peers and selected faculty
and staff (as cited in Clarke, 2012, p. 210). Resilience is described as a set of inner resources,
social competencies and cultural strategies that permit individuals to not only survive, recover, or
even thrive after stressful events, but also to draw from the experience to enhance subsequent
functioning (Stanton-Salazar & Spina, 2000, p. 229). Resilience is one factor contributing to
student persistence. Another factor is to intentionally reach out to students. Even though a
student may be resilient and motivated, these characteristics alone may not be enough to counter
the effects of unwelcoming and often toxic learning environments. In such environments,
institutional responsiveness is crucial for student persistence (as cited in Turner, 2015, p. 341).
Research also shows how participation in select student support programs enhances ethnic
minority students' access to social networks, thereby permitting them to acquire the social capital
needed to connect to resources on college campuses, and also increases the probability for
retention and persistence (Tovar, 2015, p. 52).
Minority students who participated in a study conducted by Turner (2015) indicated that
they, as men and women of color, felt apart from rather than a part of the student life into which
they were being socialized at best, they felt as though they were guests in someone elses
house. She realized then that this was another way to describe dissonance, a feeling of
incongruence or not fitting in. Guests in someone elses house feel that they can never relax and
put their feet up on the table. Guests are not family, whose foibles and mistakes are tolerated. On
the contrary, guests must follow the house rules such as keeping out of certain rooms, not
touching anything, leaving everything in its place, and guests must always be on their best
behavior. Guests have little or no history in the house they occupy. There are no photographs on
the wall that reflect their image. Their paraphernalia, paintings, scents, and sounds do not appear
in the house. There are many barriers for students who constantly occupy the guest room that
keeps them from doing their best work (p. 345). Because of the large number of minorities in
these programs, the mission of recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation of these
students helps fulfill the parent institutions goal of a diversified student body. The inherent
disadvantages and characteristics of low income, first-generation college students means lower
first- to second-year retention rates than the overall student body. Moreover, retention of lowincome, first generation students is especially challenging at large public universities. However,
colleges and universities that have student support services, such as EOP, have much higher
retention rates, suggesting that if these services were adopted university wide, overall retention
rates might improve (Clarke, 2012, p. 210).
3. Methods
Lincoln and Guba (1985) contend that qualitative research methods are most appropriate
for examining the nuances of human behavior in its social context, capturing the complexity of
the human experience (as cited in Turner, 2015, p. 339). With this in mind I set out to record the
personal narratives of students from the EOP program. I contacted counselors and administrators
on the SUNY Albany campus to help identify Latino students who were currently a part of the
program. In order to capture the data required for this research project I utilized Google
Documents. The participants were sent a link to the survey and each was able to answer the
questions at their own pace. It is important to note that 3 students did not personally identify
themselves as Latino, however, upon further inquiry I identified them as Latino for the purposes
of this research project based on their parents countries of origin.
The answers were then tabulated in an excel spreadsheet for analysis, and I looked for
trends in their responses. I specifically wanted to find any correlation between their engagement
with program services and attitudes towards the program. I also looked for repetition of key
words in each fill in response. I looked for trends based on the amount of semesters the students
were matriculated in the University. The following charts show all recorded responses. Each
student (Reference Appendix A for student demographics) participated in a survey where they
were asked the following questions:
When did you enter the university?
Aug 2011 22
Jul 2012 1 (3)
Aug 2012 13 24 27
Aug 2013 20 21
Aug 2014 22
Apr 2015 21 23
What is your expected Graduation date?
Apr 2015 21 23
May 2015 16 17
May 2016 15 16 20 23
May 2017 15 20 (3)
Do you identify yourself as Latino/a?
Yes
75%
No
25%
Gender
Major?
1. Math
2. Nanoengineering
3. Latin Caribbean Studies
4. Public Health
5. Criminal justice
6. Communications
7. Business Administration- ITM concentration
8. Social Welfare
9. sociology
10. Globalization
11. Psych
Which EOP service(s) have been most helpful in your educational success? How?
1. The EOP Summer Program has been the most helpful service that EOP provided me in
my educational success. The summer program introduced me to the university setting and
college classes before I began my college career.
2. The EOP services that have been most helpful in my educational success are the EOP
specific academic advisors, the computer lab and the tutorial office. I feel that they are
essential to the success for EOP students because it helps to alleviate the disadvantages
and stresses that they already endure before and during their college career.
3. Tutoring
4. Tutoring Computer Lab Library Hours
5. EOP Summer EOP Counselors EOP Alumni EOP Tutoring EOP Energy, space and
atmosphere
6. The availability of the advisors has been helpful for my educational success because at
times when my communication advisor was not around to offer help, my EOP advisor
was.
7. The EOP service that has been the most helpful has been the support of the counselors
that are always there for you. Even though you are assigned a new counselor after your
sophomore year, you can always go back to them and speak about basically anything.
One doesn't even have to talk to their counselor about school. They are there for anything
and everything and the conversations can range from something as simple as about ones
parents, but it all matters.
8. EOP has been helpful academically, financially and personal. EOP for me is a second
family since I move here to Albany. If I need help I know I can count on them to give me
the best advises
9. Advisement, I go to my advisor for almost anything and she has definitely helped me
learn about the many opportunities and resources on campus
10. Library hours and tutoring
11. Tutoring is the most important because it gives us no excuses to not succeed .If you are
struggling in any class, EOP will find you a tutor. Also counselor are always there when
you need them. They are more of a friend/mentor than a counselor.
How often do you communicate with your adviser per semester?
0 - 1 times
25%
2 - 5 times
33.3%
5+
41.7%
If you could change an aspect of the EOP program what would it be?
1. I would increase its student body size. The program is limited by the state to provide
educational opportunities to less than 200 highly motivated minority students who cannot
afford the cost of college.
2. Possibly hiring more counselor(s)/advisor(s) in order to give students a more one-on-one
experience.
3. Interacting with some of incoming freshman coming for their orientation. We was
excluded from than and was only allow to talk to people in EOP.
4. Find a way for students to show more gratitude for the services provided.
5. None
6. Ending book checks by junior year
7. More meetings to keep in touch with EOP community
8. Not giving out book stipend to juniors and seniors
9. I wouldn't really change anything, I believe that the advisors as well as Maritza do a
really good job at attending to everyone's needs and assuring that everyones voice is
heard and represented.
10. One aspect I would change is continuing the 1 cent printing service.
11. There isn't one thing that I would change about the program because I agree with
basically everything that is provided for us.
If you could add a feature to the EOP program what would it be?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I think the EOP program has every feature that it needs to have.
A list of alums with the same career.
Start celebrating more of the EOP Success among our peers.
More social events within your EOP year for bonding
I would add a required mentoring program. Every EOP student should have a mentor
from other campus departments and faculties. Despite their high motivation to succeed,
EOP students can sometimes lost focus and be distracted. A Mentoring Program would
come in hand and help guide students towards the right track to success.
6. I will like that the program get more support from the State, so that more students can
have the opportunity to go to college and be part of this family.
7. The addition of social events in order for older students to be able to meet younger
students outside of the Mass Meeting.
8. A feature I would add is having a nice sized quiet study room in the EOP complex strictly
for EOP, project excel and Cstep students.
9. If i could add a feature to the EOP program, what I would do is make sure the students
have more activities to do during the summer. I have seen that the students aren't that
close anymore and that there are little cliques of students that hang out together when the
entire EOP class should all be friends with each other. With these extra activities, the
students would communicate with each other better.
10. Letting more students in EOP, but luckily that is happening this summer because there is
going to be for the first time over 200 EOP students.
11. Social life aspect. What to expect
How important to your transition into college was EOP summer?
1
11
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
If you could have known one skill before entering college what would it be?
1.
2.
3.
4.
4. Findings
When analyzing the data there were key points that stood out which correlated with some
of the research points already discussed. Students seemed to find the most value in the
interactions they had with individuals. All the students made mention of the importance of
either social interactions with their peers and/or their advisors; with 64% of participants
specifically citing advisement as the most important service provided by the program. When
asked about improvements to the program 45% of the answers referred to an increase in social
activities. They also wanted to be connected to mentors either in the university or in their
preferred profession. Finally, an increase of funding was mentioned in order to provide EOP
services to more students. When asked what they would currently change within the program
36% of the answers once again made mention of an increase in social interactions.
What one is exposed to and what one is not exposed to shapes our learning (Turner, 2015,
p. 343). This was particularly evident when I reviewed the second line of questioning which
referred specifically to the students personal success. When asked what they wished they knew
prior to entering the university 55% mentioned study skills and/or time management. When
asked what their biggest obstacles were for academic success 73% of the students mentioned
study kills and/or time management. What we can infer from these responses is that although
participants perceive the program is not providing enough opportunities for the students to
socially engage, the students are not utilizing their time to be academically engaged either.
While they may want to be more socially connected with each other, the program should really
be focusing on helping the students with their time management and study skills, since this
seems to be the main area where students feel deficient. Students will be able to manage their
time better if they learn how to be more efficient when completing coursework and studying for
exams.
It is important to note that all students who reported meeting with their advisors 5 times
or more during the semester mentioned time management as their main academic struggle.
These students are also all in their 6th semester here at the University. We can infer that although
these students are connecting with their advisors, their root issues are not being addressed
which is causing frequent visits to their advisor. These students have also been at the university
for some time now and are looking ahead towards graduation, which may also add some prior
performance anxiety. Although these students all stated they were very satisfied or satisfied with
the program, two thirds of the students feel ill prepared to balance their personal and school
lives. This could be due to several intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Students
Very Satisfied
Satisfied
2
1
0
0 - 1 times
2 - 5 times
5+
These findings reinforce previous research which sees institutional agents playing a
crucial role in reproducing or interfering with the reproduction of class, racial, and gendered
inequality. Stanton-Salazar (1997) proposed a theoretical framework encompassing various
forms of institutional support, and asserted that its six components serve as ingredients to "social
integration and success" in college. Characterizing these forms to the specific roles that
institutional agents play in student-agent relationships, institutional agents may then be described
as individuals who (a) possess and have the capacity to transmit knowledge, (b) serve as bridges
or gatekeepers, (c) advocate or intervene on students' behalf, (d) serve as role models, (e) provide
emotional and moral support, and (f) provide valuable feedback, advice, and guidance to
students. While in these roles, institutional agents have the capacity to assist students in the
college choice and admission process. Stanton-Salazar (2011) has expanded upon the concept of
institutional agents to that of "empowerment agents," focusing on their capacity to also empower
students to help them "transform themselves, their communities, and society as a whole" (as
cited in Tovar, 2015, p. 51). Although Stanton-Salazer describes these institutional agents as
crucial in the transition of students into college, what we see from the findings in this research is
that certain components of their role in the students academic success must continue to exist
throughout their tenure in the university. However, will academic success translate into career
success for these students? What happens when they find themselves in the real world without
these extra supports? While it is important to give a student guidance, it is also crucial to guide
students to have the proper decision making skills to succeed on their own.
6. Implications for Future Research
The mission of the Education Opportunity Program is to break down barriers by
providing educational opportunities, but how does that truly translate into academic, financial
and career success? This question would have to be looked at in a longitudinal study of EOP
participants. I would like to know how these extra supports help these students achieve their
proposed goals. Where will we find our EOP participants 10 years down the line? Are they better
off than their traditional student counterparts?
In order for these studies to be truly meaningful we would have to gain access to the
students GPAs. This information will give us more data on the academic success of the students,
and we will be able to compare and contrast the habits of those who had higher versus lower
academic performance. Our ultimate goal is not just to understand how the Education
Opportunity Program creates nurturing environments for its students, but ultimately if these
environments transfer into academic success.
Turner (2015) stated, it is important to acknowledge who we are in total, because it is
who we are that affects our approaches to research, that shapes the types of questions we ask,
determines the kinds of issues which interest us, and the ways in which we go about seeking
solutions as well as interpreting our findings. Just as it is critical to monitor plants growth
continuously, it is important for us to get to know and listen to the learners that we serve, so that
we can best support them. Now, it is time for all of us to take this knowledge and practice it in
our everyday lives. By creating nurturing practices, policies, and programs that help all to bloom
where they are planted, we can contribute to the development of individuals who are confident,
and, in turn, might help others to bloom where they are planted. Johnson (2014) stated, faculty
development initiatives are useful venues for discussing the learning and development needs of
undergraduate students and issues facing students of color at a predominantly White institution.
The development of institutional and academic department cultures that value and reward
teaching and advising underscore the importance of meaningful facultystudent interactions and
support for faculty efforts and accomplishments in these areas. It seems as though building an
autonomous student is a key component of any educational program. In order, for this to occur
students must feel as though they are a part of the overall system, not just one that was
specifically constructed for them. Faculty and administrators need to understand these students in
order to help develop them inside and outside of the classroom. This arduous task cannot be left
just to academic advisors. When a student feels comfortable in an environment they will seek out
solutions to their own problems, instead of feeling like the only place they could get answers are
at the EOP office. Once a student is matriculated into a university they should be given the
individualized attention necessary to succeed. This is not a criticism on the Universitys
treatment of EOP students, but an observation on how universities should treat all their students.
Problem solving is one of the main skills collegiate students should be learning, since
codependency is frowned upon in all aspects of this society. The hope is student services and the
academic side of universities can merge to offer the tools needed for students who fit into this
demographic.
There is still more research which can be done in terms of how administrators and faculty
can address the issues expressed by the students, but here are my recommendations based on
these findings:
Students should be assigned to the same advisor throughout their tenure at the University
Study Skills should be placed at the epicenter of the program, and readdressed throughout
their tenure at the University. This can be done with one initial mandatory meeting with
their advisor each semester. This meeting will serve as their organizational meeting and
must be done after the student receives all syllabuses from their courses. This can help
the advisor and the student create a calendar of assignments and action plan for success.
The EOP office should host major nights where past students and alumni who were
successful in a particular major or field of work interact with freshman. What we would
like to build are connections between students who have done the course work
successfully and those attempting to go through it for the first time. The goal is to get
successful students to impart their tricks for success with the new students.
Obtain teacher evaluations on general education courses to help students find responsive
faculty. Advisors should know who their allies are in the academic faculty. By being
privy to this information they may be able to better serve the interests of their students
who may struggle in certain classes versus others depending on their skill set. A well
informed advisor is the best thing any student can have.
Appendix A
Participant
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Gender
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Major
Criminal justice
Globalization
Public Health
Business
Administration- ITM
concentration
Communications
Latin Caribbean
Studies
Nanoengineering
Social Welfare
Psych
sociology
Math
Semesters @
UAlbany
8
6
8
10
8
6
8
8
8
8
8
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