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Research Proposal: The Impact of Themed Living-Learning Communities Among

First-Generation Undergraduate Students.

Ayra Valerie Agluba

Higher Education Administration and Leadership Graduate Program

California State University, Fresno

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Abstract

First-generation college students continue to experience lack of support and success

within their higher education career. They are at a disadvantage and critically in need to establish

a sense of belonging to their campus community, understanding that the first-year experience is

critical in determining their success within the institution. This research proposal uses a mixed

method approach using case study research design to address the role of the Living-Learning

Community in support to first-year, first-generation college students. The participants are from

University of California Merced, Fiat-Lux Scholars Program (LLC) identifying first-year,

first-gen students. The study will use questionnaires and focus groups to identify challenges and

impacts that these students face in the LLC program.

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Purpose

As universities enroll more minority students to try and diversify their student bodies, it

causes institutions to expand their efforts to connect and support student minorities through

living-learning programs/communities (LLC) and organizations. This research proposal aims to

understand and examine the role of living-learning programs concerning first-year,

first-generation college students' academic and social success. Prior literature indicates how

First-generation college undergraduate students have consistently depicted difficult transitions to

college particularly those who attend large residential research universities (Inkelas et. al., 2007).

Research has shown how living-learning communities promote positive flourishing experiences

(i.e. social connections, positive academic progress, and having a meaningful outlook on college)

for undergraduate students (Maples et. al., 2022). These living-learning communities are known

to be effective in improving social engagement, academic performance, and retention rates

among college students. The purpose of this research proposal is to investigate the overall impact

of living-learning communities on first-year first-generation undergraduate students. The study

answers the question of how living-learning communities influence first-year experiences as

first-generation students? However, there is a limited research study on the impact of

living-learning communities on first-generation students, this study hopes to fill the gap by

exploring whether these living-learning communities provide additional support to

first-generation students and if these LLCs are committed to the academic and social integration

within the students they serve.

Key Terminology

Some of the few terms that this study will be using are: “First-generation student” which

will be defined as those who are the first in their families to pursue a postsecondary education,
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specifically a four-year university; some scholars depict first-generation undergraduate students

simply as students whose parents did not go to college. “Transition” is used to describe

high-school students transitioning to college. “Living-learning communities (LLC)” is defined as

residential communities and programs that support the academic, social, and personal needs of

students. “Retention” means the continued enrollment of first-generation undergraduate students

within an institution. This study will focus on living-learning communities/programs that focus

on first-generation college students.

Design

This study will use a mixed methods approach, including both qualitative and

quantitative data collection methods. Quantitative data will be collected through surveys to

measure and examine the academic performance, and retention rates of first-generation

undergraduate students in a living-learning community (LLC). Qualitative data will be collected

through interviews/focus groups exploring challenges faced and social engagement by first-year

first-generation college students in LLCs. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected

from first-year first-gen students who are currently enrolled in LLCs. The case study approach

will be appropriate for this study due to the idea of focusing on one stand-alone LLC program

within one institution rather than multiple series of programs at multiple institutions. The case

study involves acquiring multiple perspectives from a wide range of participants, expecting to

have diverse undergraduate students involved within this case study. Within this research, I

sought to understand the influence of an LLC program on first-year first-gen students.

Field Setting

A first-year, first-generation-themed LLC in a dense suburban, primarily residential,

med-size, four-year institution. The University of California Merced has an undergraduate

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enrollment of around 9,018 and approximately 46% of students live on campus. I would reach

out to the director of the Bright Success Center at UC Merced to possibly connect with the

Fiat-Lux Scholars Program which is a first-year living-learning community for income-eligible,

first-generation undergraduate students. This LLC provides holistic support for scholars

throughout their four years at UC Merced. Fiat-Lux offers financial support and dedicated

professional and student staff that will help guide first-gen students to achieve academic success.

Over 300 undergraduate students are enrolled in this program, it is also important to note that

this LLC is by invitation-only program and is hand-picked by financial aid.

Participants and Procedures

In this case study we will be studying the first-year students who are admitted to the

program. There are about 90 first-year, first-generation students who live in one

complex/building solely for the Fiat-Lux Scholars Program. For this study, I will be sending out

a cover letter (Appendix A) calling for volunteers to be the first-year Fiat-Lux Scholars. These

students were identified through the LLC program, and those who are willing to participate will

receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

After the process of solidifying the participant pool, I plan to send out a consent letter

(Appendix B) to each of the participants explaining the purpose and details of this research study,

Then send out survey instrument questionnaire (Appendix C) which includes a range of student

background characteristics, college involvements, multiple self-reported items assessing

transitions. I will also be collecting data according to the participant's academic performance,

and retention rates of first-generation undergraduate students in the LLC program. This will

determine multiple aspects of success and access to the LLC programs. Once these data are

collected I will conduct in-person focus groups over the course of eight weeks, each session will
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last between 45 minutes to an hour. The focus group is a qualitative research tool to bring the

participants together to talk about their experiences and thoughts on the research topic (Smith,

2021). Focus groups are administered to be an important part of the case study, the interactions

among participants through stimulating discussion is a great way to gather information.

Research’s Perspective

As a first-generation college student myself, I want this study to contribute to the

understanding of the overall effectiveness of these living-learning communities. First-year

first-generation undergraduate students often face several challenges and problems that they face

and one of these is the lack of support and guidance from family and institutions when it comes

to their transition to college. Financial constraints are also another factor that many

first-generation students face, most of these students come from low-income families which

leads to financial stress and potentially compromises their academic performance. These student

minorities seek to find a sense of belonging within their institutions, battling imposter syndrome

impacting their confidence and academic success. Overall, first-generation college undergraduate

students have a difficult time adapting to the college environment and often are not connected to

their institutions due to the lack of initiatives that institutions have. Within my previous role as a

mentor at an LLC program as well as being part of one during my undergraduate career, I’ve

learned a great deal about how these programs work to support their students. As I served as a

mentor to empower and support first-generation college students by providing academic, social,

and professional guidance while managing to advocate for the interests of the students. LLCs

programs, specifically Fiat-Lux staff members worked with others to plan, coordinate and

facilitate workshops and/or collaborate and facilitate professional developments and workshops.

My roles in education have shaped my values and beliefs on the importance of all students
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deserving access to an education. My experiences consisted of primarily learning the importance

of collaborative partnerships, policy/procedural and research development which is especially

rooted within campus climates.

This study hopes to understand how we as student affairs practitioners improve the

college experience for many first generations of college students. The findings of this study will

be useful for policymakers, higher education practitioners, and researchers who are interested in

improving the success of first-generation students. Determining how these living-learning

communities (LLC) work to offer guidance on academic and social aspects of college students.

Ethical considerations and Limitations

For this study, I’m considering participating in an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to

protect the health and rights of the participants involved in the study. Some components that will

possibly be included in the IRB are informed consents explaining the purpose and duration of the

study, describe any risks that can potentially be involved in the study. It’s important to be

transparent with the participants of your intentions in their participation and have their full

voluntary consent. Additionally, I plan to use vague titles (i.e., first-year student #1) rather than

using their real names to protect their identity. Among other things, it is important to know that

this study is completely voluntary and participants have the ability to withdraw from this

research study at any time without receiving any penalty. This research proposal acknowledges

limitations within the study, researchers positionality can occur as results can be interpreted by

the researcher. Results for this study may be questioned in the form of researchers bias as I was

part of the LLC program during my undergraduate career. In this case, researchers must identify

and clarify the background, perspectives, and biases of the researchers to avoid complications
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(Nixon, 2017). This study might only be applicable/ transformable statewide, this limits the

generalizability to who this study applies to.

Conclusion

This research proposal aims to understand and explore the impact of LLCs on first-year,

first-generation college students. It hopes to contribute to the understanding of the effectiveness

of these programs, using this study as a useful tool for policymakers, educators and those who

are interested in improving the success of first-gen students. The study uses a mixed method

approach using case study research design. This research proposal acknowledges the

development of the research: purpose, design, participants, procedures, ethical considerations,

and researchers perspective.

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References

Astroth, K. S., & Chung, S. Y. (2018). Focusing on the fundamentals: Reading qualitative

research with a critical eye. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 45(4), 381-348.

Inkelas, K. K., Daver, Z. E., Vogt, K. E., & Leonard, J. B. (2007). Living–learning programs and

first-generation college students’ academic and social transition to college. Research in

Higher education, 48, 403-434.

Maples, A. E., Williams-Wengerd, A., Braughton, J. E., Henry, K. L., Haddock, S. A., & Weiler,

L. M. (2022). The role of service-learning experiences in promoting flourishing among

college-student youth mentors. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(1), 131-142.

https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=39098b7d-a545-4c2

a-ad7c-ef8e560888a5%40redis

Nixon, M. L. (2017). Experiences of women of color university chief diversity officers. Journal

of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(4), 301-317.

Smith, R. (2021). Welcome Home: The Efficacy of a First-Generation Themed Living-Learning

Community. Hofstra University.

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Appendix A

Cover letter: Invitation to Focus Group Participants:

Dear [insert name]:

My name is Ayra Valerie Agluba and I am currently a Graduate Student in the Higher Education
Administration Leadership program at Fresno State University. I am conducting a research study
for my Foundation of Inquiry and Applied Research in Higher Education course, in which I will
study first-year students who are first in their family to go to college, also known as
first-generation students who are currently enrolled and part of a themed Living-Learning
Community. I am specifically interested in understanding the role of living-learning programs
concerning first-year, first-generation college students' academic and social success, and if these
LLCs contribute to a greater sense of comfort and belonging within their institutions. As part of
my research study, I will be conducting a focus group within these first-year, first-generation
college students, as well as sending a set of questionnaires. I am inviting you to participate in this
study, with a few details about the focus group: each focus group meeting will be held in-person
and will last no more than 60 minutes. I will start a conversation about your personal experiences
and challenges as first-generation students in LLC programs. I will keep your identity
confidential and will not be using your real name in the study final report.

If you would like to participate in this research study, please respond to this following email or
you can reach me at Ayraagluba@mail.fresnostate.edu. Please let me know if you have any
questions or concerns about my research.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon! I look forward to
speaking with you about your experience as a first-generation student!

Ayra Valerie Agluba

Graduate Student
Fresno State University
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Appendix B

Informed Consent

Title of Research: The Impact of Themed Living-Learning Communities Among

First-Generation Undergraduate Students.

Researchers Contact Information: Ayra Valerie Agluba, Graduate Student, Fresno State
University. Ayraagluba@mail.fresnostate.edu

The purpose of this study is to understand and investigate the overall impact of living-learning
communities on first-year first-generation undergraduate students. The study answers the
question of how living-learning communities influence first-year experiences as first-generation
students? It seeks to determine the experiences of first-year, first-generation students.

Student participants will potentially take part in multiple focus group sessions lasting between
45-60 minutes. Each student participant will answer a series containing background questions,
academic performance, and retention rates of first-generation undergraduate students in a
living-learning community (LLC). Each student will receive a $10 Amazon gift card for
participation.

The risks of this study will most likely be minimal but participants may possibly feel some level
of discomfort sharing their stories within the focus group. However, the risk of identification will
lessen due to the idea that this study will not be identifying any participants' names in the final
written report. Your actual identity will only be known to me and my research advisor.

Your decision to participate in this research study is completely voluntary, if you decide to not
continue to participate in the study, you may withdraw from your participation at any time
without consequences.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study please contact Ayra Valerie Agluba at
Ayraagluba@mail.fresnostate.edu

Sincerely,

Ayra Valerie Agluba

Please click the Yes/No below: I voluntarily agree to participate in this research study
□ Yes □ No

Your signature below indicates you have voluntarily agree to participate in this study:

___________________________ _______ _________________________ _________

Participant’s Signature Age Printed Name Date
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Appendix C

Focus Group: Questionnaire

I. Introduction and Participants Background Characteristics

A. Ethnicity and gender orientation

B. College involvements

II. Self-reported Items

A. What are your perceptions of your college transitions?

B. Did you have any expectations before entering college? What were your
expectations when you entered an LLC program?

C. Did you choose to live in a first-generation living-learning community? If not,

how do you feel about being placed in an LLC program?

III. Focus Group Introduction

A. Tell me about your experience as a First-generation college student?

B. How do you feel about living with other first-generation students? Do you feel a
sense of belonging at the university?

C. Within your LLC program, do you feel a sense of belonging in your university?

D. What were your perceptions about the LLC program in your institution? What
opportunities and resources do you know?

E. What did the LLC program do to make your experience positive or negative? Do
you feel more comfortable interacting with staff and faculty because of the LLC
programs?

IV. Concluding Comments/Questions

A. What other things would you wish to share about your experience as a
first-generation college student?

B. Thank you for participating in this research study.