The Experiences of Undergraduate

Students during the Great

Recession at a

Flagship University

An Ecological Analysis of Student

Retention

Pilar Mendoza, Ed.D.Zaria Malcolm, Ph.D.Nancy Parish, Ph.D. Candidate

The Great Recession

Downturn that began in 2007 has effected many sectors of society (Clarke, 2010)

Unemployment and foreclosures has effected many college students’ families

1 in 6 students reportedly forced to change college plans as a result of economic circumstances (College Board, 2009)

Purpose of the Study

Decades of research shows that college affordability is a significant factor on student retention (Perna, 2006; Chen, 2008; Hossler, Ziskin, Gross, Kim, & Cekic, 2009)

The real cost of a college education has climbed almost 30% in the past 10 years (Cellini, 2008) and financial aid is not growing at the same pace as college costs (Long, 2010)

Therefore, this study investigated qualitatively how undergraduate students experienced the Great Recession at a flagship university and how this experience relate to their retention

Theoretical Perspectives

Premise: Students’ success depends on how much they believe they can succeed (Bandura, Barbaranelli, & Caprara, 1996) and on the environmental conditions that enable students to realize their expectations of success (Tinto, 2010)

STUDENT X ENVIROMENT = SUCCESS

Theoretical Framework: Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1993) and Tinto’s institutional conditions for student retention (2010)

Tinto (2010): Institutional Conditions for Retention

There are four environmental conditions at the institutional level that allows students to realize their expectations of success:

Expectations

Feedback

Involvement

Support

Bronfrenbrenner (1993)

Ecological Systems Theory accounts for the influences of individuals (person), their interactions with the environment and the responses they provoke from the environment (process), their interactions within immediate settings (context), and changing sociocultural influences on development (time)

The elements of person, process, context, and time (PPCT) create a developmental environment unique to an individual that shapes their growth

This environment is the result of five nested environmental systems: microsystem, mesosytem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosytem

Bronfrenbrenner (1993)

Microsystem: Face-to-face settings containing the individual such as housing, classes, student organizations, employment, friendships, living situations, family, community, church, etc.

Mesosystem: Interactions/processes among microsystems for example, employment influence in classes taking; influence of friendships in social activities, etc.

Exosystem: Social setting in which the individual does not have an active role and the individual's immediate context. For example, institutional policies, financial aid, students’ family labor conditions, etc.

Macrosystem: Describes the broader political, economical, social and cultural context in which individuals live

Chronosystem: The patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course, as well as socio-historical circumstances (when and where)

Bronfrenbrenner (1993) Applied to Campus

Environments

Graph from Renn (2003) p. 388

Theoretical Framework: The Ecology of Student

RetentionBronfrenbrenner

(1993) Tinto (2010)

Nested Environments Conditions for Student Retention

Student Self-Expectations and behaviors

Microsystem Mesosystem

Feedback Involvement

Exosystem Support and Expectations

Macrosystem Economic & Political Climate

Chronosystem Flagship University in the Great Recession

Research Design

Participants: 45 undergraduates ~40% African-American

~24% Hispanic

~7% Asian

~29% White

~55% with income above $40,000

Data collection: 30-45 minutes face-to-face open-ended interviews

Typological analysis (Hatch, 2002)

Interview ProtocolBronfrenbrenner

(1993) Tinto (2010) Interview

Protocol

Nested Environments

Conditions for Student Retention

Questions

Student Self-Expectations and behaviors

Aspirations

Microsystem

Mesosystem

Feedback

Engagement

High school and college experiencesAcademic and social integration

Exosystem Support and Expectations

Familial and community environmentFinancial aid Family supportInteractions with faculty and staff

Macrosystem Economic & Political Climate

Experiences related to the Great  Recession

FindingsGraph 1. The Impact of the Great Recession on Students based on the Study Typologies by the Levels of the Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory model (1993)

Great Recession

Financial Aid

Family economic/labor

conditions

Anxiety

Parental Financial Support

Aspirations

Financial Behavior

Life style Housing Employment

Social & Academic

Integration

Time in College

Chronosystem: Great Recession at a Flagship Institution

Macrosystem

Exosystem

Student

Microsystem

Mesosystem

Institutional Choice

Thank you.