Responding to the Needs of First-Generation College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: Strategies and Opportunities for Improving Retention and Completion Rates

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the challenges facing FGCSs and seeks to provide strategies, opportunities, and novel and actionable insights for increasing retention and graduation rates among FGCSs in community colleges during and post the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study further identifies whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these challenges affecting the FGCSs.

Theoretical Framework: The study uses the validation theory to understand the experiences of FGCSs of color that affect their retention and graduation in community colleges.

Methodology: The methodology chapter provides a detailed explanation of the research process that was deployed to collect and analyze data. It presents the research design, which describes the approach used in data collection and analysis, the rationale for the research design adopted, the research area that explains the site where the research was carried out, the population and sample involved in the study, the interviewing protocol used, the research assurance, and the methods used in data collection and analysis.

Findings and Conclusion: The study's findings revealed that the interventional program positively impacted retention in each cohort and led to improved post-intervention GPAs comparable to non-FGCS peers or students with generally higher scores on standardized exams. The examination showed a significant positive impact on post-bridge GPAs as quantitative variables were independent of the qualitative variables. The study concluded that bridge program participation is a strong predictor of student resiliency, persistence, academic performance, and increased academic engagement, which drives self-efficacy and increased acceptance (Frischmann & Moor, 2017).

Recommendations: The research recommends different strategies and opportunities that various stakeholders in a college education can adopt to improve retention and graduation rates for first-generation students in community colleges. On top of the strategies and opportunities listed above, community colleges should consider introducing elective courses designed to address the challenges facing first-generation students in community colleges, such as Positive Psychology. This study recommends that having an elective course that is evaluated, unlike the existing support programs, can effectively improve retention and graduation rates among first-generation students in community colleges.