How Do Parents Influence College Student Engagement? Investigating a Parent Intervention

• In Event: Student Perspectives: Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Engagement on Campus

Abstract

Many low-income and first-generation students who start college never finish, with a significant portion of these students leaving after their first year. For these students, chances of success are improved through engagement with faculty/staff, however they are also less likely to seek out help from faculty/staff. This study investigates a parent intervention aimed to encourage student engagement with faculty/staff by reframing what is culturally appropriate behavior. Through path analysis, using SEM techniques, I show how the intervention influenced student intent to persist into their second year of college through parent-student discussions, as well as student attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Author

• Denise Deutschlander, University of Virginia