Preliminary Evaluation of a Living-Learning Program for First-Generation College Students: A Quasi-Experimental Approach

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 69
  In Roundtable Session: First-Year Experiences

Abstract

Living-Learning Programs (LLPs) have been shown to improve the academic success of undergraduate students. Less is known, however, about the efficacy of LLPs designed specifically for students of marginalized identities. As such, the current study is a preliminary evaluation of an LLP for first-generation college students. First-year students in this LLP (n = 41) were compared to a group of peers who lived in other LLPs (n = 41) and who did not live in any LLP (n = 41). Groups were matched by demographic and academic factors. Students in the first-generation LLP had significantly higher GPAs than both comparison groups and higher retention rates than students who did not participate in an LLP. Implications for identity-specific LLPs are discussed.

Authors

• Calah Ford, University of Kentucky

• Andrew Arthur Nelson, University of Kentucky

• Xiao-Yin Chen

• Ellen L. Usher, University of Kentucky

• Christia Spears Brown, University of Kentucky