Ten Years of PASS Project: Reflections on a Longitudinal Research-to-Practice Study (Division J Vice Presidential Session)

• In Event: The PASS Project: Reflections on a Decade of Research (Division J, Vice Presidential Session)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the first presentation is to orient audience members to the scope and history of the project, explain the use of the term “at-promise,” share study research questions and foci, and suggest the study’s contribution to the field of higher education.
Perspective: The PASS study explores how at-promise students from three midwestern university campuses experience their first and second years on campus, with particular attention paid to academic and psychosocial outcomes. The longitudinal mixed methods research design enables the research team to analyze nuanced data across time. The research-to-practice study: (1) explores at-promise student academic outcomes, a series of psychosocial constructs (i.e., belonging, mattering, well-being), and students’ experiences with major and career self-efficacy and planning; (2) examines programmatic and institutional change processes in support of at-promise student success; and (3) supports three midwestern campuses to improve at-promise student success.
Methods/data sources: Student methods, modes of inquiry, and data sources will be discussed in depth during the third presentation.
Results: This presentation will chronicle how the results of [redacted] research have influenced how comprehensive college transition programs effectively support students, as well as how the universities are improving the way they support at-promise students through culture change efforts. The presentation will also suggest how [redacted] research ties into broader trends in higher education.
Significance: The study’s mixed methods approach allows for granular, longitudinal analysis of moments, relationships, programmatic and institutional elements that bolster students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes. These elements factor into the scholarly, theoretical, and practical significance of the study.

Author

• Adrianna Kezar, University of Southern California