Agency in LSES Student Campus Involvement: A Social Capital Analysis

• In Event: Leveraging social capital to transform outcomes

Abstract

Low-income students face many demands on their time. In addition to coursework, students must prioritize income generation and consider membership in student organizations when deciding how to spend their resources. Prior research indicates that student involvement leads to positive retention and graduation outcomes for students. While these are important decisions that impact students’ college experience, we know little about how low-income students weigh competing factors that determine which student organizations, if any, they join, and how their particular higher education context conditions their decision-making. At an affluent, private university, how do low-income students make choices about campus involvement? Using longitudinal, qualitative data and a critical lens, we introduce the concept of equitable involvement.

Authors

• Sarah Ann Harris, Baylor University

• Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley, Baylor University

• Tiffani Hoot, Baylor University

• Hunter Kulesza, Baylor University