Predicting Transition and Adjustment to
College: Minority Biomedical and Behavioral
Science Students’ First Year of College
Sylvia Hurtado, June C. Chang, Victor B. Saenz, Lorelle L. Espinosa,
Nolan L. Cabrera, & Oscar S. Cerna
University of California – Los Angeles
Higher Education Research Institute
AIR 2006 – Chicago, IL
Trends

Demographic shift: Increasing number of college-age
students from historically underrepresented
backgrounds.
– URM: African Americans, Latina/os, American Indian/Native
Alaskan

Increasing number of college freshmen showing
interest in biomedical and behavioral science majors
(CIRP, 2004).

More incoming freshmen report interest in research
careers (CIRP, 2004).
Issues

Racial/ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in a
multiplicity of fields and disciplines, especially in the biomedical
and behavioral sciences.

They have among the lowest levels of matriculation in these
critical fields and even lower rates of representation in research
science careers (NSF, 2003).

Goal: Continue to diversify the pool of research scientists and to
increase research in fields that will ultimately improve the health
and well-being of underserved communities.
Research Questions

What are the informal and institutional
practices that are key factors to URM science
students’ success at managing their
academic environment during the first year of
college?

What are the critical contributors and
detractors for URM science student sense of
belonging?
Conceptual Model Guiding Study
College Entry
Social and Academic First Year
Experiences
First Year Outcomes
Multi-Institutional
Characteristics
Student
Background
Financial
Concerns
Pre-college
Academic
Achievement
Campus Structures that Link
the Social and Academic
Systems (specific programs,
memberships, courses,
advising)
Peer Racial/Dynamics:
Quality of cross-racial
friendships
Racial Climate
Competitive Climate
Family as External
Push or Pull Factor
Note: Model adapted from Nora (2001).
Academic
Development
and Performance
Psychological Sense
of Integration:
Success in Managing
the Academic
Environment
Sense of belonging at
the institution
Data and Sample

Data source:





HERI’s 2004 Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s
(CIRP) Freshman Survey
YCFY administered at the end of the freshman year,
resulting in over 26,000 students at 203 four-year
institutions who completed both surveys.
Weighted to correct for non-response bias
Missing value analysis
Sample:

5,049 students selected in three categories:



URMs science majors
White/ Asian science majors
URM non-science majors
Academic Adjustment:
Success in Managing Academic Environment

Constructed by self-assessment of the
following (alpha = .78):
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Understanding what your professors expect of you
academically
Developing effective study skills
Adjusting to the academic demands of college
Managing your time effectively
Getting to know faculty
Three-point scale: 1=unsuccessful to
3=completely successful
Sense of Belonging (at end of 1st year)

Constructed by assessing agreement
with the following (alpha = .84):
a) I see myself as part of the campus community
b) I feel I am a member of this college
c) I feel I have a sense of belonging to this college

Three-point scale: 1=strongly disagree
to 4=strongly agree
Analysis

Basic Descriptives

Comparison of means on outcomes and key
variables (ANOVA & Scheffe’s post-hoc test) for
within and between group differences

Series of blocked linear regression analyses of each
dependent variable for each of the following
categories:
– URM science majors
– White/ Asian science majors
– URM non-science majors
Mean Difference Tests (post-hoc)
Scheffe Post-Hoc Tests for Success at Managing Academic Environment by Key Groups
Mean Diff.
(1st-2nd)
p<.05
1st Group
2nd Group
Asian/Pacific Islander
White
-0.16
*
Black
-0.12
*
American Indian
-0.11
*
Latino
-0.11
*
White
Latino
0.02
*
URM Science majors
URM non-Science majors
-0.04
*
White/Asian Science Majors
-0.03
not sig.
Note: No significant differences were observed for DV: Sense of Belonging. Data are weighted
Regression: Success at managing academic environment
URM Science
Final
Beta
VARIABLE
r
Background & Pre-College Factors
Ethnic comp of pre-college environment (White)
.10 ***
Concern of financing college
-.13 ***
.03
-.07 ***
SAT/ACT
HSGPA
Best guess to communicate w/professors
Self-rated ability to time manage
Social self-concept
-.01
.05
.14
.26
.18
-.06
-.05
.07
.14
.09
Family responsibilities interfere
-.09 ***
*
***
***
***
*
**
***
***
-.07 ***
White/Asian Science
Final
Beta
r
.10 ***
-.15 ***
.02
.14
.18
.30
.16
***
.03
.00
.08 **
.15 ***
.04
-.14 ***
-.08 ***
***
***
***
Adj. R^2=.12
Institutional Characteristics
Minority Serving Institution (MSI)
.10 ***
Public University (ref: Private 4-yr coll.) -.12 ***
Selectivitiy
-.11 ***
%of degreses awarded in Bio-behavioral sciences
.01
-.05
-.05
-.16 **
.06
Adj. R^2=.17
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
-.05
-.06 *
URM Non-Science
Final
Beta
r
.03
-.06 **
.00
.09
.18
.26
.20
***
-.01
.01
.06 **
.16 ***
.08 ***
-.13 ***
-.10 ***
***
***
***
Adj. R^2=.15
.05 *
-.20 ***
-.04
.07 *
-.01
-.09 **
-.25 ***
.17 **
Adj. R^2=.23
-.01
-.05 *
Adj. R^2=.12
.07
-.09
-.07
.05
**
***
**
*
-.01
-.08 **
-.21 ***
.13 ***
Adj. R^2=.18
Regression: Success at managing academic environment
(cont).
VARIABLE
r
URM Science
Final
Beta
White/Asian Science
Final
Beta
r
URM Non-Science
Final
Beta
r
.01
-.02
College Factors (Activities, Experiences, etc.)
Participate in health science research program
.03
.00
.04
Participate in pre-prof or dept. club
.09 ***
.01
.08 **
-.04
.07 **
-.02
Enroll in first-year experience seminar
.09 ***
.03
.05 *
.01
.06 *
.02
Enroll in learning community
.02
.01
.04
.00
.02
.00
Hrs/week in class or lab
.06 *
-.03
.08 **
-.04
.08 ***
-.03
Worked on prof.'s research
.06 **
-.02
.05
-.05
.09 ***
-.02
Frequency of interacting with grad student/TA .05 *
.04
-.01
-.05 *
.10 ***
.08 ***
Worked with academic advisor to select courses .17 ***
.04
.18 ***
.02
.15 ***
.02
Academic advising by junior/senior
.12 ***
.05 *
.09 **
.03
.14 ***
.04
Academic advising by a freshmen
.00
-.07 **
Adj. R^2=.20
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
.03
.02
-.03
Adj. R^2=.24
.05 *
-.05 *
Adj. R^2=.20
Regression: Success at managing academic environment
(cont).
VARIABLE
r
URM Science
Final
Beta
White/Asian Science
Final
Beta
r
URM Non-Science
Final
Beta
r
.05
.05
.05
.07 **
.06 *
.03
.17 ***
.08 ***
.10 ***
.04
Peer Environment
Positive cross-racial interactions
.04
Ethnic composition study group (White) .07 **
Perceptions of racial climate (hostile)
-.12 ***
Perceptions of competitive environment -.11 ***
-.05 *
-.11 ***
-.03
-.12 ***
-.05 *
-.08 ***
-.10 ***
-.05
-.05 *
-.05 *
Adj. R^2=.22
Adj. R^2=.25
Adj. R^2=.21
Academic development & performance
Relevance of coursework to life
.31 ***
.17 ***
.39 ***
.24 ***
.33 ***
.18 ***
Change in ability to conduct research
.23 ***
.10 ***
.26 ***
.10 ***
.25 ***
.11 ***
Hrs/week studying or doing homework
.19 ***
.11 ***
.24 ***
.10 ***
.19 ***
.10 ***
College GPA
.39 ***
.31 ***
.41 ***
.27 ***
.37 ***
.29 ***
Adj. R^2=.34
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
Adj. R^2=.39
Adj. R^2=.33
Regression: Sense of Belonging
VARIABLE
URM Science
Final
Beta
r
White/Asian
Science
Final
Beta
r
URM Non-Science
Final
Beta
r
Background & Pre-college Factors
Gender: Female
-.01
.01
.00
.00
.03
.07 ***
Concern of financing college
-.12 *** -.09 *** -.19 *** -.09 *** -.07 **
-.01
SAT/ACT
.09 ***
.08 *
.17 ***
.01
.13 ***
HSGPA
.05 *
.00
.17 ***
.04
.09 ***
Best guess to communicate w/professors
.13 ***
.04
.15 ***
.00
.22 ***
.06 **
Social self-concept
.15 ***
.06 *
.20 ***
.10 ***
.22 ***
.10 ***
Family support to succeed
.10 ***
.04
.16 ***
.07 **
.13 ***
.07 ***
-.11 *** -.09 *** -.17 *** -.09 *** -.13 ***
-.09 ***
Family responsibilities interfere
Adj. R^2=.06
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
Adj. R^2=.13
.08 *
-.03
Adj. R^2=.12
Regression: Sense of Belonging (cont.)
White/Asian
Science
Final
URM Science
Final
Beta
URM Non-Science
Final
r
Beta
r
.01
.03
-.03
.08 ***
.05 *
.13 ***
.04
.09 *** -.03
.13 ***
.03
Participate in academic support program for URMs .09 ***
.04
.03
.04
.09 ***
.03
Enroll in first-year experience seminar
.05 *
.03
.09 ***
.05
.08 ***
.03
Hrs/week in class or lab
.05 *
-.03
.15 ***
.09 ***
.14 ***
.06 **
Worked on prof.'s research
.01
-.05
Frequency of interacting with grad student/TA
.14 ***
.05 *
.16 ***
.04
.14 ***
.02
Worked with academic advisor to select courses
.15 ***
.03
.19 ***
.05
.18 ***
.06 **
Academic advising by junior/senior
.24 ***
.12 ***
.25 ***
.10 ***
.24 ***
.08 ***
Academic advising by a freshmen
.17 ***
.06 **
.24 ***
.11 ***
.17 ***
.04
VARIABLE
College Factors (Activities, Experiences, etc.)
r
Participate in health science research program
.06 *
Participate in pre-prof or dept. club
Adj. R^2=.14
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
-.03
-.08 **
Adj. R^2=.21
Beta
-.01
-.04
Adj. R^2=.18
Regression: Sense of Belonging (cont.)
URM Science
Final
Beta
r
White/Asian
Science
Final
Beta
r
Positive cross-racial interactions
.16 ***
.19 ***
.11 ***
.16 ***
Ethnic composition college friends (White)
.04
-.01
.13 ***
.04
.02
Ethnic composition study groups (White)
.12 ***
.04
.14 ***
.02
.15 ***
VARIABLE
URM Non-Science
Final
Beta
r
Peer Environment
Perceptions of racial climate (hostile)
Perceptions of competitive environment
.11 ***
-.08 **
-.16 *** -.16 *** -.14 *** -.11 *** -.19 ***
.02
.01
Adj. R^2=.18
.06 *
.02
Adj. R^2=.24
.08 **
.12 ***
.06 *
-.18 ***
.11 ***
Adj. R^2=.24
Academic development & performance
Relevance of coursewrk to life
.27 ***
.15 ***
.30 ***
.14 ***
.34 ***
.18 ***
Change in ability to conduct research
.19 ***
.09 ***
.19 ***
.05 *
.20 ***
.07 **
Ability to manage academic environment
.25 ***
.09 ***
.30 ***
.15 ***
.30 ***
.11 ***
Hrs/week studying or doing homework
.12 ***
.05
.21 ***
.01
.17 ***
.00
College GPA
.11 *** -.04
.15 ***
.00
Adj. R^2=.22
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05
.14 *** -.06 *
Adj. R^2=.29
Adj. R^2=.29
Implications
More inclusive indicators are needed in studying
adjustment and integration models:
 Family support is important but unusual
responsibilities detract from adjustment and sense of
belonging
 Burden of financial concerns is more important to
science students
 Studying the climate and improving intergroup
relations is important for campuses achieving both
diversity and excellence
 Combining CIRP and YFCY captures predisposition
and transition and adjustment experiences
This study was made possible by the support of the
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant
Number 1 RO1 GMO71968-01. This independent research
and the views expressed here do not indicate endorsement
by the sponsor.
For more information on the project
and copies of the paper
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/nih