Social Class Case Study Workshop-- July 8, 2009
Brian Goedde
Note: These case studies were written, based on real student scenarios, by the Social Class Committee.
Invitation:
The Center for Diversity and Enrichment estimates that first generation college students (defined as “neither parent having graduated from a four-year college or university”) comprise 25% to 40% of UI undergraduates. These students, along with students who come from lower-income households, face unique difficulties in their college experience. On behalf of the Social Class Committee I have collected six “case studies” in which social class dynamics play a significant role. The names have been changed, but the narratives are re-created from actual scenarios we’ve encountered.
Note that there are multiple characters in each study. In addition to the student and the advisor, there is the student’s household, parents, and peers; the advisor’s background; the character of office culture and procedure; and the institutional character of the university. You are encouraged to discuss as many social class dynamics as you see. Each case study is followed by a question or two, and the overall question guiding this workshop is, “How can advisors best serve first-generation and/or low-income students?”
Break into six groups. Each group is given a case study to discuss (15 min). Appoint one member of the group to take notes of your discussion. Then, someone from each group will read the case study to the entire group and synopsize the discussion (30 min). Fifteen minutes will remain for open discussion.
- The Snazzy Dressers
By the end of your F3 Comm-Lit block, Jenny, a painfully shy English major from Lone Tree, has edged away from the table to doodle.
In your individual meeting with her, as you run through your list of questions, you ask, “Any plans to work, on or off-campus?”
“Yup,” she says. “No designer shoes or handbags for me.”
You laugh with her. You’re no snazzy dresser yourself. “I know what you mean,” you say. “Any AP tests? Transfer credit?”
She goes back to answering your questions as perfunctorily as you ask them, and you begin to wonder, noting her nondescript jeans, sneakers, and a high school band T-shirt faded with age, if she had made a comment about fitting in with the social class of her peers. You decide maybe she has, and feel you should respond.
When do you respond? How do you phrase your concern?
Responses to “The Snazzy Dressers”
How much are you thinking about working?
Talk about own personal experience having worked in college
Ask about parent’s jobs
Reinforce them for being here
Don’t “phrase a concern” – ask question
- What I’m Here For
It’s transfer orientation, Friday before the first day of class. Sherry, a Therapeutic Rec Interest with an AA, is five minutes late, then fifteen, and just as you contemplate dashing across the street to Pat’s Diner for a tea and a cookie, a light blinks orange at the bottom of your screen.
“Sorry I’m late—I got so lost!”
“That’s OK,” you say, looking at your screen to click Arrived, “but we only have about a half-hour left, so first do you have any quest—”
“Yes, so I’ve been at Muscatine for two years, and I’m so sick of school but I guess I need a ‘de-greefrom I-owa’ if I ever want to make any money, right? Even thoughI already work at the rec center and teach an aquatics class— which means I can only have classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings because I’m also commuting from Muscatine, because I have car paymentsup the wazzooand I can’t do that and live in Iowa City. So do you know where I can park?”
“I do,” you say, turning to the computer to look up Parking & Transportation. Though I’d much rather eat a snickerdoodle, you think, and before you realize it, the deep breath you take exits as an audible sigh.
“Oh,” Sherry says, taken aback. “Is that not what you’re here for?”
How do you respond? What is the relationship between her priorities as a student and yours as an advisor?
Responses to “What I’m Here For”
Catch breath first – re-direct attention. Don’t address P and T.
Commuter issues
Larger conversation – ask student – “why do you want to be here?”
Full-time or part-time? Maybe take course or two and then decide
Micro versus macro issues
Micro issues may be more nonacademic and more of concern to the student
Macro issues may be more academic and more of concern to the advisor
Keep in mind that she doesn’t know what advisors are for, how a 4-year school works, etc. (or she thinks she knows)
Students feel like they don’t belong
Don’t have friends on campus
Be patient with student and be a larger resource
On campus resources can be alien to commuter students
Cultural attitude that you have to have a college degree to make money
Write on calendar to call them for more of a chatty visit/appt
What we like about her decisions: reasonable degree, clearly already involved/interested, picked the right major
We are a starting point, yes, for the info and resources she needs – say we do both academic and nonacademic issues
- A Chicago Star
Jamaal, a pre-business AI student from Chicago, graduated high school at the top of his class. At his NSM and PA appointments he seems enthusiastic about college, but his final ACT scores that arrive in November (a combined score of 13) forebode how his first semester ends: a 1.62 GPA.
Over winter break you email him information about probation, but get no response. He had said that he liked CT, so you email him about CSS, strongly advising he sign up. Again, no response.
In Jamaal’s Spring planning appointment he earnestly says he’s “turning things around.” He arranges for tutoring through CDE, and over the course of the semester meets regularly with you, his instructors, and his CDE multicultural coordinator. As he approaches finals week, however, he’s certain he’ll be dismissed. He also tells you that his Rhetoric II instructor, who has said that he is likely fail her class, recommends that Jamaal test for a learning disability.
You say you’d like to help him through the LD testing and the dismissal appeal. He thanks you for your offer, and asks you to call him—he doesn’t have Internet access at home and has to wait hours to use the computer at his neighborhood library.
What else can Jamaal do to succeed? What else can you do to help him? What could either of you have done differently to prevent his dismissal?
- The Iowa Challenge
At his summer orientation, Thomas, a pre-business student from De Witt, notes on his Advisor Information Worksheet that 1. He’s thrilled to go to the football games as part of the marching band, 2. He’ll have many friends here from his home town, and 3. He’s a first-generation college student.
The next time you hear from him or about him is when midterm grades are posted, Thomas is failing all classes but Rhetoric, and his parents request a meeting. In this meeting Thomas doesn’t make much eye contact and candidly explains: His professors had said that because all the lecture notes are online, students don’t “have to” go to class. So he didn’t.
The Iowa Challenge “message project” comes to your mind… #4 Choose: Take your choices seriously and use your freedom wisely… but you postpone your comments since Thomas’ parents are visibly upset that Thomas might be dismissed from school. However, after discussing Thomas’ several options, from SGO to CSS, the parents’ mood improves to the point that, while you’re looking something up on the computer, they tell Thomas a funny story about a couple of drunk guys at the last high school football game.
The meeting comes to a close. What are your Iowa Challenge comments to Thomas— and his parents?
Responses to “The Iowa Challenge”
2 challenges – having student and parents to deal with and not getting good support from Mom and Dad
How to go from 1st to 2nd semester she he has a reason to come back, or he will go home and stay on easy track.
Business major = assumption that it points to a successful career, is he doing well in Rhetoric? Major change?
Understand correlation between going to class and good grades
He “heard” that you don’t have to come to class, so he assumes that because an authority said it who are you going to take your cues from? At this point, family and friends aren’t good sources. Let me be your source as an advisor
Say, “all students, blah blah, blah” so as not to point a finger at him or being condescending.
Students feel like they have the weight of expectations i.e. choose 22M:13 even though placed into M:17 after self-disclosing “I am 1st in my family to go…”
Ask – “what does that mean to you?”
If it is too good to be true (not going to class), it probably is.
His priorities are: 1. Football, 2. Friends and 3. He’s 1st gen. Then parents ultimately support that theme.
Ballroom issues complicate it because if there’s a schedule change, that takes all the time
Link students:
Brian Corkery says to be more direct. “if you do the right things and make good choices, you can do this
What is the perception of Iowa from an outsider’s point of view? (i.e., football, parties)
- Mistakes Were Made
Todd, a pre-business, AI student from Waterloo, startles you in his planning appointment when he says that having both math and stats in the same semester is “awful.”
Both? You had figured he was in 22M:13, the math class in which he placed, but stats? You’re startled again to look at the computer and see an 18-hour schedule that includes 22S:8.
His father had signed him up. He told Todd he’s paying tuition so Todd can get “a real job” after college, and the sooner the better. “But what a mistake,” Todd says. “I’m failing both.”
“Right,” you say, “I would never advise taking both of these in your first semester, for this veryreason.”
Todd blushes. “Well, he never went to college,” he says defensively. “He has no idea what—”
“That’s OK,” you say. Your point is that Todd should check with you, not disparage his father, but it appears you’ve just embarrassed him further.
How do you make Todd feel comfortable again? How do you clarify your advising role to him?
Responses to “Mistakes Were Made”
Point out to the student that this is not unique to parents who did not go to college. Parents care about their kids and want to help.
Point out that advice comes from a variety of sources (friends, people in dorms, family) and they should always run things by their advisor when they are making changes to their schedule
Normalize it so that they realize that not all students here have parents who went to college. It is about 1 in 4 that are first-generation students here.
The reason we have jobs is that not everyone has family members who can walk them through how to navigate college
Convey that advisors go through extensive training – there is a lot to know – and over time we gain more experience with our students and we learn things about which classes to take together or not. That’s why you always want to check with your advisor to run changes by them.
Some advisors will use their own personal experiences of their parents who didn’t go to college
Being the first in your family to go to college is like learning to drive without a teacher….you can learn it, it just takes longer
Being 1st generation is a hidden norm because they don’t tend to talk about it.
When working with students like this, and first generation students in general, it is good to provide a rationale to the student on why they are doing what they are doing so that they can share that with their parents. Our students from a focus group said that it is hard for them to explain things to their parents.
- Puzzle Strategies
Letisha, a first-generation, pre-med student from Waterloo, earned straight Cs her first semester (including Math for Bio Sciences and Gen Chem, both of which were recommended placements). You advised she take a break from chemistry, and while her spring grades vindicate your advice—Calc for Bio Sciences ended at a B+, Religion and Society at a B, and Interp of Lit and Creative Writing at an A and an A+, respectively—Letisha worries that it put her behind.
It’s now her third semester. In her planning appointment she says that Principles of Chem I and College Physics I are both at a low C. You had advised against taking both classes this semester, but Letisharesponded that her financial resources restrict her to exactly eight semesters. “I don’t have a choice,” she said, in a tone suggesting you shouldn’t assume otherwise.
In her ER appointment, you note that her registration date is today, that College Physics II is almost full, andthat Letisha has a Cashier’s block. “I’ve sent my financial aid check to my parents,” she says. “It should be there soon.”
She tries to read your puzzled expression. “Because I don’t have a bank account,” she adds.
How do you advise Letisha, short- and long-term?