Center for Access & Attainment > CAA Research Lab > Current Research

CAA Research Lab Projects

First-Year Transition Study

​​The First-Year Transition Study is a quantitative, longitudinal survey that assessed first-year college students’ perceptions of their high school experiences and how these experiences may have impacted their college transition. During the study, the research team sent research surveys to first-year college students at three different time points during the academic year to explore questions related to demographics, coping styles, and attachment to parents, among other social and academic factors, to explore students’ college adjustment. 
​
 

The Experience of First-Generation College Students

For this qualitative study, we conducted focus group meetings aimed to learn about first-generation college students’ transition into and through college. Interview protocol was designed to learn about participants educational and life experiences. Focus group conversations explore: 1) the impact of participants high school experiences on college adjustment, 2) strategies that first-generation college students employ to deal with competing demands and pressures from academic work and life, with a focus of understanding coping strategies, and 3) the role of support systems on developing resiliency. The goal of this project is to better understand the college and life experiences of first-generation students in order to inform future programs for first-generation students at DePaul University.​

Food and Housing Safety

​

The main goals of the project are to collect information about the needs and barriers of students in need of assistance as well as the resources available to students on and around DePaul's campus. This project aims at gaining a better understanding about the access to basic needs security of historically underrepresented students (low-income, first generation going to college and ethnic minorities) in higher education.  In addition, this project will assess community resources available for students around DePaul University's campus community to address basic needs (e.g., food intake, housing and healthy opportunities for social integration). This project is a collaboration between the faculty from the community psychology program (Dr. Glantsman), members of the Vincentian Family Initiative (Patricia M. Bombard, BVM, D. Min.) and staff from DePaul TRiO programs (Dr. Berardi). Data collection (interviews, surveys and asset mapping) will occur during 2018 winter quarter. The analysis and reporting (i.e., the website update and an informational meeting on campus) will be performed during the spring and summer quarter of 2018. 

​​