U-Courses Ethnography
Students in an Anthropology/English U-Course participated in a semester-long ethnographic research project that examined the first-year experience at Chico State. Among the issues studied were: first-year students’ experiences in varied forms of housing; financial difficulties for first-year students; the impact of holding a job while in college; University communication strategies that reach or fail to reach first-year students; experiences of international students in adapting to CSU, Chico; first-year students’ reasons for attending or “skipping” class; experiences of belonging in college; academic engagement of first-year students.
This is just a sample of the topics students researched; they gathered data using structured interviews with other students (usually first-year students). See links below for their final reports.
Team 2 Academic Barriers and Student Success: Are Students Seeking Academic Help? (PDF)
Team 5 Becoming Wildcats: Developing Social Connections Through Effective Communication At California State University, Chico (PDF)
Team 8 Financial Characteristics of On and Off Campus Students (PDF)
Team 9 First Year College Finances: How students navigate their Financial Aid (PDF)
Team 10 First Year Experience: How Lack of Support Affects Educational Motivation in First Generation Students (PDF)
Team 13 Struggling to Survive in College: The Benefits of Support Programs At California State University, Chico (PDF)
Team 14 Chico Living: Achieving a Community Atmosphere (PDF)
Team 18 Are There Enough Resources for Chico State Minority Students?: Challenges Faced by Particular Populations (PDF)
Team 19 Bringing Awareness and Creating a Stronger Community: LGBTQ+ Students and their First-year Experience (PDF)
Team 20 Difficulties First Year Students Encounter in Regard to Establishing a Sense of Community on Campus (PDF)
Team 22 Understanding the Personal, Academic, and Social Connections among Chico State Students (PDF)
Team 24 First Year Student Wellness: How Chico State Can Better Support and Encourage Healthier Student Routines (PDF)