Toward a Deeper Understanding of First Generation Students’ Success in Computing

The research project described here is extracted from a larger program of research aimed at understanding the diverse experiences of underrepresented students in the field of computing. First generation (FG) college students tend to underperform in the academy and leave college at higher rates than continuing students. As such, it is important to understand correlates, and ultimately, causes of FG students’ success in the academy, and in computing-related degree programs specifically. In the current work, we expected that, among students majoring in computing, FG students’ academic success (i.e., major GPA) would be positively related to the degree to which they felt welcomed in their department. In fact, this positive relationship was most apparent among FG students who were underrepresented in computing, namely nonWhite and non-Asian men, and women of all races (URMW students). There was no relationship between feeling welcomed in one’s department and academic success among FG Asian and White men. These findings contribute to a growing body of work on FG students’ achievement gap in the academy, with special attention to FG students’ URMW identity within computing.