Corinne Maekawa Kodama

Marginality of Transfer Commuter Students

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the construct of marginality in transfer commuter students, and (2) to discover possible demographic (e.g., race, gender) and situational (e.g., on-campus support, employment) characteristics that might contribute to this sense of marginality. In the first analysis, no significant differences were found between transfer and native commuter students on marginality. However, results showed that these students have few sources of on-campus support, and that this lack of support contributed to feelings of marginality. Also, women and Asian American participants experienced higher levels of marginality. Finally, different variables were contributors to marginality for transfer students as compared with an overall sample of commuter students.

A Theoretical Examination of Psychosocial Issues for Asian Pacific American Students.

This theoretical investigation examines psychosocial issues for Asian Pacific American (APA) students, one of the fastest-growing but most understudied college populations. The authors found that general groupings of developmental issues align somewhat with traditional psychosocial theory, although the underlying assumptions and specific developmental tasks do not fit the experience of APAs.

Getting College Students Back on Track A Summer Bridge Writing Program

The present study examines the outcomes of a 5-week summer bridge writing program at a Midwestern, urban, public university designed to provide remedial instruction for incoming first-year college students, approximately 500 students annually for 7 years. Regression results showed that program participation was a positive, significant predictor on the outcomes of 6- and 4-year graduation, first-year earned credits, and first-year college grade point average, even after controlling for demographic and academic preparation variables. The combination of academic preparation and an introduction to the college experience helped to prepare students for college success. This institutionally funded program shows promise in addressing the remediation needs of students and preparing them for success in credit-bearing courses as well as college life in general, getting them on track for timely college graduation.