Wha Are the Diversity Aspects of College That Engage Freshmen

Political Activism and College Students -- First Peer-Reviewed Article

The study (1) was conducted as a research question in order to review the "contemporary trends in student organizing" and to examine how student governments and student movements influence the policies of higher education (Klemencic, 2014). Prior research presented by the author (2) includes: National student unions tend to be training grounds for future political leaders (Luescher-Mamashela and Mugume, 2014); student activism disrupts higher education; obstructs educational reforms; exerts pressure for social change, but are "recognizable features of campus life" (Altbach, 1966-2006); the international economic downturn forced universities to increase income from private sources (Marcucci and Usher, 2012).

The author (3) selected universities where studies had been made about why and how students organize. There was no need to obtain (4) informed consent from the participants since it was a literature review of existing studies. The research instruments (5) were previously published peer-reviewed research papers on the dynamics of student activism. The article (6) used existing research to reveal "student political agency" and defines academic institutions as providing intellectual and social environments. A literature review and critique of available literature (6) were used procedurally. The major results (7) included three formats for student -- university relationships: a) authoritarian / paternalistic (students have an "advisory role"); b) democratic collegiate institutional governance (students are involved in university decision-making); and c) the "New Public Management Doctrine" (student unions hold "considerable leverage"). Conclusions (8) include the fact that students have a stronger voice then previously and students demand accountability from universities. Limitations (9) include a lack of actual data on what influence students actually have over their education. Recommendations (10) from the authors include the need for research delving into student engagement and related issues. Klemencic, M. (2014).

Political Activism and College Students -- Second Peer-Reviewed Article

Students learn social activism through the diversity experiences they come into contact within the university milieu (Pascarella, et al., 2012). The purpose of the study (1) was to measure the "unique effects" of diversity experiences that leads to social activism, which can pave the way for the student to participate in a democratic society after college. Prior research reflected by the authors (2) indicate: a) that students that enroll in diversity-related courses tend to have advantages in social activism after college; b) engaging in diversity experiences / social activism in college may be complicated by views brought to college by students. The sample used (3) included 19 four-year and two-year colleges and universities from 11 states in 4 geographic regions; the study was called the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education and involved full-time, first-year students. As to consent of the participants (4), they signed an agreement that the information provided would remain confidential and they would receive a $50 stipend for participating. The research used to collect data (5) came from questionnaires before and after the exposure to diversity experiences.