Blugold Beginnings Multicultural Learning Community : a Comparison of Campus Involvement and Persistence

Abstract

Underrepresented students' pathways to college tend to be more challenging, partly because they often have less access to resources, less college knowledge and preparation in the home, and often have to negotiate their identity once attending an institution of higher education (Park, 2007; Perna, 2006). Some of the factors that are correlated with not continuing on to post-secondary education include students' low socio-economic status, being a first-generation student, and also being a student of color (Ishitani, 2003). The Blugold Beginnings Multicultural Learning Community at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was established to help students overcome some of these hurdles. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students in the learning community persist at a significantly higher rate than students in the control group through their post-secondary education.