By Sherwin Francies, College of Education, and Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Students of color trust colleges and college leadership less compared to their white peers, according to  developed by education researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Indiana University.

The researchers’ results showed campus leaders were the least trusted among college personnel. Approximately 29% of first-year Black students said they did not trust their college leaders, while 16% of non-Black first-year students said the same.

Black students surveyed also expressed lower trust in all campus personnel by about 10% when compared to non-Black students.

For the study, the researchers examined data from a special addendum of the National Student Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that asked college students at 29 institutions across the U.S. to rate items such as out-group trust, college trust, social institutional trust, media trust and civil society trust.

“We have been talking about these issues and the need to do large-scale work around trust in higher education for some time now,” said Shannon Calderone, assistant professor of educational leadership at ���سԹ�. “There hasn’t been a lot of research to date that looks at college student trust. Certainly, one of the most concerning findings was around this difference in trust for students of color.”

Calderone worked with Kevin Fosnacht, associate research scientist at Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research.  Their trust study was released in conjunction with the NSSE’s 2020 Annual Results series.

Lack of trust among students of color

According to the report, campus leaders were the least trusted among college personnel. Approximately 30% of first-year Black students said they trusted campus leadership very little or did not trust them all at a rate two times that of non-Black students.  The report went on to suggest that observed trust gaps between Black and non-black students are of a magnitude that is “rarely seen in educational research.”

The consistency in students’ trust levels, as reported in their freshman year, suggests that trust assessments are likely formed to some degree before they enter college.  However, the study findings also indicate a slight decrease in trust between freshman and senior years, which suggests that the college experience does has an impact on student trust, Calderone said.

“It has us thinking about what we can do to help bridge that gap,” she said. “Moving forward, we are starting to draw a couple of conclusions as to what campus leaders can be doing to support and address some of these trust disparities – like increasing student voice and bringing students to the table in decision-making in explicit and forthcoming ways.”

Calderone said colleges and universities must do better at creating a welcoming environment specifically for students of color, and particularly Black students. She said universities can strive to include greater representational diversity among faculty and students on campus, as well as create opportunities and structures that will elevate the voices of students of color in campus-wide decision making, among others.

“The size and magnitude of the trust gap that we see gives us a clear indication that campus diversity and inclusion efforts must be taken seriously, adequately resourced, and prioritized,” she said.

Small steps for large progress

Fosnacht said there are small shifts that institutions can make that go a long way for students as a whole.

“There can be a lot of bureaucratic processes in higher education, particularly in financial aid,” he said. “If a student applies for financial aid, given the lack of trust we see, it is better to offer a detailed reasoning for why they are denied financial aid, if that is the case, instead of a blanket ‘no, you did not qualify.’ It’s important to have letters that explain why.”

The researchers encourage colleges to take intentional steps towards learning more about the state of trust and student well-being on their campuses. They said intentional efforts to understand why students maintain a lack of trust in college institutions will signal to students that colleges see the importance of student well-being and will better inform how colleges respond to the stated needs of all students.

“There are no short-term solutions or magical interventions that will correct the trust disparities we see,” Calderone said. “Campus leaders are better served thinking about the totality of the student experience as a starting point for reversing these trust gaps.”

Next steps in evaluation of college trust

The work in gathering student data regarding college trust and the analysis of its impacts on higher education institutions will continue in the years to come, Fosnacht said.

“We want to look at outcomes – specifically, whether or not trust influences students’ intent to return, how it affects engagement practices, as well as how students engage with the college environment,” he said. “Those results can really shape our attention and the types of interventions that are best for students.”

 

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – In light of COVID-19 and to coincide with Giving Tuesday Now today, May 5, has donated $25,000 to the to support students experiencing hardship amid COVID-19 and beyond.

The funds will be used to help students and their families who have lost jobs, are experiencing furloughs, those who are having difficulties meeting their daily living experiences and other related hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is an incredible gift from STCU for our students and their families and will go a long way in allowing our students to continue with their college education,” ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “Studies show that if students have to take a break from college, they are much less likely to return. A higher education helps individuals secure a more stable future, rebound more quickly in the face of a recession and prepares them for the variety of life’s ups and downs. This gift will help many students continue with their education.”

As an organization founded by teachers, STCU honors its heritage by supporting education and sound financial decisions, said Ezra Eckhardt, president and CEO of the not-for-profit credit union.

“In this time of unprecedented need, STCU is grateful for the opportunity to help WSU students and their families in Tri-Cities,” Eckhardt said. “Staying on track with their WSU education will open doors for them, and benefit the entire community.”

Before the pandemic began, 37 percent of ���سԹ� students reported that it was difficult for them to meet their daily living expenses and 7 percent of students indicated they were at-risk of homelessness.

“That number has likely increased exponentially since the pandemic began,” said Jaime Heppler, ���سԹ� executive director of advancement and community engagement. “We are thrilled to partner with STCU to provide relief funds for students so that they can continue on with their schooling and secure a better future for themselves and their family.”

To give a gift to help struggling ���سԹ� students, visit tricities.wsu.edu/give. ���سԹ� is currently asking individuals to donate to the , which provides the university the flexibility to apply funds to students where needed.

 

Media contacts:

Jaime Heppler, ���سԹ� executive director of advancement and community engagement, 509-372-7207, jaime.heppler@wsu.edu

Elizabeth Burtner, STCU community relations manager, 509-628-1357 (cell), elizabethb@stcu.org

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations/communication coordinator, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

RICHLAND, Wash. –  Washington State University Tri-Cities students will present semester and course research and art projects as part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition Dec. 9 and Dec. 11-13.

Sessions will take place from noon – 1 p.m. each day in Consolidated Information Center (CIC) 120, with the exception of Wednesday’s session, which takes place from noon – 1 p.m. in the CIC Art Gallery.

“Students have the opportunity to publicly present course and research projects that not only provide hands-on opportunities to explore topics within their field, but also projects that bridge into community partnerships to solve real-world problems,” said Allison Matthews, clinical associate professor of psychology and coordinator for the symposium.

Some of the academic areas highlighted during the symposium include: the sciences, digital technology and culture, fine arts, history, mathematics and psychology.

Some of the projects featured during the symposium include:

• The exploration of American roots, including topics such as immigration, migration and ethnic identity
• Nutrient limitation of microbial and algal biofilms in Cascade streams
• Drawing and paintings that depict a variety of themes, including topics of expressing the evolution of humanity, nostalgia for the past or hope and/or fear for the future;  and spirituality, mythology, or emotional state

For more information, contact Matthews at 509-372-7146 or almatthews@wsu.edu.

 

Media contacts:

Allison Matthews, clinical associate professor of psychology and symposium coordinator, 509-372-7146, almatthews@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Students will highlight semester course projects, research and art as part of the fall Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition on Dec. 11 and 13 at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

Members of the public are invited to attend as students present on their projects, which include the areas of history, political science, psychology, wine science, biology, fine art, English, mechanical engineering and environmental science.

Students will present posters of their research and course projects both days from noon – 1 p.m. in CIC 120. The art exhibition will be held from noon – 1 p.m. on Dec. 13, in the CIC Art Gallery.

“The Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition provides our students with an excellent opportunity to practice communicating their research and course projects, which is an essential skill for when they go out into the professional environment,” said Allison Matthews, ���سԹ� clinical assistant professor of psychology. “We have a variety of great projects that will be on display.”

Some of the projects include:

• Research on plant-mycorrhizal fungal interactions
• Research on public health education programs for people who are at-risk for developing Type 2 diabetes
• An analysis of data from the Tri City Union Gospel Mission regarding client demographics, factors that influence homelessness and other related variables
• Investigating heat transfer on a surface subject to nanoparticle coating
• Nutrient limitation of algal and microbial biofilms in the Yakima Watershed
• The effect of pesticides on algal and microbial biofilms
• Cluster architecture and fruit composition as influenced by rachis tipping in wine grapes
• Title IX in regard to procedures on campus
• The Plastic Garden – a fine arts and engineering collaboration to construct a moving mechanical garden made of plastic and mechanical components

Media contacts:

Allison Matthews, ���سԹ� assistant professor of psychology, 509-372-7146, almatthews@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Family is core to who Geoff Schramm is as a friend, a person, but especially as a father and husband.

It’s the reason why he decided to go back to school at Washington State University Tri-Cities in his late 30s – a decision that led to many people asking him, “Why?”

“I had a lot of people questioning why I would put this on my family,” he said. “It was a significant investment and time commitment not only for myself, but especially for my wife and my kids. But this is and was for them. In the long-term, I knew that this would put me on the right track so that I could make them proud and provide them with a life they deserved.”

Finding his path

After graduating high school at 18, Schramm had started to attend college in Walla Walla, but as the story goes, he met a girl.

Both dropped out of school so that they could start and raise a family. Eventually, he worked his way into a job at an assisted living facility, which developed into successful career. But the stress of his industry started to take a toll on his physical and mental health.

“I was doing really well at my job, so I would get recruited to help these struggling facilities,” he said. “My job took me from facility to facility. Often times, through these positions, I would have to get up in the middle of the night to help solve problems. The hours were really draining on me, and my wife and family started to notice.”

Post recession, he realized that he was going to need a college degree to help secure a stable life for himself and his family. Upon examining schools to attend, ���سԹ� made sense.

For one, the average age of student was slightly older than that of other universities. And for another, they had an environmental science program that Schramm knew would take him places in life.

In January 2011, with his wife’s hand in his, he walked up the steps to the ���سԹ� campus to start his first day of school.

“Attending ���سԹ� is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. “The connections I’ve made here, the mentors I’ve had, the external family that I’ve now gained as part of the WSU Cougar community, is priceless. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing opportunities I’ve had and people I’ve met through my experience at ���سԹ�.”

Developing as an individual and future scientist

Through his science courses, Schramm learned the fundamentals of science experimentation, procedures and more. He also developed a mentor relationship with Dick Pratt, the head of the environmental science program at the time.

“He really helped define a path for myself and what I wanted to achieve through my degree,” he said.

While attending classes full-time, Schramm earned a job with the ���سԹ� Career Development office as a career coach, which was followed by a position as a student mentor. He also got involved with several student clubs, and served as a member of TRIO, which provides support services for students who are first-generation, disabled or economically disadvantaged.

As a result of connections he made through school, he completed several internships. His first was with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which was followed with an internship with Mission Support Alliance doing biological monitoring. He also completed a six-month internship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

And prior to the end of his senior year, he decided to pursue a master’s program in environmental science because he knew it would be required for advancement in his career field. But while he said earning his undergraduate degree was for his family, his master’s degree was for him.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, bar none” he said. “But it was so worth it.”

When he walked across the stage at graduation to get hooded as a master’s graduate, which brought tears to his eyes, he knew he had made it.

“It’s amazing to look back on this long road and the thought that I’ve accomplished this all for myself and my family is so incredible,” he said. “Now, my kids are talking about how they want to go to college. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Living the dream

Now, Schramm works as an environmental quality engineer at Washington River Protection Solutions at the Hanford Site, developing procedures and monitoring data for the site.

And as an interesting turn of events, his wife, Trisha, is now pursing her bachelor’s degree at ���سԹ�.

“This university continues to change our lives,” he said. “This school has challenged and validated me the whole way. I am so grateful to ���سԹ� for what they have given to me and my family.”

For more information on the ���سԹ� environmental science program, visit .