UCLA

This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latina/e/o/x first-year students’ experiences at a public California State University and their decision to leave college between their first and second year, and how student support services professionals interpreted the role of the pandemic on their work with students and their retention. Additionally, this study sought to identify recommendations to support students better and strategies to rematriculate students who stopped out. This qualitative narrative inquiry with a pláticas approach centered Latina/e/o/x students’ voices who stopped out between the end of the spring 2020 and spring 2023 semesters. There were 18 one-on-one pláticas with three participant groups: Latina/e/o/x students who do not plan to return to the institution, those who have already returned or will return, and student services professionals who serve these student groups. Analysis of qualitative data revealed several findings within three overarching themes. First, personal challenges and struggles contributed to students’ initial stop-out decisions. Most participants perceived the COVID-19 pandemic as amplifying systemic inequities in academic preparation and finances, undermining their self-efficacy, socio-emotional intelligence, mental health capacity, and resiliency to persevere. Second, institutional challenges also contributed to students’ decision to stop out. The multifaceted effects of the pandemic have not been understood fully, and faculty and staff were seemingly unprepared for students’ increased range of needs and challenges, leading to burnout, turnover, service interruptions, financial aid frustrations, and navigational challenges for students. Lack of validation in students’ experiences and instances of microaggressions also discouraged students, impacting their sense of belonging and mental health. Third, the findings identified participants’ recommendations and strategies for rematriculating and retaining students. Participants recommended that institutions develop a strategic plan for support and outreach to students, facilitate and normalize students stopping out, and emphasize servingness by creating a student-ready campus that validates students’ individual experiences and involves families more through cultural, familial experiences. This dissertation uncovered new data on an emerging field in the research on COVID-19, providing a more nuanced understanding of how the pandemic impacted students and the experiences of a population of students that is often overlooked and challenging to study.