From Diversity to Educational Equity: A Discussion of Academic Integration and Issues Facing Underprepared UCSC Students

While the positive effects generated by student-faculty interaction associated with multiple student outcomes are well-documented, little is known about how various student subgroups experience student-faculty interaction differently. Among studies that have investigated this issue, some demonstrate that the levels and effects of student-faculty interaction may differ by student gender, race, and major field. The current project improves our understanding of the conditional effects of student-faculty interaction by examining different patterns of student- faculty interaction for various student subgroups, as well as their implications for higher education theory and practice. Specifically, it seeks to answer the questions: 1) How does the level of student-faculty interaction vary by student gender, race, SES, 1st generation status, and major field? 2) How does the student satisfaction with faculty contact vary by these student characteristics? 3) How does the relationship between student-faculty interaction and student educational outcomes vary by these student characteristics?