This study explored 1st-generation students' sense of belonging, mental health status, and use of mental health services in comparison to non-1st-generation students. Using the Student Experience in the Research University multi-institutional survey, the authors found that 1st-generation students tended to report lower ratings of belonging, greater levels of depression/stress, and lower use of services compared to non-1st-generation students. Implications for college counselors and suggestions for future inquiry are provided.

This study investigates differences in academic engagement and retention between first-generation and non-first-generation undergraduate students. Utilizing the Student Experience in the Research University survey of 1864 first-year students at a large, public research university located in the United States, this study finds that first-generation students have lower academic engagement (as measured by the frequency with which students interacted with faculty, contributed to class discussions, brought up ideas from different courses during class discussions, and asked insightful questions in class) and lower retention as compared to non-first-generation students. Recommendations that higher education faculty can follow to promote the academic engagement and retention of first-generation students are addressed.

Academic libraries, like other university departments, are being asked to demonstrate their value to the institution. This study discusses the impact library usage has on the retention and academic success of first-time, first-year undergraduate students at a large, public research university. Usage statistics were gathered at the University of Minnesota during the Fall 2011 semester for thirteen library access points. Analysis of the data suggests first-time, first-year undergraduate students who use the library have a higher GPA for their first semester and higher retention from fall to spring than non-library users.

Colleges and universities are increasingly internationalizing their curricular and cocurricular efforts on campuses; subsequently, it is important to compare whether internationalization at home activities may be associated with students' self-reported development of global, international, and intercultural (GII) competencies. This study examined undergraduate students' participation in study abroad and on-campus global/ international activities within nine large public research universities in the United States. Framed within several intercultural development theories, the results of this study suggest that students' participation in activities related to internationalization at home-participation in on-campus global/international activities such as enrollment in global/international coursework, interactions with international students, and participation in global/international cocurricular activities-may yield greater perceived benefits than study abroad for students' development of GII competencies.Keywords study abroad, internationalization of the curriculum, internationalization of teaching, learning and research, internationalization of higher education, globalization and international higher education