Abstract
Scholars have found that half the students entering college are unsuccessful in accomplishing their aspirations of earning a college degree (Swail, Redd, & Perna, 2003). Student retention and persistence, especially among underrepresented students, continues to be a challenge for institutions of higher education. For instance, the Latino population is rapidly growing in the U.S., and more Latino students are enrolling in institutions of higher education, but their educational attainment continues to lag. The literature demonstrates that student success has a variety of definitions and that student engagement can contribute to student success. Educational researchers have studied the effects of student engagement in colleges across the nation. Astin (1999) claimed the greater a student’s involvement is, the greater their learning and development will be. Since more Latino students are seeking a post-secondary education, researchers have explored the outcomes of their engagement. A multitude of factors contribute to the persistence of students in higher education. Involvement in campus activities enhances a student’s educational experience. Research shows that student participation in extracurricular activities while in college plays a significant role in academic achievement (Astin, 1999); however, further research needs to examine the impact that student engagement has on the college persistence of Latinos. This study investigated Latino student engagement in campus activities and the impact on student success. The methodology used for this study was both quantitative and qualitative. Undergraduate Latino students participated in an online questionnaire conducted through Qualtrics, an Internet-based survey tool. University administrators and faculty that work closely with this population of students participated in semi-structured interviews. The researcher utilized mixed methods to gain a better understanding of the impact that Latino student engagement has on student success. The data gathered from the 14 undergraduate students, three faculty members, and two university administrators suggest that there are positive outcomes to Latino student engagement. According to the findings, the majority of students that become involved on campus are able to build friendships and develop personal and professional skills and engagement helps them in their pursuit of obtaining a college degree. The findings also indicate that there are factors that may prevent Latino students from participating in campus activities. Based on these findings, a recommendation is that professionals in higher education incorporate a variety of programs to encourage student participation.