Graduation Term

2022

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Sociology

Committee Chair

Maura Toro-Morn

Abstract

This study investigates how Latinx undergraduate college students at Illinois State University who were enrolled in the spring 2020 semester experienced the transition to online learning after the onset of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. It explores how they were affected by the pandemic and how they coped with it in the aftermath of college closures and movement to online learning. Qualitative data and methods were utilized through a series of 10 interviews collected in a snowball sample with various starting points. Broadly, it was found that the pandemic affected the students’ learning and college experiences greatly. There is much already known about racial differences in the impact of COVID-19, and this study found that Latinx students were uniquely impacted in both the transition to online learning and their college experiences. Family life was disrupted, and most participants experienced pandemic related mental health issues. Students’ perception of the university’s response was also examined, and it was found that most participants felt a lack of support for first-generation students. This work gives voice to the unique experience of Latinx students and contributes to the growing body of work that is emerging about the impact of the 2020 pandemic in college campuses across the nation.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2022.20221020070313792948.999972

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