Faculty research on working college students featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education

A lengthy research project led by two Emmanuel professors, Professor of Sociology Katrin Križ and Associate Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice Janese Free, is further investigating this dynamic with the intention of producing a more in-depth study that provides strategies to mitigate the impact on students. Their work is currently in the process of getting published, and the hope is it will lead to greater awareness and positive changes on this topic.

“Full-time [college]students who work are often overlooked as a vulnerable population,” said Dr. Free. “We don’t generally think of them as marginalized and more likely to fail courses or drop out of school, but they are.”

Dr. Free and Dr. Križ’s research was recently highlighted in a Chronicle of Higher Education article focusing on challenges that today’s students face. They plan to publish their findings in a book, Compassionate College: Making Higher Education Work for Working Students.  

“There’s an incompatibility between the system we have and the reality and needs of this student population,” said Dr. Križ. “We wanted to do something that is practice-oriented, based on what students told us, with recommendations for both faculty and administrators.”

Equity for disadvantaged youth is a key interest for Dr. Križ and Dr. Free, which inspired them to undertake the project in 2019. The professors led a team of 16 Emmanuel student researchers, which interviewed nearly 100 students from colleges and universities in a metropolitan area in the northeastern United States who were working 20 hours or more during the academic year. 

The first round of interviews took place in 2020, but Križ said the pandemic year created unique circumstances, so they conducted another round in 2023. 

Alex Scarfo ’24 was a member of the 2023 research team. She said one of the most interesting parts of the experience was learning about the wide range of circumstances of college students, to help advocate for improvement. 

“Research in general is something I enjoy, and this specific project was gathering information on how [colleges and universities] can support students better,” said Scarfo. “I liked that aspect, of being able to draw out what was needed.” 

Dr. Kriz said many recommendations were pulled directly from the experiences and comments of the working students. She added it was an excellent opportunity for the student researchers, who met as a team weekly to compare notes and discuss progress. The contributions of the student researchers will also be credited in the upcoming book.

“I think this is something special about Emmanuel, that you get to know the students and work with them, and they did amazing work,” she said. 

Gabriela Serra ’24 was also part of the 2023 research team. Her role was largely administrative, scheduling interviews and coding transcripts of student comments to highlight trends and themes. It was an entirely new experience for Serra, and she thanked Dr. Križ for ensuring that students had a voice in shaping the finished project. 

“I would encourage any student to participate in research if they can,” said Serra. “It really defined my experience at Emmanuel.”