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Doctoral students from underrepresented groups in engineering tend to complete their degrees at lower rates than their White and International peers. Research indicates that early support in doctoral programs, rather than later remedial efforts, can lead to long-term success. To that effect, we designed the Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI), an early information intervention for minoritized doctoral students. In this work in progress, we specifically explore how this intervention supports doctoral student agency throughout the first year of the doctoral experience We address the following questions: 1) How can agency be encouraged/promoted among minority students in the first year of the engineering PhD? Employing a longitudinal qualitative design, we conducted monthly interviews with six participants throughout their first year of doctoral study in engineering programs. We ground our work in Klemenčič’s Student Agency Model, focused on experiences affecting their persistence, to help uncover different aspects of agency that can manifest throughout this period of time. Preliminary results reveal that students cultivate agency through self-regulation, self-direction, self-determination, and self-efficacy, evident in their planning, motivation, and community engagement. Future work will focus on uncovering the specific mechanisms through which agency is enhanced. By linking positive first-year experiences to agency development, this research can guide interventions and tools for engineering departments to support student persistence.
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This content will become publicly available on September 15, 2026
From Proving to Connecting: The Shifting Nature of Belonging in the First Year of Minoritized US Doctoral Engineering Students
The first year of doctoral study is a critical period for students' academic formation and persistence, especially in engineering disciplines where early integration into research and advising relationships is expected. In the US, for Black and Latiné students—groups historically underrepresented in engineering—this period can be critical as they navigate systemic inequities and social isolation. This longitudinal qualitative study explores how a sense of belonging manifests and evolves for minoritized engineering doctoral students during their first year in U.S. programs. Drawing on focus group data collected across eight sessions with sixteen students from a national summer bridge program, we identify two dominant forms of belonging: merit-contingent belonging, characterized by a need to demonstrate competence and legitimacy, and relational belonging, fostered through supportive advisor and peer relationships. Findings show that while merit-contingent belonging dominates early experiences, it gradually gives way to relational forms of connection as students gain confidence and build community. We call for equity-focused interventions that humanize students, clarify merit, and build trust.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2450400
- PAR ID:
- 10653911
- Publisher / Repository:
- Zenodo
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Doctoral Students Sense Of Belonging Minoritized Students
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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