First-generation Students – On-Demand Training

Provide Intentional Supports and Services to Create an Equitable Environment for Success

The latest National Center for Education Statistics data figures show that one-third of college students are first-generation. There is vast intersectionality associated with the first-generation identity, including minority, LGBTQIA, low-income and rural, and they face a myriad of financial, academic, and social barriers to entering and completing college. Given the inclusion of these intersectional identities, the number of first-generation students on campus can be closer to 50 percent.

Gather your colleagues from across campus and join our presenter as he unpacks why the first-generation population is so important to your institution, strategies for reviewing policies and procedures to ensure they are more accessible, and how to best address the educational goals of your diverse first-generation students. Understand their unique perspectives, experiences, academic and social needs, and the impact COVID has had on their educational pursuits.

Ensure your initiatives and programs offer wraparound support to offer tailored support services to meet needs, provide equity inside and outside of the classroom, and ensure their success.

Topics Covered

At the conclusion of the 90-minute webinar, you will be able to:

• Develop resources for faculty and staff to address equity and inclusion issues in the remote instruction/advising space/in-person learning – ensure they are empowered to provide the critical support and assistance their first-generation students need so they do not fall through the cracks.
• Engage key stakeholders and partners on campus to strengthen support and implement strategies to complement existing efforts – implement programs to support the multiple facets needed to engage, retain, and promote increased graduation rates.
• Recognize the cultural context and family expectations that may impact degree completion – build a campus-wide support system to ensure first-generation students are able to overcome potential obstacles to ensure their academic and social success.
• Foster mentoring relationships both in and out of the classroom – develop essential points of connection to help develop self-confidence, self-advocacy, and social networks on and off campus.
• Create centralized, accessible, and individualized resources to support first-generation students’ diverse needs – help them overcome any potential financial, academic, and social barriers to ensure they attain their degree.

Presenter

Dr. Marc A. Lo is the Inaugural Executive Director of Penn First Plus, the University of Pennsylvania’s initiative to reimagine itself and become more inclusive of its increasing socioeconomic diversity.
Click here for full bio.