Lower-Income Students – On-Demand Training

Break Down Barriers to Degree Completion With a Wraparound Approach

Many lower-income students have been hit hard during the past year. Lack of access has hampered their learning and competing demands have created strains on their time and attention. Be prepared to offer support services to meet their needs, promote equity inside and outside of the classroom, and help to ensure their success. Whether they remain remote or return in-person ensure your lower-income students receive directed support, so they don’t fall through the cracks.

Join our expert presenter as he shares insight into this concern and the initiative “Penn First Plus” that the University of Pennsylvania has created to address lower-income students’ needs. He shares methods to assess and address the current need on your campus, successful campus and system-wide initiatives to address the problem, wraparound approach to student support, and strategies for identifying vulnerable populations.

Topics Covered

At the conclusion of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Prepare to support lower-income students as they arrive to campus or remain remote this summer and fall — implement initiatives that use a wraparound approach to student support, uphold the mission of your institution and sustain students’ personal and academic success.
• Individualize student support academically, socially and financially — provide critical support to your students and tailor meet their needs to ensure you retain, persist and graduate them.
• Develop resources for faculty and staff to address equity and inclusion issues in the remote instruction/advising space — ensure they are empowered to provide the critical support and assistance their lower-income students need so they do not fall through the cracks.
• Foster community partnerships and enhance student utilization of community agencies for needs that are beyond the scope of the university — provide the necessary additional support to your students to meet their needs and overcome barriers to their success.
• Provide spaces on campus to be available and easily accessible to students who may be experiencing basic need insecurities — increase their sense of security and belonging, especially during the pandemic.

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.
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