by Shelby Burroughs Pryzgoda
Institutions across the U.S. continue to commit to accessibility. However, many barriers still exist for prospective students, specifically first-generation students. With newfound access, campuses will likely see an increase in their first-generation student population. To best retain and graduate first-generation students, campus leadership must commit to achieving first-generation success through strategic collaboration.
Nationally, 56% of students in the 2015-2016 academic year were first-generation, meaning neither parent held a four-year degree. According to 2021 research by NASPA, first-generation students tend to be older, more ethnically and racially diverse, and more likely to be balancing employment and family commitments.
To create campuses that are primed for first-generation student success, Dr. Stephanie Bannister, assistant vice president of NASPA's Center for First-generation Student Success, shared some best practices that institutional leadership should employ.
"The number one thing that institutions can do is own student success in a collaborative way," recommended Bannister. "[Institutions] have to align leadership and strategy in a way that promotes not only the success of first-gen students, but every student!"
Bannister spent 25 years as a higher education administrator and spent seven years focusing on the success of students as an assistant vice provost of student success. She has also taught as faculty in the education program at Kansas State University and draws upon her personal experience as a parent when supporting institutions through her role at NASPA.
"Being an admin, along with being in the classroom and being a parent to two college-aged students, we can have all the good intentions, but those are not enough to help students navigate a complex world of higher education," said Bannister.
1. Make Yourself Visible
The idea of meeting or speaking with college administrators and faculty members can be intimidating for first-generation students. Leadership can commit to the success of first-generation attendees by simply showing their humanity.
Bannister recommends that leaders make themselves visible on campus and clearly identify themselves as student success champions.
"Share your student experience and humanness," said Bannister. "Share how [you] got to what [you're] doing now. Students want to be seen and see people on campus who might have similar identities and experiences…who have made it through."
2. Clearly Map Resources
Institutions are seldom lacking opportunities for connection and support. However, the issue lies in the intricate web of resources and programs that is confusing for students to navigate.
"When [leaders] stand up and say 'student success is a priority at our institution, and these are our key partners,' [they] can begin to map and network all the different efforts and resources," explained Bannister.
Campuses should clearly make visible the opportunities for students to connect to resources or programming. This map is a critical resource for students, both first-generation and continuing-generation alike. Ensuring that resources are visible also ensures that they will be utilized and reach the students who need them the most.
"First-generation students may not have experience meeting with a faculty member or accessing a writing center," warned Bannister.
For example, NASPA conducted a study showing that 55% of first-generation students made use of advising services compared to 72% of their continuing-generation peers. The same study found that while first-generation students utilized financial aid services more than their peers, they were less likely to access campus health, career, and academic services.
"Operate with no assumptions!" said Bannister. "Ensure that we make visible all the resources there are to support the transition to college. It's a transition in the classroom and socially."
Connecting and clearly outlining resources will benefit all students on campus and should be a main priority for campus administrators and faculty.
3. Foster a Culture of Learning and Connection
The beauty of working on a college campus is the access professionals have to the expertise of one another. Leadership can prioritize first-generation success by providing time for faculty and staff to learn about these students and the resources available to them.
"Focus on setting time aside to attend training and informational events, to read, to connect with others on campus who are doing work we're curious about," encouraged Bannister.
Leadership should encourage direct reports to make connections across campus, on both the faculty and staff sides. Bannister recommends taking time to grab coffee with other professionals to truly learn about their work and the students they serve. These connections help demonstrate that student success doesn't rely on everyone being experts, but instead on knowing when to connect students with campus partners and which ones.
"It's not enough to just share the resource," explained Bannister. "The power comes from knowing the person and who to refer and connect people to. It's not enough to empower help-seeking behavior [in students] -- we have to model it! When we do that, we create a shared culture of moving student success forward."
4. Don't Be Afraid of Your Data
Bannister celebrates the continued use of data in higher education to drive decision-making. Campus leadership should prioritize the accurate collection and ongoing evaluation of data regarding first-generation students. However, she recognizes that institutional data may be incomplete or illustrate gaps for first-generation students.
"[Leaders] are nervous about what [their] data might tell us, rather than realizing that it provides a point of context that is powerful," Bannister explained. "[Leaders] must choose to engage with that data as an opportunity."
Examining institutional data, specifically retention data, for first-generation students is critical to leading with first-gen students in mind. However, it can be challenging to see disparities between the success of first-generation versus continuing-generation students.
"[Sometimes] we'd rather not ask the question because we are so worried about the answer," Bannister says. "It is not a negative thing to shed light on what you don't know -- it only shows a path forward!"
The path forward? She suggests leaders approach first-generation student support with an asset-based lens.
"If we engage with one another by empowering our institutions to think about how we can be student-ready and advance student success, if we view this work as an opportunity, it would create an inclusive institutional structure for all students," explained Bannister.
5. Partner with National Experts
Finally, campus leaders can prioritize the success of first-generation students by joining the network of content experts, practitioners, and researchers through the Center for First-generation Student Success (The Center).
"Through the First Scholars Network, we offer institutions a national model where they can scale holistic first-generation student success," said Bannister. "We do that through a community of practice. We bring institutions together, engage with one another, talk about what's working and what's not."
Through partnering with the First Scholars Network, leadership can commit to transforming their campus into a space of empowerment for first-generation students. Network members share their campus goals and strategies, then the team at The Center meets institutions where they're at.
"We help them use data, as well as provide data and diagnostic tools," explained Bannister. "We use goal setting and continual improvement, where every 90 days [institutions] are working on a new priority. We meet with [institutions] one-on-one about the barriers that need to be removed and the resources needed."
Having the accountability and support of experts and partner institutions ensures that campus goals and priorities are met using best practices and research-backed support. When leaders partner with other institutions to prioritize the success of first-generation students, families and future generations will unlock access to education that they may have never had before.
The Takeaway
"What's good for a first-generation student is good for all students," celebrated Bannister. "When we weave first-gen students into the identity of the campus, if we do everything with a first-gen student in mind, everyone will benefit!"
This article is republished from HigherEdJobs® under a Creative Commons license.