Transforming the First-Generation College Student Experience Toolkit

Section 1: Empowering students to better navigate the college experience

Unfamiliarity with higher education can pose a range of challenges for first generation college students, as they navigate unfamiliar and complex outreach, expectations, and structures, as well as adjust to life on campus. The following tools provide resources to support first generation college students throughout their initial transition to campus.

Tactic 1: Dedicated Getting Started Guide

First-generation college students are inundated with information from the moment they begin their college search. It can be difficult for them to separate what is required versus optional and know where to get more information if they have questions. EAB recommends creating a guide or similar resource to help students navigate important dates, deadlines, and terminology, as well as prioritize next steps. The steps outlined in this tool will help you identify which information and frequently asked questions are most important to clarify for first-generation college students.

Determine best distribution method for your guide

Tactic 2: Higher Ed Terminology Translation Exercise

The language that is used in higher education is often complicated and difficult to understand for individuals who are unfamiliar with it. In order to alleviate this problem, higher education institutions should review the materials sent to or often accessed by first-generation college students. You should translate the higher education terminology that you use, so that your students can learn terms that will be necessary throughout their college experience.

Tactic 3: Higher Ed Jargon Reduction Exercise

Despite efforts to help first-generation college students learn the terminology we use in institutional communication, college websites and informational materials often contain unnecessary jargon. Once you have identified tricky jargon and inaccessible words using the previous tool, use this exercise to determine which materials are the highest priority for translation.

Tactic 4: Student-Staffed One-Stop Resolution Center

First-generation college students’ ability to thrive is often hindered by roadblocks that would only be a minor inconvenience for continuing-generation students. To help students through these issues, some colleges have trained a team of advocates to guide students through finding a resolution. These services provide a central resource that students can use to get all of their questions answered in one place, by student advocates.

Tactic 5: Parent’s First-Year Experience Seminar

The parents of first-generation college students are very interested in being involved and supporting their students, however, many are unsure of how college works and, therefore, struggle to be a resource for their student. Many colleges offer a first-year experience course that provides a comprehensive overview of the student experience in the first year.

Condensing a course like this into a seminar for parents is an easy way to allow parents to learn about the student experience at an orientation or pre-orientation session, enabling them to be active in their children’s college experience.

Here are some recommendations for planning your parents’ seminar:

• If your seminar takes place during orientation or a similar day-long, multi-session event, select a time slot that does not conflict with other high-priority sessions, such as financial aid or other general parent sessions.
• Remember that not everyone works typical work hours or has paid-time off available. If past parent sessions have had low turnout, consider offering an online, interactive session or an archived recording of the session.
• Explore different format options. If your parents tend to have a lot of questions, perhaps a question and answer panel would be best. Alternatively, parents may be uncomfortable asking questions in a group environment, in which case a speaker with a presentation might be more effective.

Tactic 6: Student-Experience Focused Newsletters

Sending parent newsletters is a relatively standard practice. The parents of first-generation college students, however, want information that focuses on what their students are going through and how they can support them, little of which is found in standard parent newsletters. The exercise below will guide you through enhancing your current newsletters to provide better guidance and relevant information the parents of first-generation college students.

Section 2: Highlighting positive identity-based messaging

Even after providing clear guidance and support in campus navigation, many first generation college students still struggle in their transitions. They report feeling isolated, not belonging, and ultimately questioning their decision to attend their institution. These thoughts quickly become very isolating when students cannot find other students going through the same things. The following tools provide resources to proactively identify and address areas that are pivotal to these students’ success, such as finding relatable peers, normalizing experiences, and positive identity reinforcement.

Tactic 7: Targeted Summer Outreach Campaign

Because first-generation college students are not a homogeneous group and many may not identify as first-generation college students at all, it can be difficult for them to recognize and connect with resources that are dedicated to them on campus. It is important that institutions proactively outreach to their first-generation college student populations to share positive messaging and information about their identity, and connect them with key resources and peer groups. This can be done through a targeted summer outreach email campaign.

Tactic 8: First-Generation College Student Online Portal

A centralized webpage with resources for first-generation college students is a great way for your students to connect and get information. This resource highlights an example from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which can be viewed here.

Tactic 9: Shared Experience Video Campaign

First-generation college students often report feelings of not belonging on campus. In order to address this, colleges should provide access to relatable role models and peers for their first-generation college students. An easy way to raise student awareness of these examples is to create a video campaign featuring student, faculty, and alumni, who were also first-generation college students.

Tactic 10: Community Welcome Event

It is important to help your first-generation college students connect with each other and find relatable examples of success in college. A first-generation college student welcome event either at orientation or during the first couple weeks of the semester can accomplish this.

Tactic 11: Campus Support Campaign

A campus-wide support campaign, modeled after the Safe Zone campaign for LGBTQ identifying students, will help students visually recognize individuals or offices that actively seek to support first-generation college students.

Section 3: Rethinking our approach to student involvement

Getting involved on campus has a positive effect not only on student persistence during college, but also on their future success. However, first generation college students have a reputation for not being as engaged on campus as their peers. They often view academics as their sole or primary reason for attending the institution. It is a mistake, though, to assume that just because first generation college students may not engage with the campus the way we usually expect students to, that they are not engaging in valuable developmental opportunities and gaining relevant skills. The following tools provide guidance for acknowledging the work students are doing off-campus, as well as incentivizing on-campus involvement.

Tactic 12: Diverse Involvement Recognition Program

First-generation college students are often active off-campus, within their communities. However, most traditional campus involvement programs only recognize on-campus involvement. EAB recommends offering a leadership development program that recognizes student’s involvement both on- and off-campus.

Tactic 13: Involvement Incentive App

Getting first-generation college students involved on campus has proven benefits but can be difficult because of their competing outside commitments or lack of understanding the importance of involvement. The use of gamification through a mobile application to incentivize involvement, however, can help encourage on-campus involvement among first-generation college students by making it simple to learn about and actually get involved on campus.

Section 4: Frontloading guided practice with career development

Much of the work in supporting first generation college students centers around their initial transition to campus and ultimately completion. However, we know that our role is not just to prepare students to graduate, but to succeed after graduation. For first generation college students who often have limited personal connections to leverage in the job search, this means we must connect them with opportunities for professional development early. The following tools provide resources for engaging first generation college students in building experience and confidence in professional interactions, networking opportunities, and accessing other important career development opportunities.

Tactic 14: Guided Group Job Shadow

First-generation college students often have little experience interacting with professionals in a business setting, which can cause them to feel uncomfortable reaching out to professionals for help with career exploration. One solution is to create opportunities for first-generation college students to engage with executives and familiarize themselves with professional interactions in a guided group environment, which feels safe, supportive, and unintimidating.

Tactic 15: First-Year Professional Development Bootcamp

Introducing first-generation college students early on to professional development opportunities is essential. One of the best ways to do this is to engage students in a co-curricular program during their first year of college, so that they have their remaining college years to expand their professional networks and take advantage of common professional development opportunities. Use this guide to create your own professional development co-curricular program.

Tactic 16: Partnerships for Professional Attire

The needs of first-generation college students often extend beyond direct financial assistance, including the need for professional attire. One way to help eliminate this barrier is to leverage partnerships with local clothing stores for in-kind donations.

This may be the first time students have shopped for professional attire, so it is important that your program not only provide what they need, but also help prepare them for future professional attire shopping and budget-mindedness.

Tactic 17: Dedicated Alumni Network and Mentor Program

Connect current first generation college students with alumni who were also first generation college students to facilitate a network between these two groups with similar experiences. These alumni know how to navigate the unique challenges these students will face upon graduation and throughout their careers. Use this guide to create your own first-generation alumni network and mentor program

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Resource Center

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