Sarah E. Whitley, Ph.D.
Vice President, Center for First-generation Student Success, NASPA
Dr. Sarah E. Whitley has served as vice president of the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and The Suder Foundation, since its founding in 2017. Her leadership has positioned the Center as the premier source for data, training, and expertise around first-generation student success and created a network of colleges and universities across the country working to scale and sustain the important work of serving first-generation students.
As the leader of the Center, Dr. Whitley has authored several widely-referenced reports on first-generation students, including two acclaimed landscape studies and fact sheets with national data about first-generation students. She also oversaw the creation of the Journal for First-generation Student Success, the first academic peer-reviewed journal with a specific focus on first-generation student experiences and outcomes.
A frequent speaker and author of numerous scholarly works on topics related to first-generation students, Dr. Whitley’s work focuses on issues of inequality, academic motivation and decision-making, teaching and learning, the experiences and outcomes of first-generation students, and university presidency and board governance.
A proud first-generation college graduate, Dr. Whitley earned a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, an M.Ed. in college student personnel administration from James Madison University, and a B.S. in political science from Longwood College. From 2007 - 2013, she served as director of First-Year Experience and Family Programs at Longwood University.
Dr. Whitley currently resides in Virginia with her partner, Sarah, three children, Bennett, Caroline, and Emerson, and her dog, Charlotte.
Connect with Sarah on Twitter @sarahewhitley
Speaker Travels From
Virginia
Sarah is available for in-person and virtual engagements! Contact us today.
Speaker Topics
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First-generation Students in Community Colleges: A National Exploration of Institutional Support Practices | |
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Who are first-generation college students? Defining, tracking, and understanding experiences |
Understanding the intersectional first-generation student identity |
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Institutional strategies for supporting first-generation students at scale |
Shifting from deficit to asset-based approaches for first-generation student success |
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Creating inclusive environments and the impact of National First-Generation College Celebration Day |
The role of student affairs practitioners in supporting and advancing first-generation student success |
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Strategies for faculty and staff to improve classroom experiences for first-generation college students |
What does it mean to be “first-generation student-ready”? Examining institutional policies, procedures, and jargon and dismantling barriers to success |
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Building an engaged community: Securing senior leadership support and establishing infrastructure for making first-generation student success an institutional priority |
Networking institutional resources for strengthened support of first-generation college students |
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Support matters: First-generation students and family systems |
Custom presentations also available |
Speaker Presentations
Books, News, & Media
Reports
- Whitley, S.E., Benson, G., & Wesaw, A. (2018). First-generation Student Success: A Landscape Analysis of Programs and Services at Four-year Institutions. Washington, DC: Center for First-generation Student Success, NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and Entangled Solutions.
Scholarly Papers
- Roksa, J., Silver, B.R., Deutschlander, D. and Whitley, S.E. (2020). Navigating the First Year of College: Siblings, Parents, and First‐Generation Students’ Experiences. Sociological Forum. doi:10.1111/socf.12617
- Roksa, J., Deutschlander, D., & Whitley, S.E. (2020). Parental Validation, College Experiences, and Institutional Commitment of First-Generation and Low-Income Students. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 1-15. doi: 10.1080/19496591.2019.1699105
- Roksa, J., & Whitley, S.E. (2017). Fostering Academic Success of First-Year Students: Exploring the Roles of Motivation, Race, and Faculty. Journal of College Student Development 58(3), 333-348. doi:10.1353/csd.2017.0026.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
- 'Why Do We Have So Many Freaking Acronyms?!' Some Colleges Target Jargon in the Name of Student Success.(July 31, 2019)
CNBC
- The coronavirus crisis has been extremely challenging for many first-generation college students (July 28, 2020)
Community Impact
- UT Dallas works to ensure success of its first-generation students (October 25, 2019)
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Inside Higher Ed
- An Asset Perspective on First-Gen Students (April 11, 2019)
- Maximizing Success for First-Gen Students (October 4, 2018)
NPR
- 'First-Gen' Proud: Campuses Are Celebrating An Overlooked Group. But Is That Enough? (November 8, 2019)
U.S. News & World Report
- What to Know as a First-Generation College Student (May 14, 2019)
The Verge
Past Speaking Engagements
- SXSWEDU
- National Conference on Race and Ethnicity
- Campus Labs Elevate
- AL1GN Conference
- Florida Consortium's Focus on First-gen Conference
- Southwest Symposium on First-generation Student Success
- Council for Opportunity in Education Annual Conference
- National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition
- NASPA Annual Conference
- NASPA First-generation Student Success Conference
- Achieving the Dream Annual Meeting
- University of California First-generation Symposium
- National Orientation Directors Association Annual Conference
- NASPA Regional Conferences
- ILEA Partnerships for College Completion
- Rutgers University RU 1st Forum
- Texas A&M University
- Ohio State University
- Columbus State Community College
- Purdue University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Southern Methodist University
Interested in having Sarah E. Whitley, Ph.D. as a speaker at your next event, symposium or conference?