Supporting First-generation Students Pre-College

Institutions across the nation have numerous programs, events, services, etc. to support first-generation college students upon arrival to campus. Learning/living-learning communities, student organizations, workshop series, mentorship programs, and more commonplace for many first-generation student support units. These programs, events, and services are superb, but what is our role (as institutions of higher education) to shift the narrative and reimagine how we are supporting first-generation college students before they even become first-generation college students? What is our role in supporting them as they are navigating the decision-making process as they navigate where and if to pursue a college degree?

The Arkansas Tech University (ATU) Division of Student Affairs and Division of Enrollment Management began this conversation during the 2018-2019 academic year. Staff members within the Office of Admissions, Office of Marketing & Communications, Department of Campus Life, and Department of Residence Life began to think about how we could work across divisional and departmental lines to best support the pre-college experiences for first-generation students from across the state of Arkansas. Thus, the concept of the First-Generation Institute was developed. 

I learned that college applications are not as daunting as I originally thought they were.

The First-Generation Institute, which began in-person during June 2019 and was hosted again virtually in June 2020, provides a pre-college experience for rising high school seniors from any location across the state of Arkansas (and beyond, during the 2020 virtual program) who will identify as first-generation college students when they enter a postsecondary institution of higher education. The program continues to be a completely free experience for all students. The 2019 in-person program brought over 50 rising high school seniors to the ATU campus for an overnight experience. Students had the opportunity to stay in a residence hall, attend simulated college courses, meet ATU faculty and staff members who were also first-generation college students themselves, and explore major and career pathways as they considered their future endeavors. In addition, students had the opportunity to discover how to finance college. As a 2019 Institute graduate stated, “I learned that college applications are not as daunting as I originally thought they were.”

After spending the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year planning for our second First-Generation Institute, our steering committee members began to quickly adapt to the changing environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than canceling the program, steering committees rallied together to pivot in planning and executing a virtual institute in June 2020. While shifting to the virtual realm, we had the opportunity to take feedback from our 2019 Institute graduates in enhancing the curriculum program by adding in personal skills development, such as how to step outside of your comfort zone as a new college student, strategies for making new friends in college, and tips for asking questions to your college faculty members.

Programs like this have the amazing opportunity for student affairs division and enrollment management divisions to work across divisional lines to think about how we are positively contributing to the success of first-generation students pre-college.