Unlocking the Hidden Curriculum: How Augusta University’s Lunch and Learn Series Advances First-Generation Student Success

At Augusta University (AU),The Office of Multicultural Student Engagement has been working to build a culture of first-generation student success since first-generation initiatives were officially centralized in the office in late 2022. Additionally, in the winter of 2023, the office received approval for a new position dedicated to first-generation student success initiatives.

With this new position, we could pursue specialized first-generation initiatives built on our annual celebration, corresponding social media campaigns, and intersectional mentorship program. So, before hiring for the new position, our office leadership began brainstorming new initiatives.

Of utmost importance was ensuring that any new initiatives complemented our institution’s existing strategic plan, but we also prioritized ensuring any new initiatives that were:

(1) grounded in student success scholarship

(2) guided by the needs of current students and campus goals

(3) addressed gaps in our first-year transition process

(4) allowed for intentional collaboration with campus partners

After much consideration of our priorities, AU Insider, a first-generation lunch and learn series, was developed. The following details how our office aligned those priorities to create a dynamic and impactful event series.

Student Success Scholarship

AU Insider is guided by the hidden curriculum and its role in student success. First coined by Philip W. Jackson (1968), the hidden curriculum refers to cultural standards, policies, and expectations of an educational institution that are rarely explicitly taught or communicated. One reason attributed to first-generation attrition is a lack of awareness of a college’s hidden curriculum (Minicozzi & Roda, 2020). Creating a targeted and recurring event series that presents and reinforces aspects of the hidden curriculum engagingly and interactively would support our first-generation students' retention and overall success.

Student Needs and Campus Goals

The recurring nature of this series allows us to specifically address many different aspects of the college experience through the lens of the hidden curriculum. It also allows our practitioners to focus on targeted aspects that benefit our students the most. For example, after learning that students wanted additional support in navigating college classrooms and advocating for themselves, we focused our September 2024 event on this topic. Specifically, attendees assessed their individual learning styles and learned how to use them to ensure success and advocate for themselves in the classroom.

Over the last two years, our campus has heavily emphasized increasing student engagement. In January 2025, we focused on the role of school traditions, spirit, and events in the holistic college experience, aligning with the homecoming season. Annually, these topics and approaches will be updated based on student needs, feedback, and campus priorities.

First-Year Transition

At many institutions, various aspects of the hidden curriculum are addressed in traditional first-year experience coursework during a student's first semester. Augusta University does not currently offer a traditional first-year experience course to new students, presenting a gap in knowledge and topics usually reinforced in the first semester. Through AU Insider, topics such as analyzing a class syllabus, using and locating campus resources, and using university technologies can be addressed and reinforced after orientation concludes. More importantly, we can be intentional in how this information is presented to a first-generation audience.

Collaboration with Campus Partners

As we know, student success is the responsibility of an entire campus. When first-generation programming was centralized into the Multicultural Student Engagement office, we did not want to silo any efforts to one department, unit, or division. AU Insider allows our office to intentionally collaborate with campus partners to build community and affinity while allowing experts across our campus to lead interactive activities with these students. In our first lunch and learn, we partnered with the President's Office, and our president shared his first-generation story. We have partnered with Career Services, Financial Aid, Student Life and Engagement, and are planning additional collaborations with The Graduate School and Health Professions Outreach in spring 2025. We have also been honored to have first-generation faculty and staff join these events to interact with students and build community and affinity.

Next Steps

It is essential to note that the expansion of any form of first-generation initiatives must be paired with the necessary structural updates to ensure that our institution is increasingly more inviting and navigable for first-generation students. At Augusta University, we have implemented a first-generation task force to investigate the enrollment and transition process for first-generation students. We are in the early stages of forming a cross-campus advisory board to advise campus leadership on limiting barriers to success. Moreover, we are proud members of the FirstGen Forward Network, which has allowed our efforts to flourish with the support of FirstGen Forward and other Network Members.

Our 2024 – 2025 AU Insider goal was to offer six lunch and learns with an average attendance of 25 students per session and to offer three sessions per semester. We have offered the first four, with an average attendance of 26 students per session. But even more importantly, students have positively responded to the support provided by the event series.

Quintus W., a first-year student, shared, “As a first-generation college student, stepping onto campus felt like stepping into the unknown, but the AU Insider event series gave me the tools and confidence to thrive. These sessions dismantled the barriers I faced, offering guidance on everything from financial aid to academic success. AU Insider isn’t just an event—it’s a lifeline for students like me, proving that with the right support, we can not only navigate college but defy the odds and excel.”

Similarly, Jimmy K. stated, “I learned about helpful campus resources that I never knew existed, how to make my college experience more enjoyable, and more helpful information. It is such an amazing event that I would love to see more of."

So, as we conclude the first year of this event, we are listening to Jimmy and ensuring that we expand AU Insider and engage even more students. We plan to diversify the event locations and offer online versions to reach all possible students. We can't wait to expand this pilot initiative and look forward to all the possibilities to ensure first-generation student success in the coming years. 

References

Jackson, P. W. (1968). Life in classrooms (Holt, Rinehart & Wilson). Inc., Nueva York.

Minicozzi, E. D. L., & Roda, A. (2020). Unveiling the Hidden Assets That First-Generation

Students Bring to College. Link.

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For more information on Augusta University's approach, please visit their website here.