Offering more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degrees, Ƶ is in the position to support each student’s success. One group with unique challenges here is first-generation students.
First-generation students make up 54% of the nation’s undergraduates, yet only 27% earn a bachelor’s degree, compared to 82% of students with two parents who earned bachelor’s degrees or higher. Many first-generation students face financial constraints, limited support systems and higher dropout rates, making university support essential to their success.
Ƶ Ƶ was recently recognized for its outstanding work with students in this category by as the newest class of .
“First-generation students often face a range of holistic challenges, from financial barriers to limited family support. That’s why it has been incredibly rewarding to collaborate with partners across the Ƶ Ƶ system to develop resources that empower these students and support their success,” Melanie Jones told Ƶ Ƶ Today. Jones is the director of Student Success Programs in University College.
“When they’re faced with a challenge, sometimes it can be even more challenging to overcome it,” Kelly Cichy, Ph.D., interim executive director of Student Success Initiatives in University College, said. “But our first-generation students are also resilient.”
Today, Ƶ Ƶ holds the FirstGen Forward program’s highest status, Network Champion, serving as a national example for universities evolving to meet the needs of their students.
“As one of only 32 institutions in the country to have been recognized as a Network Champion, Ƶ has displayed a commitment to actively adopt the continuous improvement model and align their efforts with institutional priorities to guide first-generation students to completion,” Stephanie J. Bannister, Ph.D., vice president of FirstGen Forward, said in a statement
This honor highlights the time and effort the university has dedicated to expanding as an institution, placing it alongside other recipients such as Ohio Ƶ University, Baylor University and Florida International University.
“We are extremely honored to be selected as a Network Champion in the FirstGen Forward Network,” Liz Piatt, Ph.D., interim dean of University College, said. “We appreciate their recognition of our strong commitment to first-generation student success.”
Since its acceptance into the program in 2021, Ƶ Ƶ has worked with FirstGen Forward to establish itself as a leader in providing empowering and advanced approaches to first-generation academics.
“We focused on the data side of first-generation students, understanding who our students are and how to access data and information. We focused on teaching and mentorship, developing professional resources for faculty, especially to support first-generation students,” said Cichy. “Now, we’re in the process of developing a survey for all our first-generation students to better understand their experiences in and outside of the classroom.”
Ƶ Ƶ joined the organization in 2021 as a Network Member, working to strengthen the university’s support for first-generation students.
“Achieving unprecedented FirstGen student success will have a life-changing impact across generations, as college completion is a significant contributor to education, workforce and life success for the families of graduates,” Maurice Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward, said in a statement.
In 2023, after demonstrating its continued progress, the university advanced to Network Leader, gaining resources to enhance student success and amplify its role in first-generation support, ultimately leading to its promotion to Network Champion.
Learn more about University College and I Am First.