This power point presentation accompanied my defense of my capstone project. First Generation Student Support Program.

1. First Generation Student
Scholar Program (FGSSP)
Greg Andrews

2. Background
 Who are First Generation Students (FGS)?
 Neither parent has attended institution of higher
education
 More likely to be non-traditional age (older than 18-22)
 More likely to identify as female
 More likely to be a student of color
 Likely to be from a low income family/area

3. Background (cont.)
 Usually a commuter student
 May be married/have dependents
 Typically attends part time/works full time
 This demographic as of 2011 makes up approximately
50% of students in the United States
 Are more likely to attend 2-year institutions

4. So What Is The Problem?
(Literature)
 Since approximately 50% of all students are
FGS, support is necessary
 This population is projected to grow to become a
majority of students
 FGS need proactive support
 Currently FGS are less likely to persist than non-FGS
 FGS are 71% more likely to drop out than Non-FGS

5. Literature Suggestions
(Cont.)
 Summer enrichment programs with peer groups on
the college campuses that these students will be
attending
 Educating faculty and staff of needs of the FGS
population to ensure that proper information is getting
to the students, which is seen as a contributor to lack
of persistence.
 Creating inclusive and comprehensive curriculum
instructional practices and student services supporting
diverse populations.

6. Literature Suggestions
(Cont.)
 Provide direction for FGS in order to learn the college
system, and help them to make use of college
resources
 Develop an early detection system around academic
and financial concerns as well as other types of
concern
 Hire staff, faculty, and administration that reflect
diverse population

7. FGSSP Purpose
 To provide guidance and assistance by:
 Identify FGS at community colleges
 Help FGS to navigate the collegiate systems
 Meet FGS where they are at
 NOT require them to have additional financial burden or
spend more time than necessary at their academic
institutions
 Work with their needs not in spite of them
 Utilize most of the suggestions presented in literature

8. FGSSP
 2 year program for community colleges
 Modeled similar to Ronald McNair Scholar program
 Participants are selected based on first assessment
 Program will be mandatory
 Program ideally would be funded by a TRIO grant

9. FGSSP Participants
 What are requirements for participation?
 Must be a FGS
 In order to gain additional aid, must meet “low-income”
definition
 If Upward Bound eligible and FGS automatically
accepted

10. How Does FGSSP
Work?
 In order to be efficient with time, rather than provide a
standalone class, there will be FGS sections of program
specific classes.
 Added credit hour = added hour of class
 Cost free if at all possible (grants/scholarships)
 Hour will be used to aide FGS specific needs
 Monthly 2 hour gathering for ALL FGS students by cohort
 This addresses lack of “community” or “belonging”

11. How Does FGSSP
Work? (Cont.)
 Collaboration with various other departments
 Academic Advisors specifically trained for FGS
 FGS Advisor/Mentor program
 Professional administrator and ideally peer
 Consideration to be made for internship/graduate
assistantship
 Early Alert System
 Second Year focused on transition/transfer/persistence

12. Theoretical Framework
FGSSP
Before FGSSP 2-year Degree
Background Dropout
Knowledge of College Systems
s Financial Debt
Potential Tranfer to 4-year
No Degree
Institution
Frustration
Transition to NEW Professional
Opportunity

13. Assessments
 Entrance Assessment (Demographics)
 Pre-Implementation Assessment
 Current Implementation Assessments
 Completion of each class/presentation/gathering
 Completion of each semester
 Completion of each year
 Completion of program
 Comparison between Pre-Implementation and Completion of
Program will take place after first year and will continue year to year
 ALL ASSESSMENTS WILL BE MIXED METHOD (Qualitative and
Quantitative)

14. Recommendations
 Continuous assessment and reaction to assessment
 Patience, Patience, Patience..
 Complete one cycle (2 years) before making major
change
 Listen to the voices of the participants
 Perhaps an opt out after a full month of the
program, allowing them to attend a cohort gathering
and take a month of courses to understand
benefits, this can be based on school policies

15. References
 Adam, M. (2005). Low-Income, first-generation students left behind. The Hispanic Outlook in
Higher Education, 15(24), 17.
 Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College
Student Development,40(5), 518-518.
 Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college?. Liberal Education, 79(4), 4.
 Bobbitt, L. & Choy, S. P. (2000). Low income students: Who they are and how they pay for their
education. National Center for Educational Statistics.
 D‟Allegro, M. L. & Kerns, S. (2011). Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to
education? Reexamining first generation student success. Journal of College Student Retention:
Research, Theory and Practice, 12(3), 293-317
 Davis R. J, & Palmer, R. T. (2010) The Role of Postsecondary Remediation for African American Students: A
Review of Research. The Journal of Negro Education.79 (4) 503-520.
 Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation,
development, and health. Canadian Psychology, 49(3), 182-185.

16. References
 Dolan, T. G. (2005). Removing barriers to financially needy, first-generation students. The Hispanic Outlook in
Higher Education 15, 12.
 Engel, J., & Tinto, V. (2008). Moving beyond access: College success for low-income, first-generation students.
The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.
 Fry, R. (2011). Hispanic college enrollment spikes, narrowing gaps with other groups. Retrieved from: http://
www.pewhispanic.org/2011/08/25/hispanic-college-enrollment-spikes-narrowing-gaps-with-other-groups/
 Gilroy, M.. (2011, September). Where Hispanics Go to College. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher
Education, 21(22), 8-10.
 Gonzalez, J. (2012). Aspen competition drives innovative ideas for community-college completion. The
Chronicle of Higher Education. 58(19
 Hao, R. N. (2011). Critical compassionate pedagogy and the teacher‟s role in first-generation student success.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 2011(127) p. 91-9
 Horwedel, D. M. (2008). Putting first-generation students first.Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 25(5), 10-12.
 Investment Weekly News (2012) New study from the Kellogg school of management: College culture contributes
to „academic disadvantages‟ for first-generation students. Investment Weekly News.

17. References
 Laden, B. V. (2004).Serving emerging majority students. New Directions for
Community Colleges, 127, 5-19.
 Lunceford, B. (2011).When first-generation students go to graduate school. New
Directions for Teaching and Learning, 127, 13-20.
 Mehta, S. S., Newbold, J. J., & O‟Rourke, M. A. (2011).Why do first-generation
students fail?.College Student Journal, 45(1), 20-35.
 Merritt, C. R. (2008).First-generation college students: Then and now.Human
Architecture: Journal of the Sociological of Self Knowledge, 45-52.
 Padgett, R. D., Johnson, M. P. &Pascarella, E. T. (2012). First-generation undergraduate students and the impacts of
the first year of college. Journal of College Student Development, 53(2)
 Pascarella, E. T., Pierson, C. T., Terenzini, P. T., &Wolniak, G. C. (2004). First-generation college students: Additional
evidence on college experiences and outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education, 73(3), 249-284.
 Prospero, M. &Vohra-Gupta, S. (2007). First generation college students: Motivation, integration, and academic
achievement. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31, 963-975.
 Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (2012) Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement
Program. Retrieved from: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triomcnair/index.html

18. References
 Snell, T. P. (2008). First-generation students, social class, and literacy. Academe, 94(4), 28-31.
 U.S. Department of Education (2011). Federal TRIO programs.Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
 U.S. Department of Education (1998) Characteristics of first-generation college students, Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 42(3), 2-5.
 Upward Bound Program (2012) Upward Bound Program. Retrieved from:
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html
 Woosley, S. A. &Shepler, D. K. (2011). Understanding the early integration experiences of first-generation
college students. College Student Journal, 45(4) 700-715

19. Questions
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