Institutional Offices and Programming

Institutions provide differing types of support for first generation students. Targeted programming offers first generation students the ability to connect to faculty and staff for increased opportunities for success and degree completion. Schwartz et al. (2018) explored the impact of a social capital intervention for first generation students. Participants were undergraduate students participating in a summer bridge program at a public, urban, commuter campus. The intervention, run in conjunction to a bridge program, focused on empowering first generation students through the development of skills and confidence to connect with individuals on campus. Workshops

highlighted social capital, mentorship, and networking to reach academic goals; challenges to networking, such as prejudice and racism, and how to handle denial and unavailability; creating visual representation of support networks; professional role-playing; mock interviews; and discussing ways to maintain support from off-campus resources and how to build on-campus support.

The intervention group reported better relationships with instructors, increased intention to recruit support, increased network orientation or usefulness of seeking support, and decreased help-seeking avoidance. The qualitative interview process found that all participants in the intervention reported positive relationships with faculty, highlighting instructors worked to ensure their success. Additionally, students described continuing close relationships with staff members introduced to them through the program and how these individuals assisted in building connections across the campus. Students recognized the importance of developing relationships to promote academic success. The intervention enabled students to connect with campus personnel who provided them with guidance and support, including “help choosing classes, understanding course content, navigating the university environment, and managing their stress related to being in college” (Schwartz et al., 2018, p. 174). First generation students were provided with opportunities to reach out to professors for guidance, use and learn about campus resources, and connect to mentors, which delivered additional support for academic success and persistence while adapting to the new landscape of higher education.

In addition, Colton, Connor, Shultz, and Easter (1999) evaluated a federally funded TRIO program focused on serving first generation, low-income, learning or physically disabled, or academically underprepared students. Five important components were included in the programming: academic advising, freshman colloquium, student mentorship, academic skills

training, and social support activities. Students were required to meet with their advisor at least eight times throughout the year to discuss “academic, social, and emotional issues, as well as … proper educational behaviors, college adjustment/mental health, major/career decision, student development, and/or course selection” (Colton et al., 1999, p. 151). A longitudinal comprehensive evaluation was conducted to determine the program’s impact on persistence through an examination of demographic information, programming satisfaction, grades and grade point averages, and retention rates. Students who participated reported higher retention rates than their peers. Additionally, students recognized counselors as being knowledgeable and showing “respect, interest, and concern with them as individuals” (Colton et al., 1999, p. 154).

As mentioned earlier, academic advising is critical to academic success. Polson and Jurich (1981) explored the impact of advising skills on the effectiveness of a departmental advising center. A Likert-scale questionnaire was used to determine students’ views of the helpfulness of the advising center. The overall effectiveness of the advising center was rated as high; students reported being more confident and understanding of the requirements of their program (Polson and Jurich, 1981). Additionally, interpersonal aspects of advising were found to be most important. An advisor’s behavior, such as showing care, and attitude, including emotions of concern and friendliness, were key for satisfaction with advising (Polson and Jurich, 1981). The importance of interpersonal connection between advisors and advisees was evident in the traits students regarded the advisors as “often” or “almost always” displaying: friendliness, sincerity, respect, warmth, and concern (Polson and Jurich, 1981). Advising has many different iterations within the field of higher education, but Polson and Jurich’s (1981) research connects the formal, developmental process of advising to the need to build supportive relationships on campus.

completion (Davis, 2012). To build awareness of student experiences, King, Griffith, and Murphy (2017) used a story-sharing program where faculty and staff shared their experiences of being first generation, lower or middle class, or low-income college students. The program authenticated students of similar backgrounds experiences at the institution. Participants felt validated in their experiences and that they were “not alone” (King et al., 2017, p. 11). Story-sharing normalizes the experience first generation, working class, or financially insecure students experience on college campuses (King et al., 2017). The comparable experiences between faculty and staff built social capital, and increased social integration can increase student success. Conversely, Richardson and Skinner (1992) interviewed minoritized baccalaureate recipients on their experiences during their undergraduate career and found many interviewees recalled incidents where faculty held low expectations for minorities, leading to treatment of disrespect in the classroom. Research has proven that social capital can negate the effects of non-supportive campus personnel (Schwartz et al., 2018), but the difference in experiences highlights the variation of involvements and opportunities within a higher education environment – making the need to tailor efforts by specialized population vital.