has invited º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ's THRIVE initiative to become part of its FirstGen Forward Network, which helps colleges and universities provide exceptional experiences to students who are the first in their families to attend college.
“This is a major accomplishment for us,” THRIVE director Anthony Parker-Gills said. “The selection process included an extensive application process.”
In a press release, FirstGen Forward Executive Vice President Sarah Whitley said that it was clear that “º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies that foster an environment of success for this important population.”
The offers data on evidence-based practices, training, and expertise to higher-education institutions “to scale and sustain” the work of serving first-generation students. Currently, 429 institutions are part of the program, which is run through , a professional organization for student affairs administrators in higher education.
Along with the professional development and networking that THRIVE and other staff will engage in over the coming years, membership in the group signals the College's values, said Benje Douglas, senior vice president for inclusion and diversity. “We have a commitment to enhancing the experience of first-generation college students, and participating in the project is one way that we hope helps us do it even better,” he said.
Parker-Gills, who started at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ a year ago, said from day one he had made it a goal to join the network. “I knew this was an initiative I wanted to apply to and be part of,” he said. “Being a first-gen student myself and coming from a low-income background, this work is meaningful to me.”
º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ has five programs that support the success of first-generation students. All fall under the THRIVE umbrella.
They include º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ Advising in Support of Excellence (BASE), the º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ Science Experience (BSE), the Geoffrey Canada Scholars Program (GCS), the Chamberlain Scholars Program, and THRIVE Peer Mentoring.
Each program addresses a specific area of student need, such as transitioning to college, academic advising, and strengthening STEM skills.
To be accepted, Parker-Gillis collaborated with Sam Burke, who is part of º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ's instutitional research office, and Eduardo Pazos, former director of multicultural life, to demonstrate how THRIVE currently supports students. He also outlined THRIVE's goals and demonstrated the College's commitment to improving and increasing institutional infrastructure and resources for first-generation students.
Parker-Gills said the network will help him and others who work with this population of students at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ stay up to date with best practices, learn from peer schools, and serve 100 percent of the College's first-generation students.
While the number of students participating in THRIVE has been increasing over the years, all first-generation students in the incoming class—for the first time ever—will be part of the initiative, in particular through its expanded peer-mentoring program.
Many first-gen students and/or students from low-income backgrounds look for a sense of community and belonging, Parker-Gills explained. In response, THRIVE's team has been “working on enhancing the community piece of our programs,” as well as expanding first-gen support and giving them more of a voice on campus.
This next academic year, for instance, THRIVE will launch an first eight-member student advisory board to help offer more programming to enhance its community on campus. The board will also highlight the accomplishments of first-generation and low-income students in each of THRIVE's five programs.
In June, Parker-Gills and Burke attended a virtual kickoff meeting where they learned more about the network's resources and expectations.
“We believe this network will be our anchor for developing community, policies, and initiatives to best support our growing first-generation population,” Parker-Gills said. “We have many dedicated faculty and staff members who are excited to enhance and scale up our first-generation student experience on campus.”
