AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY SUPPORTING FIRST- GENERATION STUDENTS

LEARNING OUTCOMES Identify the specific challenges facing first- generation college students Have a basic understanding of cultural capital and the hidden curriculum Identify campus resources to support first- generation students

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO Express how their beliefs, values, faith and culture shape their actions and attitudes Demonstrate that they value the richness afforded by multiple perspectives Demonstrate respect for individual and group difference in their interactions with others Participate in team problem-solving and decision making situations

DR. LA’TONYA REASE MILES Director, Academic Resource Center Lecturer, English Department Faculty Fellow, McCarthy Hall ( ) first-generation college student

FEDERAL DEFINITION The U.S. Department of Education defines first-generation as “neither parent has a college degree.”

THE LANDSCAPE Students with more educated parents tend to have an advantage over their first-generation college peers in navigating higher education due to their greater access to financial, informational and social resources.

FIRST-GEN STUDENTS ARE: More likely to select and attend a two-year college More likely to delay postsecondary enrollment More likely to have interrupted enrollment in college More likely to enroll part-time More likely to work while attending school Less likely to attend graduate school Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000.

COMMON FIRST GEN EXPERIENCES Overcoming past obstacles to reach this achievement. Managing the "two worlds" of school and home. “border living” Straddling (Lubrano 2005) May experience “ survivor’s guilt ” Feeling pressure to excel as the first in the family to make it to college; may experience “ imposter’s syndrome ” Trouble relating to peers who do not share the experience of being First Generation. Explaining the demands and rigors of college life to family and friends. “What are you going to do with that?”

FIRST-GENERATION IS A SOCIAL IDENTITY A PERSON’S SENSE OF WHO THEY ARE BASED ON THEIR GROUP MEMBERSHIP(S)

FROM “FIRST TO GO” TO FIRST-GEN

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A GENERATION MAKES

"Don't be fooled. She can't write a prescription for medicine or anything." ~Jabari Miles

CULTURAL CAPITAL

WHAT BUFFY SMITH SAYS There should be more focus on building academic cultural capital Programs should provide institutional knowledge... And intentionally reveal hidden curriculum

HOW DID YOU FIGURE THAT OUT?? Help bridge first-gen students achieve academic cultural capital. Make “codes of behavior” more self-evident to all students. Rules, behaviors, values and expectations that students are expected to know but are not formally taught = HIDDEN CURRICULUM

I DON’T KNOW YOU LIKE THAT!

CULTURAL CAPITAL What individuals know, in terms of skills, education, experiences and other privileges that grant them a higher status in life (Bourdieu 1986) can be acquired two ways, from one’s family and/or through formal schooling. is acquired over time

THE PROBLEM WITH CULTURAL CAPITAL Assumes that some communities are culturally poor (or deficit)

CULTURAL WEALTH Resilient and resourceful Independent Hopeful Critical framework

6 FORMS OF CULTURAL WEALTH Aspirational Linguistic Familial Social Navigational Resistant

STRENGTHS DEVELOPMENT MODEL potential exists in all students Focus on identifying strengths Empower individuals to flourish, not merely survive (not failure prevention) Have clear expectations Promote engaged learning activities Help students transfer strengths from one setting to another

CULTURAL WEALTH Resilient and resourceful, but not likely to ask for help Independent and prideful Hopeful but ambivalent about ch ange Critical framework

FORMS OF SUPPORT Be a good listener Connect with supportive faculty and staff Suggest resources and share your personal experiences Have high expectations Encourage family and community connection Help balance school and family responsibilities Be open to feedback and criticism  Remember: not every first-generation student identifies as such!

POP QUIZ! _______% of first-generation students enroll in a four- year college nationally. _______% of LMU freshman class who identify as first- generation.`

FIRST-GEN

LMU CHALLENGES Experience “culture shock” Difficulty explaining college culture to parents Majors Career choice Co-curricular activities (Usually) positive identification with campus service workers Feel guilt about the school’s tuition Source: Marisa Cervantes (2011)

“I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK.” ~Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation

CAMPUS RESOURCES A Community Committed to Excellence in Scientific Scholarship (ACCESS), Seaver College First To Go Program, Academic Resource Center Others?

FIRST TO

FIRST TO GO COMMUNITY

THANK YOU!