How We Built This: Strategies to build a coalition of support for first -generation students

In 2017, the co-presenters formed a university-wide First Generation Task Force to celebrate and support first-generation students. In just one year and with no budget, the Task Force led a transformative initiative engaging 50+ staff and faculty from all over the university. The main accelerator that increased the urgency of this campus wide cultural shift were the student voices. First-gen students who shared stories of resilience, survivor guilt and the pressure to be pioneers were the voices that motivated our campus to work together across functional responsibilities on this initiative.The first-gen initiative called Flying First has grown exponentially as more partners have joined in. Through our annual First-gen symposium sponsored by Rowan University we have expanded our impact to institutions across New Jersey to increase awareness and to celebrate first-gen resilience. During this session the presenters will share their experience and provide a step-by-step guide for creating or accelerating first-generation student support on campus without a budget, using John Kotter’s 8 Step Model of Change. Higher education professionals looking to build a coalition of support for first-generation students will leave this presentation with specific strategies for success. The first-gen initiative called Flying First has grown exponentially as more partners have joined in. Through our annual First-gen symposium sponsored by Rowan University we have expanded our impact to institutions across New Jersey to increase awareness and to celebrate first-gen resilience. During this session the presenters will share their experience and provide a step-by-step guide for creating or accelerating first-generation student support on campus without a budget, using John Kotter’s 8 Step Model of Change. Higher education professionals looking to build a coalition of support for first-generation students will leave this presentation with specific strategies for success