Encourage first-gen academic success through the First-at-LAS Faculty Fellowship. The First-at-LAS Faculty Fellows Program is a grant-funded initiative that aims to increase first-generation and minoritized student academic success by supporting LAS faculty in redesigning their courses and adopting inclusive teaching strategies. Faculty Fellows receive funding and access to institutional data for their courses, workshops on inclusive teaching, research and assessment support, and a scholarly network of key campus and college instructional experts.

The Connect Program links LAS first-gen students to faculty in the same department who can provide guidance and advice on college life and support post-grad success. Faculty guides work with students for one or two semesters and help students identify goals and create plans to address students’ needs. Faculty in the program are invited to a Faculty Welcome Session and have access to extensive resources and materials to support student conversations. All LAS faculty are invited to participate and may identify as first-gen or continuing-gen.

Connect with students through the Tell Me Your Story Campaign. Learn about our efforts to strengthen student-faculty communication and connection through storytelling. The Tell Me Your Story campaigns seeks to empower students to share their stories to foster community and support networks that lead to critical skill building and resource sharing. The campaign provides faculty with posters to display in offices or departments and a notecard with conversation prompts to help facilitate dialogue. First-gen faculty may also volunteer for the speaker series.

LAS faculty can encourage first-gen student research conversations and interest in LASURI with our new digital badges. Badges are small icons that can be linked to faculty research areas or present projects to prompt students to inquire about research. Choose from six options to add to department faculty profiles, electronic documents, or email signatures.

Explore resources and materials to support first-gen students in and outside the classroom. Access resources and materials including literature and peer-reviewed articles that document the first-generation college student experience and highlight strategies for support and engagement.