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Supporting First Generation College Students
Subject: All
From The Author
Over and over again I am amazed at the impact that the feelings of belonging, being believed in, and being validated make on the success of college students, especially students that are part of equity groups. Understanding how to provide validation to students and create a validating environment is one way to contribute to a more equitable college experience for students.
Impact on Faculty
Activities and principles introduced in this toolkit will help student feel more welcome and comfortable in class. The more comfortable students feel the better they will learn.Impact on Students
Faculty will be able to create a more welcoming and equitable learning environment for students. They will also learn strategies they can share with new students to smooth their transition into college.Toolkit Survey
Toolkit Overview
This toolkit is based on two workshops taught in Fall 2019. The POD workshop "How to Support First Generation College Students" by Emily Versace and the Fall FLEX day workshop "Change Your Student's life in the First Two Weeks of Class" by Emily Versace and Richard Myers. It covers activities to help faculty create a welcoming environment for first generation college students using Dr. Laura Rendon's Validation Theory. It also looks at Role Theory, as explained by Melinda Mechur Karp and Rachel Hare Bork. This toolkit includes activities to help faculty create a welcoming environment for first generation college students. which identifies ways to help new students have a better transition into college. participants will learn how to apply Laura I. Rendon's Validation Theory, described as "an enabling, confirming, and supportive process initiated by in- and out-of-class agents that foster academic and interpersonal development" towards first-generation college students. Research on Validation Theory indicates that for first-generation and culturally diverse students, validation serves to transform them into powerful learners. This workshop will be interactive and include concrete examples faculty can implement in their classes immediately. The tools provided will benefit all students and faculty regardless of the level of the course and will be especially relevant to equity and first-generation students. This session is inspired by information learned at the NISOD Conference and is an adaptation from the Fall 2019 Faculty Flex Day session titled: Change Your Students' Lives in the First Two Weeks of ClassSteps To Implement
1) Review the Power Point
2) Download the handout for activities that can be used in any class
3) Review additional resources: podcast and articles
4) Choose activities to use in class.
Online Resources
- Magic Mountie Podcast: Change your Student
- Validating culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development by Dr. Laura I. Rendon
- “They Never Told Me What to Expect, so I Didn’t Know What to Do”: Defining and Clarifying the Role of a Community College Student by Melinda Mechur Karp and Rachel Hare Bork