First Generation College Students Come Together
Stephanie Scalise
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: News
Every student has unique needs, but a group of students found some commonality over a community dialogue hosted by NDNU's Community Psychology class on April 14.
The community dialogue welcomed first generation students-students who are the first to attend college in the family, especially those from different countries-from NDNU and local high schools to discuss the specific needs of these students.
"Coming together as a community allows us to better address [first generation students'] situations," said the professor of the Community Psychology class, Gretchen Wehrle.
A class report concluded that common themes among first generation students are that they prefer smaller classrooms and campuses; are encouraged by families to finish school, but face challenges, such as language barriers and lack of information; and that financial aid is an essential.
At the dialogue, the students discussed their needs in areas, such as transition from high school to college, financial aid, staff and faculty, facilities, and family involvement.
In transition, the students suggested an increase in amount of opportunities to shadow students, increased alumni involvement, and an upperclassman mentor program.
For financial aid, students wanted a broad amount of different mediums for financial aid besides loans. They want financial aid staff to know more about specific needs for first generation students, a more efficient process, and more information in general.
Students want faculty and staff to be more bilingual, diverse in more ways than just ethnicity, and to be flexible and knowledgeable of students with specific needs.
These students suggested that the facilities, such as computer labs, the gym, and the library, need to be upgraded and have more flexible hours because the majority of these students work at jobs that don't allow them to work with the times that these facilities are open.
Family involvement is also important for these students, and they suggest making it easier by modernizing the website and translating it into different languages.
Students also suggested that documents and letters that are sent home should be translated to the first language spoken at home. First generation students believe that it is important for the family to know what goes on and claims that more open houses will fulfill that need.
"These are all areas that we need to look at to make our institution more supportive," said Wehrle.
The community dialogue welcomed first generation students-students who are the first to attend college in the family, especially those from different countries-from NDNU and local high schools to discuss the specific needs of these students.
"Coming together as a community allows us to better address [first generation students'] situations," said the professor of the Community Psychology class, Gretchen Wehrle.
A class report concluded that common themes among first generation students are that they prefer smaller classrooms and campuses; are encouraged by families to finish school, but face challenges, such as language barriers and lack of information; and that financial aid is an essential.
At the dialogue, the students discussed their needs in areas, such as transition from high school to college, financial aid, staff and faculty, facilities, and family involvement.
In transition, the students suggested an increase in amount of opportunities to shadow students, increased alumni involvement, and an upperclassman mentor program.
For financial aid, students wanted a broad amount of different mediums for financial aid besides loans. They want financial aid staff to know more about specific needs for first generation students, a more efficient process, and more information in general.
Students want faculty and staff to be more bilingual, diverse in more ways than just ethnicity, and to be flexible and knowledgeable of students with specific needs.
These students suggested that the facilities, such as computer labs, the gym, and the library, need to be upgraded and have more flexible hours because the majority of these students work at jobs that don't allow them to work with the times that these facilities are open.
Family involvement is also important for these students, and they suggest making it easier by modernizing the website and translating it into different languages.
Students also suggested that documents and letters that are sent home should be translated to the first language spoken at home. First generation students believe that it is important for the family to know what goes on and claims that more open houses will fulfill that need.
"These are all areas that we need to look at to make our institution more supportive," said Wehrle.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Concerned Blood donor
posted 7/02/09 @ 1:27 AM PST
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Help with CV
posted 12/30/09 @ 5:48 AM PST
It is great that the students discussed their needs in areas, such as transition from high school to college, financial aid, staff and faculty, facilities, and family involvement. (Continued…)
samueljaxon
College Papers
posted 2/03/10 @ 6:13 AM PST
Thanks for great college news!
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