Professional Documents
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White First Generation
White First Generation
Center
William L. White, Director
Faculty Development
SUNY Buffalo State
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1095
whitewl@buffalostate.edu
716-878-3376
To begin, research from Stanford University suggests that being open about
family histories and parental education attainment is an important, indeed
essential, component of first-gen success. In the study, first-gen students
who explored their fears in open conversation with faculty and peers earned
higher year-end GPAs and felt more confident in their overall chances of
completing their degree programs. This suggests that faculty who teach
classes with high first-year enrollments might want to spend some time
discussing student histories, fears, and expectations. The results can help
faculty and students understand and map pathways to success.
While the foregoing has been a short review of some of major findings
related to the challenges and potential of first-generation college students,
there is much more information available (see below). Please look over
some these sites, think about your own teaching practices, and know that
when engaged and supported, first-generation college students can not
only be successful, they can also present strong and diverse points of view
within your classes.
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