Unpacking the Disparity in First Gen Graduation Rates (Malloy 101)

Many first generation students go to college to finally reverse the cycle of poverty in their families. However, instead of awarding everyone who enters its gates an equal chance at upward social mobility, could colleges be setting up to fail those who are most in need of this chance? Recently gathered evidence shows that first generation students are 51% less likely than students whose parents graduated from college to complete their degree within four years.

This workshop unpacks three unique challenges first generation students face after getting into college that contribute to this disparity. These are heightened family obligations, a lack of inherited cultural capital, and limited social integration, all of which compound to create a major disadvantage. First generation college students are often stretched thin juggling school and family demands, a usually impossible endeavor that results in subpar academic performance; they typically enter college without the requisite cultural capital to know how to survive, avoid student pitfalls and get the most out of their experience; and they generally feel disconnected from their campus community because they do not have the time, money or guidance needed to fully immerse themselves in campus life. Apart from discussing each of the three issues above, this session will also be dedicated to brainstorming solutions to these problems as well as discussing how to implement solutions that have been presented in the past by research, such as augmenting the cultural capital of first generation students with more comprehensive orientation programs.