1. Presentation to the National Partnership for Educational Access Conference – Baltimore, MD Building First-Gen Communities: Norming Struggle and Embracing Belonging Jay Davis, Rachel Edens, Yaritza Gonzalez Dartmouth College April 29, 2016

2. AGENDA Who’s in the Room With a partner: 1. What is your work, and what do you find most satisfying about it now? 2. What is something that was a struggle for you in your transition to college (or high school)? Why community is necessary for first-generation, low-income students Community Building at Dartmouth Community Building Across the Ivies. 1vyGen Questions and Discussion

3. National Trends Approximately 22% of first-year college students do not return for their sophomore year, however, intention to persist is largely affected by students’ identified sense of belonging. Morrow, J., & Ackermann, M. (2012). Intention to persist and retention of first-year students: The importance of motivation and sense of belonging. College Student Journal, 46(3), 483-491. Parental and peer support plays a major impact on first-year, First Generation student success; lack of peer support has correlated to a lowered second semester GPA. Phinney, J. S., Dennis, J. M., & Chuateco, L. I. (2005). The role of motivation, parental support, and peer support in the academic success of ethnic minority first-generation college students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(3), 223-236. A focus on student independence can be detrimental to First Generation students who lack cultural and social capital; the “sociocultural achievement gap” creates a detrimental mismatch for students from lower class backgrounds who have not had access to the norms of academe. Stephens, N. M., Fryberg, S. A., Markus, H. R., Johnson, C. S., & Covarrubias, R. (2012). Unseen disadvantage: how American universities' focus on independence undermines the academic performance of first-generation college students. Journal of personality and social psychology, 102(6), 1178. Challenges FLI Students Face

4. Anthony Jack’s Research on LI Students in the Ivy League PhD Candidate in Sociology and Associate Fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy at Harvard University “Don’t Say It About Me Anymore” 2007 NY Times Audio Essay on Jack’s experience as a First Generation Low Income Graduate of Amherst College “Culture Shock Revisited: The Social and Cultural Contingencies to Class Marginality” The “Doubly Disadvantaged v. “The Privileged Poor” The necessity of skills and avenues to acquire cultural and social capital among low-income students, particularly among students of color “ ‘I, Too, Am Hungry’: An Examination of Structural Exclusion at an Elite University ”-(Presentation, 1vyG 2016) Elite institutions “extending the invitation without preparing for the occasion”*, in accepting FGLI students without creating systems that allow them to thrive Highlights the structural inequalities faced by low-income students the areas of access to essential resources during breaks, reinforcement of classism, and the concept of “workademics” “There’s always famine during Spring Break.” Challenges FLI Students Face * “The First-Generation Movement”, American Radio Works podcast, April 22, 2015,

5. Pre-Orientation Program - FYSEP The First Year Student Enrichment Program empowers first- generation students at Dartmouth College to thrive academically and in the greater college community. Learning Objectives for Students: To thrive in college-level classes To use campus resources for support To use the unique network of support that the FYSEP students and mentors provide To understand their own affinities, and areas for growth Building Community at Dartmouth Programming Academics: “Authentic” classes, with pre/debrief College Resources: Workshops with variety of college offices and staff Personal Growth: Scaffolded workshops focused on greater self-awareness

6. Mentoring Programs First Generation Network Mentoring Program Currently eighteen 1:1 mentor/mentee pairs in its pilot term Enthusiastic response and participation from faculty and staff members, ranging from early- career professionals to members of upper administration, Tuck School of Business Faculty, and the wife of the college president. Opportunities for staff who don’t have regular engagement with students to build strong and lasting student connections Building Community at Dartmouth FYSEP Peer Mentoring Program 27 Upperclass Student mentors for 54 first-year students Juniors and Seniors eligible to participate Positive impact on both mentors and mentees.

7. Year-Long Programming and Alumni Network Academic Year: Social Events (Dinners, “Inside Scoop” Event) Ongoing Workshops (eg Major Selection, Resume-Creation, Financial Literacy) Enrichment activities (eg, Learn to Ski, Cooking, Canoeing) Building Community at Dartmouth Alumni Network and Potential Mentoring Benefits for undergraduates of a career-focused mentor Benefits for mentors - Enrichment of mentoring - Building community with other mentors

8. 1vyG Conferences Founded by Brown students in 2015 “Ivy-Plus” Colleges and Universities Second annual conference in February, 2016, at Harvard 300 students in attendance each year Building Community Across the Ivies

9. College Transition Collaborative Overview: Consortium of institutions exploring the effectiveness of brief, targeted mindset interventions. Preliminary findings suggest strong effect on GPA, sense of belonging, and growth mindset, particularly among underrepresented populations. Building Communities Across the Country Methodology: One hour pre-matriculation survey, which is itself the intervention Quotes on survey from upperclass students, norming struggle Follow-up survey at end of first-year, and end of senior year. At Dartmouth, ½ of incoming students chose to complete initial survey.

10. What would you like to know more about? What thoughts does this bring to mind? What implications if any, are there for the work that you do? (What happens on Monday?) Questions and Discussion

11. Supplemental Information on Next Slides if Needed

12. With Faculty and Staff Professors from Government, Economics, English, Psychology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Native American Studies - Authentic preparation for college classes -Overlap with Year-Long Faculty Advisors -Interdepartmental Communication -Personal Enrichment for Faculty Members - Pedagogy Challenge: Balancing Aspiration and Likely Reality -Compensation and Tenure-Track/Non-Tenure Track Administrators from Advising Deans, Library, Academic Skills Center, Office of Pluralism and Leadership, Career Services, Counselling, Writing Center, Financial Aid, Computing Services, Institutional Diversity and Equity -Wide-ranging Introduction to Campus Resources, and Enhanced Communication among Programs -Need for Triage in What is Most Important, When -(Delicate) Balancing of Workshop Objectives with Colleague’s Strengths/Weaknesses Collaboration

13. Program Outcomes Students highlighted: time management, knowledge of how to utilize resources, the value of getting to know faculty and strategies for doing so Students felt more confident in their abilities and in the self-efficacy of simply feeling prepared. Increased Network/Community of students, staff and faculty Student repeatedly used their resources when they had difficulty and were able to navigate a wide variety of obstacles. Increased understanding of how to be an active learner and increased self-motivation First Year Student Enrichment Program