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Transitions, under the Office of Student Growth and Engagement at Vassar College, supports first-generation, low-income and/or undocumented students in navigating college and being successful. Students who identify as one or more of these communities are invited to Foundations, which is a one week, in-person, on-campus experience before New Student Orientation. The week is focused on introducing students to campus resources, their peers, faculty, administrators and student leaders who will assist them in navigating their years at Vassar. We do this through a variety of means including min-courses, workshops and presentations, trips in the Hudson Valley and community meals. Join us for this interactive presentation and discussion to learn more and explore such a possibility for FGLI students on your campus.

Wendy Maragh Taylor is the Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement at Vassar College. She is a student affairs professional, an educator and a licensed clinical social worker who has been working with individuals, families and groups through organizations, public schools and higher education institutions for more than 20 years. Wendy has also taught in the fields of Education, Social Work, Psychology and Anthropology at Marist College, Adelphi University, Dutchess Community College and Vassar College, respectively.  She is a graduate of NYC public schools in Brooklyn, earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her graduate degree from New York University.

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Supporting FLI Mental Health: Exploring Meaning-Making, Stigma, and Community Approaches to Wellness

Jennifer Telschow, Assistant Director, Center for College Student Success, University of Chicago

First-generation and/or low-income (FLI) college students often face unique mental health challenges related to their FLI identity and how this intersects with other salient identities. Drawing from relevant research as well as personal experience as a licensed professional mental health counselor, this session will provide a foundational overview of college student mental health trends, with a special focus on challenges experienced among FLI students. Included in this will be a discussion of barriers to support experienced by FLI students, as well as FLI students’ strength in navigating personal and community wellness. This session will build toward sharing practical strategies non-clinical student affairs practitioners can use to cultivate a culture of collective wellness, including by enhancing positive meaning-making practices, reducing stigma related to mental health support, increasing access to on and off-campus supports, and increasing community knowledge of mental health resources. The intended audience is non-clinical staff seeking a foundational level of knowledge on FLI student mental health.

Jennifer Telschow (she/her/hers) is a licensed mental health counselor and student affairs professional, and currently serves as the Founding Co-President of the Stanford First-generation and/or Low-income Alumni Network (FLAN) and as a founding member of CO-FLAN, a national collaborative of FLI alumni networks. As a first-generation college graduate from a low-income (FLI) background, Jennifer’s work focuses on the connection between social class identity, generational status, and mental health of college students. She attended Stanford University, where she was a FLI student organizer and led several initiatives to create supports for FLI students, work that she continues as a leader in the alumni community. Jennifer received her Master's Degree in Counseling from Northwestern University, and currently serves as Assistant Director of the Center for College Student Success at the University of Chicago, where she continues to support FLI students through programming and direct support initiatives.

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“Tricky Topics” is a signature session at each of the FGLI Consortium conferences and colloquia, and this month we’re bringing it to the virtual space! This is an opportunity to talk together with colleagues about a specific topic so that we can ask questions, share insights, brainstorm, problem-solve, and do some dreaming together as we engage in the shared work of supporting FGLI students on our campuses. We will offer three virtual ‘roundtable’ spaces for folks to participate in and contribute to:

• Preparing for summer/pre-orientation/bridge programs

• Celebrating first generation graduates

• TBD – Determined by those who register!

Please join us as we continue to grow our work on behalf of our students!

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Equipping FGLI Students with On-the-job Skills

Landing a meaningful summer experience is an important milestone, but how do our FGLI students perform when they do secure jobs, internships, and full-time roles? We'll share some data that shows that FGLI professionals have a different experience from their peers in the workplace, and go over an effective intervention that First-Gen Offices and their partners could adopt. FutureMap's curriculum around on-the-job skills is rooted in employer and student feedback. We'll share the framework and learnings from a climate workforce program using our curriculum, where students reported an average of a 17% increase in their baseline assessment of top skills like time management, and employer rated the interns' skills in those same areas as better than other interns! Attendees will take away some actionable ideas for how their organizations can provide programming that no other groups on campus provide, helping FGLI students feel a greater sense of belonging and perform better in their 'professional' work experiences. 

About Sruti Bharat

Sruti Bharat is the founder and CEO of FutureMap, experts in the college-to-career transition for first-gen, low-income students. Since 2018 FutureMap has delivered workshops, trainings, and coaching to over 1500 FGLI students through college access and other first-gen-focused partners. Before doing FutureMap full-time, Sruti was the Interim CEO at All Raise, a gender equity non-profit promoting women & non-binary founders and VC's in tech. She was also a consultant at Bain and Company, a Kellogg MBA, and held operations, strategy, and chief of staff responsibilities at a global software company. She has worked on diversity, equity, and inclusion from all angles (recruiting, team leadership, training) across both private and nonprofit sectors.

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Building a First-Gen Campus-wide Network of Support: Engaging Your Faculty and Staff
Faculty and staff are critical in the success of first-generation students on any college campus. So, how do we get them on board? This presenter will share how the Newbury Center at Boston University (BU) has engaged faculty and staff in their efforts, which in turn, has built a greater sense of belonging and community for first-generation students. The Newbury Center was established in January 2021 and is a centralized, university-wide center that fosters the holistic development and success of first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Through the Terrier F1RSTS Advocates Training program for faculty and staff, the Tri-Alpha National Honor Society for first-generation college students, the Professional Clothing Closet in partnership with the Center for Career Development, and mentoring through Elevate (the Newbury Center's magazine) and the Terrier F1RSTS Library Connects program, BU faculty and staff have come out in full-force to support first-generation students. The presenter will share best practices and provide an in-depth overview of how these various programs and initiatives were developed and implemented, and how they can be replicated at other institutions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share their best practices on engaging faculty and staff on their campuses.

About Maria Erb

Maria Dykema Erb, M.Ed. is a higher education professional with 30 years of extensive experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion work; student recruitment, admissions, enrollment management, academic advising, retention, and outreach; academic dean’s office and graduate/professional school program administration; and student affairs/student life. As a proud first-generation college graduate, Maria holds degrees from the University of New Hampshire and The University of Vermont. Currently, Maria is the inaugural Director of the Newbury Center at Boston University (BU), a university-wide center for first-generation students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional education level.

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As many of us support our graduating seniors as they prepare for life after graduation, there has been growing discussion around "launch" programs. For our next professional development workshop, we are looking forward to hearing about one such program being developed at Dartmouth College under the leadership of Jay Davis.

Join us as we learn about Dartmouth College's Prepare to Launch initiative, which is a program supporting FGLI seniors as they take their first steps into the post-college world. Jay Davis will share with us how this program came to be, what resources and activities it entails, and what shape this initiative might take in the future. There will be time for Q&A and discussion.

About Jay Davis:

Jay Davis serves as Assistant Dean of Undergraduates and Director of First-Generation Student Programs at Dartmouth College. He is called to this work through his own experience attending Dartmouth as a low-income student, his early career in both urban and rural K-12 schools, and his work teaching in Dartmouth's Education Department. He has pushed Dartmouth forward in the way the institution serves FGLI students by founding, developing, and directing a number of both student-facing and behind-the-scenes programs and initiatives.

Jay holds an MA in Teaching from Brown University and has been a committed participant in the FGLI Consortium since its inception.

New Spaces for New Faces:
Discussion Spaces for Those Starting a New Role and the Managers Welcoming Them!

It has been such a joy to see many new names and faces at our events this fall. We know that many programs are expanding and transitioning. As a result, this month’s professional development workshop will be focused on onboarding and professional development--both for those who are new to their roles and those who will be welcoming them.

Our workshop will be divided into two groups. The first will be a space for folks starting new roles looking for support around professional development and to make connections with others in similar positions. The second will be for staff and managers in the process of bringing on new staff members or managing transitions in a unit, who are interested in seeking support around onboarding and change management.

Please join us if either of these resonates with you! We plan to touch on some best practices in both of these spaces and create opportunities for networking and support among everyone in attendance

Register Here!

We are pleased to announce new regular "FGLI Consortium Office Hours," which will take place the first and third Friday of each month. Office Hours will provide more frequent informal opportunities for drop-in community discussion and support.

On Friday, November 5th, we will plan to discuss break housing and food, but all topics and questions are on the table. Feel free to pop in whenever you can.

Join us at this zoom link
Meeting ID: 935 7142 0529
Passcode: 708490

Don't Let a Crisis Go to Waste: Identifying Best Practices from the Pandemic (12 pm EST/ 11 am CST)

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As we move into our second academic year of navigating COVID-19 and continued social and political unrest, it is an opportune time to reflect on lessons learned and how to leverage some of our experiences. Specifically, what are some policies or practices that you implemented in crisis mode that might continue to be effective in the long run?

Please join us for a presentation by Marc Lo from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a guided discussion on how to best evaluate and advocate for practices and policies that were proven effective and productive throughout the pandemic. We hope you will walk away from this session with some new ideas and specific action steps to ensure that you are able to capitalize on unique innovations and solutions from the last 18 months.

Marc A. Lo, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Penn First Plus, University of Pennsylvania
Marc is the inaugural Executive Director of Penn First Plus and was the first person in his family to complete his bachelors degree, receiving Pell Grant support while working multiple jobs at Northeastern University as an undergraduate. He holds degrees in Organizational Communication and Higher Education from Northeastern University and New York University, respectively. On a day-to-day basis, Marc provides leadership for the University of Pennsylvania’s work to reimagine itself and become more inclusive of its increasing socioeconomic diversity. His career spans nearly two decades of experience in student life, academic advising, admissions, and faculty development. Marc’s scholarship explores questions of campus climate for diversity and its relationship with student learning. He has also published and presented on the topics of inclusive pedagogy and curricula. Samples of his work may be found in the Journal of College Student Development, Research in Higher Education, the Journal of Higher Education, and Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. Marc currently serves on the Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board for ACPA – College Student Educators International.

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As we head (hurtle?) toward the end of the academic year, many of us are turning our attention to how we might celebrate our graduating seniors. Over the past five years, many campuses have held special “FGLI Graduations,” which are meant to provide our first generation students and their families with a space to acknowledge their accomplishments and their special status as college “trailblazers.”

As many of our campuses remain remote for events, while others take small steps toward in-person activities, let's discuss the possibilities and considerations for these commencement celebrations. Come learn from your colleagues and their experiences as they share how they started these efforts, developed good strategies, and pivoted to virtual celebrations.

We'll start with a series of Igniter Talks -- five-minute ‘power presentations’ designed to inform and ignite conversation. Four colleagues will be sharing what modes of celebrating FGLI graduates have been meaningful at their institutions, and how these celebrations may have shifted during the COVID crises. We’ll be hearing from:

• Ileana Casellas-Katz, Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Outreach at Columbia University

• Shakima Clency, Peggy J. Koenig ’78 Associate Dean of Students for Student Empowerment and Director of First-Generation & Low-Income Student Support at Cornell University

• Julio Reyes, Program Director for Undocumented, First-Generation College, and Low-Income Student Center (U-FLi Center) at Brown University

• April Ruiz, Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion and Success at Wesleyan University (speaking about her previous work at Williams College)

Following the talks, we will have time in small and large groups to ask questions, share insights and best practices, and seek support as we finalize plans for graduation 2021.

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This month we are highlighting the work of Consortium member Harvey Fields from Washington University in St. Louis. Harvey pioneered a unique undergraduate research partnership that exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovation in the virtual space. Moreover, it provided students with the opportunity to connect academic research with their commitments in civic engagement and social justice. As many of us work to bolster STEM persistence and research experience for FGLI students, Harvey's work shows us a unique way to engage our students in research opportunities.

Learn about the innovation and partnership that led to a joint virtual REU between Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) and the University of Missouri (Mizzou). The theme for the REU was "COVID-19: Its Impacts and Implications on Minoritized Communities,” and the program included lectures from faculty and researchers of both institutions, representing a range of fields relevant to the COVID crisis. Undergraduate students engaged in team-based research, community engagement, and social activities, as well as career exploration and career development.

This workshop will include an opportunity to spend time in small groups to share ideas and brainstorm what engaging FGLI students in research might look like on your campus.

Washington University in St. Louis and University of Missouri are members of the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MOLSAMP) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). The summer research program was funded by MOLSAMP.

About Dr. Harvey R. Fields, Jr.

Dr. Harvey R. Fields, Jr. is Associate Dean for Student Success in the Office of Student Success at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). Dr. Fields is responsible for initiating and managing the Office’s HALO (Holistic Alignment of Learning Objectives) programming – the suite of academic initiatives affiliated with the Office for Student Success and the Deneb STARS Program. These programs, including the Meaningful Work Study initiative, are designed to enrich students academically, professionally, civically and personally. Dr. Fields is the University representative for the FGLI Consortium and the liaison for the 1vyG Student Conference.

Dr. Fields earned his doctorate in chemistry at WashU, serving as an academic tutor and post-doctoral lecturer during graduate studies. Hired as a Retention and Academic Advisor in Cornerstone, Dr. Fields created the Academic Mentoring Program – the success and expansion of which contributed to his appointment as Assistant Director for Academic Programs. In 2013, directorship of WashU’s federally funded TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) project was added. In Cornerstone, Dr. Fields worked to break down barriers for low-income students and to create a campus culture that values diversity and inclusion.

TRiO-eligible as an undergraduate at Morehouse College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Fields earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, respectively; worked eleven years for Procter & Gamble in various engineering and management positions; and served as pastor of a local church for over twenty-six years. Dr. Fields has been recognized by the University and St. Louis community for his expertise in teaching and mentoring students.

With lessons learned from summer 2020, and the advantage of being able to plan ahead in 2021, we will be creating space for colleagues to share highlights of what has worked, what has been a challenge, and what they are building in the weeks ahead. We’re especially excited to share best practices from virtual programs that might be productively institutionalized in the long-term.

Come ready to hear what’s happening “on” other campuses, with five-minute “Igniter Talks” from Dartmouth College, the University of Chicago, Haverford College, and Princeton University. There will be space for others to share ideas and insights from their own institutions as well -- and for us to ask questions of each other -- as we move forward in these continued challenging times.

We'll start with a series of Igniter Talks, aka 5-minute power presentations that are designed to impact and ignite conversation. We'll be hearing from:

• Jay Davis, Director of the First Year Student Enrichment Program and King Scholars at Dartmouth College

• Raquel Esteves-Joyce, Assistant Dean of First Generation/Low Income (FGLI) Student Support & Programming and Interim Co-Chief Diversity Officer at Haverford College & Barbara Hall, Interim Director of the Haverford College John P. Chesick Scholars Program

• Ashlee Shaw, Associate Director for the Scholars Institute Fellows Program at Princeton University

• Devon Moore, Director of the Center for College Student Success at the University of Chicago

Following the talks, we will have time in small and large groups to ask questions, share insights, and seek support as we move forward in planning for summer 2021.

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Join us in conversation to help prepare for an engaging spring semester as we move toward the one-year mark of remote learning and programming. Bring questions and ideas in support of your FGLI colleagues. We will also be sharing details of a successful cross-institutional pilot program and share easy steps for you to try it at your own institution.

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We are partnering with the Mentor Collective to bring together senior educators during a virtual roundtable focused on developing actionable strategies to adopt in a new era of higher education. Given the COVID-19 crisis, strategies for student engagement are continually shifting, and institutions are being called in new ways to confront inclusion and equity gaps, while building a student community in a world of physical distancing. Learn and chat with leading voices in higher education, including our very own members of the FGLI Consortium’s Executive Committee - Khristina Gonzalez from Princeton and April Ruiz from Williams.

Registration is free. We hope you will join us.

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As many of us will be hosting post-election spaces, we wanted to provide an opportunity for you to have your own space with fellow FGLI administrators. We realize that we will likely still have many questions just one day after the election, but we do know that time and space for self-care and community is critical. We plan to provide different break-out rooms to accommodate the various needs in our community, including spaces for sharing best practices, developing forward-looking plans, and simple decompression.

We hope you will join us. Registration is free.

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Dr. Daniel K. Phillip (he, him, his) is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Together+Through, an organization which centers the experiences of marginalized communities by providing culturally responsive therapy and consulting services. His workshop will focus on distinguishing between stress, distress, and crisis, on exploring the eight dimensions of wellness and their importance in understanding marginalized students' presenting concerns. The workshop will also provide tools to higher education staff and faculty who support these students, especially given the current sociopolitical climate. Participants can expect to:

• Develop and strengthen skills to support students during challenging times

• Identify the similarities and differences between stress, distress and crisis when working with students

• Increase knowledge about appropriate resource sharing for students

• Develop skills to support students during times of stress, distress, crisis as a staff or faculty practitioner

We hope you will join us. Registration is free, and we thank Princeton University for sponsoring this important event.

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Dr. Daniel K. Phillip (he, him, his) is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Together+Through, an organization which centers the experiences of marginalized communities by providing culturally responsive therapy and consulting services. His area of focus is working at the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in the provision of mental health care and clinical supervision. As a practitioner with visible and invisible marginalized identities, Dr. Phillip’s approach to consultation, mentorship, supervision and therapy is informed by both his lived experiences and the clinical skills developed throughout his career. Upon receiving his Doctorate of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University Maryland, he completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at a community health center where he specialized in LGBT mental health, as well as a certification in LGBT-affirmative psychotherapy offered by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy - California Division. His experiences working in college settings, community mental health, group practices, and hospitals have significantly influenced his beliefs that health is shaped by one’s context, and that the type of treatment one receives is often based on how institutions value a person’s social identities.

Demetrius Colvin is the Director of the Resource Center at Wesleyan University. His virtual workshop will provide a dialogic space for program participants to discuss the ways in which institutional and internalized racism and classism impacts their relationship with their employers and how they navigate their roles on campus.

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***Registration is free, however donations are encouraged via Venmo: @Demetrius-Colvin***
In order to be as inclusive as possible, and recognizing that many of you may be grappling with reduced or eliminated professional development budgets, we are committed to ensuring that these events remain free of charge for the current moment. However, we do want to honor Demetrius -- and his time and expertise -- so if you are able, please do express your appreciation by contributing to Demetrius directly using the Venmo account above.

Demetrius Colvin earned his BA in international studies from Case Western, and his M.Ed. in counseling from the University of Maryland College Park. Currently, he is the Director of the Resource Center (RC) at Wesleyan University. His role is to maintain a centralized location on campus that recognizes and celebrates diverse and underrepresented identities and create meaningful avenues for both privileged and marginalized individuals and groups to learn together about privilege and intersectionality, and actively contribute to equity on campus. Prior to Wesleyan, Demetrius worked at Macalester College, where he was the Assistant Director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Multicultural Life. He also previously worked as the coordinator of the Multicultural Resource Center at Amherst College.

Dr. Tieka Harris is the director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program at The College of New Jersey. Her virtual workshop will discuss and analyze the ways higher education professionals might use Tara Yosso's (2005) model of community cultural wealth to support Black students. In an era of anti-Blackness in which Black people are popularized as perpetrators and victims, this session is an opportunity to highlight the wealth inherent in Black communities, and the ways educators might work with Black students - as learners, advocates, and leaders - to deploy the wealth they possess. RSVP TODAY. ***Registration is free, however donations are encouraged via Venmo: @Tieka-Harris.***

In order to be as inclusive as possible, and recognizing that many of you may be grappling with reduced or eliminated professional development budgets, we are committed to ensuring that these events remain free of charge for the current moment. However, we do want to honor Dr. Harris -- and her time and expertise -- so if you are able, please do express your appreciation by contributing to Dr. Harris directly using the Venmo account above.

Dr. Harris completed her doctoral studies at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in Education, Culture, and Society. Her doctoral research focused on the forms of community cultural wealth (CCW) expressed by low-income, first-generation Black female undergraduates who were not opportunity program participants during college. Dr. Harris has worked in a range of settings focused on adolescent education – secondary education, nonprofit, and higher education. Her background as a low-income, first-generation student inspires her work and her interests in the educational experiences of first-generation, low-income students, as well as, Black female undergraduates, opportunity programs, and first-year transitions.

As conversations shift to planning for the fall, how do we ensure that institution-wide decisions are made through a lens of equity? What are the questions decision-makers should be considering as we support marginalized students, and how do we build the partnerships needed to raise these concerns to decision-makers? Join the FGLI Consortium to engage this topic, to brainstorm, and to support one another in our shared work of advocating for FGLI students. Please click on image to register. RSVP TODAY.

If you normally run a summer program, you might be thinking about shifting to a pre-orientation model for this year. How might you condense a 5-week program into such a brief session? What can we learn from our peers who manage long-standing pre-orientation programs focused on FGLI student development? Join the FGLI Consortium to learn more about this topic and share best practices with one other. RSVP TODAY.

How can you help students responding to the cancellation or postponement of programs? How can you help students navigate financial concerns, particularly given the fact that some may be losing internships and the economy’s current state? How can you work with colleagues to turn summer opportunities virtual? What are other ways to make opportunities available (e.g. partnering with career center or research center)? Join the FGLI Consortium to learn more about this topic and share best practices with one other. RSVP TODAY.

How do you transition whole summer programs online while meeting community and academic goals? How do you transition credit bearing courses into online formats? What do resource sessions look like in a virtual environment? How does one build community through Zoom or WebEx or Microsoft Teams? Join the FGLI Consortium to learn more about this topic and share best practices with one other. RSVP TODAY.