Conference concurrent Sessions
Wednesday (10:30 to 11:20 AM) | Wednesday (11:30 to 12:45 PM) | Wednesday (2:30 to 3:20 PM) | Wednesday (3:30 to 4:20 PM) | Thursday (1:30 to 2:45 PM)
Concurrent Session One
WEDNESDAY | 10:30 to 11:20 A.m.
50 Min Sessions | THE STUDY HOTEL (1227 E. 60th St)
The University of Chicago Campus, Hyde Park
FYE + SEL: A First Gen Inclusive Model for the First Year Experience Course
Meeting Room: Drafting 3
Conference Track: Student Success and Student Support
Session Abstract:
First-generation low income (FGLI) students must navigate a world that is often very different from what they are used to. This can produce students a “College Culture Shock,” where students may feel alienated on their own campuses. Thus, developing a first-year experience course for FGLI students involves more than just topics which extend college orientation. Students must build a stronger sense of themselves and understand their internal as well as external resources and how to leverage them in their new environment. The Educational Opportunity Fund at Rutgers University-Newark offers a comprehensive onboarding process which includes teaching a first-year experience course focused on social-emotional learning (SEL). This curriculum embeds reflective and interactive activities surrounding the five tenets of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, decision making, and relationship skills. In this session you will learn more about the first-generation college student transition and how EOF utilizes a SEL curriculum to help students navigate their transition. This session will also offer the opportunity to imagine how to create our own inclusive learning interventions that specifically consider the needs of the first-generation student.
Zabrina Songui | Rutgers University -Newark
Assistant Dean and Associate Director, Educational Opportunity Fund and the Academic Foundations Center
Dr. Zabrina Songui is currently the Assistant Dean and Associate Director for the Educational Opportunity Fund and the Academic Foundations Center at Rutgers University – Newark. She is a proud double graduate of Rutgers University with over 15 years in higher education and is passionate about developing educational programs/services which serve first-generation and low-income students.
Proud To Be FLI: Utilizing FLI Storytelling to Support Student Mental Health & Wellness
Meeting Room: Drafting 1
Conference Track: Student Success and Student Support
Session Abstract:
As the first-generation and/or lower-income (FLI) college student population expands, how can we create opportunities to support mental health and wellness beyond traditional counseling services? In this session, we’ll explore storytelling as a tool that can be infused into various programs across campus departments to assist in addressing mental health concerns specific to FLI students. Following a foundational overview of the landscape for FLI student mental health, we’ll review relevant research and evidence-based examples to explore the power of storytelling for FLI students in cultivating a sense of community, challenging stigmatizing beliefs, developing a strong sense of identity, enhancing meaning-making skills, and celebrating strengths. Attendees will gain insights into how storytelling can also be built into programmatic design and assessment as opportunities to raise awareness of FLI student experiences, contributing to cultural shifts among leadership and the greater university community. Finally, we’ll review and share actionable strategies to involve students, faculty, alumni, and staff in elevating FLI stories and creating spaces for students to authentically express their FLI experiences.
Jennifer Telschow | The University of Chicago
Assistant Director, Center for College Student Success
Jennifer Telschow (she/her/hers) is a licensed mental health counselor and student affairs professional. 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 recently served as Assistant Director of the Center for College Student Success at the University of Chicago, where she supported FLI students through programming and direct support initiatives. She continues to practice as a clinical mental health counselor, working to support college students and young professionals navigating mental health challenges.
You Grow Girl: Residential & Virtual Expansion of the Freshman Scholars Institute
Meeting Room: Drafting 2
Conference Track: Collaborations and Partnerships
Session Abstract:
Princeton University’s Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) Residential and FSI Online are transitional pre-orientation programs for incoming first-generation and/or low-to-moderate income (FLI) students. FSI includes academic coursework, mentorship groups, co-curricular workshops, meet and greets with campus partners, and more! FSI Residential and FSI Online catered to over 230 students in the summer of 2023. After the official launch of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity (EBCAO), both FSI programs have experienced immense growth. This session will outline 1) the origins FSI Residential and FSI Online, 2) how each program has scaled up, and 3) the positives and negatives of expansion. We will discuss forming and maintaining collaborations with on-campus and local partners, how we support student wellness and success, and how changes to university policy and campus culture have influenced our work. We will review the results of our pre- and post-program surveys, to examine the relationship between program expansion and student outcomes. The session will conclude with a Q&A session for those interested in learning from our successes and growing pains.
Chelsie Berg-Geist | Princeton University
Assistant Director of College Success, Student Engagement; Emma Bloomberg Center for Access & Opportunity
Chelsie Berg-Geist is the Assistant Director for College Success, Student Engagement at the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access & Opportunity and the Co-Curricular Coordinator for the Freshman Scholars Institute. During the summer, her focus is co-directing FSI Online. Her research background supports FSI’s evidence-based programming and the evaluation of its success.
Ashlee Shaw | Princeton University
Director of College Success, Student Engagement; Emma Bloomberg Center for Access & Opportunity
Ashlee Shaw is the Director of College Success, Student Engagement for the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity. In this role she creates and manages programs and initiatives that support and advance Princeton’s mission for an inclusive student body. In particular she administers and helps set a strategic vision for the Freshman Scholars Institute.
Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising: Build Your Blueprint for Success
Meeting Room: Studio 1
Conference Track: Student Success and Student Support
Session Abstract:
The Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising (SCAA) at Johns Hopkins University was launched in 2019, reimagined the advising experience for FLI students by combining proactive, multifaceted success coaching practices within the Office of Advising alongside traditional academic advisors. Academic Advisor/Success Coaches (AA/SCs) have significantly smaller caseloads to allow for close connections with their students throughout their undergraduate experience.
Over its 4-year period of growth, SCAA started with 3 AA/SCs and supported 75 FLI students, by Fall 2022 SCAA was built-out at full scale and currently supports nearly 1400 FLI students equipped with a robust team of 22 AA/SCs.
Practicing intentional advising, proactive coaching, and informing students on the importance of activating relationships, connections, and partnerships, SCAA captures the essence of the following three core competency areas for FLI students: identify and access campus and community resources that support FLI students [Informational], create rapport and build academic advising relationships with FLI students [Relational], and plan and conduct successful advising interactions with FLI students [Relational].
During this presentation, attendees will learn how a team of AA/SCs engage in a four-year process of self-discovery and goal setting, utilize proactive and holistic advising to create a trusting environment where ideas, pathways, and challenges can be explored, provide FLI students with opportunities to build community and connection with other FLI students, as well as build and sustain relationships with key campus partners that provide access to beneficial resources.
Liana Mentor | Johns Hopkins University
Senior Director, Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising
Dr. Liana C. Mentor currently serves as the Senior Director for the Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising at Johns Hopkins University where she oversees a program that supports first generation and/or limited-income college students. With over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, Dr. Mentor developed and honed her skills working in academic affairs, student affairs, student services, undergraduate admission, scholarship, and medical/health-related pipeline programs, specifically established for underrepresented populations. Her research is centered in the academic and social well-being of diverse student populations in predominantly white academic settings while acknowledging their different learning styles, cultures, and life experiences.
Jen Ewing | Johns Hopkins University
Assistant Director, Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising
As the Assistant Director for SCAA, Jennifer Ewing supports FLI students in the Whiting School of Engineering. Jen is a proud Baltimore native with over fifteen years of experience in education, at the k12 and higher ed levels. She’s committed to equity and work-life balance for college students, and she encourages her students to reflect and discern as part of their decision-making process. Jen earned an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at Loyola University Maryland and a BA in Sociology from University of Maryland, College Park, where she was a first-generation college student. In 2019, Jen was part of a team highlighted with the “Education Advances” award by Hobsons and has also been named a “Counselor That Changes Lives” by the Colleges that Change Lives consortium. Outside of work, she enjoys adventures with her family, volunteering, creating opportunities for student leadership, and quiet moments near water.