Conference concurrent Sessions

Wednesday (10:30 to 11:30 AM) | Wednesday (11:30 AM 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 TWO

WEDNESDAY | 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM

75 Min Sessions | the study hotel (1227 E. 60TH ST)

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CAMPUS, HYDE PARK

Beyond GPA and Graduation Rates: Exploring Alternative Success Metrics for FGLI Programming

Meeting Room: Drafting 1

Conference Track: Collaborations and Partnerships

Session Abstract:

First Things First (FTF) is the pre-orientation program for incoming FGLI students at Wesleyan University. As the program has developed, we have experimented with how to measure its impact beyond common measures of “success” in an effort to align the data we share with a fuller range of goals of our program. In this session, we will report on the early results of this effort, and we will review how we are using these data to continue developing FTF and to strategically build support and enthusiasm for this program among institutional leadership. We will also discuss the challenges of measuring the impact of FGLI-serving programs in higher education institutions more generally, as colleges and universities don’t typically have centralized data systems to make these efforts easy. We will then facilitate work with session participants on ways to build strategic partnerships across the institution to facilitate data collection, and how and to whom to present data as a way to build support for your programs and to advocate for new or additional resources.

**Rachael Barlow | Wesleyan University**

***Associate Director of Assessment***
Rachael Barlow has worked in higher ed for over 20 years and currently serves as Associate Director of Assessment at Wesleyan University. In addition to her work in the Office of Institutional Research, she teaches courses associated with the Integrative Learning Project, which is designed to help students articulate what they have been learning during their time in college, and to make connections between what they have done inside the academic curriculum to what they have done outside of it. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology.

**April Ruiz | Wesleyan University**

***Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success and Interim Vice President for Equity & Inclusion***
April Ruiz is Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success and Interim Vice President for Equity & Inclusion at Wesleyan University. Prior to this, she held other dean roles at Williams College and Yale University, all of which allowed her to serve and center FGLI students. As someone who attended a highly-selective university as a first-generation and low-income student herself, she finds meaning in work that allows her to help FGLI students navigate these institutions as they are, while also effecting change at these institutions to make them more inclusive from within. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of St Andrews and a BA in Cognitive Science from Yale University. April has been a member of the FGLI Consortium since its founding, and on the Executive Committee since 2019.

Budgets, Org Charts, and Policy Memos, Oh My: The Challenges and Opportunities of Moving FGLI Work from Institutional Periphery to the “Center”

Meeting Room: Drafting 2

Conference Track: Policy and Campus Culture

Session Abstract:

Over the last decade, selective colleges and universities have seen a marked increase in the population of FGLI students. In response, there was a dramatic rise in the number of programs and positions in support of FGLI student success. But, in many cases, these initiatives were created quickly and reactively; they were necessary responses to emergent needs of a rapidly expanding population. Often, they resulted from student activism or entrepreneurial actions of “on-the-ground” staff. As such, many were “pilot” initiatives without long-term institutional funding or homes.

Leadership–and donors–have begun to see the positive impact of this work. We are now witnessing a transformational moment, in which pilot programs are being institutionalized through long-term funding and organizational centralization.

These developments are positive ones. But there are also financial, organizational, cultural, and strategic challenges when we institutionalize what were once “start-up” initiatives. How do we remain flexible and responsive to evolving student need while developing long-term—and compliant—policies, structures, and budgets?

In this session, Gonzalez and Kahler will lead a conversation on the opportunities and challenges in the establishment of Princeton’s Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity. Kahler and Gonzalez will also lead a peer-to-peer consulting session; participants will bring issues about their own organizational change, growth, and scale to get useful feedback.

**Khristina Gonzalez | Princeton University**

***Bob Peck ’88 Director of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity and Senior Associate Dean of the College***
Khristina Gonzalez serves as the Bob Peck ’88 Director of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity and Senior Associate Dean of the College at Princeton University. In this role, she is responsible for programs and initiatives within the Office of the Dean of the College that support and advance Princeton’s commitment to an inclusive undergraduate student body. She plays a leading role in the creation, implementation, and management of strategic initiatives designed to enhance the experience of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and other historically underrepresented groups. Prior to this role, Khristina served as Associate Director for Princeton's Writing Center. She joined the Writing Program in 2012 as a postdoctoral lecturer after working in the Brown University Writing Center as a staff associate and assistant director. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth College she was herself a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, a program that she now oversees, and has since continued to be involved in that organization as a mentor and advisor. Khristina holds a Ph. D. in English from Brown University and her own academic research focuses on 19th-century English literature and culture, especially the history of social reform programs.

**Christy Kahler | Princeton University**

***Center Manager, Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity***
Christy Kahler serves as the Center Manager for the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity at Princeton University. In this role, Christy supports the EBCAO director in determing and implement a strategic direction for the Center, particularly around resource allocation and overall operation management. She oversees the day-to-day administration and operational needs of the Center, like space management, human resources, and center-level event planning. She manages the Center budget as well as all logistics for Center programs, research, and outreach initiatives. Christy Kahler joined the Access and Opportunity team in 2009. Prior to working at Princeton University she was at Cazenovia College (a small college outside Syracuse, NY) where she worked in the admissions office for several years.

Scaling Up and Diversifying FGLI Student Support at Yale: An Integrated, Intersecting, and Overlapping Structure

Meeting Room: Drafting 3

Conference Track: Student Success and Student Support

Session Abstract:

In order to address the needs of our ever-expanding FGLI student community, the Academic Strategies Program at Yale (part of the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office for Educational Equity) uses a multi-pronged, flexible, and holistic approach to student support. In our approach, several distinct branches of our program intersect, overlap, and collide with one another in diverse and productive ways—but all are integrated through (1) an overarching philosophy/approach to the work and (2) a consistent and unified staff of mainly FGLI-identifying peer mentors. These mentors are experts in offering support for different kinds of FGLI student interests, needs, and methods of learning. This model allows us to scale up to meet our many students’ needs while at the same time maintaining a variety of opportunities for them to receive individualized and focused support. In this session, we introduce the what, how, and why of this model, and discuss in depth three different branches of our programming, looking at how these branches work together and apart from one another to our students’ benefit. Throughout the session, participants will have multiple opportunities to reflect on, analyze, and discuss their own institutions, as well as the chance to collectively brainstorm ways of addressing challenges.

**Lynda Paul | Yale University**

***Associate Director of the Academic Strategies Program***
Lynda Paul (PhD) is Associate Director of the Academic Strategies Program at Yale, where she works with a student staff of approximately 80 undergraduate peer mentors and 12 graduate lead mentors, the majority of whom are FGLI-identifying, to provide programming and mentorship to students from across a range of backgrounds, identities, and neurotypes historically marginalized in higher education. She also works 1-1 with students in an advisory and academic coaching role and teaches in Yale College. All of her work stems from the understanding that difference (among people, perspectives, and ways of thinking) is the norm and not the exception, and that every student deserves to thrive.

**Audrey Yeung | Yale University**

***Woodbridge Fellow for Academic Strategies***
Audrey is a recent FGLI Yale College graduate majoring in Neuroscience and intends to pursue medical school following her work for Academic Strategies at the Center for Teaching & Learning. She was a QuestBridge Scholar and is committed to equalizing opportunities for those who are disadvantaged - this includes food access, education, and healthcare equity. In her free time, she enjoys (watching other people play) video games, listening to music, dancing, and baking!

**Caitlin Willis | Yale University**

***New Haven Promise Fellow***
Caitlin Willis is from New Haven, CT, where she works at Yale University as a New Haven Promise Fellow in the Office of Educational Opportunity. She is currently finishing up a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, with a focus in diversity, equity, and inclusion at Southern Connecticut State University.

**Nancy Sanchez | Yale University**

***Graduate Student Lead Mentor***
Nancy Sanchez is a 6th year PhD candidate in the Genetics Department and the Graduate Student Lead Mentor at the Academic Strategies Program (ASP) at Yale. In her role at ASP, she develops and leads the programming for the 1st year FGLI Peer Mentorship Groups.

Are you ok? Data-Informed Strategies for Empowering Mental Health and Wellbeing in FGLI Students and Students of Color

Meeting Room: Studio 1

Conference Track: Collaborations and Partnerships

Session Abstract:

Supporting the mental health and well-being of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students and students of color is crucial for their academic success and overall development. In this workshop, we explore three data-informed practices aimed at bolstering the mental health and overall well-being of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students and students of color. Focused on the insightful data collected by EMERGE, this session delves into how data analysis can guide the creation of effective and targeted virtual initiatives for empowering these student communities.

Through a comprehensive review of national data trends concerning the mental health of FGLI students and students of color, participants gain insights into the challenges faced by these individuals, and the link between mental health and academic success.

Building upon these insights, the session delves into how EMERGE strategically surveys its college students and flags data trends. We will briefly explore how the mental health and wellness flags are defined and what type of questions uncover this information. In this section we will share best practices for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data related to student mental health, providing a framework for institutions to ethically utilize data to inform their support systems.

We will then review how EMERGE employs data trends to inform the design and enhancement of mental health and wellness virtual initiatives. Attendees are presented with concrete examples of data-driven interventions such as virtual workshops, toolkits, and student-led mentorship.

By integrating data-informed practices, attendees will be equipped to strengthen mental health and wellness resources, break down barriers to care, and cultivate a thriving campus community that champions the well-being of FGLI students and students of color.