First-generation college student programs are essential because they address the unique challenges and needs of students who are the first in their families to attend college, offering tailored support to increase their chances of success and persistence in higher education, ultimately promoting social and economic intergenerational mobility. Understanding the importance and necessity of creating programs for first-generation college students, Xavier University’s innovative approach to creating At-Promise Student Success Programs promotes a system of support providing mechanisms for first-generation students to excel and take advantage of all that higher education has to offer. Xavier University encourages students to take advantage of the programs and services around them, understanding how essential they are to helping to navigate through college.
At-Promise Student Success Programs
The At-Promise Student Success Programs aim to implement proactive interventions to improve the retention of first-generation college students. These interventions encompass summer residency programs, tailored summer courses, and a weekly communication strategy designed to enhance co-curricular involvement. The programs are specifically targeted at supporting at-promise students and groups susceptible to social-emotional attrition. At-Promise students who are vulnerable to social-emotional attrition include individuals who need extra support during their transition to university life, such as first-generation students, Pell-eligible students, or students with disabilities. At-Promise Student Success leverages institutional data to create and refine programs to address the individual needs of every student. APSS seeks to create an environment where at-promise students thrive.
The THRIVE Center offers comprehensive programs with various components to promote a positive experience, which motivates students to persist and graduate. The programs are designed to help first-generation students every step of the way from application to participation in the summer experience through graduation from Xavier University. The mission of the THRIVE Center is to support each student in their respective program, to see that they remain in college, by giving them the necessary tools to earn their degrees. Providing services and initiatives such as financial aid counseling, academic advising, success coaching, care support, academic/peer mentoring services, learning communities, and self-exploration. Through the following programs, the THRIVE Center helps students realize their full potential.
First Steps
The First Steps bridge program for first-year students who are First-Generation and Pell-eligible. Students will enroll in a 3-credit-hour course during the summer, consisting of four weeks of online learning followed by two weeks of on-campus residency. During the residency, students will participate in Career Exploration activities with alumni from corporate companies, public/private, and non-profit. Each student is paired with both a faculty mentor and a student mentor and will participate in ongoing programming to improve their academic skills and sense of belonging during the academic year.
Smooth Transitions
A two-day intensive residency that starts before new student orientation for first-generation and Pell-eligible students. This program offers academic readiness through academic readiness sessions, test-taking strategies, study skills labs, and faculty-led group sessions. All participants will receive support from a student mentor and have access to small-group study sessions with faculty during critical times throughout the academic year.
Arrupe Scholars Program
A year-long program tailored for first-year students identifying as First-Generation and Pell-eligible. This program includes skills labs designed by faculty that focus on enhancing writing, math skills, test-taking strategies, and organizational abilities. All students will have access to faculty-led advising and career development advisors.
All first-generation students will have an opportunity to select a program based on their level of interest and academic need.
The THRIVE Center At-Promise Student Success program commits itself to assisting the university in supporting, retaining, and increasing the graduation rates of first-generation and Pell-eligible students. To achieve the goals of the programs, campus-wide collaborative efforts have been established for the students with faculty and staff, especially those who are first-generation throughout the university. Working collaboratively with faculty and staff, a series of services that aid in promoting a sense of belonging are efforts that involve academic advising, success coaching, care management, academic coursework, financial aid counseling, tutoring, and mentoring services. This promotes a supportive environment that fosters the characteristics of persistence, which leads to students working toward graduation and improvement of leadership and interpersonal skills.
“We hope programs and services created for at-promise students create a gateway of opportunities to help first-generation college students navigate their college experience, be successful, and persist to graduation.”
Utilizing spaces, resources, and connections on campus to build a sense of belonging, improve academic skills that lead to retention is the purpose of At-Promise Student Success Programs. The success of these programs in increasing the college readiness from application to graduation shows a clear relationship between the programs and the persistence/motivation and performance of first-generation students at Xavier University.
For more information on Xavier University's approach, please visit their website here.
