There are slightly more than 400 first-generation students (12%) enrolled at Colgate University. At Colgate, the First@Colgate program was created to support first-generation students and their families in taking advantage of everything that Colgate has to offer. As a small office, our collaboration with campus partners is crucial to our success in providing this support and advancing first-generation student success. We value our relationships with colleagues across the university and consistently work with campus partners to cultivate programs and events.
An evolving partnership
A key partnership for our team has been with Career Services. Over the years, we have hosted events alongside Career Services. However, this past year our partnership has evolved, taking on a more integrated approach, where we routinely leverage each other’s resources and expertise. Through ongoing monthly check-in conversations with colleagues, Shannon and James in the Career Services office, we have worked together toward our shared goal of preparing our students for life after Colgate. As our liaisons to Career Services, they are not only passionate about working with first-generation students, but also identify as first-generation college graduates themselves, offering a lens that enhances their work as career services professionals. Our monthly meetings provide opportunities to discuss trends and upcoming activities, collectively brainstorm ways to enhance offerings, and evaluate the success of our efforts using data and qualitative student feedback. Another element that contributes to our evolving partnership is that the physical office of our assistant director is located in Benton Hall, which is home to Career Services. This locale makes it even easier to continue the conversations initiated in our monthly check-in meetings between our offices.
Purposeful program planning
As our partnership has evolved, there is greater intentionality behind our programs and better stewardship of physical and human resources. Below, we will detail two examples of how we’ve invested in our partnership with Career Services this academic year.
In August 2024, First@Colgate hosted its annual pre-orientation program. One of the objectives of this program is to offer students guidance and support in navigating key campus offices, of which Career Services is one. We achieved this objective through a VISI (values, identity, strengths, and interests) Board workshop. Career Services liaisons Shannon and James led this session. A senior first-generation student and Career Services peer advisor, Clementina, assisted. The workshop helped provide an early introduction to the office while also engaging students in exploring interests, one of the eight career development areas that make up Colgate University’s distinctive four-year career development plan.
When asked to share reflections of this session, Denise, a first-year student, shared, “I was happy it was one of the first things we did!” She went on to remark on the welcoming spirit of the presenters, the informative presentation, the interactive nature of the session, and the incorporation of the peer advisor, who shared some of her own experiences with the group, which helped to ensure that they did not feel intimidated by the space. Denise, who throughout her first year has had nearly a dozen interactions with the Career Services office spanning multiple career development areas, also stated that she went to career services the first week of the fall semester and wouldn’t have had the confidence or comfortability to do so had it not been an integral part of our pre-orientation program.
Similar to the way in which the introduction to Career Services and the four-year career development plan was integrated into the Pre-Orientation program this academic year, we've also worked together to increase first-generation student engagement in signature opportunities and events offered by Career Services, thereby fostering professional skill development and enhancing students’ support networks.
Sophomore Connections, a signature Career Services program, is a career conference exclusively offered to second-year students during winter break immediately preceding the start of the spring term. During the 13th annual Sophomore Connections this past January, we partnered with Career Services. In the weeks leading up to Sophomore Connections, we discussed our hope to enhance the engagement of first-generation students in the overall experience and strategized how we might accomplish this within the existing schedule for the weekend. Together, we planned a unique networking opportunity for first-generation students to meet alumni who identified similarly. The opportunity took the form of an intimate dessert reception following the keynote speaker on the opening night of the conference. Open communication and collaboration between our offices made this a meaningful event that required a relatively small lift between both offices.
When asked about her experience during Sophomore Connections, Neerusha, class of 2027, stated, “the dessert reception helped me get more comfortable connecting with alumni, and those connections I made that first night helped me make more connections the remainder of the weekend.” Quentin, another first-generation second-year student, shared similar sentiments about the experience, noting that the intimate setting of the reception helped build his confidence while providing extra practice interacting with alumni.
Tips for the trade
There are key components of investing in purpose-driven partnerships.
- Time: Ongoing collaborative partnerships take time to develop. Don’t expect instant results.
- Communication: Communicate early and often making sure to share your goals and objectives and ask your campus partners about theirs.
- Understanding: Understand your audience by listening to their needs, reflecting on feedback and creating actionable steps towards continued progress.
- Work together: Visit each other's spaces, support each other's programs and lend a hand during busy times. You will be overwhelmed by the support you receive in return.
By investing in purpose-driven campus partnerships instead of duplicating efforts you can create dynamic programs that resonate with students in meaningful ways. Furthermore, creative collaborations can result in new traditions that will provide structure and strength for first-generation student success initiatives on your campus.
For more information on Colgate University's approach, please visit their website here.
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