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by Chris Meyers; Director of First-Generation Initiative,
Southern Methodist University
The First-Generation Initiative (FGI) at Southern Methodist University (SMU) began in 2019. When our institution became a FirstGen Forward Network Member in 2024, our department sought to raise the mark for how we celebrate, support, and connect with first-generation college students. Since becoming the Director of the First-Generation Initiative in May 2023, my proudest moments have been when we focused on connection and resources.
CONNECTION
National First-Gen Day
In previous years, our celebration around First-Gen Day (November 8th) was a single-day event hosted outdoors. In Fall 2023, we wanted to build on the event and included shirt giveaways, free food/drink vendors, a raffle, campus tabling partners, music, and outdoor games! It was a stellar event that saw an increase in attendance by 100% from the previous year, however, we still had lessons to learn. The event had an intense but brief impact. It generated significant attention, but only for a short period before fading quickly. Furthermore, many students couldn’t attend this single event due to class, work, or other obligations. As a result, we resolved in 2024 to make a change in the way that we celebrated National First-Gen Day.
We hosted a total of eight events over three days. We had morning yoga and gratitude journaling, an afternoon first-gen alumni panel, an evening cultural celebration event, and much more. We collaborated with 20 campus partners that either hosted or moderated the events or served as volunteers. We concluded our celebration week on November 8th with our capstone First-Gen Fest, where, like Fall 2023, we had a lot of fun, food, giveaways, and resources. I don’t know what next year has in store for us, but it was very fulfilling to provide so many more connection opportunities for our first-gen students, whether that was with their peers, allies, or relevant campus resources.
Peruna Mentor Program
In Fall 2024, FGI launched Peruna Mentors: a program that connects first-gen students with our faculty/staff first-gen allies. At SMU, we have nearly 200 faculty and staff who we call “First-Gen Allies” – faculty and staff who have committed to support first-generation college students beyond what is required in their roles. Students can get connected through our mentoring program by attending one of our mentorship luncheons which are structured like speed dating events where each student has a few minutes to interact with each ally. Students can also connect with a mentor by filling out an application on our website. In both cases, FGI serves as the liaison that takes the students’ preferences and connects them with a mentor. This is a semester commitment with the opportunity to renew their involvement at the end of each regular semester. Although this program is brand new, I anticipate this being a primary means for first-gen students to get connected and feel a deep sense of belonging at our university.
RESOURCES
Book & Course Materials Fund
SMU is expensive and one of the primary struggles we face is retaining first-gen students. Through our Book & Course Materials Fund, we seek to cover the cost of required textbooks. We witnessed a 100% increase in students served through these resources in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 as compared to the previous year. This is primarily due to our management of and focus on growing our library of textbooks within our department. We have also developed a great relationship with the campus bookstore and other third-party book vendors, which has created a more streamlined process for students and saved money. As this program continues to grow, we hope to explore partnering with our library in the future.
First-Gen Fund
After many conversations, our Student Senate approved legislation that created the “First-Gen Fund,” which allows any first-gen, Pell Grant recipient to apply up to two times within their undergraduate career. This began in Fall 2024 and should continue for at least nine years. We established a committee (staff and students) that meets monthly to review and vote on applications. Applicants can apply for an “academic enhancement” or an “academic/financial struggle.” This fund has helped in the following ways:
- Repaired broken cars for commuter students
- Helped with study abroad costs
- Paid for car insurance premiums to assist a student in becoming an Uber driver
- Paid for health insurance
- Purchased laptops or iPads when broken and needed one for academic success
- Paid for a meal plan
- Helped with partial tuition costs when students encountered unexpected financial burdens
After one student was notified that they would be a beneficiary of the fund, here’s what they had to say:
"Thank you so much! Oh my goodness, I am screaming with joy! thank you thank you so much! I appreciate all your help and kindness through this tough time. This will go a long way to help."
To lead this initiative has been a highlight for me because of the incredible students we get to work with. First-gen students are the most dedicated, involved, creative, and capable students I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. Nothing is impossible when we stay connected! So, I look forward to walking alongside these amazing students as we look to harness deeper connections and provide greater resources.
For more information on Southern Methodist University's approach, please visit their website here.
