Bridging Belonging and Opportunity: How SUNY Geneseo Celebrates and Supports First-Generation Students
At SUNY Geneseo, nearly a quarter of incoming students identify as first-generation college students. These students bring resilience, ambition, and diverse perspectives to campus—but they also face unique challenges navigating higher education. Geneseo’s commitment to first-gen success is deeply personal. Many faculty and staff, including incoming president Melinda Treadwell, are first-gen graduates themselves.
This commitment isn’t just words on paper—it is lived out through events like our National First-Gen Day tailgate, where students, families, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate resilience and community.
The tailgate features food, music, and hockey tickets for the evening game, creating a space where first-gen students felt seen and supported. One student shared, “Seeing so many people celebrate first-gen students made me feel proud of who I am.”
A Holistic Approach to First-Gen Success
Geneseo’s support for first-gen students goes beyond celebration, it’s strategic and comprehensive. The college offers:
- TRIO Student Support Services for academic and personal guidance.
- First Geneseo, a pre-orientation program designed to build confidence and community before classes begin.
- Peer mentoring, inclusive advising, and mental health services tailored to first-gen needs.
- Tri-Alpha Honor Society, celebrating academic excellence among first-gen students.
These efforts are embedded across campus—from the Multicultural Center to the Career Design Center—and extend beyond Geneseo through its membership in the First-gen Forward Network, a national platform for sharing best practices.
Strategic Vision Meets Grassroots Support
Geneseo’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan centers on becoming the nation’s first equity-centered public honors college. This vision prioritizes access, outcomes, and student experience—especially for historically underserved populations like first-gen students. The plan aligns with New York State’s goals for affordable, high-quality education and reflects Geneseo’s belief that equity and excellence go hand in hand.
Through participation in Firsten Forward workshops, peer learning communities, and professional development, Geneseo benchmarks its progress and shares innovations nationally. Internally, departments are aligning KPIs to track student success and embedding career readiness into advising and programming.
Belonging in Action
Events like the tailgate aren’t just social, they’re strategic. They create spaces where first-gen students feel connected, reinforcing the sense of belonging that research shows is critical to success.
As someone who works closely with first-gen students, I’ve seen how Geneseo’s culture of care transforms lives. One student shared that the First Geneseo program helped them feel “seen” before classes even started. These stories remind us that belonging isn’t a buzzword—it’s a foundation for success.
Looking Ahead
The transition to President Treadwell’s leadership offers an exciting opportunity to deepen this work. Her background in public policy and liberal arts advocacy positions Geneseo to lead boldly in the first-gen space.
SUNY Geneseo is not just supporting first-gen students, it’s reimagining what success looks like for them. Through innovative programming, strategic planning, and national collaboration, Geneseo is building a future where first-gen students thrive academically, socially, and professionally. The journey is ongoing, but the direction is clear: equity, excellence, and empowerment.
For more information on the SUNY Geneseo's approach, please visit their website here.
