The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced the launch of its First Generation Badgers pilot program last week. The experimental program is designed to better support first-generation students by building community and providing more resources, one-on-one mentorship and various events throughout the year.
Spearheaded by Dean of Students Christina Olstad and the Office of Student Affairs, the program will include events that celebrate first-generation students throughout the year.
“We are thrilled to be starting this initiative in support of our first-gen students,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor. “As a first-generation student myself, I recall how difficult it was at times to be learning the ins and outs of college academics and campus life without guidance or experience from my family.”
The university administration’s Badger Dialogues event series is a set of discussions intended to facilitate collaboration of voices between students and faculty in an informal discussion. One of these upcoming discussions, which will take place in Memorial Union on Oct. 16, will be centered on giving first-generation students the opportunity to share their input on what they believe the program is doing well and how it could improve.
The launch of the First-Generation Badgers program comes as part of an effort to better connect students to resources that will set them up for future success.
Jenny Bernhardt, communications director for student affairs, said the program’s initiatives are based on research showing institutionalized support increases first-generation student belonging.
“A centralized institutional effort to serve first-gen students best sets them up for success, which is what we aim to achieve with our campus partners through the First-Generation Badgers program,” Bernhardt said in an email.
First-generation students are required to use a scattered network of offices to access resources they need. These offices include the Division of Enrollment Management, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement, the Center for Academic Excellence in the College of Letters & Science and Student Affairs as well as faculty members.
A crucial initiative of the program, Bernhardt said, will be to coordinate these decentralized points of contact for first-generation students by including representatives from each group in the program.
Bernhardt also said the office is currently exploring the possibility of a mentorship program for first-generation students, which would start next fall.
According to first-generation student Dayanara Limon-Hernandez, the First-Generation Badgers program helped her feel a sense of belonging.
“It’s been hard, but I know that I have a lot of support,” said Limon-Hernandez. “I’m really excited to see what UW is going to do with these programs to help future students feel included.”
