First-Gen Does Not Mean One Size Fits All

Undergraduate retention and graduation are issues requiring critical attention from public universities across the nation. Degree attainment for first-generation college students (FGCS) in the United States is especially important to meeting future workforce demands, goals for national economic prosperity, and global competitiveness. Cynthia Demetriou, Judith Meece, Deborah Eaker-Rich, and Candice Powell in their research study The Activities, Roles, and Relationships of Successful First-Generation College Students examined the lived experience of students to explore how developmental situations in college are experienced by the people who participate in them. Their report supports previous research that indicates that students who are engaged in various opportunities, especially if they are first-generation, are highly likely to be successful. The report also suggests a number of opportunities that should be offered by colleges.