In an effort to showcase and empower first-generation students, the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) will organize a national celebration on college and university campuses this week.
COE, in partnership with other higher education organizations, will commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965 with a nationwide “First Annual First-Generation College Celebration” on November 8.
COE is joining Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) and other groups in asking college access advisors and student success professionals to join McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement and Student Support Services programs for the event.
“First-generation students, regardless of their particular backgrounds, face a common set of obstacles on the path to college success,” said Maureen Hoyler, president of COE. “Too often, their efforts are overlooked as they toil away quietly, diligently, all the while juggling school with competing demands, such as work, family, and so on.”
This year’s celebration will not only emphasize the challenges first-generation students face, but also the strengths that they bring to their campuses.
“In launching the First-Generation College Celebration, our goal is to elevate the status of first-generation students on their campuses and recognize their achievements in overcoming such challenges,” Hoyler added.
COE offered a number of suggestions for colleges and universities to partake in the celebration on Wednesday.
