Cultivating Institutional Connections: Bureaucratic Challenges for First-Generation Students in Small Liberal Arts Settings

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: First-Generation Students Navigating College: Challenges and Opportunities for Success

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of first generation, low-income (FG/LI) students attempting to navigate administrative offices at a residential liberal arts college in the northeast. The objective is to recommend what offices can do to support FG/LI students. Given how often respondents noted feeling hesitant about interacting with an array of campus offices, the analysis focuses on the manner in which these interactions can leave FG/LI students feeling invalidated, embarrassed, and hesitant about accessing campus resources more broadly. In an effort to highlight how offices and administrators can more effectively support FG/LI students, I also provided counter examples of the kinds of interactions that have made a significant positive difference for FG/LI students.

Authors

• Erendira Rueda, Vassar College

• Jesse Moya, Siena College