by Katy Swordfisk
March 4th 2022
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Portland State University has been selected by the Center for First-generation Student Success to join its 2022-23 cohort. This designation as a First-gen Forward Institution will create opportunities for faculty and staff to engage with partner institutions who, like PSU, are also working to create environments that better support first-generation students.
"We are honored to have been selected for the First-gen Forward designation,” said Perla Pinedo, director of Multicultural Retention Services. “We are excited to be able to highlight the work being done within the various student support units within Global Diversity & Inclusion, as it relates to the persistence, retention and overall graduation of first-generation students. Our support for first-generation students and their various, intersecting identities is grounded by holistic and asset based approaches.”
PSU will share evidence-based practices and resources with other institutions in the cohort that enable the university to better troubleshoot challenges, generate knowledge and play a role in continuing to advance the success of first-generation students across the country.
“The Center is pleased to welcome Portland State University into the 2022-23 First-gen Forward cohort. Through the application process, it was evident that PSU is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students, but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies that foster an environment of success for this important population,” said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley, assistant vice president, Center for First-generation Student Success.
PSU’s many academic support programs and resource centers serve as examples of PSU’s commitment to equitable student success.
Resources for first-generation students include scholarships, financial wellness counseling and academic support. Additional campus resources include:
- Multicultural Retention Services: Programs for incoming students
- TRIO - Student Support Services: Academic support and advising to help you complete your degree
- TRIO - McNair Scholars: Faculty mentoring and research opportunities to help prepare you to pursue a Ph.D.
- Empower: Support program for first-generation, Asian and Pacific Islander identifying students
- Ganas: Program designed to help new Latino/a students transition to PSU from high school
- Nations: Support services for Native American (N.A), Alaskan Native (A.N), and Indigenous students
- Access: Academic advising, college success classes, and tuition remission for first-year students
“We are excited to see a groundswell of activity from the First-gen Forward cohort and know Portland State will be a significant contributor,” said Kevin Kruger, president and CEO of National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).