Toward a Culture of First-Generation Student Success: An Analysis of Mission Statements From First-gen Forward Institutions

ABSTRACT

Institutions of higher education continue to seek ways to engage first-generation students. This content analysis of the 157 mission statements of First-gen Forward Institutions explores how the articulation of institutional priorities can signal or promote a success-oriented culture and inform campus-wide approaches to first-generation student success. We identify four predominant themes--student learning experiences; community-serving; diversity and inclusion; and access and affordability--that may help guide unified, mission-centric efforts to develop resources and opportunities that resist deficit-based assumptions about first-generation students and that reflect an institutional commitment to student success.

KEYWORDS:

• First-generation college students
• organizational culture
• inclusion
• mission statements
• content analysis

Acknowledgments

An earlier version of this manuscript was presented at the 45th Annual ASHE Conference. We thank Dr. Sondra Barringer for her feedback.

Notes

1. We use colleges to refer broadly to institutions of higher education.