Baylor Recognized as National Leader in Advancing First-generation Student Success

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, has announced Baylor University as one of 14 higher education institutions selected to its inaugural class of FirstGen Forward Network Champions.

FirstGen Forward Network Champion institutions are an exclusive group, who serve as national leaders in advancing first-generation efforts and contributing to an important knowledge base of evidence-based practices, leadership engagement and scaling student support. Baylor has been involved with the FirstGen Forward Network since 2020. 

"We at Baylor University are honored with the designation and recognition as an inaugural FirstGen Forward Network Champion for 2024. This reflects the work and commitment in our efforts to support and empower our first-generation students,” said Michelle Gonzalez, B.A. ’12, First in Line (FIL) program manager in Baylor’s Center for Academic Success and Engagement. “During the past four years, this network has helped our institution connect, collaborate and grow our efforts of supporting our students. Being part of a larger network committed to this work has enabled us to enhance our services at Baylor. We are excited to see the continued evolution of our efforts of encouraging, challenging and equipping our first-generation students at Baylor University.”

The FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach to scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advancing academic and co-curricular outcomes and building more inclusive institutional structures. To date, 429 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems, have entered the Network, representing 49 states and the District of Columbia. 

Maximizing success

Gonzalez leads Baylor’s First in Line program, which supports first-generation students as they navigate being the first person in their immediate family to attend a four-year university. FIL connects students with resources and opportunities to help them maximize their academic success through programs such as:

• First Abroad Fellows, a scholarship program with the Center for Global Engagement that helps first-generation college students identify and fund a study abroad experience that ties into their academic goals;
• First in Line Success Academy, which provides first-generation students the opportunity to receive a scholarship and support to help their transition to Baylor and beyond;
• Bear Textbook Scholarships that assist new and continuing students with purchasing textbooks, and 
• First in Line Leadership, a scholarship program that celebrates undergraduate student leaders making an impact in their sphere of influence while supporting their leadership development and growth.

Nearly 16% of Baylor undergraduates are among the first in their families to attend college. Gonzalez said the University’s four-year graduation rate for first-generation students continues to grow at 61.9% compared to the national average of 27% for first-generation students. As a FirstGen Forward institution for four years, Baylor has been able to expand scholarships, programming and assistance for all first-generation students, including increasing leadership roles to engage more students and broaden impact, Gonzalez said.

“As a Network Champion, Baylor University showed a commitment to actively adopt the continuous improvement model and align their efforts with institutional priorities to guide first-generation students to completion,” said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley, executive vice president with FirstGen Forward. “Not only is Baylor University doing excellent work to support their own first-generation students, but they continue to provide support and add to evidence-based practices that serve as a model for all those working to support this population in higher education.”

National leader

While movement to this phase signals an important progression, Network Champions remain actively involved and committed to continuous improvement principles while emphasizing institution-focused strategic priorities to improve first-generation students’ experiences and completion rates.

“With 54% of current undergraduate students identifying as first-generation, achieving unprecedented FirstGen student success will have a life-changing impact across generations, as college completion is a significant contributor to education, workforce and life success for the families of graduates,” said Maurice Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward. “To be named a Network Champion is an honor and a testament to the work of Baylor University, evidence that it is a national leader in this area and a role model for the field for years to come.” 

To learn more about first-generation efforts at Baylor, visit the First in Line website. To learn more about FirstGen Forward and the Network, visit firstgenforward.org. 

ABOUT FIRSTGEN FORWARD

FirstGen Forward™, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, partners with higher education, philanthropy, business, the public sector and others to catalyze first-generation student success in education, career and life.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.