The First Scholars program (FS) is designed to improve the graduation rate of first-generation college students at the University of Memphis. For the purposes of the program, a first generation student is an incoming first-time, full-time freshman for whom neither parent earned more than two years of education beyond high school and no post-secondary degree. In addition, the student must perform in the mid-range of the University’s admission standards and demonstrate financial need. Approximately 30% of the students entering as freshmen in the Fall 2015 met these criteria. Twenty students are selected each year to participate in the four-year program. All First Scholars receive an annual $5,000 scholarship.
Characteristics
The First Scholars® Program supports first-generation college students and enhances their ability to successfully graduate.
First Scholars’ comprehensive program was created to specifically address the holistic development of first-generation students throughout their college experience. Our program delivers multiple levels of support, including a full-time program coordinator and peer mentors to help First Scholars address the unique challenges first-gen students face.
Community engagement activities
The First Scholars staff works with each Scholar as they move through our Steps To Success™. This framework focuses on an annual theme and targeted learning objectives that guide First Scholars through the key transitions pivotal to their college success.
- Freshman year: Connecting to campus
- Sophomore year: Optimizing the college experience
- Junior year: Expanding career and community opportunities
- Senior year: Transitioning to the future
Is this program available to underrepresented students?
The 4-year program is open to incoming first-time, full-time freshmen whose parents did not attend college.
Freshman year
For involvement internal connections programming in the freshman year, students attend an off campus retreat prior to Fall enrollment to learn about the program and one another. They then live together in a First Scholars Living-Learning Community in Centennial Place Residence Hall. Internal engagement involves enrollment together in an ACAD 1100 course outlining academic strategies for success in college. Strategies include good study habits, how to take class notes, how to write a paper, exploring different majors and an introduction to University resources. Students also explore student organization opportunities on campus. Internal integration programming takes the form of completing a personal strengths and skills assessment through career workshops to find if a proposed major is a good fit, meeting with a Program Coordinator to develop an Individual Strategic Plan (ISP) for success and being paired with an upper class First Scholar Mentor.
External connections during the freshman year focus on cultural connections. Students take bus tours of the city to familiarize the students with all aspects of the city and visit museums and public spaces such as the Central Rail Station. In addition, they participate in team building programs in the city’s Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center.
Sophomore year
Internal involvement connections in the sophomore year are a repeat of retreats at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Engagement involves participation in a student organization. And integration continues in working with the Program Coordinator to follow the ISP and meet with the upper class First Scholar Mentor. Students also apply leadership development skills through leadership workshops.
External cultural connections involve a series of town/gown conversations with residents of neighborhoods across the city. Civic connections are broadly expanded. First Scholars sophomores participate in a national service project with other First Scholars around the nation. And they engage in a number of local service projects including partnering in cleaning up waterways, providing visits, meals and family assistance for families with children in LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Students also provide food packing services for the Memphis Inter-Faith Association.
Junior year
Internal connections in the junior year are largely a repeat of the sophomore year. However, two additions are aimed at giving back to the First Scholars Program. In one, the student participates in Pay-it-Forward position providing mentoring for students entering the program. In the other, they participate in professional development leadership workshops for entering students.
Junior year external connections also repeat sophomore activities. However, cultural connections are expanded by introduction into Study Abroad opportunities. And planning begins for a major civic connection capstone Individual Service Project (ISP).
Senior year
In the senior year, First Scholars students provide leadership in support programming for freshmen and sophomore students while also preparing for transition for life after college. In terms of internal connections, they lead the freshman retreat, continue their work in student organizations, and work with the Program Coordinator to complete the ISP. Internal engagement includes participation in Real Life 101 workshops preparing for life after college.
External cultural and community connections also focus on the transition from college. Students participate in a Career Center job shadowing program and are connected with an alumni mentor. In addition, students are provided resume preparation training and are given real-world interview training. The external civic connection involves completion of the student’s capstone Individual Service Project. The capstone requires the student to engage with a community issue or problem. Examples of projects have included developing technology applications for a retirement community, building community mailbox libraries in underserved communities or creating and completing an autism awareness program with a campus sorority.
The First Scholars program maps onto our framework over all domains, internal (i.e., involvement, engagement, integration) and external (i.e., cultural & community awareness, civic engagement).