For first-generation students, the hidden curriculum—the unstated norms, policies and expectations students need to know in higher education—can be a barrier to participating in high-impact practices, leaving them in the dark about how to thrive in college.
But new research aims to identify the lesser-known policies that disadvantage first-generation students and to make them more accessible. During a panel presentation at NASPA’s Student Success in Higher Education conference in June, Kristin Ridge, associate dean of students and community standards at the University of Rhode Island, discussed her doctoral research on first-generation students and how they interact with the student handbook and conduct spaces on campus.
What’s the need: First-generation students make up 54 percent of all undergraduates in the U.S., or about 8.2 million students. But only one in four first-generation students graduates with a college degree, compared to nearly 60 percent of continuing-generation students.
First-generation students are often diverse in their racial and ethnic backgrounds and come with a variety of strengths, which academic Tara Yosso describes as the cultural wealth model. But in some areas, including higher ed’s bureaucratic processes, first-gen students can lack family support and guidance to navigate certain situations, Ridge said. Her personal experience as a first-generation learner and a conduct officer pushed her to research the issue.
“It really came to a head when I was dealing with two students who had a similar circumstance, and I felt like one had a better grasp of what was going on than the other one, and that was something that didn’t sit right with me,” Ridge said. “I felt like the behavior should be what I am addressing and what the students are learning from, not their previous family of origin or lived experience.”
Conduct systems are complicated because they require a fluency to navigate the bureaucracy, Ridge said. Student handbooks are often written like legal documents, but the goal of disciplinary proceedings is for students to learn from their behavior. “If a student doesn’t understand the process or the process isn’t accessible to them, there are very real consequences that can interrupt their educational journey,” she added.
Some states require conduct sanctions to be placed on a student’s transcript or a dean’s report for transfer application. These sanctions can result in debt, stranded credits or underemployment if students are unable to transfer or earn a degree.
“Sometimes [continuing-generation] students who have parents or supporters can better understand what the implications of a sanction would be,” Ridge says. “Students who don’t have that extra informed support to lean on may unwittingly end up with a sanction that has more long-term impact than they realize.”
First-generation students may also experience survivor’s or breakaway guilt for having made it to college, which can result in them being less likely to turn to their families for help if they break the student code of conduct or fear they will be expelled for their actions, Ridge said.
Therefore, colleges and universities should seek to create environments that ensure all students are aware of conduct procedures, the content of the student handbook and how to receive support and advocacy from both the institution and their communities, Ridge said.
Creating solutions: Some key questions conduct staff members can ask themselves, Ridge said, include:
- Is the handbook easy to access, or is it hidden behind a login or pass code? If students or their family members or supporters have to navigate additional steps to read the student handbook, it limits transparency and opportunities for support.
- Is content available in plain English or as an FAQ page? While institutions must outline some expectations in specific language for legal reasons, ensuring all students understand the processes increases transparency. “I like to say I want [students] to learn from the process, not feel like the process happened to them,” Ridge said.
- Is the handbook available in other languages? Depending on the student population, offering the handbook in additional languages can address equity concerns about which families can support their students. Hispanic-serving institutions, for example, should offer the handbook in Spanish, Ridge said.
- Who is advocating for students’ rights in conduct conversations? Some institutions offer students a conduct adviser, which Ridge says should be an opt-in rather than opt-out policy.
- Is conduct addressed early in the student experience? Conduct is not a fun office; “no one’s going to put us on a parade float,” Ridge joked. That’s why it’s vital to ensure that students receive relevant information when they transition into the institution, such as during orientation. “My goal is for them to feel that they are holding accountability for their choices, that they understand and learn from the sanctions or the consequences, but I don’t want them to be stressed about the process,” Ridge said. Partnering with campus offices, such as TRIO or Disability Services, can also ensure all students are aware of conduct staff and the office is seen less as punitive.
If your student success program has a unique feature or twist, we’d like to know about it. Click here to submit.
