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Exploring the Ways Jargon Influences Access & Success for First-gen Students

College knowledge consists of the information and resources students need to navigate the higher education system. One distinct aspect of college knowledge is the language and acronyms that institutions use to create their own jargon (e.g., Ardoin, 2018; Ardoin, 2021—see Critical Conversation Six; Jarvis, 2019). Utilizing research data and case studies, the presenter will explore the ways jargon influences college access and success for first-generation college students and families. She will discuss how jargon shows up in and shapes student matriculation and transition; creates barriers and challenges during campus experiences; and influences persistence and completion. The presenter will offer suggestions for managing jargon use and continuing to learn about these topics.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will:

  • discover how college knowledge and institutional jargon can be an access and success challenge, particularly for first-generation college students;
  • examine jargon examples through research, data, and case studies; and
  • determine steps to reduce jargon and broaden language and communication to be more inclusive of all students and campus community members.

Maria Dykema Erb, M.Ed.

Inaugural Executive Director

Boston University Newbury Center

Maria Dykema Erb, M.Ed. is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Boston University Newbury Center which was established to foster the holistic development and success of first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Maria has over three decades of higher education experience having worked at the University of Vermont, Elon University, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and currently at Boston University. She has worked in a broad range of areas including Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; student recruitment/admissions, enrollment management, academic advising, retention, and outreach; academic dean’s office and graduate/professional school program administration; and student affairs/life.


As a proud first-generation college graduate, Maria holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire and Master of Education degree from The University of Vermont (UVM). She is past president of the FirstGen Forward – Forward Thinkers group.


Maria has shared her scholarship through numerous presentations and book chapters. She has chapters in: Know That You Are Worthy: Experiences from First-Generation College Graduates; A Handbook for Supporting Today’s Graduate Students; A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students; and Fostering First Gen Success and Inclusion: A Guide for Law Schools (in press).

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