Student engagement is an age-old question that continues to stump higher education professionals. With changes in student trends as noted by Seemiller and Grace (2015) and more minority students attending higher education, finding culturally relevant engagement strategies that leverage the expertise of all higher education constituents is key. This webinar pays homage to the communal cultural roots of many first-generation college students as a means of creating an asset-based environment that validates students’ experiences and embraces new engagement strategies that uplift students’ collegiate experiences.

This webinar will look at the Shared Governance and Faculty Engagement Model to propose collaborative efforts that can increase student engagement to support first-generation students’ year-to-year persistence and retention. Noting research by Nunn, L. M. (2021) and Romero, Gonzalez, Clark, Ibanez & D’Anna, Hernandez (2020) this webinar will provide a look at existing data that shows the importance of implementing frameworks for collaboration. 

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will:

• analyze the assets of faculty & staff through the lens of the Shared Governance and Faculty Engagement Models;
• gain a deeper understanding of how intentional engagement strategies can create inclusive, empowering environments that honor and uplift the cultural experiences of first-generation students; and
• understand current data and research that promotes the importance of collaboration among faculty and staff for student engagement.