First-Generation College Student Day
On November 8, colleges and universities across the United States celebrate National First-Generation College Student Day. This annual observance honors the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded access to higher education for generations of students.
Since November 8 falls on a Sunday this year, RCC is excited to celebrate our first-generation students, faculty, and staff at our third annual First-Generation College Student Day Celebration on Thursday, November 5.
At RCC, a first-generation college student is defined as someone whose parents have not earned a baccalaureate degree.
We are pleased to share this year’s programming below. Through these events and activities, we aim to celebrate first-generation experiences, raise awareness of the unique needs and challenges of first-generation students, and strengthen the support systems that help them succeed in college and beyond.
First-Generation Day: A Celebration and Resource Fair
November 5, 2026, 11 am – 1:30 pm
Nelson Mandela Room (Student Union, Room 3214)
Lunch will be served between sessions (You must attend at least one session)
11:00 am – Interview Skills Workshop
Build confidence and prepare for your next interview. Learn common questions, tips and strategies to make a strong impression.
12:30 pm – First-Generation Panel Discussion
Hear from first-generation alumni, faculty and staff as they share their college experiences, discuss the challenge’s they faced, and reflect on what they wish they had known as students.
Registration link coming soon!
Professional Development Opportunities
Faculty and staff are encouraged to access the following on-demand professional development opportunities, centered around supporting first-generation college students, through a single sign-on (SSO) feature on the Go2Knowledge platform.
First-Year Transition Issues: How Advisors Can Positively Impact A Student’s First Term
Overview
Check out Innovative Educators’ discussion of evidence-based best practices academic advisors can immediately use to equip high school students to negotiate the challenges they will encounter as soon as they arrive on campus. Although everything discussed is theory-based, the primary focus of the discussion is applications-oriented. Examples will show how the strategies explained can be effectively implemented in a diverse range of settings.
Objectives
- Identify common challenges that new students face when enrolling in college with an emphasis on financial aid, online coursework, and expected workload.
- Determine key obstacles that different student populations (traditional, non-traditional, international, etc.) face that can deter their academic progress. For example, a first-time student taking all online classes, a non-traditional student having to take remedial/developmental coursework, etc.
- Demonstrate best practices on how to set clear expectations when addressing challenges to the enrollment and matriculation processes.
- Explain how academic advisors can work with other professionals across campus to maximize the potential for success for new students.
- Discuss the specific interventions and modifications that can help these students succeed in the total college experience.
- Demonstrate evidence-based best practices for providing additional services (remedial and/or developmental) to students who could benefit from this kind of supplemental support.
- Critique real-life case studies of college students who overcame the challenges they faced upon entering college (with the help of appropriate interventions from academic advisors).
Helping Students Move From Shallow To Deep Learning: Practical Strategies For Success
Overview
Check out Innovative Educators’ enlightening webinar where they explore practical deep-learning strategies that can be integrated into your teaching to enhance student learning. This session is designed to be interactive, providing the tools to help your students transition from passive studying to active learning. Learn how to empower your students with the skills they need to excel academically and beyond.
Objectives
- Describe the learning process.
- Discuss the reasons why shallow learning strategies such as cramming do not work.
- Identify deep learning strategies that will help students transform their learning.
- Determine ways to incorporate deep learning strategies
To recognize the importance and scale of the national celebration of First Generation College Student Day and establish a logo representative of the diverse celebrations held each year, the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-generation Student Success commissioned a redesign of the event logo.
The new logo features four elements – Celebration, Broad Perspectives, Growth, and New Heights – which capture the First-Generation College Celebration experience for first-generation college students, graduates, allies and advocates.
- Celebration depicts a graduation cap being tossed upward, which connects to the elevation of first-generation college students and their communities.
- Growth expresses development and fluidity by evoking the color and form of a series of stems with leaves. This icon harnesses the evolution of personal and professional advancement and highlights the lifelong presence of the first-gen identity in a person’s experience.
- Broad Perspectives depicts a round window or globe, which is symbolic of the diverse and intersectional first-generation college student and graduate identities.
- New Heights portrays a staircase, which connects to mobility and workforce entry, and also ties to the abiding nature of the first-generation college student and graduate identity.
Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ASAP, EOP, and TRiO