First-generation College Student Initiative
The Office of Institutional Diversity oversees the First-generation College Student Initiative. First-generation is defined by the Harvey Mudd College Office of Institutional Diversity as:
If you are an HMC student, faculty, or staff member for whom:
- Neither parent/guardian graduated from a four-year college. This means that you are part of the first generation in your family to attend a four-year college/university to attain a bachelor’s degree.
- Neither parent/guardian completed a four-year college degree in the United States.
- Only one parent/guardian completed a four-year college degree in the United States.
The goals of the HMC I’m A First initiative are:
- To create awareness of first-generation students, staff and faculty on campus.
- To provide a sense of connection, access and encouragement for first-gen students by sharing faculty and staff stories and first-generation resources.
- To foster connection and community among first-generation faculty and staff through online resources and gatherings.
- To celebrate the accomplishments of first-generation faculty and staff at the student leadership awards ceremony.
- To provide resources including research literature, current articles and educational opportunities for campus departments and organizations to build on these connections for outreach and student success.
- To provide resources to students by allowing faculty and staff who so choose to identify themselves to students to do so in order to serve as on-campus resources.