First-Generation Freshmen Get Some Eastern Exposure

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 25, 2012) — Four University of Kentucky freshmen in the First Generation Living Learning Community have been invited to give presentations at the Eastern Communication Association convention, to be held April 26-29 in Boston.

The theme of this year's convention is "Transitions." UK freshmen Courtney Baxter, Roxanna McFarlan, Christen Pendleton and Taylor Watson will present a panel discussion reflecting on their experiences as members of the inaugural class of a communication cohort designed especially for first-generation college students.

The cohort, taught by faculty members Sarah Kercsmar and Jami Warren from the Division of Instructional Communication, comprises the two-semester core composition and communication sequence taken by all UK freshmen (CIS 110/111). This sequence emphasizes multimodal communication, including writing, public speaking and digital communication. The first course in the sequence addresses self-perception and perception of others, with the second course exploring persuasion in community issues. 

For the First Generation cohort, the students are all members of UK's First Generation Living Learning Community (1G LLC), a residential experience designed to support first generation students and assist them with their transition from high school into college life at UK. Academic success is encouraged through connected courses with their peers, increased faculty and staff interaction, and intentional programming efforts. Students in the cohort have the same classmates and the same instructor for both semesters of the sequence. Kercsmar says this provides continuity that helps to strengthen the sense of community among the students.

"By the beginning of the spring semester, everybody has already had four months to get to know each other," Kercsmar said. "They've had an opportunity to work together, and they all understand how the class works and what my expectations are as their instructor. Rather than having to start over at 'square one' at the beginning of January, they're ready to hit the ground running. I think that not only gives them a stronger sense of community and accountability to each other, but it also helps to build their own self-confidence, which is something that a lot of first-generation college students struggle with."

The students seem to agree.

"I think it really helped to make the second semester go a lot more smoothly," McFarlan said. "When you feel like you already know your professor, it makes it easier to approach them if you have questions or need help with something. And it's the same with the other students, just knowing that you are not in this alone and that other people are going through the same experiences as you are and having the same challenges. I think a lot of times there is help out there, but people just don't know how to ask for it."

Early results suggest that the 1G LLC approach is having a positive influence on student performance and first-generation retention rates, says Kelli Hutchens, First Generation Program adviser. For the fall semester, the 1G LLC students had a higher GPA than freshmen students overall, and a higher retention rate than first-generation students overall.

"I think the sense of community has been key," Hutchens said. "Faculty involvement, especially in the composition and communication cohort, has really helped to bring this community together."

In Boston, the students will share their transition experiences through discussion and through communication products they’ve created, in a panel moderated by Kercsmar. The students say that their experiences in the 1G LLC cohort have helped to prepare them to speak before an audience. Still, they say they are all just a bit anxious about the experience.

"Three of us have never flown before," Baxter said. "We're all excited. I've never taken a subway, or a city bus, or the ferry. Everything on this trip is completely new." 

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Hautala, (859) 323-2396; keith.hautala@uky.edu