Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

First-Generation Students And Libraries: Beyond The Deficit Narrative, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

Much has been made of the challenges first-generation (FG) students face as they begin their college experience; graduation and retention rates are lower than for other students,¹ anxiety about the adjustment to college life is higher,² and studies of their experiences and performance in the first year reinforce a narrative of struggle, obstacles, and barriers.^3,4 Colleges and universities have responded to these findings by offering additional support and programming specifically for FG students. These efforts can be read in two ways. On one hand, they suggest that institutions of higher education are increasingly aware of the diverse …