Why First-Generation Experience Shapes Better Practice
David Shein brings a unique perspective to higher education administration. As a former Vice President for Student Success and Network Integration at Bard College who spent over 30 years in student affairs, he understands the challenges facing first-generation and underrepresented students because he lived them himself.
“I was a first-generation college student before we knew what that meant,” he explains. “While I didn’t yet have the label, the experience of navigating college without a roadmap was integral to my experience as a student and has been the foundation of my professional practice.” That foundation led him to create comprehensive support systems at Bard, including founding the Learning Commons and Disability Support Services, and co-founding the Center for Student Life & Advising.
The Real Stakes of Retention
First-generation college students face retention challenges that extend far beyond academics. They’re navigating an environment without the cultural capital or family guidance that continuing-generation students often take for granted. National data shows that first-generation students are more likely to leave college before completing their degrees, with retention rates consistently lagging behind their peers by 10-20 percentage points.
Student affairs professionals play a critical role in closing this gap. Unlike faculty, who primarily interact with students in academic settings, student affairs staff engage with students across every dimension of college life, from housing and health services to career counseling and campus activities. This comprehensive view positions them to identify struggling students early and intervene effectively.
Building Accessible Support Infrastructure
Creating effective support systems starts with recognizing that accessibility means more than compliance. During his tenure at Bard, David Shein developed programs specifically designed to remove barriers that prevent underrepresented students from fully engaging with their education.
The Learning Commons provided centralized advising, academic support, bringing tutoring, writing assistance, and study resources together in one approachable location. This matters because first-generation students often don’t know which office to visit, or they feel intimidated asking for help. Centralizing services reduces those friction points.
Disability Support Services addressed another often-overlooked population. Students with disabilities, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, face compounded challenges in advocating for accommodations. Establishing dedicated support sent a clear message that the institution was committed to meeting diverse student needs.
Making Education Accessible Beyond Campus
Shein’s work extended student affairs principles beyond traditional campus boundaries through the Clemente Course in the Humanities, which he launched in multiple locations. The program demonstrates how student affairs thinking can transform educational access.
“It delivers a college-level introduction to humanities course to neighborhoods which tend to be under-resourced to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a college-level humanities course,” he notes. “It’s intended for people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to this stuff. It’s for people who wish they’d taken this kind of course in college, or wish they’d gone to college.”
The Clemente Course provided 110 hours of instruction with academic and personal support, tuition, books, childcare, and transportation fully subsidized. This comprehensive support model recognizes that access isn’t just about opening doors but keeping them open by removing barriers.
Empowerment Through Meaningful Participation
Retention isn’t simply about keeping students enrolled. It’s about helping them connect meaningfully with their education in ways that transform their lives.
“At the core of this work is a commitment to making the full college experience accessible to students, to empowering those students to participate in meaningful ways in what can often feel like an alien environment, and to helping them connect with their college experiences in ways that impact their lives outside of and beyond their time in university,” Shein emphasizes.
This philosophy requires student affairs professionals to think beyond programming and services. It means creating opportunities for first-generation students to participate in research, study abroad, internships, campus leadership roles, and other high-impact practices that boost retention and post-graduation outcomes. Under his leadership, Bard students won competitive awards including Fulbright Scholarships, with the college recognized as a top producer of Fulbright recipients.
Practical Strategies for Student Affairs Professionals
Effective retention work requires coordinated effort across multiple touchpoints. Student affairs divisions should develop early alert systems that flag students showing signs of disengagement, whether through declining attendance, missed appointments, or withdrawal from campus activities.
Peer mentoring programs connect first-generation students with others who have successfully navigated similar challenges. These relationships provide both practical guidance and emotional support that can make the difference between persisting and leaving.
Advising must be proactive rather than reactive. Rather than waiting for students to seek help, advisors should schedule regular check-ins, particularly during transition periods like the first semester or after declaring a major. This approach normalizes asking for support and catches problems before they become crises.
Financial literacy programming addresses a major stressor for underrepresented students. Many first-generation students struggle with understanding financial aid, managing expenses, and planning for costs beyond tuition. Student affairs professionals can partner with financial aid offices to provide workshops and one-on-one counseling.
Creating Institutional Culture Change
Individual programs matter, but sustainable retention improvement requires shifting institutional culture. Student affairs leaders must be empowered to advocate for policies that acknowledge the realities facing first-generation and underrepresented students.
This includes pushing back against assumptions that all students have family support, quiet study spaces at home, or the ability to participate in unpaid internships. It means questioning traditions and practices that inadvertently exclude students who don’t fit the traditional college student mold.
Professional development for all student affairs staff should include training on the challenges facing first-generation students, implicit bias, and culturally responsive practice. Front-line staff in housing, dining, and campus safety need this knowledge as much as counselors and advisors.
Measuring What Matters
Retention efforts need assessment, but metrics should go beyond simple persistence rates. Track participation in support services by student demographics. Monitor whether first-generation students access high-impact practices at the same rates as their peers. Survey students about their sense of belonging and institutional support.
Qualitative data matters too. Exit interviews with students who leave can reveal systemic problems that numbers alone won’t capture. Focus groups with current first-generation students provide insight into which supports work and which gaps remain.
The goal isn’t just keeping students enrolled. It’s ensuring that every student, regardless of background, can access the full transformative potential of their college education. That’s the work of student affairs at its best.
