Metropolitan State University of Denver has received the First Generation-Serving Institution designation from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, recognizing MSU Denver’s commitment to enrolling and supporting first-generation college students. Such students are a majority of the institution’s student body.
The new designation follows the passage this year of Colorado House Bill 1082, which created a formal recognition for higher-education institutions in the state that enroll a higher-than-average percentage of first-generation students.
Nearly 60% of Roadrunners identify as first-generation students, meaning their parents or guardians did not earn a four-year degree in the U.S. Providing these students with a supportive community that understands and anticipates their unique needs has long been a value of MSU Denver, which secured NASPA’s First Scholars Network (now FirstGen Forward) designation in 2021 and was named a NASPA First-Scholars Network Leader in 2023.
The state’s new designation underscores MSU Denver’s commitment to providing an accessible, high-quality education and fostering equitable opportunities for students, said Cristóbal (Chris) Garcia, associate director of First-Generation Initiatives.
“I am energized by the commitment to supporting first-generation students I’ve experienced thus far, and excited to continue engaging faculty and staff in meaningful conversations about better serving our first-generation students,” Garcia said.
For 2024-25, First-Generation Initiatives has set goals aligned with the University’s 2030 Strategic Plan to close student achievement gaps and foster inclusive and intersectional teaching and learning practices.
These include:
- Engaging first-generation students through targeted programming and communication efforts.
- Collaborating with colleagues to improve retention and graduation rates through community building, resource navigation assistance, and scholarship support.
- Engaging campus stakeholders in best practices for supporting first-generation students through workshops and informal dialogues aimed at enhancing understanding of and engagement with our first-gen student population.
Additionally, First-Generation Initiatives has developed new resources for students and supporters:
- An expanded First-Generation Initiatives website showcasing on-campus resources, upcoming events, and programming, while providing specific engagement and volunteer opportunities for faculty, staff and alumni.
- The new First-Gen Focus e-mail newsletter will go out twice a semester to more than 10,000 first-gen students on campus.
- Expanded programming designed to support student success, connect students to the vast network of Roadrunner alumni and celebrate the first-generation identity on campus.
- Faculty and staff best-practices training sessions to be held throughout the fall and spring in collaboration with MSU Denver Human Resources, the Center for Teaching, Learning and Design and Student Affairs.
Kudos to colleagues
First-gen student outreach, engagement and support is a shared and campuswide effort led primarily by Garcia in the Classroom to Career Hub, with the support and leadership of the First-Scholars Steering Committee.
Garcia applauded the leadership and efforts of Cynthia Baron, Ph.D., associate dean for Equity and Student Engagement; Nhi Dang, associate director of Equity and Racial Justice Programs, CMEI. As well as the current guidance of Nahum Kisner, assistant vice president of Student Success, and members of the First-Scholars Steering Committee, including:
- Madina Amiri | Current Student, MSU Denver
- Bridget Arend, Ph.D. | Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Center for Teaching, Learning and Design
- Jeffrey Joshuah Barr | Senior Institutional Research Analyst | Institutional Research
- Kolby Bautista-Lopez | Current Student, MSU Denver
- Bridgette Coble, Ph.D. | Director of Career Engagement, C2Hub
- Alyson Doty | Current Student, MSU Denver
- Sarah Goldenberg | Graduate School Pathway Coordinator, Faculty Engagement & Experiential Learning
- Evan Greene | Current Student, MSU Denver
- Nahum Kisner | Assistant Vice President of Student Success, C2Hub
- Alicia Montoya | Program Coordinator for Belonging and Student Engagement, CMEI
- Imani Morning | Director for Engagement, Culture and Organizational Development, Human Resources
- Alyssa Nilemo | Deputy Chief of Activation, Auraria Higher Education Center
- Andrea Rodriguez | Assistant Director of Orientation, Orientation/Transfer & Reengagement
- Christine Sheikh, Ph.D. | Specialist, Student Academic Services
- Loretta Wahl | Assistant Dean & CESA Director, TRIO Student Support Service
- Codi Whittington | Assistant Director of Operations and Events, Faculty Engagement & Experiential Learning
