UNA Observes National First-Generation Celebration Day
Oct. 20, 2022
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion at the ӣ will observe National First-Generation Celebration Day Nov. 8, which coincides with the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 that defined the first-generation college student for the first time.
“The ӣ has a long history of supporting out first-generation college students, and this continues to be a priority for our faculty and staff today,” said Dr. Andrea Hunt, Executive Director of the Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion and Center for Women’s Studies. “About 25 percent of our student population is first-generation, meaning that they will be among the first in their family to graduate with a four-year degree. We are honored that they have chosen to pursue their education at UNA and value their contributions to the campus and community.”
A small grant from the Center for First-Generation Student Success will allow for UNA’s celebration in early November. In addition to the observation of National First-Generation Celebration Day, UNA and the Mitchell-West Center has First-Gen Fridays, which feature advice and resources for first-gen students, videos from first-gen faculty and staff, and an exhibit in Collier Library.
“We support our first-generation college students in their academic and non-academic goals through a variety of campus offices that are committed to providing access and resources to students,” Dr. Hunt said. “We want to thank the Center for First-Generation Student Success for awarding us with a grant and acknowledging the work we are doing for our students.”
About The ӣ
The ӣ is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The ӣ is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: and .