Parents of First-Generation College Students Receive an Introduction to College Life at A&M-Kingsville
KINGSVILLE - August 07, 2012
Contact:
Adriana Garza-Flores
adriana.garza@tamuk.edu or
361-593-4979
About a dozen parents of first-generation college students set to attend Texas A&M University-Kingsville this fall received a first-hand look at life as a college student during Parents College on the A&M-Kingsville campus.
The two-day event, July 27-28, allowed parents to experience everything from spending the night in the university’s newest residence hall, Mesquite Village, to enjoying a meal with the university’s academic deans in the Javelina Dining Hall, to touring the campus and sitting in on some college math, English and biology classes.
College of Arts & Sciences Assistant Dean Dr. Susan Roberson and Dr. Marcy Tucker, assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literature served as Parents College co-cordinators. The Office of Fiscal and Student Affairs and the Department of Special Programs provided additional support for the event.
“Students who are first in their families to go to college are often referred to as first-generation. Because the overall college experience is so different from their previous schooling, students may experience unexpected challenges,” Tucker said. “Even when these students are prepared academically for the demands of college studies, they need the added benefit of knowing and understanding how things work on a college campus and inside the college classroom. This change can be difficult when their families and friends from home have not themselves been to college.”
Tucker said Parents College is one way that parents of first-generation students can know what their sons and daughters will be experiencing in college. Such understanding, Tucker notes, may help parents better support their students during their journey through higher education.
Dr. Susan
This page was last updated on: August 13, 2012