University Leaders Discuss Ways to Recruit and Retain First-Generation Students on Campus

Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, president of Framingham University, illustrates the decline in college enrollment and retention and offers a new target market to help stabilize academia in the seventh installment of the President to President series
Mar 21, 2017 10:10 AM ET
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GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 21, 2017 /3BL Media/ - In the latest chapter of the President to President series published today, Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, Ph.D., president of Framingham State University in Framingham, Mass., sheds light on the national decline in college enrollment and suggests universities integrate key initiatives to entice and retain students of families typically underserved by universities.

“Pathways for Success: From Pre-College to Campus Life” outlines several strategies implemented at Framingham State University to support these students in the classroom and help them adjust to the campus culture. Many of these students, mostly from low-income households, represent the first in their immediate families to pursue higher education.   

Touching on both the struggles of the academic sector in bolstering enrollment and the challenges faced by first-generation students, Cevallos presents initiatives to make education accessible and a place of comfort for those pioneering the world of higher education as untraditional college students.

The article is part of the 2016-2017 President to President series, published by Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services. The series is written by university presidents for university presidents and focuses on how institutions are developing innovative campus strategies that ensure positive business outcomes while enhancing the student experience.

Each month, a new chapter of President to President is authored by a notable leader in higher education whose institution is at in the forefront of pioneering viewpoints and practices. Sodexo provides publishing support but exerts no editorial influence over the series. Chapters are distributed and promoted electronically and posted on president2president.com. At the end of the ten-part series, all content will be published into a thought-provoking collection and made available online.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

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