Talking Stick - July/August 2009 - 9

Gen-1 theme house GearinG uP for second Year In May 2008, Steffi Cappel, executive director of Partner for Achieving School Success at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, sat down to a meeting in the service learning theme house on campus and was struck with inspiration. She knew that a house would be the ideal way to advance the success of her vision for firstgeneration student success. Plans came together quickly, and the Gen-1 Theme House opened in September 2008. Because of the fastpaced timeline, recruitment efforts went into overdrive. Letters were sent to incoming freshmen with information on the new living opportunity and “startling and disturbing facts” about how “Most students who start college never finish” and “The college dropout rate is highest among first-year students,” with the first-year dropout rate highest among first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible, and non-residential students. But there is a catch. Residents of the house are required to sign a contract promising to adhere to a strict set of rules, including a limited guest policy, an alcohol-free living policy, and even a curfew. “It is difficult to recruit students,” says Bob Suess, project director of the Gen-1 House. “We must convince them that living on campus is worth it and is an investment in their future. We’re asking them to sacrifice some of the independence that freshmen experience to increase their odds of college success.” Currently 14 residents are housed in the Tudor-style Gen-1 Theme House, which has room for 24. Any student who is a full-time freshman, a first-generation student, and Pell Grant-eligible can live in the house. Students pay $511 a month for a double and $611 a month for a single, which is comparable to costs at other residence halls on campus, and the coordinators of the program are LaShayna Murray is a student at the Gen-1 House. continuing efforts to increase financial aid for these students. Along with their contractual obligations, students are enrolled in a year-long course about study skills, time management, and academic success — “Gen-1/Year-1: A Guide to Surviving and Thriving” — and they also attend mandatory tutoring and study sessions throughout the week. In addition, residents can take advantage of cultural and social enrichment programs and house dinners, as importance is placed on community building. House officials are already planning for increased enrollment next year, with 45 percent of the incoming freshmen qualifying as first-generation students (although they expect that only 5 percent of these students will decide to commit to the Gen-1 House). Recruitment efforts are underway with these college-bound students: “We are having conversations with these students about living on campus, because many of them wouldn’t even consider it due to the cost. We explain that it increases the odds of success,” says Cappel. Judy Mause, program coordinator, is leading these efforts to contact students and establish a community of residents for next year as soon as possible: “We have an opportunity this year to populate our house much earlier and start building community prior to school starting, which will be an advantage.” Another key function of the house is to keep students informed about and in close contact with university resources. University representatives are brought into the house so that students have immediate access to support. “When we first started planning the house, we thought we would have to provide a lot of the support ourselves, but UC already provides so much,” says Suess. “However, students weren’t taking advantage of this. Oftentimes, they weren’t even aware of the existence of these resources.” The program advisors plan to stay in contact with residents after they no longer live in the house, as the greatest goal of the program is academic success and eventual graduation. “A first-generation, low-income, non-residential student is like the perfect storm,” says Suess. “The most important part of the house is the people. We make sure we provide students with help and attend to their individual needs.” To learn more about the Gen-1 Theme House, visit www.uc.edu/cechpass/gen1. UNiversity of CiNCiNNati July + auguST 2009

http://www.uc.edu/cechpass/gen1

Talking Stick - July/August 2009

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