Letter from our executive committee

February 2022

Greetings and Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the FGLI Consortium, a national 501c3 organization that provides leadership, expertise, and resources around the experience of first-generation and/or lower-income college students at highly-selective universities and colleges. 

As we approach our five-year anniversary, we find ourselves in a moment of reflection and forward thinking. Our idea to informally bring together administrators in 2017, has blossomed into a thriving organization that continues to foster learning, development, and collaboration among higher ed professionals, while also building a supportive community we have all come to rely on during challenging times. We do this work with, and for, our students and colleagues and are incredibly grateful for continued partnership and collaboration. In just five years, we’re proud to share that we’ve brought together over 400+ faculty and staff through our two conferences at Princeton, introduced scholarly work to inform our practice at our four annual colloquia events, and have offered monthly virtual workshops during a global pandemic and unprecedented racial unrest. We’re also thrilled to be connected with 200+ colleagues at nearly 100 institutions and organizations through our newsletter listserv and social media outlets. 

Now, looking forward to our fifth anniversary, we recommit ourselves to the first-generation, lower-income students who inspire and keep us motivated to advocate, remove barriers, and create inclusive environments across highly selective institutions. We are excited to re-launch our in-person convenings, beginning with a colloquium hosted by Princeton University this March and our annual FGLI Administrators Colloquium Conference in Fall 2022. Over the next few months, we will also be announcing new initiatives to help support and connect our members as they navigate this work in this rapidly changing educational and social environment. As always, the central pillar of our efforts will be to center equity, inclusion, and justice across the academy--and to bolster and encourage you all as you do the same.

We couldn’t do this work without all of you – our fellow faculty, administrators, staff, and partners – and for that, we thank you. We look forward to learning with and from you in the next five years. 

Warmly,

The FGLI Consortium Executive Committee:

• Kourtney Cockrell, JPMorgan Chase | formerly Northwestern University

• Khristina Gonzalez, Princeton University

• Devon Moore, ScholarMatch | formerly The University of Chicago

• April Ruiz, Wesleyan University

History

In August 2017, a group of administrators from institutions around the country convened at Northwestern University to discuss how we might share knowledge and best practices for our work supporting and empowering our FGLI students. Shortly after, the FGLI Consortium was launched as a national organization, providing leadership, expertise, and resources around the experience of first-generation and/or lower-income college students at highly selective universities and colleges.

The Inaugural FGLI Consortium Conference took place at Princeton University on February 18, 2018. Close to 100 faculty and administrators convened at Princeton to take a deep dive into the most pressing issues facing FGLI administrators and faculty. For two and half days, attendees came together to hear from inspirational speakers and presenters who challenged the group to think radically about transformational change that ensures first-generation and low-income students thrive at highly selective institutions. To learn more about the inaugural conference, visit this story from Princeton News.

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