ABOUT THE FGLI CONSORTIUM

Vision 

We aspire to a transformed higher educational system–one redesigned to ensure that all students, especially those who face barriers in their pursuit of education, have an equitable opportunity to thrive intellectually, personally, and socially. 

Mission

The FGLI (First-Generation, Lower-Income) Consortium is a national non-profit organization serving faculty and administrators by providing community, resources, and thought leadership around the experiences of first-generation and/or lower-income college students at selective universities and colleges – institutions where FGLI students have historically experienced barriers to access and success, and have thereby been underrepresented. 

Approach

We build a close knit professional community of administrators and faculty at these institutions, centering generous knowledge-sharing and affirming the identities and experiences our colleagues bring to this work. We serve as thought leaders at and to selective colleges and universities across the nation – both implementing and consulting on asset-based practices and policies that uplift and support FGLI students in these contexts, with a focus on access and success. In this spirit, we also partner with colleagues in non-profit, community-based, and related organizations who aim to create pathways for their students to the very institutions where we do this work.

executive committee

Kourtney Cockrell, Co-Founder

Khristina Gonzalez, Co-Founder

Devon Moore, Co-Founder

April Ruiz

ADvisory Board

Elizabeth Badger, Board Chair - Director of Undergraduate Financial Aid, Princeton University

Mesmin Destin - Professor, Human Development and Social Policy and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University

Benjamin Fresquez - Assistant Director, College Excellence Program, American Talent Initiative

Liisa Thomas - Partner, Sheppard Mullin

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.