Each year on November 8, the Chaiken Center hosts the college’s First-Generation Student Celebration as part of the national celebration by the same name. But our first-generation activities aren’t limited to one day a year. The Chaiken Center hosts workshops, brings in first-generation alumni speakers, and organizes meet and greets for first-generation Liberal Arts students throughout the year.
Nearly 25 percent of Penn State undergraduate students are the first in their families to graduate from college. The Chaiken Center is your place to find support and resources for first-generation students in the college. We also partner with Penn State’s Student Success Center to help students find their community and resources to help them navigate college as a first-gen student.
A student whose immediate parents or legal guardians have not completed a baccalaureate degree.
First-Generation Committee
In the fall of 2022, the Chaiken Center for Student Success formed a First-Gen Committee of students, faculty, and staff to provide greater support and community to the first-gen population in the College of the Liberal Arts. Thirty-two members are currently involved in the committee.
Our Mission
To engage and support Liberal Arts first-gen students by identifying their needs and informing our student success efforts. We are also building a sense of community and belonging around the identity of first-generation college students.
Interested in learning more or joining the committee? Email Patty Klug, director of the Chaiken Center, at pfk5256@psu.edu.
Outstanding First-Gen Student Award
Iyana Burrows
First-Generation Student Resources and Support
First-Gen Glossary
Bursar’s Office: Responsible for maintaining student accounts (tuition, fees, financial aid, etc.)
Federal Work Study: A federal program that provides part-time jobs for students with financial needs
Late Drop: Dropping a course after the regular drop period and before the late drop deadline; $6 fee for each late drop; noted on a student’s record
LionPATH: Student information system that provides access to academic, registration, and financial records
Prerequisite: A course that a student must complete prior to take another
Registrar: Office responsible for student academic records (course registration, transcripts, withdrawal, etc.)
Syllabus: An outline of the subjects in a course of study or teaching. Often outlines assignments, course policies, grading scales, and office hours
What-If Report: Shows how a student’s completed and in-progress courses will apply toward requirements for any major or minor (found in LionPath)
Withdrawal: A student’s decision to remove themself from a course after the add/drop period ends; a W is noted on the transcript
University Support
First-Gen Advocates
First-Gen Advocates (FGA) is a registered student organization that aims to amplify first-gen students’ voices while building a community for first-gen students at Penn State. FGA and the University’s Student Success Center offer personal, leadership, and career development opportunities. The organization’s student leaders provide important resources to support student success and host social events for first-generation students to network and connect.
Tri-Alpha National Honor Society
Alpha Alpha Alpha, or Tri-Alpha, is an honor society for first-generation students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The Eta Psi chapter at Penn State University Park hosts an application process each year, opening on November 8 (National First-Gen College Celebration Day) and closing in February. Selected applicants are invited to an induction ceremony typically held in late April. In April 2024, Patty Klug, director of the Chaiken Center; Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts; and Ali Roman, a 2024 Psychology alumna, were inducted into Tri-Alpha.
Questions?
Please reach out to Patty Klug.
