New e-book by Rashné Jehangir and three CEHD alumni examines first-generation experience of grad students
Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development Professor and Assistant Dean for Education Opportunity Programs Rashné Jehangir’s new e-book, which examines the experiences of first-generation college students in graduate school, has just been released.
Decoding the Academy: A Roadmap for First-generation College Students Through Graduate Education (FirstGen Forward, 2024) draws on qualitative study of first-generation college students who are enrolled in graduate school to analyze the current landscape of the socialization and hidden curriculum in the academy to provide recommendations for change for anyone seeking to improve support for graduate students.
“Not only does this book shed light on how institutions of higher education can better prepare for and serve the first-generation graduate students, but it also honors their stories,” said Jehangir. “By integrating firsthand narratives into practical strategies, my coauthors and I developed recommendations that help practitioners support first-generation graduate students in ways that respect their unique experiences within their academic environments.”
Jehangir’s co-authors include CEHD alumni Kelly Collins (PhD ’20 higher education), Terra Molengraff (PhD ’23 higher education), and Tai Do (PhD ’24, educational psychology).
The research supporting the book yielded nine themes that are explained and detailed throughout the volume with specific questions for institutions, administrators and faculty at the end of each chapter. This free e-book concludes by connecting theory to practice; providing a map for supporting first-generation graduate students; and offering recommendations for students, faculty and advisors, and the institution as a whole.
“Not only does this book shed light on how institutions of higher education can better prepare for and serve the first-generation graduate students, but it also honors their stories."