College of Charleston Selected for FirstGen Forward Network

The College of Charleston is a new member to the FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026. To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member, the College of Charleston demonstrated its commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.

“We are extremely honored to be selected as a member of the FirstGen Forward Network,” says Chris Korey, associate provost for student success. “At the College of Charleston, we are committed to creating an environment where first-generation students feel a strong sense of belonging, have access to the resources they need to thrive and are empowered to achieve their academic and personal goals. Joining the FirstGen Forward Network affirms our commitment to advancing student success through intentional collaboration, innovative support strategies and a campuswide dedication to ensuring that every first-generation student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

“We are excited to welcome the College of Charleston to the FirstGen Forward Network,” says Martina A. Martin, vice president at FirstGen Forward. “Throughout the application process, the College of Charleston demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing success for first-generation students – backed by a willingness to align strategy, data and campuswide efforts for long-term impact. Their leadership reflects a meaningful investment in creating the conditions where first-generation students can thrive.”

“There is nothing quite like seeing a new generation of institutions step into this network with purpose and passion,” adds Stephanie J. Bannister, president of FirstGen Forward. “FirstGen Forward exists because we believe institutions are strongest when they learn alongside one another – sharing evidence-based practices, working through challenges together and advancing first-generation student success at scale. The College of Charleston is joining a community of practitioners doing exactly that, and the Class of 2026 represents a remarkable groundswell of energy and commitment. I know the College of Charleston will be a meaningful contributor to what we build together.”

The Network’s Three Phases

The FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach – Network Member, Network Leader and Network Champion – to scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes and build more inclusive institutional structures. With the new class, the network includes more than 500 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems representing 48 states and the District of Columbia.

In this first phase of the network, selected institutions will participate in the FirstGen Forward Network Virtual Kick-off on Aug. 20, 2026. CofC faculty and staff are afforded opportunities to engage with peer institutions also working to create environments that improve the experiences and success of first-generation students, and will participate in monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting and more.

After successful completion of the Network Member phase, institutions may progress to the second phase, FirstGen Forward Network Leader, in which institutions receive an evidence-based and research-supported framework of actionable priorities supported through monthly workshops, diagnostic tools providing critical institutional insight, robust data-sharing as part of the national Postsecondary Data Partnership, guidance of expert coaches along each step of the experience, and more. Ultimately, all network institutions strive for national leadership as FirstGen Forward Network Champions.

To learn more about first-generation efforts at the College of Charleston, visit the First-Gen webpage.

About FirstGen Forward

FirstGen Forward is the center for first-generation student success – your premier source for evidence-based approaches, data-informed strategies, professional development and research. Together, they are building community and belonging through the FirstGen Forward Network, knowledge creation and evidence-based practices, and thought leadership and advocacy, transforming higher education and the student success landscape guided by a first-gen lens.