First-generation students at universities of applied sciences

Background information

First-generation students are strongly represented at Swiss universities of applied sciences, accounting for approximately two thirds of the student body. In comparison, they constitute less than half of the student body of academic universities. The term ‘first-generation students’ designates students whose parents do not hold a university degree.

Consequently, universities of applied sciences assume a central role in promoting equal opportunities and social advancement. First-generation students are more likely to come from immigration or disadvantaged socio-economically backgrounds than students with university-educated parents. This interweaving of different dimensions of social inequality is explicitly taken into account in the ‘First-generation students at universities of applied sciences’ project, which is supported by a project contribution by swissuniversities.

Approach

The project is based on an existing study about first-generation students. Its aim is to develop cross-university support measures following a needs analysis. Each participating university implements one or two suitable measures. The basis for this is desk research on existing practical projects and research results.

A joint evaluation instrument is used to check effectiveness, recording both objective criteria (e.g. academic performance and drop-outs) and subjective factors such as the sense of belonging and enabling comparisons across universities.

The result will be the publishing of a catalogue of measures with support offers, materials, assessment results and communication recommendations on communication. It will allow other universities to adopt and adapt the measures developed.

As the leading house, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) oversees the aspects of coordination and reporting in collaboration with BFH and ZHAW. Project lead ensures sustainable anchoring, while the project managers are responsible for organisation and implementation. Extended project and stakeholder teams, including student representatives and alumni, accompany the project.