UNA Observes National First-Generation Celebration Day

Oct. 20, 2022

Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@hr888888.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – The Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion at the University of North Alabama will observe National First-Generation Celebration Day Nov. 8, which coincides with the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 that defined the first-generation college student for the first time.

“The University of North Alabama has a long history of supporting out first-generation college students, and this continues to be a priority for our faculty and staff today,” said Dr. Andrea Hunt, Executive Director of the Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion and Center for Women’s Studies. “About 25 percent of our student population is first-generation, meaning that they will be among the first in their family to graduate with a four-year degree. We are honored that they have chosen to pursue their education at UNA and value their contributions to the campus and community.” 

A small grant from the Center for First-Generation Student Success will allow for UNA’s celebration in early November. In addition to the observation of National First-Generation Celebration Day, UNA and the Mitchell-West Center has First-Gen Fridays, which feature advice and resources for first-gen students, videos from first-gen faculty and staff, and an exhibit in Collier Library. 

“We support our first-generation college students in their academic and non-academic goals through a variety of campus offices that are committed to providing access and resources to students,” Dr. Hunt said. “We want to thank the Center for First-Generation Student Success for awarding us with a grant and acknowledging the work we are doing for our students.”

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: hr888888.com and hr888888.com/unaworks/.