March 12, 2025

First-Gen Forward recognizes Ferris State as national leader in advancing first-generation student success

Ferris State University is one of just 18 higher education institutions selected for the newest class of First-Gen Forward Network Champions.

First-Gen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, recognizes Network Champion institutions as an exclusive group serving as national leaders in advancing first-generation efforts and contributing to an important knowledge base of evidence-based practices, leadership engagement, and scaling student supports.

“We are extremely honored to be selected as a Network Champion in the First-Gen Forward Network,” said Dave McCall, associate professor and Coordinator of First-Generation Initiatives. “This is something we are really proud of and is a culmination of the work that started back in 2019 when we made an institutional commitment to do more to support and celebrate our First-Gen students. When you look back at the history of Ferris State, you realize that we were built on the idea that embodies the very notion of what First-Gen is all about. It is at the core of who we are.”

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.

To date, 429 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems, have entered the Network, representing 49 states and the District of Columbia.

“As one of only 32 institutions in the country to have been recognized as a Network Champion, Ferris State University has displayed a commitment to actively adopt the continuous improvement model and align their efforts with institutional priorities to guide first-generation students to completion,” said Stephanie J. Bannister, vice president with First-Gen Forward. “Not only is Ferris State doing excellent work to support their own first-generation students, but it continues to provide support and add to evidence-based practices that serve as a model for all those working to support this population in higher education.”

While movement to this phase signals an important progression, Network Champions remain actively involved and committed to continuous improvement principles while emphasizing institution-focused strategic priorities to improve first-generation students’ experiences and completion rates.

“With 54 percent of current undergraduate students identifying as first-generation, achieving unprecedented First-Gen student success will have a life-changing impact across generations, as college completion is a significant contributor to education, workforce, and life success for the families of graduates,” said Maurice Jones, CEO of First-Gen Forward. “To be named a Network Champion is an honor and a testament to the work of Ferris State University, evidence that it is a national leader in this area, and a role model for the field for years to come.”

Additional information about Ferris State’s first-generation efforts is available at the Ferris First-Gen Website. Additional information about First-Gen Forward and the Network is available at t firstgenforward.org.