First-generation UC Davis students and their allies gathered Nov. 8 to form a human No. 1, showcasing the first-generation community at UC Davis as part of the National First-Generation College Celebration. Expanding that support to include first-generation faculty, UC Davis Undergraduate Education recently named Associate Professor of Teaching Jeanette B. Ruiz to lead the First-Generation Initiative into its next phase.

Ruiz, an associate professor of teaching for the Department of Communication in the College of Letters and Science, seeks to broaden resources to first-generation faculty at UC Davis with quarterly workshops, journal clubs focused on research and teaching first-generation students, a spring first-generation forum and more.

“This is an opportunity to help empower faculty as better teachers, mentors and champions for our students' success,” Ruiz said. “As first-gen faculty, we have the unique opportunity to share our own struggles with students, creating a sense of community across all first-gen experiences — whether with undergraduates or graduate students. We’re always first-gen, and by connecting through these shared challenges, we can foster deeper understanding and support for one another.”

UC Davis first-generation efforts

First-generation students are undergraduates who are the first in their family to go to college. Across UC, 39% of undergraduates are considered first-generation. At UC Davis, 37% of the undergraduate population identify as first-generation. The University of California assists first-generation students at UC campuses, including UC Davis, through mentorship, academic programs, financial assistance, counseling and advising. The UC Davis Educational Opportunity Program, or EOP, dates back to the 1960s, said director Julie Agosto-King. She hopes the advancement of faculty-facing support strengthens these efforts.

Kem Saichaie, executive director of the Center for Educational Effectiveness in Undergraduate Education, said the focus on faculty is behind the plan for Ruiz’s role as faculty lead with the First-Generation Initiative.

“There’s a lot of different programs and efforts at UC Davis working to support first-generation student success,” he said. “This is a great time for the First-Generation Initiative to work with our campus partners as we focus on providing resources to faculty – either in their roles as first-generation faculty or to support faculty as they work with our growing first-generation student population.”

UC Davis First-Generation Initiative

When the First-Generation Initiative launched in 2017, much of the focus was on growing awareness of the first-generation population of students and faculty.

“We found a home away from home,” Ruiz said of those initial efforts.

The pandemic led to a decline in those activities and the project paused. The work did not. Saichaie, Ruiz and Agosto-King continued their collaboration with each other and UC’s first-gen efforts.

“A lot has changed but we still have traction,” Ruiz said. “Kem and I continued to be involved on a broader scale. We need to build up, be visible and learn from other faculty what they would like to see in the initiative.”

With her role now confirmed, Ruiz envisions faculty workshops, forums and other development opportunities to launch in winter and spring quarters. Significant updates to the First-Gen Directory, which includes first-generation faculty, graduate students and staff, are planned for early 2025.

“I really want to emphasize, we are the faculty-facing side of things,” Ruiz said. “When you’re a first-gen student, it doesn’t end. You still deal with the same kinds of things as first-gen faculty. There’s a benefit to building that community. Through our teaching and mentorship, we can find the best way to interact with each other and our first-generation students.”

Read Ruiz's first-generation faculty story