Routh First-Generation Center

Texas A&M University is a forefront national leader in advancing first-generation student success. Established in 2019, the Routh First-Generation Center serves close to 23% of undergraduate students across College Station, Galveston, and McAllen campus sites, and is home to the 2nd  largest scholarship program at Texas A&M.  The Center is led by dedicated staff who support the campus community to increase student retention rates and graduation rates with a 2.3-million-dollar investment in programs and services to enhance students' college experiences. We are dedicated to serving first-generation students and their families as they build legacies, become servant leaders, create traditions, and contribute to the nation's economic prosperity!

To get started, explore the programs on this page or make an appointment with our staff. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, email us at firstgen@tamu.edu.

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About the Center

The Routh First-Generation Center is a devoted space designed to support, serve, and celebrate first-generation students from admission through graduation! Our Center offers specialized programs aimed at helping students excel academically, acquire leadership experience, and cultivate the skills needed for their post-graduation journeys. Through comprehensive campus initiatives and advocacy, we are committed to ensuring that our first-generation students thrive at Texas A&M University.

What We Offer

The Center is a community student space located on the 1^st floor of Hotard Hall on campus for students to visit during their time in college. We are open Monday -Thursday from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am-5:00 pm. First-generation students who stop by the Center have access to the following:

• A computer lab with FREE printing. 
• A  study hall that includes a TV lounge equipped with computers, study areas, and whiteboards
• Students have access to test supplies, academic supplies, and students can check out TI-89 calculators.
• A break room with a refrigerator, coffee machines, microwaves, snacks, and toasters!
• Our restrooms are equipped with basic hygiene products, hair care products, and hair styling tools.

Programs and Services

Regents' Scholars Program

First awarded in Fall 2004, the Regents' Scholarship is designed to assist first-generation college student in achieving their educational goals at Texas A&M University.

Texas Leadership Scholars Program

The TLS program was founded in 2022 by 18 member institutions as a state-wide, leadership program, aimed at guiding Texas high school graduates to develop their leadership skills and continue their education at a public Texas university.

First-Generation College Celebration

On November 8, the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the Center for First-Generation Student Success encourage all colleges, universities corporations, non-profits, and K-12 schools to celebrate the success of first-generation college students, faculty, staff, and alumni in any and every way possible. The celebration also serves as a way to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 by then president Lyndon B. Johnson. The HEA act created federal financial aid programs to fund the education of students and make investments in colleges in universities in the Untied Stated of America. The First-Generation College Celebration can include professional development opportunities and swag from various departments on campus.

Let’s Talk @ Hotard Hall

The Let’s Talk program meets and engages students in a conversation with a mental health clinician in an environment that feels safe and empowering to them. The Let’s Talk program positively contributes to the mental health and wellness of our students as well as to their retention and graduation rates.

High Impact Learning Experiences Program

High Impact Practices (HIPs) are teaching and learning strategies that have been widely recognized for their positive impact on college student engagement, retention, and success. These practices involve active learning experiences that require students to invest significant time and effort, interact meaningfully with faculty and peers, and connect classroom learning to real-world applications. Examples of High Impact Practices include undergraduate research, internships, service learning, study abroad, first-year seminars, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative projects, and capstone experiences. By participating in HIPs, college students gain valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, all of which contribute to their academic and professional development.

Exploration Trips

Explorations provide experiences through one-day trips where students visit sites in a variety of cities in Texas. Explorations promote learning by providing an environment that fully recognizes, values, and integrates experience into the pursuit of learning.

Posse Scholars

Posse helps prepare Scholars for college through its Pre-Collegiate Training program. Once Scholars enroll on campus, Posse staff and faculty mentors meet with them regularly as part of the Campus Program. This combined with full-tuition scholarships from our partner colleges and a range of other supports ensures that Scholars don’t just graduate; they thrive.

First-Gen Tri-Alpha

A National Honor Society for First-Generation College Students.

First-Gen Series

The First-Generation Series consists student drop-in hours offered at either Hotard Hall or a specific college called Coffee and Convos where students can enjoy coffee (cold or hot) and breakfast pastries, and monthly workshops hosted by our campus partners such as Graduate and Professional School of Advising, University Health Services, and Career Center. All information regarding these events you will be notified via Navigate.

Meet Our Donors

With the generous gift from Stephanie Duprie Routh ’93 and Todd Routh ’86 in the spring of 2020, the Center is able to provide support to help first-generation students navigate college. The Center was renamed in their honor (Endowment News Release). Today, the staff of the Routh First-Generation Center work tirelessly to serve our first-generation students and eagerly look forward to the new opportunities available from this gift.

 

Faculty & Staff Resources

We are committed to student success at Texas A&M University. As part of the Office for Student Success, we, the Routh First-Generation Center, place a high priority on creating an environment in providing resources that empower faculty and staff to support and contribute to the advancement of the education outcomes for first-generation students at Texas A&M University. To accomplish this goal, we wanted to provide a centralized site for faculty and staff to learn about campus involvement opportunities, support life-long learning, and practical resources as they pertain to working with first-generation students. We want to showcase the work of faculty and staff across various mediums such as conference presentations, publications, dissertations/thesis, and reports related to first-generation students. Furthermore, we want to highlight data-informed practices to advance student persistence, academic achievement, and graduation. We believe these opportunities will promote cross-campus partnerships, enhance faculty and staff pedagogical approaches, and aid in increasing the awareness of first-generation student experiences on campus. For more information about how to get involved, please contact the Routh First-Generation Center.

First-Gen Coordinating Committee

The First-Generation Coordinating Committee brings together representatives from each undergraduate college, student affairs, academic affairs, McAllen, and Galveston every month.

Committee Details

First-Gen Forward

In January 2020, with the support of Dr. Joyce Alexander in the College of Education, Texas A&M University was recognized as a First-Gen Forward Institution. Along with 77 First-Gen Forward institutions, TAMU joins the inaugural cohort of 80 nation-wide First-Gen Forward institutions. The First-Gen Forward TAMU members are Kelley O’Neal, Director of the Marilyn Kent Byrne Student Success Center in the College of Education, Dr. Jacqueline Turner, a Research Specialist II in the Educational Psychology Department in the College of Education, Victor Castillo, program coordinator for Science Leadership Scholars in the College of Science, and Dr. Leticia Palomin, program coordinator for the Gen1 Learning Community in the Office for Student Success. The representatives are all first-generation college graduates, work with first-generation students in various capacities at TAMU, and are committed to first-generation student success initiatives.

Learn More

Join the First-Gen Network

The First-Gen Network is comprised of both of individuals who are themselves first-generation college students and individuals who are supportive of first-generation students through the work they do here at TAMU. The First-Gen Network is a way for faculty and staff to show first-generation students that they are aware of the needs of first-generation students at Texas A&M University. Students know that if they see the First-Gen Network placard on a staff or faculty members door or in their email signature that this person is willing to connect with first-generation students as needed. Please select the appropriate option below to join the network. A placard will be mailed to the address provided in the form below. Please email us with any questions.

Email Us Learn More

I am a first-gen student

Join the network to support others just like you!

• Sign Up

I want to support first-gen students

Our program always welcomes support from those who care for and mentor our first-gen students.

• Sign Up

Toolkit

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Email Signatures

• I am First Generation (Maroon Background)
• I am First Generation (White Background)
• First-Gen Proud (Maroon Background)
• First-Gen Proud (White Background)
• First-Gen Friendly (Maroon Background)
• First-Gen Friendly (White Background)
• First-Gen Faculty (Maroon Background)
• First-Gen Faculty (White Background)
• First-Gen Staff (Maroon Background)
• First-Gen Staff (White Background)

Zoom Backgrounds

• First-Gen Faculty (TAMU Background)
• First-Gen Staff (TAMU Background) 
• First-Gen Student (TAMU Background)
• First-Gen Faculty (You Belong Here Background)
• First-Gen Staff (You Belong Here Background)
• First-Gen Aggie (You Belong Here Background)
• First-Gen Friendly (You Belong Here Background)
• I am First Generation
• First-Gen Proud

First-Generation National Insights

Our Insights

First-Gen Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets

First-Gen Brief

First-Generation Students: College Access, Persistence, and Postbachelor’s Outcomes

Supporting First-Generation Families

Email firstgen@tamu.edu for our family/parent guides!