Our Mission and Values
WSU First Gen is an initiative that provides support and resources to first-generation Cougs on all WSU campuses. The First-Gen Student Center is an affinity center where students on the Pullman campus can find community, support, and belonging.
These initiatives and spaces are new, and the mission and values are evolving. We are working to define these key elements and will update this page as soon as possible; while we conduct that important work, we would like to share some of our guiding principles:
1. First-gen students belong at WSU.
First-gen students can feel like they don’t belong on campus because of the systemic and structural barriers they face. WSU First Gen and the First-Gen Student Center work to let first-gen students know that they belong at WSU, we want them at WSU, and they can succeed at WSU.
2. Supporting first-gen students helps us fulfill our land-grant mission.
By supporting first-gen students through their WSU journey, we center our values and serve the broader purpose of our land-grant mission: to be a university for all Washingtonians.
3. We support each individual’s lived experience.
We know that first-gen students come to WSU from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. We respect each individual’s journey and needs, and we support them in whatever they choose to pursue while they’re here.
4. First Gen at WSU and the First-Gen Student Center help students navigate their WSU experience in a holistic way.
We seek to be a “one-stop shop” for students – a place they can go to find community, guidance, inspiration, resources, and support. We want students to come to First-Gen programs and the First-Gen Student Center with whatever they’re experiencing and know that they will be connected with the support they need.
Our Mission and Values
WSU First Gen is an initiative that provides support and resources to first-generation Cougs on all WSU campuses. The First-Gen Student Center is an affinity center where students on the Pullman campus can find community, support, and belonging.
These initiatives and spaces are new, and the mission and values are evolving. We are working to define these key elements and will update this page as soon as possible; while we conduct that important work, we would like to share some of our guiding principles:
1. First-gen students belong at WSU.
First-gen students can feel like they don’t belong on campus because of the systemic and structural barriers they face. WSU First Gen and the First-Gen Student Center work to let first-gen students know that they belong at WSU, we want them at WSU, and they can succeed at WSU.
2. Supporting first-gen students helps us fulfill our land-grant mission.
By supporting first-gen students through their WSU journey, we center our values and serve the broader purpose of our land-grant mission: to be a university for all Washingtonians.
3. We support each individual’s lived experience.
We know that first-gen students come to WSU from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. We respect each individual’s journey and needs, and we support them in whatever they choose to pursue while they’re here.
4. First Gen at WSU and the First-Gen Student Center help students navigate their WSU experience in a holistic way.
We seek to be a “one-stop shop” for students – a place they can go to find community, guidance, inspiration, resources, and support. We want students to come to First-Gen programs and the First-Gen Student Center with whatever they’re experiencing and know that they will be connected with the support they need.