MCLA Recognized for Commitment to Improving Experiences and Advancing Outcomes for First-Generation College Students
July 15, 2026
FirstGen Forward announced Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) as a new member to the FirstGen
Forward Network Class of 2026. To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member,
MCLA displayed a demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success
for first-generation college students.
"As someone who understands firsthand what it means to navigate higher education without
a roadmap from home, I know how much this kind of institutional commitment matters.
Making this a priority in service to our students is exactly what MCLA is committed
to doing."
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. With the new class, the Network includes more than 500 institutions
of higher education, including two statewide systems, representing 48 states and the
District of Columbia.
"We are excited to welcome Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to the FirstGen Forward
Network," said Martina A. Martin, vice president at FirstGen Forward. "Throughout
the application process, MCLA demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing success
for first-generation students—backed by a willingness to align strategy, data, and
campus-wide efforts for long-term impact. Their leadership reflects a meaningful investment
in creating the conditions where first-generation students can thrive."
In this first phase of the Network, selected institutions will participate in the
FirstGen Forward Network Virtual Kick-off on August 20, 2026. As a Network Member,
MCLA's interested faculty and staff are afforded opportunities to engage with peer
institutions also working to create environments that improve the experiences and
success of first-generation students, and will participate in monthly calls, professional
development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting, and more.
After successful completion of the Network Member phase, institutions may progress
to the second phase, FirstGen Forward Network Leader, in which institutions receive
an evidence-based and research-supported framework of actionable priorities supported
through monthly workshops; diagnostic tools providing critical institutional insight;
robust data-sharing as part of the national Postsecondary Data Partnership; guidance
of expert coaches along each step of the experience; and more. Ultimately, all Network
institutions strive for national leadership as FirstGen Forward Network Champions.
"There is nothing quite like seeing a new generation of institutions step into this
network with purpose and passion," said Dr. Stephanie J. Bannister, President of FirstGen
Forward. "FirstGen Forward exists because we believe institutions are strongest when
they learn alongside one another—sharing evidence-based practices, working through
challenges together, and advancing first-generation student success at scale. MCLA
is joining a community of practitioners doing exactly that, and the Class of 2026
represents a remarkable groundswell of energy and commitment. I know MCLA will be
a meaningful contributor to what we build together."
To learn more about first-generation efforts at MCLA, visit First Generation Student
Support. To learn more about FirstGen Forward, visit firstgenforward.org.
About FirstGen Forward
FirstGen Forward is the center for first-generation student success–your premier source
for evidence-based approaches, data-informed strategies, professional development,
and research. Together, we are building community and belonging through the FirstGen
Forward Network, knowledge creation and evidence-based practices, and thought leadership
and advocacy, transforming higher education and the student success landscape guided
by a first-gen lens.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed
to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered
to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to
public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence.
MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for
10 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts
Schools in the nation for 2025, after earning the No. 7 spot the prior three years.
The College’s focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in
additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: No. 5 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for
liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 2 for Top Performer on Social Mobility
for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools
graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.