UNA Recognized for Commitment to Improving Experiences, Advancing Outcomes For First-Generation College Students
Aug. 04, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama has been named as a new member to the FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026. To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member, UNA has displayed a demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.
“We are extremely honored to be selected as a member of the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Dr. Brien Smith, UNA’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This recognition reflects our institutional commitment to academic excellence and student success by ensuring first-generation students have the support and opportunities they need to thrive. As we continue advancing our mission, this membership will help strengthen our efforts to foster student achievement, increase opportunity, and create an environment where all students can reach their full potential.”
The FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach – Network Member, Network Leaders, 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.
“Being selected to the FirstGen Forward Network marks an exciting beginning for UNA’s first-generation initiatives,” said Allie Mills, Director of the University Success Center. “As we introduce new programs and opportunities this year, our goal is to create meaningful connections, celebrate the strengths of our first-generation students, and foster a sense of belonging across campus. We want every first-generation student to know they belong here and have an entire campus community invested in their success.”
In the first phase of the Network, selected institutions will participate in the FirstGen Forward Network Virtual Kick-off in August. As a Network Member, UNA’s leadership team will engage with peer institutions also working to create environments that improve the experience and success of first-generation students through monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting and more.
“We are excited to welcome the University of North Alabama to the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Martina A. Martin, vice president at FirstGen Forward. “Throughout the application process, UNA 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.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I and United Athletic conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/.