Mastering the Hidden Curriculum (MHC)
Mastering the Hidden Curriculum (MHC) is a three-credit course intended for first-year Georgetown students that self-identify as a first-generation college student (first in your family to attend college) and/or a student from a low-income background.
Team-taught by some of Georgetown’s best professors, the course equips students with the skills and cultural capital to navigate the university’s academic community and collegiate environment. By the end of the course, students gain knowledge of available GU support systems, tools for academic empowerment, and a community of peers, faculty and staff mentors, and allies dedicated to their success.
Mastering the Hidden Curriculum was launched as a University-Wide Cross-Disciplinary (UNXD) course in Fall 2018. Rooted in experiential, whole-person, and interdisciplinary learning, the course is a joint project of Georgetown’s Designing the Future Initiative and the Georgetown Scholars Program to provide a uniquely curricular opportunity to support first-generation and low-income students at Georgetown University. For more information, visit the MHC Webpage (opens in new tab).
Advocacy Campaigns
GSP’s mission is to work towards a more equitable college experience for first-generation and low-income college students. To get an inside look at our approach, we invite you to explore the “Advocacy” tab for more details!
GSProud: The GSProud campaign was started by our student board several years ago to allow students publicly and proudly self-identify as first-generation or low-income. The narratives highlight how incredible these students are and their achievements at, or after Georgetown. This week also includes workshops and discussions on how to make Georgetown more class-inclusive, art shares, community dinners, and more.
First Generation Faculty & Staff Initiative: The First Generation Faculty & Staff Initiative was a network comprised of faculty and staff who self-identify as first generation college graduates or are allies of first generation college students. We define “first generation” to mean “neither parent graduated from a traditional four-year college.” The initiative’s objectives were 1) to identify first generation faculty and staff, as well as allies who support first generation students, on Georgetown’s campus; 2) to build upon the university’s existing efforts to cultivate a vibrant first generation support-network for undergraduates from various disciplines and backgrounds; 3) to bridge the gap and expose students to a support system among faculty and staff, thereby equipping students with social capital and insight into diverse academic fields.