Class Beyond the Classroom

In this chapter we describe the goals, organization, and activities of Class Beyond the Classroom (CBtC) at Bridgewater State University, a state comprehensive university in southeastern Massachusetts. CBtC is a group of faculty and staff from working-class and first-generation (WCFG) backgrounds that works to support the success of students from similar backgrounds through a variety of activities, including story-sharing panel discussions and other campus programming. The group also works to support the success of fellow WCFG faculty and staff, while working to diminish classism on campus. In this chapter we also cover literature on supporting WCFG student success, review other programs across the US supporting WCFG students both on and off campus, discuss CBtC’s institutional context at a state comprehensive university, and offer suggestions for developing similar organizations at other campuses.