NOVEMBER 8th-13th, 2026

National First-Generation College Celebration

First-Gen students are celebrated every November 8th nationally in accordance with the signing date of the Higher Education Act of 1965 which helped start support programs and college access for First-Gen students. 

Our on-campus week of celebration will begin the following day and continue through the end of the week. 

First-Gen Shirt Giveaway

Kansas Union, Fourth Floor Lobby

Stop by our table in the Union lobby to get your First-Gen Shirt designed by KU Students.

Submit your design for this year's t-shirt HERE. 

Contest Details
The winning design will be featured on this year's First-Gen T-shirts, which will be distributed across campus during National First-Gen Week, November 9-13, 2026.

Contest Timeline:
Contest Opens: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
Submission Deadline: Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
 

I am First Too Poster Unveiling

Kansas Union Ballroom

Sponsored by KU's TRiO office, join us for the unveiling of this year's "I am First Too" poster recognizing our First-Gen Faculty and Staff.

Mocktails and Mingle: First-Gen

Jayhawk Welcome Center

Learn to network and get a chance to meet other First-Gen students, professionals, and supporters brought to you by the University Career Center and the KU Alumni Association.

 Students can register here and networkers (alumni, faculty/staff, networkers (alumni, faculty/staff, friends of the community) can register here.

Tri-Alpha Honor Society Induction

Burge Union Forums C and D

Accepted members will be inducted into Tri-Alpha as our third inaugural class to start the Spring semester. Participation is limited to those who have applied and been accepted into this class of Tri-Alpha and their guests. 

The application for the 2026-27 year can be found HERE for students, or HERE for faculty and staff. Applications will be open until October 11th at 11:59pm. 

If you believe you qualify and did not receive an email, please contact hawklink@ku.edu.

For more information, visit Tri-Alpha's page. 

KU Medical Center Visit and Information Session 

KU Medical Center, Free Bus Departing Lawrence Campus

Join Hawk Link as we take a trip to KU Medical Center to learn about admissions, support for First-Gen students, and how to gain shadowing experience. Lunch to be provided.

RSVP required. Invites will be sent to first-generation Pre-Health students.

Visit Schedule

11:30am - Bus departs from the Burge Union on the Lawrence Campus.

12:30pm - Catered box lunches and First-Gen panel with KU Med faculty and physicians.

2:00pm - Roundtable discussion with panelists and KU Med and Nursing students.

2:30pm - KU Medical Center tour. Participants can pick their choice of two tour options below. 

4:30pm - Bus departs KU Medical Center for Lawrence.

Blue Tour

Gross Anatomy Lab

• Get an inside look at the laboratory environment and the tools used to study human anatomy: overview of the lab, types of learning stations students would encounter, the Willed Body Program and how cadavers are acquired for education, and opportunities to ask questions about what to expect when taking anatomy.

Clinical Sciences Lab 

• Explore the world of Clinical Laboratory Science through hands-on stations in hematology, blood banking, and microbiology! Participants will perform simulated laboratory testing, examine blood cells and microorganisms, and discover how clinical laboratory scientists help diagnose disease and guide patient care.

Cardiovascular Unit 

• Sonography: discuss jobs, education, and see demonstration of Sonographer work;
• Cardiac Catheter Lab: discuss jobs, education, and see demonstrations of procedures in the cardiac catheterization and Electrophysiology (EP) Lab 

Crimson Tour

Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Lab

• Overview of bioengineering, joint replacement, and orthopedic surgical tools
• Tour of the Bioskills Training Lab where residents and faculty practice surgical techniques using fresh tissue from donors
• View an arm specimen on a table, with the option for any student who prefers not to participate to remain in the office area with Michelle

Research Lab – Dr. Shrikant Anant

• Working under the guidance of scientists, student interns assist with laboratory experiments aimed at finding new ways to target and kill cancer cells. Students gain hands-on experience using advanced tools to discover new ways to suppress or destroy cancer cell

Proton Therapy Center/Radiation Oncology tour

• A brief overview of Radiation Oncology in the form of a presentation in a conference room setting.  Afterwards, if resources are available (treatment machine schedule dependent) we will take a brief tour through the department.