Universities and research institutes should make the ¡°implicit rules¡± of academia explicit in order to improve access for first-generation academics, .

The Netherlands¡¯ Young Academy interviewed 15 first-generation scholars, defined as ¡°university researchers or lecturers whose parents did not obtain a university degree¡±, on their experiences in academia and their recommendations for institutions, compiling the results in a report titled First but not least.

¡°Starting a conversation about ¡®first-generation academics¡¯ will make the academic world more accessible and promote equal opportunity,¡± said the Young Academy, an independent division of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), describing the perspectives of these scholars as ¡°largely neglected¡± by research.

Because first-generation academics ¡°often have less prior knowledge about how academia functions¡±, the report states, they may be unaware of ¡°unwritten rules¡±, among them ¡°university hierarchies, career progression, networking [and] the expected language and etiquette at receptions, social gatherings and other informal events¡±.

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Interviewee Robin Vernooij, an assistant professor in clinical epidemiology at the University Medical Center Utrecht, commented, ¡°There¡¯s a checklist of implicit rules that isn¡¯t publicly available but everyone knows and follows behind the scenes.¡±

Other respondents said they weren¡¯t sufficiently informed about more formal procedures, such as how to be admitted into a PhD programme or how to apply for a grant. ¡°I was well into my master¡¯s programme before I learned that I could get a PhD and how to go about it,¡± said Ren¨¦e Vulto, an assistant professor of cultural history at Utrecht University.

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While information programmes for first-generation academics can be helpful, the Young Academy notes, they also situate responsibility with the scholars themselves, rather than with the academic system that excludes them. ¡°That is why people in positions of authority¡±, such as department heads and rectors, ¡°need to work on making structural changes to the academic system,¡± the report states.

Removing ¡°trivial requirements such as certain dress codes and language requirements¡± could help to ¡°de-elitise¡± the academic environment, the report advises, as could efforts to seek ¡°closer alignment with the rest of society, such as in projects involving children¡±.

Universities should also address rules that may disadvantage first-generation students, such as restrictions on resits, the Young Academy recommends. Durwin Lynch, a PhD candidate in health and life sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, said, ¡°Institutions like universities should acknowledge that not everyone has the same opportunities upon entry,¡± noting that Utrecht University, for instance, limits resit scores to a maximum of six out of 10. ¡°Think about it from first-generation students¡¯ perspective: not everyone can perform perfectly on day one.¡±

The report further emphasises the need for diversity in university boards and committees, stating, ¡°It is crucial to consider not only gender and migration background when selecting board and committee members, but also less visible forms of diversity, including first-generation status.¡±

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Encouraging mentoring and promoting role models could also be beneficial, the Young Academy advises, while universities and research funding bodies should ensure that ¡°the skills of first-generation academics are recognised and rewarded¡± in their selection procedures. ?

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com