About

What is the U-FLi Center?

Vision

The U-FLi Center seeks to create alternative pathways for holistic student success that are rooted in intentional relationship building, shared learning, and collective action towards economic and immigrant justice.  

Mission

The Undocumented, First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center (U-FLi Center), founded in the fall of 2016,  is a communal, learning, and advocacy center for members of the Brown community who identify with the undocumented, first-generation college and/or low-income student experience (U-FLi). The U-FLi Center aims to contribute to the endurance of U-FLi students by providing them with a dedicated space, programming, and advising that values their lived experiences as they navigate an elite, historically white institution and acknowledges the impact of the current socio-political climate on their academic well-being.  

By utilizing an equity-asset-based approach (EAB) as our grounding framework for student support, we place value on the strengths, assets and knowledge that U-FLi students already bring with them when they enter our institution.  The center amplifies these the following assets through our intersectional programming and strength-based advising in order to provide students with the navigational tools to thrive at Brown: 1) collectivism, (2) resistance, (3) self-reliance and (4) reflexivity.  

As such, the center’s approach to supporting students is guided by the following principles:

  • increases the visibility of the narratives and experiences of undocu-plus (undocumented, DACA,TPS, mixed-status family), low-income, and first-generation college students both within its own physical space and throughout the institution.
  • collaborates with campus resources to address issues of accessibility by advocating for and with students, as well as providing appropriate referrals when necessary.
  • provides holistic identity-development support for students by engaging in intersectional, collaborative programming with the other campus centers and affiliated student organizations.
  • increases awareness of issues impacting undocumented students to further institutionalize support services that are catered to their respective needs.
  • recognizes the foundation on which it was created by providing opportunities for campus advocacy through co-curricular engagement.