The first-year experience for students enrolled in an online degree program, particularly the orientation and the first course experience, is critical to success and completion. The experience of one online university in improving persistence through enhancing orientation and the first academic course is presented. Factors impacting persistence…

Trends in higher education include accelerated online learning and an increase in adult learners. The retention of these learners is essential for universities. This study used an exploratory case study methodology to examine factors facilitating the retention of women in an accelerated, online teacher education program. Using the Priorities…

In New York City (NYC), the process of developing a child's kindergarten Individualized Education Program (IEP) happens during the year before kindergarten. This process is commonly called Turning 5. Approximately 30,000 NYC children between the ages of three and five are classified as being preschoolers with disabilities. The Turning 5 work…

Technology resources play an integral part in college students achieving their academic goals, and yet higher education is often behind in adopting the most appropriate contemporary technology. Just over three-quarters of Gen Z students believe that their online experiences will help them achieve academic success, and more than half say they like…

Outdoor orientation programs represent a prominent area of experiential education with over 25,000 participants annually. More than 191 outdoor orientation programs currently operate in the United States and Canada. The research examining outdoor orientation programs consists of 25 peer-reviewed published studies and 11 dissertations. A new theory…

Background: Literature draws attention to the relationships between the initial experiences of students as they begin their higher education and how they fare subsequently. In Portugal, the new student's reception is ritualised by tradition, and involves the organisation of an entire integration ceremony (known as "praxe") proposed by…

This study examines whether a college orientation course for online programs leads to increased self-efficacy and, if so, which course topics are related to changes in students' self-efficacy. The culminating research question explores whether self-efficacy is related to enrollment persistence. Students' self-efficacy scores improved significantly…

This study investigates the extent to which transition programs are offered to students at international secondary schools. Components of professional development, orientation and departure programs, and transition support teams were examined. Participants included school administrators at 11 international schools across five continents. Findings…

We examined the impact of a workshop on Asian international graduate students' understanding of a U.S. American university's concept of academic honesty. The workshop, taught from a cultural perspective, explained the U.S. American university's expectations to 19 participants. Data was obtained from a workshop post-test and from subsequent…

As postsecondary institutions seek ways to attract military veterans as students, they ostensibly grapple with how to best support these men and women once they arrive on campus. Although there are dozens of financial, academic, and emotional support systems available through the government, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations,…

Mature students are making up an increasing proportion of the student population at Canadian colleges and universities. At Assiniboine Community College (ACC), in southwestern Manitoba, an average of 360 mature students enrolled in various programs each year from 2008 to 2013. These mature students bring with them unique strengths and challenges.…

Universities throughout Australia are increasingly investing significant amounts of time and money in efforts to improve the quality of first year students' experiences and, by extension, increase retention, performance and student satisfaction. This paper reports upon a pilot research project conducted at a Queensland university that investigates…

As the number of students taking online courses continues to grow steadily, it is becoming increasingly important to inquire about the experiences of these students in order to understand the factors that contribute to their success. It is imperative that the social needs of students be understood, as interaction is an important aspect of the…

Recently, there has been renewed interest in the area of school to university transitions within geography. This article focuses upon one aspect of these transitions, namely the induction programmes offered by universities to their new undergraduates. It argues in favour of extending the length of the induction period currently offered by many…

Orienting and welcoming first-year students to campus and to honors programs are often key components of program development. At an institutional level, successful orientation programs can positively affect retention rates from the first to second year. The greater a student's involvement and integration into the life of the university, the less…