Describes and evaluates the University Seminar Program for incoming freshmen students which focuses on aspects of university, academic, and cultural life. Extensive evaluation of the program indicates that the seminar has been successful in providing new students with useful information and has influenced student retention. (RC)

At Northern Kentucky State University, the Peer Support Organization offers older students, especially women, peer counseling and a chance to discuss problems. The organization was introduced to help these nontraditional students adjust to their unique demands that often include husbands, jobs, children, and school. (JMD)

A Pueblo woman with a Ph.D. in social welfare research describes her academic journey, weaving a Pueblo cultural perspective into stories of the doctoral program, her dissertation research on life histories of Indian women recovering from substance abuse, her search for an academic position, the merit review ("a hostile act"), and her…

Describes orientation strategies aimed at new students at a middle school. Has two separate plans: for non-English-speaking students and those who speak English. Orientation includes a checklist of student needs, such as issuing a student handbook and offering the student a tour of the building. (RJM)

Discusses the various uses for the journal in an introductory course in the University without Walls (UWW) program. Discusses how the journal can be a means of discovering meaning in the chaos of the social world and how it provides an opportunity to integrate life and experience with academic life and theory. (JS)

This study of a gifted 13-year-old Asian American male examines stressors and strategies in his adjustment; his resiliency and hardiness; his development in cognitive, socioemotional, and ethnic identity areas; and influences upon his adjustment (family, school, peers, intrapersonal, and ethnic identity). (JDD)

A program in the School of Education at Queensland University of Technology (Australia), designed to improve the experience of graduate students in a research-based master's program, is described. Strategies for overcoming problems of student isolation and building a sense of belonging are highlighted. It is argued that graduate students need…

The Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment is intended for screening and identifying elementary-aged school children with social skill deficits. The instrument is divided into two components covering adaptive classroom behavior and interpersonal social skills. This paper describes the test's administration, summation of…

To assist integration of incoming freshman into the academic environment, improve social acclimation, and increase student retention, Northern Michigan University created a first-year experience program with community as its central focus. Its key to success is the use of block scheduling, combining a freshman seminar with other classes. Pilot…

Describes 10 educational practices to reduce fears of participants in adventure activities. Practices include formal informed consent, safety briefing, reassurance of nonjudgmental experiential-learning principles, statement of group and individual goals, sequential development of activities, "challenge by choice," instructor behavior and…

Summarizes research on the effects of the transition from elementary school to middle school on young adolescents. Notes problems of this transition in academic performance and in students' perceptions of school and self-perceptions, and of the mismatch of developmental needs with school environment. (JPB)

A decrease in resources and an increase in the severity of student concerns are critical challenges faced by counseling centers. By placing professional counselors in residence hails and directing their efforts toward staff rather than students, a Counselor-in-Residence (CIR) program can focus on prevention, identification of at-risk…

Students making the transition into middle or high school face challenges that may derail their school careers. Schools can do a better job of preparing students for the challenges ahead. In this article, the authors review the developmental needs and challenges of young adolescents and the concerns that they and their parents have about moving…

This article relates the story of Jean-Yves Ngabonziza, a full-need international student. During his senior year, on Rwandan National Mourning Day, April 6, 19-year-old Yves spoke to the entire school community for the first time about his past and the past of his native country. He began with the history of central Africa, introduced the…

The Peer Helper Program was administered by Substance Prevention, Abuse Rehabilitation, and Knowledge (SPARK). Since its beginning in 1971, SPARK has addressed issues such as drug use, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and other forms of violence. The Peer Helper Program was designed to train students in the skills required to assist peers…