This study provides evidence that systematic management of change can facilitate the implementation of first-year experience programming that leads to improved results in retention and student success for community college students. The study includes four major themes: (a) first-year experience, (b) change management, (c) change leadership, and…

In Chile, 50% of students who enroll in Chilean colleges do not graduate, negatively impacting their families' economic situations as well as national development. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions held by math, English, and general education professors regarding the support…

Academic advising is becoming an increasingly important resource on college campuses for purposes of retention, persistence, and student satisfaction. Researchers have found that an academic advisor can play a key role in the academic and personal lives of undergraduate students. If engagement with students matters for learning and persisting…

The current study explored the impact of internal and external barriers (e.g., academic anxiety, employment) that place subgroups of college students at risk for academic failure in the first year. The mitigating potential of academic resource management strategies (e.g., time-study environment) was also examined. In a sample of 885 first-semester…

We review the effectiveness of first-year seminars based on the widely used criteria of first-year grades and the 1-year retention rate. Meta-analytic results indicate that first-year seminars have a small average effect on both first-year grades (k = 89, N = 52,406, d = 0.02) and the 1-year retention rate (k = 195, N = 169,666, d = 0.11). We…

Success in college requires the development of self-regulated learning strategies that move beyond high school skills. First-year students of all ability levels benefit when given instruction in how to use these strategies in an authentic context. This paper presents an instructional method that requires deliberate practice of self-regulated…

Over the years, a number of interventions aimed at increasing student engagement and performance have been implemented in higher education. Some of these, labeled high-impact practices (HIPs), when done well, have led to documented evidence of student success. Two approaches that have been identified as HIPs--first-year seminars and learning…

In the present study, we conducted a quantitative evaluation of a novel First Year Seminar (FYS) program with a coordinated curriculum implemented at a public, four-year university to assess its potential role in undergraduate student persistence decisions and academic success. Participants were 2,188 first-year students, 342 of whom completed the…

We, as educators, expect students to connect the dots and experience our institutions through a variety of lenses; we must organize ourselves in a way that places synergy, collaboration, and data-driven decisions at the center of our operations. Over the past three years, Ramapo College has worked diligently to ensure that strategy drives the…

This report discusses the findings from a three-year study of the California State University STEM Collaboratives project, funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust. The project selected eight CSU campuses to rethink the ways in which they support first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority students in science, technology,…

This paper summarizes results of a study of 105 student-athletes enrolled in a first-year experience course. Students were asked, "What is the biggest unanswered question you have about college?" Results indicated that students' most burning questions were related to academics; relatively few student responses were directly related to…

This report summarizes key findings from a national survey among chief academic officers at Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) member institutions and explores how institutions are defining common learning outcomes, trends related to general education design and the use of emerging, evidence-based teach­ing and learning…

This study focused on the impact of a Student Development Course (SDEV 0170), a part of an overall First Year Experience program at the college of interest, on the achievement and retention of participants. It examined the effect of the relationship of achievement (GPA) and retention (enrollment in a subsequent semester) to (a) the successful…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a difference existed in student retention and academic performance levels between or among program-specific orientation courses and general-population orientation courses at a postsecondary proprietary institution. This study specifically examined student retention and academic performance…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the impact of a first-year seminar (FYS) course on the success of community college developmental students as it relates to the years 2011-2014. Student success was examined by persistence, retention, and grade point average. Student success was also examined by selected demographic variables…