Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between engagement indicators and intent to persist of first-year full-time Hispanic students attending public versus private universities. Design/methodology/approach: Metadata from the Your First College Year survey from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) were selected…

College students receive countless messages about "following passion" and "doing what you love" (DWYL). What happens when these repeated messages ultimately do a disservice to some students? Although pursuing one's interests is strongly encouraged, the author explores the limitations of the DWYL advice at all costs, including…

Background: As with any period of transition, the induction into a university degree in Physical Education and Sport studies can be a daunting encounter for many students. In recognition of this, increased attention is directed to specific institutional practices that might support students during this phase. Indeed, improving the first-year…

Objective: Beyond understanding whether first-year student success interventions in community colleges are effective--for which there is mixed evidence in the literature--this study's purpose was to uncover how they work to realize observed outcomes, including at times unanticipated undesirable outcomes. Method: This qualitative multiple case…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between when in the fall semester a first year experience (FYE) course was taken to fall-to-spring retention of first time students at a large, Chicago suburban community college. Since most of the students' attrition has been in the first year in college, FYE programs have been designed to…

This study examined the impact of a first-year seminar (FYS) on educational outcomes among students attending an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (eHSI) in the southeastern United States. Four undergraduate cohorts of first-year students between 2012 and 2016 were the focus of this study. After accounting for a variety of demographic…

The first-year seminar has historically been concerned with socializing students into collegiate life. As with any type of socialization, the first-year seminar perpetuates and is perpetuated by assumptions of "the good." Despite these moral assumptions, little research has discussed the first-year seminar in moral terms. In this…

Background: The high rates of attrition in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programmes causes concern over a future shortage of graduates entering STEM careers. Students' first year experiences critically affect their motivation and are therefore also critical components of students' academic success in terms of retention,…

Since 2009 almost 90% of the surveyed college freshmen have identified "getting a better job" as a major reason for attending college (Pryor et al). College educators can help students work towards this goal by producing mature, critical-thinking graduates who are well-prepared not only for life but also for a career. Many students,…

First-year seminars and university induction programmes are embedded with academic and social skills required by students to transition into their first year of study. The first-year seminar at the University of the Free State is a credit-bearing module called UFS101, and is a prerequisite for degree completion. Students are assessed through…

In this report, Every Learner Everywhere & Lighthouse Institutions share first-year experiences of 2- and 4-year colleges piloting new versions of gateway courses incorporating adaptive learning in an effort to address achievement gaps for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color by improving teaching and learning…

Learning can be engaged by dialectic, that is, by identifying pros and cons that inhere in propositions, and more generally, by raising questions about the validity of claims. We report here on a classroom case study of dialectical constructivist pedagogy: Students created dialectical analyses of two lectures and four books as core activities in a…

In their transition to college, students often struggle to identify and make connections between the main arguments, evidence, and empirical findings of articles from academic journals commonly assigned on political science syllabi. Which active learning techniques are most effective for teaching students to recognize and evaluate social science…

Students with disabilities are enrolling in colleges and universities at increasing rates, but not completing degrees with comparable success as their peers. First Year Seminars (FYS) are commonly employed by colleges and universities to address retention, strengthen connections between the student and the institution, and enhance the likelihood…

This study follows the implementation of an iPad Initiative program at a university in the mid-south region of the United States. Freshmen students enrolled in a First Year Experience (FYE) course within the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) were surveyed regarding iPad use and curriculum implementation. Research questions included…