In two surveys of freshmen students, academic needs were found to be of primary importance, compared to social and personal needs. Results provide clear direction for orientation program planners to emphasize the student's academic experience, with indications that a higher retention rate for the institution may result. (Author/JAC)

Reports on an ethnographic study of college students' participation in an academic community, focusing on processes occurring in a residential college's week-long orientation: first day on campus; residence hall meetings; picnic and convocation; informal discussion of gender topics; dance; first day of classes. Examines issues of disorientation,…

Brigham Young University (Utah) creates a personalized student profile based on high school academic records, American College Testing data, and student interests and concerns. The profile leads to an individualized letter recommending a first-year course of study and sources of additional help. Faculty freshman advisors are trained in use of the…

Springfield (Massachusetts) Technical Community College targets nontraditional students for cooperative education with strategies for ensuring successful placements (preco-op seminar, information interviews, job shadowing), linkages with the Division of General Studies, and a special freshman orientation program. (SK)

This 59-item annotated bibliography covers suggested reading material published between 1956 and 1991 to assist college faculty and administrators in promoting first year success for college freshmen. The bibliography is divided into seven sections of resource materials. Section 1 contains suggested readings on both objective research on the…

In fall 1981, entering freshmen at Bronx Community College (BCC) were encouraged to attend a 10-week non-credit orientation course (SPD-99), in which counselors used a variety of materials and instructional procedures to assist students with their educational, career, and personal development and to introduce students to various campus resources…

The structural relations of the seven non-cognitive dimensions proposed by W. E. Sedlacek and G. C. Brooks (1976) and traditional definitions of academic ability, as indicated by Statistical Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, to first semester grade point average (GPA) and persistence after three and five semesters were examined. Random samples of…

The current status of the University of Kentucky freshman experience was examined in a comprehensive study as a basis for determining needed action. The study commission consisted of 59 representative students, faculty, and staff whose work was divided among four task groups: (1) Student Recruitment and Pre-Admissions Contact; (2) Summer Advising…

This monograph contains 15 papers on aspects of college and university student and family orientation programs. Following a prologue, "Reflections on the Future of Orientation," by M. Lee Upcraft, the papers are: (1) "Today's Students and Their Impact on Orientation and First-Year Programs" (Tony W. Cawthon and Michael Miller);…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic success for community college freshmen orientation students. Moreover, the study compared the relationship among specific motivational factors of students classified as either academically prepared or underprepared, as determined by ACT/ASSET scores.…

Two studies evaluated outcomes of a University Experience (freshman seminar) course to ease the transition to college and enhance student retention at the University of South Florida. In the first study, course evaluations of "typical" USF students (N=540) who completed the course in fall 1998 were overwhelmingly positive in support of…

This paper describes the impact of one college's Freshman Orientation Week (FOW) just prior to the fall semester as the first component of an academic achievement and retention enhancement program for at-risk students, The Learning Circle (TLC). TLC provided cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and literacy training in five…

Describes a program for more effective academic advising called "Freshman Dialogue" where small groups of freshmen meet weekly with a trained faculty advisor for an intensive orientation to the university. Provides various rewards for both students and faculty. Results indicate the program was enthusiastically received and retention improved.…

In analyzing the impact of a freshman orientation course, it was found that the greatest impact was in the area of student activities. Students had a high degree of participation in college activities and reported positive attitudes toward the teaching and counseling faculty, other students, and required courses. (Author/HLM)

Data collected during new-student orientation on nontraditional-age and traditional-age first-time students indicated more psychosocial similarities than differences between them. Results suggest that first-entry nontraditional students experience some of the same needs and concerns in higher education as do their younger peers. Referrals to…