Examined effect of Summer Fireside Experience Program (SFEP), 5-day adventure-based orientation program, on student retention 3.5 years later. Findings from incoming freshmen assigned to SFEP (N=32), Freshmen Camp (N=64), or Control Group (N=64) revealed that after 3.5 years, SFEP group experienced 12 percent higher retention rate than Camp group…

Examines effects of wilderness orientation program at the University of New Hampshire specifically designed to reduce student attrition and assist in the development of first-year university students. Reports higher first-year grade-point averages and greater levels of student development among participants. (NEC)

A 1983 mail survey identified 34 universities and colleges utilizing the wilderness environment as a means to indoctrinate students into a school setting and resulted in: (1) the creation of a networking system of these institutions; (2) the identification of the University of Missouri at Columbia, Cornell University, Towson State University,…