This article presents an independent large-scale experimental evaluation of two online goal-setting interventions. Both interventions are based on promising findings from the field of social psychology. Approximately 1,400 first-year undergraduate students at a large Canadian university were randomly assigned to complete one of two online…

Many peer mentorship programs in academia train senior students to guide groups of incoming students through the rigors of postsecondary education. The mentorship program's structure can influence how mentors develop from this experience. Here, we compare how two different peer mentorship programs have shaped mentors' experiences and development.…

Research on student profiles, student experiences and outcomes, admissions, credit transfer practices and on student mobility plays an important role in how the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) discharges its mandate. Given the importance of such research to its mandate, the Council commissioned this report with the…

This report examines the demographics, performance, and success of students who were admitted to the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus on the basis of a minimum 24 transfer credits earned at a BC college during the five year period comprising the 2003/04 through 2007/08 academic years. The report mines familiar ground--similar…

Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, is an important and often overlooked strategy for helping adults progress towards a degree. PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit the college-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom, including employment, military training/service, travel,…

Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, is an important and often overlooked strategy for helping adults progress towards a degree. PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit the college-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom (or from non-college instructional programs), including…

The role of the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) is to facilitate admission, articulation, and transfer arrangements in the BC post-secondary system. BCCAT carries out this work in various ways; for example, engaging in research on admissions and student transitions, evaluating the effectiveness of the transfer system…

University staff members play a key role in the college articulation process. They implement articulation agreements and shepherd college transfer students through the academic and cultural changes encountered at university. Based on in-depth interviews with university staff, the paper describes five major themes including: transfer credits--the…

Effectiveness of methods used to increase access to higher education is investigated in the policies and practices of evening credit programs in seven Canadian universities. In particular, two approaches to internal program organization and administration are examined. Suggestions are made for further research and policies promoting part-time…

An evaluative study was done of a joint project, the Capstone Program, involving Keyano College (KC) and Athabasca University (AU), both in Alberta, Canada. The project enables students in the Fort McMurray (Alberta) area to complete a full-time university degree without leaving their home community. The research design focused on accessibility,…