This study evaluates student and faculty experiences with an anti-racism unit added to a first-year seminar. Student attitudes about race shifted little, but gains were reported in more racially diverse classrooms and in factual information on racial inequality. A majority of students reported favorable reactions to an antiracism reading, with the…

Academic programs targeted for first-time students can help their persistence in STEM majors. Our project, ASCEND STEM, included three first-year experiences (FYEs) designed to offer students the skills that would help them successfully traverse potential barriers to academic success. In the FYEs, we sought to strengthen the learning power,…

Findings from the ninth triennial administration of the National Survey of First-Year Seminars, describing the nature and extent of first-year seminars on American college campuses. Drawn from a broad sample of colleges and universities from every institutional type, control, and size, the survey addresses topics including seminar characteristics…

This study uses longitudinal data comprised of responses to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's (CIRP) 2000 Freshman Survey and the 2001 Your First College Year (YFCY) Survey to investigate the impact of first-year seminars on key student outcomes. Specifically, descriptive analyses address the relationship between taking a first-year…