Peer mentoring has shown beneficial effects in facilitating academic and social integration among first-year students in higher education. Previous research is, however, limited by the exclusion of a comparison group, to examine whether the integration process still occurs among non-mentored students, independently of peer mentoring. By using…

The so-called refugee wave in the summer of 2015 led to an impressive wave of helpfulness in Austrian society. Universities Austria (uniko)--the umbrella organization of the 22 public universities in Austria--set up and launched an initiative called MORE. MORE provides refugees and asylum seekers with additional opportunities and perspectives that…

The University of Pretoria (UP) began offering formal academic student support in 2011 when the first faculty student advisor (FSA) was appointed. Although many more FSAs were subsequently appointed, assistance to all the students in need of support remained insufficient. However, financial assistance through the collaboration grant received from…

The meanings and effects of government-funded language training programs is an important research subject because it concerns possible prejudices against immigrants and negative stereotypes as well as discussions on the effectiveness of immigrant integration policies in general. The effects of civic integration programs are difficult to measure,…

The expansion of MOOCs (massive open online courses) is very much associated with instructors interested in the craft of teaching, innovating, and experimenting with different methods to improve and expand students' learning experience. The Erasmus+ project MOONLITE has worked to create cross-institutional scenarios and new educational pathways…

The problem of online doctoral student attrition has led institutions to explore solutions to support student completion. According to Tinto's model of institutional departure, learners' social and academic integration must be addressed to increase retention. At online institutions, learners' social integration can be challenging because of fewer…

This qualitative study presents findings from the evaluation of a pilot mentoring scheme developed in Liverpool Business School. The majority of studies on university mentoring schemes have focussed on undergraduate or taught postgraduate students, less attention has been given to doctoral students. The purpose of this scheme was to enhance peer…

Language issues and social inclusion consistently remain two major concerns for member countries of the European Union (EU). Despite an increasing awareness of the importance of language learning in migrants' social inclusion, and the promotion of language policies at European and national levels, there is still a lack of common actions at the…

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…

Arts Health Antigonish! (AHA!) is a not-for-profit community organization whose mandate is to foster creative expression for community health and well-being (www. artshealthantigonish.org). Over a four-year period, AHA! programs have engaged approximately 20 local artists and over 2,000 community members through poetry, visual arts, dance and…

Entry into higher education (HE) is recognised as a challenging time for undergraduates as they negotiate the norms and practices of new academic communities and foster relationships with peers and academics. Given the significance of this time period, our University has piloted a new four-week module that immerses students in their discipline and…

This review summarizes published studies on undergraduate mentoring programs from 2008 to 2012. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, which included empirical research on formal mentoring programs with undergraduate students as mentees or mentors. Each study was assessed based on limitations identified in two earlier reviews of the mentoring…

Art programs for people with disabilities may encourage creativity, promote engagement, emphasize inclusion, and extend access and opportunities for community involvement. This mixed methods study utilized quantitative and qualitative data, repeated measures, action research, and stakeholder collaboration to develop and implement an evaluation…

This article explores the ways in which neoliberal discourses of individual freedom and choice come to typify Mexican migrants' talk about what it means to be living in the USA and about themselves as learners of English. Interviews with migrants about the English language program "Ingles Sin Barreras" [English without Barriers] provide the…

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education distributed $2,500,000 via a competitive grant program, the Technical Assistance for Student Assignment Plans, to 11 school districts. The grants and their local effects provide an opportunity to examine the new politics of diversity in public education. Participants cited a wide range of conceptions of…