Most Canadian universities participate in the US-based National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that measures various aspects of "student engagement." The higher the level of engagement, the greater the probability of positive outcomes and the better the quality of the school. "Maclean's" magazine publishes some of the…

In Canada, there has been little systematic inquiry into the nature and extent of discrimination against university students and the potential impact of discrimination on educational outcomes. On the basis of an examination of domestic and international students at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), York (Toronto), McGill (Montreal),…

Traditional models of educational outcomes relate academic achievement to university experiences controlling for background characteristics, like former levels of achievement. In these models, most of the variance in the outcome under consideration is explained not by experiences inside the university but by background characteristics, such as…

This study examined the self-assessed health status of college freshmen at York University (Ontario, Canada), a large commuter university in metropolitan Toronto, through an end-of-year survey of 1,856 first-year students. Results were compared with responses of undergraduate students at six other Canadian universities and with findings from the…

This study examined factors contributing to under- and over-achievement in first-year college students at York University in Ontario (Canada). The difference between predicted and actual first-year grades of a sample of 1,229 students entering York University in 1994 was examined on the basis of information obtained from administrative records, a…

This study examined the off-campus experiences of negative racial encounters among first-year students at York University in Ontario (Canada). Focus groups were conducted with 48 Black students, 26 students of Chinese origin, and 33 students of Italian or Portuguese origin in 1993-94. In descending order of frequency, students identified stores,…

This study examined the academic experiences of first-year students at York University in Ontario (Canada) who were the first in their families to go to college. A survey of 1,849 first-year students found that 67 percent came from families in which neither parent had attended a university. Not having a parent who graduated from a university did…

Surveys of York University (Ontario) freshmen, 1,093 at entry and 1,129 at midyear, found that minority students came from more disadvantaged families than nonminority students. However, minority freshman year experiences were not all negative, and majority student experiences were not all positive. In general, freshman year outcomes were not…

This study examined the effects of living on- or off-campus on the grades of first-year students at York University (Ontario). A total of 1,848 first-year students were uurveyed by mail in February-March 1995, with a response nate of 65 percent. Data were also obtained from administrative records. The survey found that 74 percent of respondents…

At York University (Ontario), a large, urban commuter university, the self-assessed health of first-year students is lower than that of Canadian undergraduates in general and those in the 18 to 24 age category not enrolled in college. Among first-year students, Chinese females and females who anticipated that family problems would interfere with…

This study examined student departure rates from the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science at York University in Ontario (Canada) using Tinto's (1987) model of student departure. Student records from 1992-93 were used to obtain data on grades in the final year of high school, sex, language status, and amount of student financial awards received;…

This study examined areas of racial tension and racial attitudes among first-year students at York University in Ontario (Canada). A survey of 1,129 first-year students in 1993-94 indicated that the vast majority believed that visible minority students had been treated equally by professors, staff, and other students. However, the first year was…

A study of 1,849 freshmen at York University (Ontario) found that traditional students enjoy a slight advantage over first-generation students in grade point average (GPA). While traditional students have higher levels of involvement than first-generation students, for both groups involvement in various university activities contributes to GPA.…

This study examined the effects of race on the experiences and outcomes of first-year students at York University (Ontario). Data were collected through a survey of 1,093 students at their time of entry in September 1992 and a survey of 1,129 students conducted in February-March of 1993. The study found that students' socioeconomic backgrounds…

A survey of 1,200 students at York University (Ontario) found students' place of residence affected student involvement and first-year grades. After controlling for standardized test scores and department, freshman grades of off-campus students were higher than those of on-campus students. Despite off-campus residence and low involvement in some…