Higher education has seen an increase in first-year students who arrive with significant early college credit. There is a gap in research about how first-year seminars meet the transition needs of students with college-level experience obtained during high school. This qualitative study, guided by Schlossberg's (1989) transition theory, explored…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore how students experience the New Student Orientation Experience (NSOE) and how they perceived it prepared them for their 1st semester of college at a large public university in the United States, Arizona State University (ASU). Institutions of higher education are under pressure to operate more…

To address feelings of "placelessness" and "not belonging," many colleges and universities have implemented outdoor orientation programs developed to assist students with the transition from home. Outdoor orientation programs, in which students participate in some form of adventure activity away from campus (usually in a…

In an effort to improve performance and retention of first-year college students, a few institutions have started offering summer bridge programs. Varying from days to weeks or months, these programs offer an extended orientation to college life, teach specific academic skills and/or content, and help students form social connections with peers,…

Trust is an important variable for transitioning college students, who report a great amount of fear and uncertainty when beginning college (Bell & Williams, 2006). College students transitioning effectively need to trust both their peers and institutional representatives. Outdoor orientation programs are reported to build upon "trusting…

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), published in November 2004, states that all young people should be "successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work". These are commonly referred to as the 4 capacities of CfE. CfE also recommends that the curriculum should be designed…

Given the receptivity of American colleges to international students, administrators and professors must recognize the diversity such registrants bring to campus in the form of achievement, age, gender, language, and national differences. The purpose of this study was to compare learning style preferences of international first year college…

Researchers have been studying the conditions that matter in supporting the successful transition and persistence of students to the collegiate environment for more than three decades (Astin, 1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt & Associates, 2005; Upcraft, Gardner & Associates, 1989). As first suggested by Sanford (1962,…

In 2007, the Basic Skills Initiative (BSI) was launched in California's 109 (now 110) community colleges. This initiative responds to an increasing awareness that state policies favoring "open access" also result in the enrollment of large numbers of students who are underprepared to succeed in college-level work. Identified as a key…

Although the transition from elementary school to middle school can be an exciting time for students, it can also be vexing and traumatic. Often, when parents drop off their children at middle school on the first day of school, the scene is reminiscent of the first day of school for kindergarteners and their parents. At Albert Leonard Middle…

The purpose of this study was to identify instructional strategies and support services of five learning community programs that focus on the retention of African American students at California Community Colleges. Empirical research indicates that colleges and universities have historically structured their curricula, student services programs,…

This study investigates the experiences of mature students across three higher education institutions in the UK. The issues arising are of relevance to academics who are involved in widening participation and in evaluating support in their own programmes for the diversity of students. The sample includes mature students from programmes in Health,…

This monograph has assembled together student and parent biblioesssays, position papers and reflective commentary from professionals who work with deafblind students. For the students profiled in this monograph, like many deafblind students, access to academic achievement was often met with obstacles due to low expectations, inadequate support…

This qualitative report examines a successful public university program funded by the Avon Foundation to provide scholarship and support services to non-traditional female community college transfer students. Female commuter transfer students often manage multiple roles of parent, student, and employee while attending college. This article…

Describes and evaluates the staffing, scheduling, thematic underpinning, activities, and student recruitment efforts of New York City's 1983 summer PREP program for introducing new students to the city's high schools. Also covers site selection, student and teacher attitudes, differences from previous years' programs, and recommendations for the…