Strengths-based initiatives for university students to identify and develop their strengths are increasing in popularity in the tertiary sector. An understanding of strengths provides students with greater resilience in their transition in and out of university. While such strengths-based initiatives have been studied among first-year student…

Scholarship on first-year seminar (FYS) courses is rapidly growing and diversifying. However, the available knowledge, for the most part, remains fragmented and limited to only one institutional setting, seminar type, or student group. Accordingly, this meta-synthesis was designed to examine 2 decades of research on FYS courses to determine the…

The study explored the relationship between how many student success programs and which programs first-year students of color at the University of Kansas (KU) participated in and how this was related to outcomes of retention to sophomore-year and first-year GPA. The study used data from the University of Kansas of students of color who…

This study evaluates the impact of the peer-mentoring program implemented by a Chilean higher education institution on underrepresented students' academic success. Specifically, it assesses whether freshmen who enrolled in 2018 and took part in this initiative performed better than students with similar characteristics who did not. A quantitative…

This quantitative study investigated factors influencing first-year student retention at a midsized regional comprehensive university. Using archival data from the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years, the research examined the retention rates of Standard Admit students and conditionally admitted Success First students. The study explored…

Objective: This study explored how college freshmen, particularly those affected by health inequities, are affected by COVID-19 and whether they would use a university-created online wellness intervention for help. Participants: Nine-hundred and eighty-nine freshmen at a large southeastern university. Method: Students responded to an online survey…

The first year of college or university is a crucial phase which significantly influences students' persistence, academic achievement, and degree completion. The challenges associated with transitioning to college are often amplified for students who are the first in their families to attend college and may be less familiar with the norms and…

This study examined an intervention designed to improve sense of belongingness for new students at a medium-sized, four-year, public university in the Eastern United States. A randomized controlled trial was used to assess the impact of The Connection Project, a novel, 9-session intervention in a sample of 128 first-year students (77 treatment, 48…

First-year seminars (FYS) are well-tested and trusted programs to facilitate students' transition to college. This study adds to the body of evidence about the value of seminars through analysis of a large multi-institution dataset and documentation of the positive association between participation in a first-year seminar and student engagement in…

Peer effects are an important contributing factor in the learning process. Most of the prior literature on peer effects focuses on the characteristics of peers rather than examining the structure of peer networks. We attempt to measure not only the impact of peers but also the structure of the peer network. In particular we are interested in the…

This study aimed at evaluating the extent of the engagement to social networking sites, the impact of playing mobile games and the degree of learning experiences among the first year Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) students in a State University in Central Luzon, Philippines to provide a basis for designing intervention…

Purpose: This research aims to examine self-regulated learning (SRL) skills of undergraduate students (USs) and reveal the role of higher education programs in promoting SRL skills. Research Methods: In this mixed-method research, the participants consisted of 1411 freshmen and senior students and 17 senior-year interviewees. Data collection tools…

The impact of college STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] summer bridge programs is not well understood. This nationwide study pooled data from 27 colleges and universities involved in the NSF's [National Science Foundation's] STEM Talent Expansion Program to model changes in college career aspirations for 2 groups: 383 STEM…

Recognizing the changing demographics of students applying to college coupled with Trinity University's responsibility to help our students succeed, we have created a Summer Bridge program that focuses on first-generation, underrepresented students (FGUS). Trinity's Summer Bridge program has been a success--both in terms of student performance and…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of one specific freshman mathematics intervention program on improving students' mathematics knowledge and to examine student perceptions and attitudes towards mathematics. Students participating in the mathematics intervention program were assigned to two math classes each…