This paper presents a case study on the development and implementation of an online pre-arrival resource at the University of Manchester, aimed at enhancing the sense of belonging among first-year undergraduate offer holders. The resource leverages student-staff co-creation, inclusive pedagogy and student-led content to support new students'…

Background: Various studies have established that the transition from high school to university for first-year students is problematic. Research confirms that most students experience challenges with reading for meaning due to underdeveloped reading abilities. Objectives: This article investigates the first-year students' transition from high…

Academic and social deficits, a nine-month secondary school-to-university learning loss, a readiness gap for university-level coursework, and limited cultural capital characterize the transition to university for Botswana's secondary school completers seeking a STEM qualification. This study investigated internationally implemented developmental…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is exhibited through a wide-range of symptoms including social interactions, communication deficits, limited interests, and repetitive behaviors (e.g., stimming). The prevalence of autism amongst children and adolescents continues to grow with 1 in 36 diagnosed annually…

The transition to university can be challenging, and while universities provide orientation support, many students still struggle. Extending orientation through embedded supports and skill building in first-year curricula provides students opportunities to develop the academic skills required for university while growing confidence. This study…

First-Year Experience (FYE) courses are found in colleges across the United States to support students' transition to college (McBride et al., 2021, "Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition" 33:99-119, Young & Keup, 2016, "New Directions for Community Colleges" 2016:57-69). This study explored how…

This study examined outcomes of a transition intervention program (i.e., Engage 100 course) for college students with disabilities during their first-semester transition to postsecondary education through a longitudinal experimental research design. Fifty students, 14 in an experimental group and 36 in a control group, were recruited from a public…

Background: Low-income students face cultural and social challenges navigating college environments that privilege middle- and upper-class norms, knowledge, and values; these challenges lead to difficulty transitioning to college and disparities in student success for low-income students relative to their higher-income counterparts. Peer…

Both society- and individual-level factors serve to make persistence through one's university career more difficult, especially for students with disadvantaged financial and academic backgrounds. Using a rich dataset of students at a rural, 4-year university in Pennsylvania, we compare GPA and persistence outcomes of two groups of students in…

Underrepresentation in engineering disciplines remains a significant issue in higher education and the workforce. This paper presents a quantitative analysis comparing the academic success of participants in an engineering-focused Summer Bridge Program (SBP) to non-participants with similar characteristics. The study evaluates first-year…

Undergraduate research experiences offer a range of positive academic and affective student outcomes. However, these benefits often do not reach all students, as research experiences are often selective, favor high-achieving students, focus on STEM fields, and typically target students in their third or fourth year of undergraduate studies. To…

Since EAL (English as an Additional Language) students in higher education are not always considered 'equity' in current Australian government policy, the assumption might be that they are no longer 'at risk'. This paper explores the ongoing challenges faced by these students as they commence university, our focus being a group transitioning to a…

This qualitative case study explores student and staff perceptions of whether and how participation in pre-enrollment summer transition programs influenced the sense of belonging and preparedness of first-generation and limited-income students in their first year of college. These summer transition programs are provided as part of the Kessler…

Purpose: An increasing number of autistic students are pursuing higher education to enhance career opportunities, achieve personal growth, and increase independence. Nonetheless, many encounter difficulties in transitioning to and thriving in this environment, despite the support offered by universities. Here, we review the preliminary data from a…

Benefits of summer bridge and early arrival experiences include the academic and social integration of incoming first-year students into their chosen institutions. The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities to re-imagine delivery of activities and engagement of incoming first-year students in summer bridge and early…