Sense of belonging is a social construct encompassing feelings of being integral to a system. A positive sense of belonging is associated with better social and academic engagement and retention. Traditionally, belongingness has been examined in terms of helping students integrate into existing systems; however, this study instead examines the…

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…

Positive psychology is one of the newest branches of psychology to emerge, and there is a growing research base of scientific study to validate the significance of this psychological approach in people's lives. This research investigates a unit of study that was developed for students entering university through an enabling program in order to…

As a residential college within Michigan State University that focuses on STEM fields, Lyman Briggs College developed a STEM learning community to support students with low mathematics placement test scores, the Instilling Quantitative and Integrative Reasoning program (INQUIRE). INQUIRE serves some of those students considered historically…

College is one of the most formative times in an individual's life. Its intense living-learning environment can promote students' extreme self-confidence and positive development, or alternatively, can result in low levels of well-being. The first year in college is an opportunity for faculty and staff to engage with students to help them build…

This article examines the impact of an outdoor orientation program (OOP) on a cohort of first-year university students who participated in a canoe trip facilitated by peer leaders. The curriculum included training for outdoor skills and transitional guidance to university life (i.e., strategies for time management, critical thinking, becoming…

Ninth grade is a pivotal year for students. Numerous studies find that academic performance in 9th grade often sets the student's trajectory throughout the high school years, as well as the probability of graduation. The Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR) model is a comprehensive approach that addresses developmental, academic, and school…

Examines outcomes of a "bridge" course for first-year college students that emphasizes personal and psychological adjustment to the university experience to enhance the likelihood of academic success. Findings from 59 high-risk students who completed course suggest that goal of enhancing likelihood of academic success for such students was…

A study of the effects of a pre-freshman summer session on the academic, personal, and social development and retention of a group of Black Clemson University students found no better academic performance or retention than for a control group, suggesting that the program's assumptions were flawed or inadequate. (MSE)

Evaluates a program that promoted adaptation of students in their first year of secondary school. The program focused on developing healthy self-perceptions, and cognitive, affective and behavioral skills. Analyses revealed the predicted positive effects of the program on psychological and social outcomes. Findings underline the need to address…

The study sought to determine the effects of a summer bridge program on the academic, personal, and social development of underrepresented and low-income students during their first year at the University of California, Los Angeles. The 1988 cohort of students enrolled in the Freshman Summer Program/Transfer Summer Program (FSP/TSP) were tracked…

A longitudinal study was undertaken to assess the effect of a one-credit, 8-week freshman seminar on student development and retention. The study sought to measure student outcomes related to knowledge of college resources and services, utilization of academic support services, increases in self-assessed learning skills, increases in students'…

This report is a product of a 3-year federally funded project examining model education programs for postsecondary students with disabilities funded since 1980 by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The study sought to identify and share information about strategies of successful projects and exemplary products. Chapter 1…

A follow-up investigation evaluated the adolescent outcomes of 10 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who had been treated 5 or more years earlier at a university school clinic with a multimodal treatment program called the Cognitive Academic Social Treatment program. The study hypothesized that adolescents and parents would…

This study evaluated an innovative curriculum for first-year medical students which was designed to render the undergraduate curriculum more humanistic in socializing students into medicine. The Personal, Professional, and Leadership (PPL) development program provides guided, semi-structured opportunities to create "communities of learning" by…