The First Year And Beyond Rethinking The Challenge Of Collegiate Transition

The transitions that happen before, after, and during the undergraduate college experience are the subject of this volume--transitions that are experienced by students (and sometimes their parents) and guided by educators. The topic of collegiate transitions has been a primary focus of higher education literature and research over the past twenty-five years. But almost all of this attention has centered on the first year, the transition period when students are most likely to drop out of college. In spite of its importance to students and institutions, the first year is not only the significant transition period that affects student success. This volume expands the lens to include a view of transitions that precede and follow the traditional first year, as well as the critical junctures throughout the undergraduate years that promote or impede student progress to a degree. Chapters discuss: Rethinking College Readiness Blending High School and College: Rethinking the Transition New Challenges in Working with Traditional-Aged College Students From Helicopter Parent to Valued Partner: Shaping the Parental Relationship for Student Success Adult Students in Higher Education: A Portrait of Transitions Sophomores in Transition: The Forgotten Year "Feeling like a Freshman Again": The Transfer Student Transition Institutional Efforts to Move Seniors Through and Beyond College College Transitions: The Other Side of the Story Taken as a whole, this volume describes a continuum of the college or university experience through the framework of student transition. Depending on the characteristics of the students, their entry points, and their subsequent decisions, the nature of the college experience will be different. But student success from entry to degree attainment also depends in great measure on the willingness of institutions to be supportive of and accountable for student progress in, through, and ultimately out of college. This is the 144th volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Higher Education Addressed to presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other higher education decision makers on all kinds of campuses, New Directions for Higher Education provides timely information and authoritative advice about major issues and administrative problems confronting every institution.

A clear, practical framework for getting higher education back on track The Undergraduate Experience is a guide for significantly improving student learning and institutional performance in the rapidly changing world of higher education. Written by recognized experts in undergraduate education, this book encourages college and university leaders to rethink current practices that fragment the student experience, and to focus on creating powerful, integrated undergraduate learning for all students. Drawing from their own deep experience and the latest research, the authors reveal key principles that enable institutional change and enhance student outcomes in any higher education setting. Coverage includes high-impact practices for engagement, the importance of strategic leadership, the necessity of setting and maintaining high expectations, and insight on fostering excellence through systematic planning. Through its core themes and action principles, this book can be a valuable resource for faculty, staff, administrators, and governing boards at all types of postsecondary institutions. The book provides a practical framework for achieving excellence in undergraduate education by focusing on: Learning Relationships Expectations Alignment Improvement Leadership The value of an undergraduate education is under greater scrutiny than ever before, and campus leaders must be able to convey the value of their institutions to students, boards, donors, and legislators. Is a college or university degree worth the increasing cost? Are today's students academically adrift? What's the difference between a degree and an education? Responding to these questions requires focused action by individuals and institutions. The Undergraduate Experience offers practical guidance for creating and sustaining excellence in the face of disruption and change in higher education.

When it was originally released, Thriving in Transitions: A Research-Based Approach to College Student Success represented a paradigm shift in the student success literature, moving the student success conversation beyond college completion to focus on student characteristics that promote high levels of academic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal performance in the college environment. The authors contend that a focus on remediating student characteristics or merely encouraging specific behaviors is inadequate to promote success in college and beyond. Drawing on research on college student thriving completed since 2012, the newly revised collection presents six research studies describing the characteristics that predict thriving in different groups of college students, including first-year students, transfer students, high-risk students, students of color, sophomores, and seniors, and offers recommendations for helping students thrive in college and life. New to this edition is a chapter focused on the role of faculty in supporting college student thriving.

Programmes in higher education tend to focus attention on the student’s first year (because of concerns about student transition and retention) and on their final year (because of student exiting for their future careers). The middle year(s) of programmes receive relatively little attention which can often lead to a slump in student development at a crucial point in their studies. Stepping up to the Second Year at University provides practical advice that can be implemented by staff throughout higher education institutions. Rather than providing a set of prescriptions to be slavishly implemented, it prompts practitioners to think constructively about curriculum design and delivery, and about maximising student potential within the context of their particular institution. Amongst the questions asked in this book are: In what way do students’ perceptions of their experience shift as they progress through the first two years of study? How do psychological factors bear on student engagement and performance in the second year? What in the second-year curriculum might need greater attention? How can the analysis of institutional data help? This book, builds on critiques existing international research on the mid-years experience and also features evidence from a significant new research project from Liverpool John Moores University, provides a number of starting points for institutions’ enhancement activities as they seek to make the experience of their students as rewarding as possible. It is a must read for institutional managers of higher academic programmes, higher education practitioners and anyone interested in the development of teaching at higher education level.

The transitions that happen before, after, and during the undergraduate college experience are the subject of this volume--transitions that are experienced by students (and sometimes their parents) and guided by educators. The topic of collegiate transitions has been a primary focus of higher education literature and research over the past twenty-five years. But almost all of this attention has centered on the first year, the transition period when students are most likely to drop out of college. In spite of its importance to students and institutions, the first year is not only the significant transition period that affects student success. This volume expands the lens to include a view of transitions that precede and follow the traditional first year, as well as the critical junctures throughout the undergraduate years that promote or impede student progress to a degree. Chapters discuss: Rethinking College Readiness Blending High School and College: Rethinking the Transition New Challenges in Working with Traditional-Aged College Students From Helicopter Parent to Valued Partner: Shaping the Parental Relationship for Student Success Adult Students in Higher Education: A Portrait of Transitions Sophomores in Transition: The Forgotten Year "Feeling like a Freshman Again": The Transfer Student Transition Institutional Efforts to Move Seniors Through and Beyond College College Transitions: The Other Side of the Story Taken as a whole, this volume describes a continuum of the college or university experience through the framework of student transition. Depending on the characteristics of the students, their entry points, and their subsequent decisions, the nature of the college experience will be different. But student success from entry to degree attainment also depends in great measure on the willingness of institutions to be supportive of and accountable for student progress in, through, and ultimately out of college. This is the 144th volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Higher Education Addressed to presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other higher education decision makers on all kinds of campuses, New Directions for Higher Education provides timely information and authoritative advice about major issues and administrative problems confronting every institution.

The experiences of first-generation college students are not monolithic. The nexus of identities matter, and this book is intended to challenge the reader to explore what it means to be a first-generation college student in higher education. Designed for use in classrooms and for use by the higher education practitioner on a college campus today, At the Intersections will be of value to the reader throughout their professional career.The book is divided into four parts with chapters of research and theory interspersed with thought pieces to provide personal stories to integrate the research and theory into lived experience. Each thought piece ends with questions to inspire readers to engage with the topic.Part One: Who is a First-generation College Student? provides the reader an entrée into the topic, with up-to-date data on both four-year and two-year colleges. Part One ends with a thought piece that asks the reader to pull together some of the big ideas before moving on to look more closely at students’ identities.Part Two: The Intersection of Identity shares the research, experience and thoughts of authors in relation to the individual and overlapping identities of LGBT, low-income, white, African-American, Latinx, Native American, undocumented, female, and male students who are all also first-generation college students. Part Three: Programs and Practices is an introduction to practices, policies and programs across the country. This section offers promise and direction for future work as institutions try to find a successful array of approaches to make the campus an inclusive place for the diverse population of first-generation college students.

A Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2013While the success of higher education and student affairs is predicated on understanding the students we serve, the reality is, where the Native American population is concerned, that this knowledge is generally lacking. This lack may be attributed to this population’s invisibility within the academy – it is often excluded from institutional data and reporting, and frequently noted as not statistically significant – and its relegation to what is referred to as the “American Indian research asterisk.”The purpose of this book is to move beyond the asterisk in an effort to better understand Native students, challenge the status quo, and provide an informed base for leaders in student and academic affairs, and administrators concerned with the success of students on their campuses.The authors of this book share their understanding of Native epistemologies, culture, and social structures, offering student affairs professionals and institutions a richer array of options, resources, and culturally-relevant and inclusive models to better serve this population. The book begins by providing insights into Native student experiences, presenting the first-year experience from a Native perspective, illustrating the role of a Native living/learning community in student retention, and discussing the importance of incorporating culture into student programming for Native students as well as the role of Native fraternities and sororities.The authors then consider administrative issues, such as the importance of outreach to tribal nations, the role of Tribal Colleges and Universities and opportunities for collaborations, and the development of Native American Student Services Units..The book concludes with recommendations for how institutions can better serve Native students in graduate programs, the role that Indigenous faculty play in student success, and how professional associations can assist student affairs professionals with fulfilling their role of supporting the success of Native American students, staff, and faculty. This book moves beyond the asterisk to provide important insights from Native American higher education leaders and non-Native practitioners who have made Native students a priority in their work.While predominantly addressed to the student affairs profession – providing an understanding of the needs of the Native students it serves, describing the multi-faceted and unique issues, characteristics and experiences of this population, and sharing proven approaches to developing appropriate services – it also covers issues of broader administrative concern, such as collaboration with tribal colleges; as well academic issues, such as graduate and professional education. The book covers new material, as well as expanding on topics previously addressed in the literature, including Native American Greek organizations, incorporating Native culture into student programming, and the role of Native American Special Advisors. The contributors are themselves products of colleges and universities where Native students are too often invisible, and who succeeded despite the odds. Their insights and the examples they provide add richness to this book. It will provide a catalyst for new higher education practices that lead to direct, and increased support for, Native Americans and others who are working to remove the Native American asterisk from research and practice.

Much like how tectonic plates interact, this volume explores the convergent, divergent, and transforming interaction of multiple forces pressing against adult contemporary education. Presenting multiple perspectives and environments, topics covered include: possibilities and requirements for change that will be needed in curriculum, philosophy, programs and practice, strategies for negotiating the interactive boundaries of a dynamic, complex, fluid global environment, and case studies and examples from theory, pedagogy, technology, healthcare, workplace, society, and policies. This is the 149th volume of the Jossey Bass series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.

The new U.S. national standards movement has pushed us at “warp speed” from Common Core curriculum standards to updated assessments for college readiness, but we have not fully examined what it means to be college ready. Why is it that roughly half of all high school students need remedial classes before being considered ready for college-level work? Current public policies aim to eliminate the need for remedial college classes by ratcheting up instruction and expectations at the K-12 level, but if we do not find out what these students are missing, how can we expect to be successful? For higher education scholars and practitioners and those generally interested in the future of college, this book helps tell a novel story about the transition to college, from the perspective of an experienced college professor. The first-year experience is conceptualized as a two-way relationship between students and colleges, involving introductions, resistance or acceptance, collaboration and exchange of ideas, and learning. There are both success stories and stories that end in a parting of ways. These stories show what college readiness really means and offer valuable insights about the academic, social, monetary and other forces that can overwhelm the typical college-bound student. Higher education scholars and professionals will benefit from these rich and detailed accounts as they help shape the landscape of 21st century college readiness.