The Impact of Curricular Interventions on Intended Second Year Re-Enrollment

Abstract

Utilizing data from the national administration of a Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) baseline and follow-up survey of the first-year experience during the 2002–2003 academic year, this study explores the relationship between three curricular interventions—first-year seminars, service-learning, and learning communities—and the longitudinal process of first-to-second year retention. The findings from descriptive analyses showed that there are numerous positive relationships between these three interventions and integrative first-year experiences as defined by Tinto's (1987, 1993) longitudinal model of departure. Further, logistic regression suggests that service-learning courses have an indirect impact on the intent to re-enroll for a second year of college, while first-year seminars and learning communities may have an interactive relationship in their impact on the outcome measure.

Service-Learning and Graduation: Evidence from Event History Analysis

“…Tinto (1993) and Astin (1999) assert that developing such feelings of connectedness, value, and belonging are essential for students to feel satisfaction with the higher education experience and subsequently develop a commitment to graduation. Previous research has found that SL courses foster students' sense of belonging through multiple and frequent interactions with peers, faculty, and community members (Greenberg, 1997; Keup, 2005;Wolff & Tinney, 2006). The findings of the current study suggest that the interactive and collaborative nature of SL courses create experiences that support transfer students' integration into the social and academic communities of their new institutions.…”

The effectiveness of extended orientation first year seminars : a systematic review and meta-analysis.

“…FYE programs can include learning communities, orientation programs, student development interventions, course support initiatives and first-year seminars (Andrade, 2008). Others initiatives include peer advising and mentoring networks, campus-sponsored "Welcome" activities, workshops and tutorials, residence life programming, and a plethora of other interventions (Kuep, 2006).…”

“…The first of these are service learning programs. These programs characterized by the inclusion of service activities that are tied to a classroom experience and used to promote campus and civic engagement amongst students (Kuep, 2006). Next are learning communities.…”

“…Finally, and given its prominence, perhaps most importantly, are first year seminars. First year seminars (FYS) are most often small, discussion based courses in which curricular and co-curricular exchanges between students and faculty are designed to assist in the academic and social integration into college life (Kuep, 2006). Among all first year interventions first year seminars stand alone in their pervasiveness as a tool designed to promote the first-to-second year retention of undergraduate students.…”

“…However, first year seminars have been joined in the curriculum by many first year interventions which have also been shown to be effective. These include learning communities, orientation programs, student development interventions, peer advising, mentoring networks, "welcome" activities, workshops and tutorials, residence life programming, and many others (Kuep, 2006;Andrade, 2008). Each of these should be considered in the future as institutions continue to look for means of easing the transition from high school to college.…”