Publications, Presentations & Research
Publications
Faculty, staff and students teaching and learning in the FYE Program research, present and publish resources that support excellence in teaching and learning during the first college year. The following links provide examples of recent findings and innovations.
Research Findings
National Research
What do we know about the first college year? We know that students increasingly complete degrees with earned credits from multiple higher education institutions. We also know from longitudinal studies by the US Department of Education that completion of college level algebra is a significant predictor of persistence. Recent trend data also suggests that financing the undergraduate experience is a source of stress for many students and parents. National studies also suggest that engagement in a first-year experience class or participating in a living-learning community (e.g. residential college, public service community, first-year interest group, etc.) increases persistence, contributes to greater satisfaction and promotes deeper learning.
The following links and publications provide some of the current national thinking about the first college year.
-
2008
College Bound Seniors Report for Michigan from the
College Board -
A Test of
Leadership (presentation) -
College Retention
- an April 2009 report from the
College Board
-
Coming to Our Senses (full
report /
summary)
- research about, and recommendations for, American Higher Education
from the College Board
-
Protecting Student Access and Affordability in Higher Education
-
The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College
CMU Resources & Research
At Central Michigan University, we know that first-year students have many options – academically and socially. Because of this, many students find it difficult to make specific decisions about their future. A poll of 924 first-year students in October 2008, found that most (73% of all respondents) experience difficulty adjusting to college life and learning. Specifically, these students reported feeling homesick. Most interesting is that these same students indicated strong desire to adjust, make college friends and succeed academically. When asked how parents might best assist them during the transition to college, students said they wanted encouragement, "space" and an opportunity to "figure it out." Students also indicated that they found it helpful when parents and CMU faculty/staff asked about their goals, learning and involvement in various groups. While the majority of students stated the first-college year was challenging, they also noted that it was important to face the challenges and have an opportunity to (a) trouble-shoot and (b) create strategies to manage dilemmas through to resolution.
The following presentations, issue papers and research provide some of the current thinking about the first college year at CMU.
-
Creating Inclusive Communities (presentation)
-
Diversity Initiatives in FYE (initiatives overview)
-
Excellence Through Inclusion (presentation)
-
Foundations of Excellence: Self-Study
of the First College Year at Central Michigan University
-
FYE
Faculty Workshop - May 2009
Overview,
Experiential Learning,
FY Library Experience,
Leveraging
Technology
NEW!
-
FYE and Retention of CMU Students (research report)
-
FYE in
Tight Budget Times (presentation)
-
FYE
Qualitative Findings Report 2007 (research report)
-
Impact of Peer Mentor and Instructor Relationship on FY Students
(research report)
-
International Student Adjustment (issue paper)
-
Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate Peer Mentors
(research
report)
-
Creating and Sustaining Peer Mentoring Programs (presentation)
-
Promoting Research and Creative Endeavors in the First College Year
(presentation)
-
Supporting International Student Adjustment (issue paper)
-
Sustainability in Higher
Education (issue paper)
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