Looking Beyond the First Year

 Summer Bridge Programs  Pre-Term Orientation  Academic/Transition Seminars  Learning Communities  Early Warning/Academic Alert Systems  Service Learning  Undergraduate Research

 527 four-year institutions (from an overall population of 1,373)  Response rate 38.4%  The largest percentage of respondents was in the 1,001 – 5,000 student category.

Any Seminar by Public/Private Control PublicPrivateAll Yes89.5%85.5%87.1% No9.4%13.4%11.8% Don’t Know1.2%1.1%1.2% Seminars at All Levels by Control PublicPrivateAll First-Year95.4%97.3%96.5% Transfer21.7%27.9%25.3% Sophomore11.8%14.4%13.3% Junior14.1%16.7%15.6% Senior91.3%93.5%92.6%

Mean Percentage of Students Participating in Seminars by Enrollment 1,000 or under 1,001 – 5,000 5,001 – 10,000 10,001 – 20,000 20,001 or over All First-Year96.3%87.4%67.0% 45.3%79.7% Transfer82.5%62.7%43.3%39.4%7.7%55.9% Soph.73.2%47.0%20.0%19.9%8.0%37.3% Junior82.0%51.7%29.5%38.5%45.0%49.1% Senior79.9%80.0%63.6%56.9%62.0%73.4% The highest rates of student participation in all seminars are in institutions with no more than 5,000 students.

 Part of a four-course sequence that spans the undergraduate years. ◦ Focus on self and society, purpose, and critical thinking  Major-based courses; information literacy in the major  Coverage of specific general education competencies (e.g., multiculturalism)  Residential – part of “sophomore residential colleges”  Courses for students on probation or at risk of dropping out  Career-oriented courses  Honors courses

 Courses taught through “disciplinary lens” of professor but focused on general topics  Knowledge of research methodology in major  Extensive writing course to meet graduation requirements  “Juniors abroad”  Experiential learning requirement with linked seminars  Capstone for the general education core  Honors  Elective on civic engagement  Preparation for graduate/professional school in STEM departments

 Demonstration of major related competencies (90%)  Creation/presentation of original research or artistic expression (78%)  Career readiness (57%)  Integration of general education and major (45%)  Better understanding of the liberal arts (27%)  Other – “integration of faith and learning,” “preparation for senior project”

Any Learning Community By Institutional Control PublicPrivateAll Yes73.8%45.1%56.5% No25.0%54.6%42.8% Don’t Know1.2%0.4%0.7% Learning Communities at All Levels by Enrollment 1,000 or under 1,001 – 5,000 5,001 – 10,000 10,001 – 20,000 20,001 or over All First-year71.4%90.4%90.9%94.9%95.8%90.6% Transfer0.0%3.5%4.5%5.1%12.5%4.7% Soph.21.4%19.3%15.9%10.5%34.8%18.9% Junior14.3%7.1%9.1%5.1%8.7%7.7% Senior7.1% 9.1%5.1%9.1%7.4%

 First-Year Learning Communities ◦ Students co-enrolled in two or more courses; faculty work closely (60%) ◦ One of the courses is a first-year seminar (58%) ◦ Linkage to residence life (56%) ◦ Courses linked by common intellectual theme (52%)  Sophomore Learning Communities (n = 44) ◦ Linkage to residence life (51%) ◦ Courses linked by common intellectual theme (49%) ◦ Students co-enrolled; faculty work closely together (44%) ◦ One of the courses is a sophomore seminar (12%)

 Junior ◦ Honors learning community ◦ Single community: entrepreneurship ◦ One of the integrated learning communities: “What does it mean to be human?” “What is truth?” What is the common good?” ◦ Residential communities  Senior ◦ “GreenBelt Learning Community: Living learning community themed on sustainability ◦ Integration of liberal arts, major, and Christian perspective ◦ Honors learning community

Early Warning/Academic Alert Systems 1,000 or under 1,001 – 5,000 5,001 – 10,000 10,001 – 20,000 20,001 or over All Sophomores All74.1%64.4%45.8%37.8%22.7%57.5% Some16.7%22.6%28.8%42.2%54.5%26.8% Juniors All73.6%59.6%40.7%33.3%17.4%53.1% Some15.1%22.1%25.4%33.3%39.1%24.0% Seniors All75.5%60.1%41.4%34.1%13.6%53.8% Some15.1%20.7%22.4%29.5%40.9%22.3% Students most likely to be monitored: academic probation, athletes, EOP students, scholarship students

Service Learning by Institutional Enrollment 1,000 or under 1,001 – 5,000 5,001 – 10,000 10,001 – 20,000 20,001 or over All Yes75.4%82.1%81.8%97.9%84.6%83.3% No21.1%15.1%13.6%0.0%7.7%13.4% Don’t Know3.5%2.8%4.5%2.1%7.7%3.3% Percentage of Student Participation in Service Learning PrivatePublicAll First-Year45.3%28.8%39.5% Transfer32.9%17.8%27.2% Sophomore30.0%20.5%26.9% Junior31.1%25.2%29.0% Senior33.6%28.4%31.6%

Undergraduate Research Opportunities by Enrollment 1,000 or under 1,001 – 5,000 5,001 – 10,000 10,001 – 20,000 20,000 or over All Yes82.1%90.3%95.3%97.9%96.2%91.2% No16.1%6.3%0.0%2.1%3.8%6.0% Don’t Know1.8%3.4%4.7%0.0% 2.8% Percentage of Student Participation by Level PrivatePublicAll First-Year15.1%10.9%13.4% Transfer16.3%12.1%14.5% Sophomore18.9%25.5%27.3% Junior28.6%25.5%27.3% Senior39.6%34.0%37.3%

Institutional emphasis still tends to be on the first or the senior year. Size matters: smaller institutions are more likely to involve more students in whatever they offer. Large institutions are trying to “look like” smaller institutions through learning communities.

 Is there a common identity?  Who owns that identity – who ignores it?  How will that identity become part of each stage of the undergraduate experience?  How will graduates represent, and act in accordance with, that identity?