Immigrant college student populations continue to grow on college campuses across the nation; yet, little is known about the experiences of immigrant students. This paper examines differences in perceived academic obstacles between immigrant students and non-immigrant students at six large, public research universities (n = 56,000). The…

This study focused on the impact of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on student achievement in first semester Calculus for transfer students over a three-year period. Transfer students participating in SI achieved dramatically higher passing rates and course grades than did non-SI transfer students, despite no significant differences in academic…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived academic obstacles of first-generation students in comparison to non-first-generation students. Using the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) completed by approximately 58,000 students from six research universities, the researchers used nonparametric bootstrapping to analyze…

Many universities have Common Book programs, but few of them are driven by clear goals and little research about the effectiveness of programs exists. The current study examined social and academic correlates of self-reported common book readership. As expected, upper-level students who read their entire common book as freshmen reported a stronger…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether models based on pre-admission testing, including performance on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), performance on required courses in the medical school curriculum, or a combination of both could accurately predict performance of medical students on the United States Medical Licensing…

The African American Student Network (AFAM) originated at a large Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in the Midwest. Including a sample of 163 network participants, the current paper profiles the academic performance of students in the network over its first 4 years. Findings indicate that although participants were similar to the average…

This article describes a unique process which allows a select few students who have been dismissed for academic deficiency the opportunity to create a Plan for Academic Success (Plan), which, if accepted, reverses the academic dismissal for one semester. If the Plan is accepted, the individual student assumes responsibility for taking action to…

A longitudinal research study was conducted at a public university in Pennsylvania on a sample of 129 at-risk students from a state-funded program (Act 101) designed to provide support services for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. This research employed a non-experimental, ex post facto methodology to assess the impact of…

The current trend in First Year Experience (FYE) courses is to add critical thinking through reading and writing. Research now suggests this design for a learning strategy based FYE course improves retention rates. This paper provides methods of incorporating critical thinking through reading and learning into the FYE course curriculum through a…

This 10 week longitudinal evaluation study evaluated a brain-based learning curriculum proposed by Smilkstein (2003) by comparing student performance in a traditional basic writing curriculum with NHLP-oriented basic writing curriculum. The study included two classes each of experimental and traditional methods. Results of the data, gathered by…

Many students who enter colleges and universities seem to be focused on memorizing and regurgitating information rather than on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Mentoring is crucial to help these students transition from the current approach to one that will be successful in college. Successful mentoring requires a…

Students in an introductory college biology course who believed that attending class had been important for their academic success in high school were 1) most likely to attend their college biology class, 2) most likely to earn high grades in their college biology class, 3) most likely to report that their high school classes had been challenging,…

Discusses the two core approaches (the deep approach and the surface approach) for writing by college students. Deep approach involves conception is oneself as an agent in making meaning and the surface approach is linked to a more passive strategy marked by reproduction of reorganization of information. Concludes with recommendations for…

Reports on Macalester College's (Minnesota) Learning Center peer-mentoring, speaker, and workshop programs, which were designed to focus on anti-racism activism and reorganization of multicultural affairs. Analyzes ambiguity of terms "racism" and "multiculturalism" and argues that a systematic approach is necessary to move toward realizing the…

Examines the effects of tutoring on trained college tutors and tutees. Reports on interviews of 39 tutors and evaluations from 838 of their tutees, concluding that tutoring plays an integral role in the development of college students and that tutoring programs have value on campus. Lists the qualities of a good tutor, describes tutoring processes…