First Year Engagement: The Transition to University

Volume 13 Issue 1 May - July 2019

Review Paper

First Year Engagement: The Transition to University

Donald J. Comi*

*School of Education, Whitworth University, Washington, USA.

Comi, D. J. (2019). First Year Engagement: The Transition to University. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 13(1), 54-66. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.13.1.15847

Abstract

Technology, socio-economic disparities, and an increasingly diverse population have changed the nature of American communities and thus the educational landscape. Higher education is functionally the gatekeeper for technical/professional careers. The achievement gap between the number of students starting a four-year degree and the number completing is discouraging. As a student transitions to college, many factors influence personal resiliency. Familial support, pre-college preparation, peer-to-peer relationships, and institutional connection all influence a student's resiliency. However, higher education's traditional engagement and transitional programming does not always engender connection nor promote academic success. Higher education has a responsibility to design institutional engagement that can lead to improved access and greater student resiliency. However, actual results of engagement strategies may have unintended results. Engagements can create division, and lead to diminished persistence and retention. This literature review explores recent research into Institutional engagement strategies.