Retention

A comparison of retention rates by learning community involvement. Participation in Freshman Seminar and Freshman Learning Communities is shown to result in higher retention rates.

An analysis of one-year retention rates from 1993-2003 based on participation in Freshman Seminar. Students who enrolled in Freshman Seminar were retained at higher levels than those who did not.

An analysis of one-year retention rates, fall and 1-year GPAs, and 5-year graduation rates for the Fall 2000 Cohort of minority, first generation, and low-income students based upon their participation in Freshman Seminar and Freshman Learning Communities. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found in the following areas based on FS/FLC participation:

• FS/FLC students had significantly higher fall 2000 GPAs and 1-year retention rates.
• Freshman Seminar students had signficantly higher 5-year graduation rates than non-FS students.
• Low-income students (annual family income <$15,000) enrolled in Freshman Seminar had significantly higher 5-year graduation rates than low-income students who did not take FS.

Psychosocial Gains

This study compared the psychosocial development of students enrolled in Freshman Seminar with those who were not enrolled. Students completed the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA; Winston, Miller, & Cooper, 1999) at the beginning of their first semester in the Fall of 2002 and at the beginning of their second semester in the Spring of 2003. Fifty-two percent of the 1465 students who completed the instrument at pre- and post-test were enrolled in freshman seminar during the fall semester. A MANCOVA was conducted to determine if there were significant differences in subtask and subscale scores on the SDTLA due to enrollment in Freshmen Seminar. Gender, minority status, and SDTLA pre-test scores were control variables in the analysis. Students who enrolled in Freshman Seminar reported significantly higher gains between the pre- and post-tests on the career planning, lifestyle planning, and instrumental autonomy subscales.

Student Engagement

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was administered to freshmen and seniors at Appalachian State University at the end of the spring 2004 semester. This report analyzed the data for the 360 freshmen responses. A univariate analysis (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze differences based on participation in Freshman Seminar relative to each of the five NSSE scales (academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment). A description of the five factors is included in the report. This analysis controlled for the effects of gender, SAT scores, and parental education. A significant difference was found on the “Supportive Campus Environment” scale, with Freshman Seminar students reporting significantly higher scores than those who did not enroll in Freshman Seminar (p = .027).