Cohorts Of Freshmen Research Articles

Eternal October and the End of Cyberspace

According to its best-known history, drafted in the mid-1990s, USENET's governing structure was open, and it opened new doors to direct democracy. By the end of the 1990s, USENET was overrun with spam, and by the mid-2000s, it was widely reported as “dead.” But in USENET mythology, its fall occurs earlier, in September 1993, in an “Eternal September.” Prior to 1993, the month of September marked a wave of new university students, connected through their campus. Eternal September was caused by a flood of users who gained USENET access as part of a new America Online (AOL) offering and, unlike previous USENET freshman cohorts, they could not be resocialized. This assimilation and acculturation was described as a matter of observing network etiquette. “Netiquette,” as it was called, was much like the etiquette of court ceremony or professional ritual in that it was inextricably bound to place. In other words, the newbies could not be forced to accept what we now understand as a central tenet of cyberlibertarianism: that cyberspace, too, was a place, separate from the world, and thus free. The article considers Eternal October, the successor to Eternal September, when it is no longer possible to pretend that cyberspace can circumvent the politics of civilization. Just as Eternal September ushered in a new reality, October 2016 is never going to end.

American undergraduate students' value development during the Great Recession.

The Great Recession's influence on American undergraduate students' values was examined, testing Greenfield's and Kasser's theories concerning value development during economic downturns. Study 1 utilised aggregate-level data to investigate (a) population-level value changes between the pre-recession (2004-2006: n = 824,603) and recession freshman cohort (2008-2010: n = 662,262) and (b) overall associations of population-level values with national economic climates over long-term periods by correlating unemployment rates and concurrent aggregate-level values across 1966-2015 (n = 10 million). Study 2 examined individual-level longitudinal value development from freshman to senior year, and whether the developmental trajectories differed between those who completed undergraduate education before the Great Recession (freshmen in 2002, n = 12,792) versus those who encountered the Great Recession during undergraduate years (freshmen in 2006, n = 13,358). Results suggest American undergraduate students' increased communitarianism (supporting Greenfield) and materialism (supporting Kasser) during the Great Recession. The recession also appears to have slowed university students' development of positive self-views. Results contribute to the limited literature on the Great Recession's influence on young people's values. They also offer theoretical and practical implications, as values of this privileged group of young adults are important shapers of societal values, decisions, and policies.

Verso una revisione dei criteri di merito del diritto allo studio universitario: i risultati di una simulazione

This paper aims at stimulating the debate on the likely revision of the Italian system of university student grants, with particular attention to the possible solutions capable of promoting a more meritocratic system. After a survey of the current legislation on the students’ right to education and of the role of State and Regions on this subject, a statistical analysis is performed on a sample of 1,413 students belonging to three cohorts of freshmen enrolled in the BA programme at the University of Pavia in the academic years 2002/2003, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005. A first result of the analysis is that the high school degree grade is a good predictor of the probability of maintaining the grant for the first year (on the basis of current criteria), as well as for the whole three-year cycle of studies. The high school grade is also a good predictor of the probability of getting the BA degree in regular time and with a high mark (99/110 or more). Consequently, we argue that policy makers should consider the hypothesis of re-introducing the high school degree grade as a criterion for selecting freshmen eligible for grants. We also assess the hypothesis of establishing more restrictive merit criteria for obtaining university scholarships. The analysis proposes some solutions tions capable of stimulating students to obtain better results, while at the same time maintaining a good number of students eligible for grants.

Congressional Cohorts: The House Republican Class of 2010

AbstractAs a result of its size and close ties to the Tea Party movement, the freshman cohort of House Republicans elected in 2010 had a significant impact on the chamber. Compared to other Republicans, the districts the freshmen represented did not tilt more toward the GOP or the Tea Party, nor was their roll call ideology during 2011–2012 statistically distinguishable from that of their more senior colleagues. For votes that were Tea Party priorities, however, the effects of freshman status were often large. And the most consequential impact of the class was over party strategy and agenda. The role played by the 2010 House freshmen has implications for how we should think about party influence in Congress.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) at a Postsecondary Institution: Support for First-Generation College-Goers

This study examines how a selected Hispanic-Serving Institution is implementing Advancement Via Individual Determination as a strategy for improving retention and time to graduation for 1st-generation Hispanic college students. A quasi-experimental design approach was used in which the retention rates and 1st-semester grade point averages of a freshman cohort enrolled in a paired set of courses were compared to those of a control group and a similar intervention group. Focus group data were also used. Though few statistically significant differences were found between the intervention groups with regard to grade point average and retention, students benefitted from the support received in the paired classes.

Getting them enrolled is only half the battle: College success as a function of race or ethnicity, gender, and class.

This study examines the gender and racial or ethnic gaps in college grades and graduation of a 1999 freshman cohort of students attending 24 selective predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and the factors that account for observed gaps. The study is guided by the question of whether gender, race or ethnicity, and socioeconomic status combine to affect college outcomes or whether they interact so that outcomes are more positive or adverse for one group than another. Gender gaps were observed for Black and Latino students. For Black students, the gender gap in degree attainment widened once sociodemographic factors were considered. In contrast, the gender gap for Latino students narrowed and became insignificant when sociodemographics were controlled. Additional within-group interactions were also evident. For example, the 6-year college graduation rates were higher for Black females than for males whose mothers did not have college degrees, but no gender gap existed when the mother had a college degree. These results show that among this sample of academically motivated students, the significance of gender depends on race and socioeconomic status. This suggests that improving minority success, especially for Black men at PWIs, requires extending the analysis beyond prior academic preparation to creating more supportive college environments.

Initial Evidence on the Influence of College Student Engagement on Early Career Earnings

Using data from three waves of longitudinal surveys of the 2001 freshman cohort of the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program, this study examined linkages between student engagement in college activities and early career earnings in the labor market. The results indicated that social engagement was positively related to early career earnings of college graduates while academic engagement was not. When considering students who majored in STEM fields versus those in non-STEM fields, results showed academic engagement to be positively related to early career earnings for non-STEM students but slightly negatively related to earnings in the labor market for STEM students. Social engagement was positive for graduates in the STEM fields but not significant for non-STEM students. Altogether, results show a complex relationship between student engagement and early career earnings. Implications for research and institutional policy are discussed.

A group-randomized tobacco trial among 30 Pacific Northwest colleges: Results from the Campus Health Action on Tobacco study

We conducted a group-randomized trial to increase smoking cessation and decrease smoking onset and prevalence in 30 colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest. Random samples of students, oversampling for freshmen, were drawn from the participating colleges; students completed a questionnaire that included seven major areas of tobacco policies and behavior. Following this baseline, the colleges were randomized to intervention or control. Three interventionists developed Campus Advisory Boards in the 15 intervention colleges and facilitated intervention activities. The freshmen cohort was resurveyed 1 and 2 years after the baseline. Two-years postrandomization, new cross-sectional samples were drawn, and students were surveyed. At follow-up, we found no significant overall differences between intervention and control schools when examining smoking cessation, prevalence, or onset. There was a significant decrease in prevalence in private independent colleges, a significant increase in cessation among rural schools, and a decrease in smoking onset in urban schools. Intervention in this college population had mixed results. More work is needed to determine how best to reach this population of smokers.

High School Classmates and College Success

This paper uses administrative data from the University of Texas-Austin to examine whether the number of same high school classmates at college entry influences college achievement, measured by grade point average (GPA) and persistence. For each freshman cohort from 1993 through 2003 we calculate the number and ethnic makeup of college freshmen from each Texas high school. Empirical specifications include high school fixed effects to control for unobservable differences across schools that influence both college enrollment behavior and academic performance. Using an instrumental variables/fixed effects estimation strategy, we also evaluate whether "marginal" increases in the number of high school classmates influence college grades. Results show that students who arrive on campus with a larger number of high school classmates outperform their counterparts from smaller high school cohorts. Average effects of larger high school cohorts on college achievement are small, but a marginal increase in the number of same-race classmates raises GPA by 0.1 point. Results provide suggestive evidence that minority academic benefits from larger high school cohorts are greater for minority compared with white students.

High School Classmates and College Success

This paper uses administrative data from the University of Texas-Austin to examine whether the number of same high school classmates at college entry influences college achievement, measured by grade point average (GPA) and persistence. For each freshman cohort from 1993 through 2003 we calculate the number and ethnic makeup of college freshmen from each Texas high school. Empirical specifications include high school fixed effects to control for unobservable differences across schools that influence both college enrollment behavior and academic performance. Using an instrumental variables/fixed effects estimation strategy, we also evaluate whether “marginal” increases in the number of high school classmates influence college grades. Results show that students who arrive on campus with a larger number of high school classmates outperform their counterparts from smaller high school cohorts. Average effects of larger high school cohorts on college achievement are small, but a marginal increase in the number of same-race classmates raises GPA by 0.1 point. Results provide suggestive evidence that minority academic benefits from larger high school cohorts are greater for minority compared with white students.

The Construct Validity of Student Engagement: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach

As institutions seek to promote student engagement on campus, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is increasingly being used to chart progress and compare results using the Five Benchmark Scores. While recent research has begun to decompose the five benchmarks in a variety of ways; few research studies have sought to explore the underlying structure of these five benchmarks, their interdependence, and the extent to which the items do reflect those five dimensions. This study begins to address the instrument’s construct validity by submitting a single, first-time freshman cohort’s NSSE responses to a confirmatory factor analysis, and proposes as an alternative, eight “dimensions” of student engagement that fit this set of data slightly better and in a more useful way. Results have practical implications for institutions utilizing NSSE, but also contain conceptual implications pertaining to the application of these benchmarks.

Success and Interactive Learning: Sailing Toward Student Achievement

Success and Interactive Learning's (SAIL) front-loaded retention activities and unique financial incentives have combined to improve retention, persistence, and success of first-time college students. Its effectiveness has been validated through a comparison of retention rates and aggregate quality-point averages of SAIL cohorts with those rates for overall first-time freshman cohorts.

An accumulation of two independent selection factors decreases the success rate of female students at the MUV (Medical University of Vienna)

Inspired by the implementation of a reformed medical curriculum at the Medical University of Vienna (Austria, MUV), we have investigated predictors for success in the decisive exam at the end of the first study-year (SIE). In four consecutive cohorts of freshmen, we have found that female students show significantly lower success rates (Odds Ratio, OR=1.67, 95%CI 1.44-1.97). By the introduction of a pre-selection of applicants ("aptitude test for medical studies", EMS) in 2006, a new and additional significant hindrance for female students emerged. Their OR for not being accepted into the second study-year increased to OR=2.14 (95%CI 1.68-2.72), compared to male students.

Effects of Study Abroad Participation on Student Graduation Rates: A Study of Three Incoming Freshman Cohorts at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Study abroad participation is increasing. National and institutional resources are being devoted to internationalization. Assessments stress the importance of learning outcomes among study abroad participants. The confluence of these influences led the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to gather data on graduation rates of study abroad participants and compare them to those of non-participants. We analyzed the data and the patterns that emerge among subsets of the students by college of enrollment and for students of color. The data suggest that study abroad participation may not harm graduation rates and that it is highly correlated with high graduation rates among under-prepared and at-risk undergraduates as well as students of color. We highlight the implications of the study for academic advisors.Relative Emphasis: practice, research, theory

O3: Diet-Related Awareness and Behaviors of Two Incoming Freshman Cohorts 10 years Apart: Has There Been Improvement?

O3: Diet-Related Awareness and Behaviors of Two Incoming Freshman Cohorts 10 years Apart: Has There Been Improvement?

Preparedness of Engineering Freshman to Inquiry-Based Learning

Educational experts, past and present, urge engineering colleges nationwide to transform their pedagogical paradigm from a predominantly lecture- to an inquiry-based teaching approach. Written comments by two seniors, deploring having to read and write in a required course of an ABET accredited program, highlight a common expectation of today’s students. Presented are the disturbing results of a survey that assessed the level of learning skills exhibited by 1,020 engineering freshmen. Time management not only surfaced as needing drastic remediation but it also correlated with the level of students’ motivation to succeed in college. Problems with poor time management were listed by 25% of the freshman cohort at the end of the first semester. From monitoring the submittals of online homework it was learned that timeliness corresponded with the final grade achieved in a course. The work presented in this paper indicates that universities need not only to address the students’ learning preferences but also eq...

Untangling the Health Disparities of Teen Pregnancy

The purpose of this secondary analysis is to determine whether a developmental maturity model differentially predicts pregnancy for African American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican inner-city teens. This is a secondary analysis of data from a case control study that tested a model of developmental maturity and teen pregnancy with 183 pregnant and never-pregnant pairs of inner-city teens matched on age, ethnicity, and freshman cohort. The models differentially predict pregnancy for the separate ethnic groups, with sexual behaviors being the most important factors regardless of ethnicity. The health disparities of teen pregnancies may not decrease unless patterns of dating/sexual behaviors are reversed.

The Effect of Freshmen Cohort Groups on Academic Performance and Retention

The goals of increasing student retention and the development of effective learning structures have led the faculty of the College of Business and Economics to experiment with freshman learning communities. In the fall of 1998, a total of 92 business and accounting freshmen were placed in cohorts of approximately 10 students. The students in each cohort took the same English, math, and economics courses. Comparisons among the business cohorts and with a psychology cohort, a non-major cohort, and a control group suggest that this structure does not increase academic performance or retention.

A TRIO Program's Impact on Participant Graduation Rates: The Rutgers University Student Support Services Program and Its Network of Services

Participant graduation rates are the primary outcome measure of federal Student Support Services (SSS) programs. This article details an investigation of the graduation rates of 979 students in the 1980-1992 first-time, full-time freshman cohorts of SSS participants at Rutgers University. A mean graduation rate of 56.2% was obtained for the cohort groups. This rate is comparable to national data of similar students and to the regular enrollment at the university. The strong outcomes were attributed to the existence of a network offederal-, state-, and universityfunded support services programs. The article also describes Rutgers's integrated services model, a network of variously funded support services for underprepared students, as the context within which RSSSP participants' graduation rates or outcomes were generated.

Freshman Attrition in a College of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario

This study, conceptualized using a "person-environment fit" model of dropout, examined differentiated freshman attrition and persistence in a College of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario. Also examined were the magnitude and timing of dropout as well as the ability of the model to explain and predict freshman attrition/persistence vs academic success/failure. The relative importance of student and institutional characteristics in the withdrawal process was also assessed. Results showed that thirty percent of the freshman cohort dropped out in the first year, with approximately half doing so in the first semester. Those variables which measured the nature of the student-institution interaction accounted for a greater amount of the variance in persistence/withdrawal than did the background and entry-level characteristics of the students alone. This confirms the validity of the "fit" model of dropout and suggests that college administrators could significantly reduce freshman attrition by carefully managing the college learning environment. Consistent with U.S. studies comparing factors influencing dropout in commuter and residential institutions, this study found academic integration and educational commitment to be of greater importance to persistence than social integration and institutional commitment. A student's intention to leave the college at mid-semester and his/her confidence in success were also found to be important determinants of freshman attrition.