A Study of the First-Year Academic Experience at a Growing Liberal Arts Institution

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

This study examines how a growing liberal arts university can make first-year learning experiences purposeful, personal, and transformative. Spanning 18 months, it combines surveys, reflections, and an environmental scan of 92 first-year course syllabi, capturing perspectives from faculty, staff, and students across first and second year. Findings highlight emerging challenges driven by larger class sizes and the increasing complexity of 21st-century student needs, and the study provides recommendations to support student retention while strengthening teaching and learning experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research scope and methods

Institutional context

Literature review: transitions, engagement, motivation, retention

Implications and recommendations

A Study of the First-Year Academic Experience at a Growing Liberal Arts Institution Robyne Hanley-Dafoe & Cathy Bruce How can universities ensure that the first-year learning experiences are purposeful, personal, and transformative? This study explores challenges post-secondary institutions face in the everchanging landscape of first-year teaching and learning. It spanned 18 months and included surveys, reflections, and an environmental scan of 92 first-year course syllabi. The study captures the perspectives of faculty, staff and students, in both first and second year, in relation to their academic experiences, and includes recommendations for supporting both student retention and teaching and learning experiences. Comment peut-on faire en sorte, dans les universités, que les expériences d'apprentissage des étudiants de première année soient significatives et personnelles et qu'elles aient un pouvoir de transformation? Cette étude explore les défis auxquels les établissements postsecondaires sont confrontés dans ce paysage mouvant que représentent l'apprentissage et l'enseignement de première année. D'une durée de 18 mois, l'étude a compris dessondages, des réflexions et une analyse contextuelle de 92 plans de cours de première année. Ony voit s'exprimer le point de vue des professeurs, des employés et des étudiants de première et de deuxième année au sujet de leurs expériences universitaires. On y formule également des recommandations afind'accroître le taux de rétention des étudiants et d'améliorer les expériences d'apprentissage etd'enseignement. Trent University was founded as a small undergraduate liberal arts university, positioned as an alternative institution to larger and more conservative universities. The University was built on the principles of liberalism in conjunction with small classes, personalized experiences, and collaborative models of teaching and learning. Faculty specifically designed the first-year learning experiences to be transformational for learners. This signature characteristic is still present, despite the fact that the University has grown substantially since its founding. Faculty continue to be invested in the student experience and make meaningful connections to their students. The development of a First-Year Caucus of faculty who meet to discuss challenges and successes in their firstyear courses exemplifies this engagement. Discussions with faculty of the First-Year Caucus suggest that, due to an increase in class sizes, combined with the increasing complexity of the needs of 21st century students, it is becoming more challenging to achieve the outcomes of first-year courses. The First-Year Caucus wanted to work in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning to gather evidence of current practices and contexts in first-year courses. This was a key impetus for engaging in the First-Year Academic Experience Project. Studying the first-year academic experience is a complex problem with multiple competing factors that needed to be investigated to further understand the current context of first-year courses. Members of the recently opened Centre for Teaching and Learning embarked on this collaborative project to begin to develop a deeper understanding of the first-year academic experience. Based on recommendations by first-year instructors, we set out to capture the perspectives of faculty, student support staff, and students in relation to their academic experiences in the first-year of learning atthe University. The project also generated a series of recommendations for consideration with the broader goal of supporting student retention as well as quality teaching and learning experiences for both students and instructors. The literature review provided here is purposely succinct (Boote & Beile, 2005) . It is not an exhaustive review of the current literature on firstyear learning experiences, but provides context for the project and the themes used in develop

FAQs

What question does the study aim to answer about first-year learning?

The study asks how universities can ensure that first-year learning experiences are meaningful and personally transformative for students.

How was the research conducted and what data was collected?

Over 18 months, the study used surveys and reflections and performed an environmental scan of 92 first-year course syllabi.

What major factors make it harder to achieve first-year course outcomes?

Faculty reports indicate that increasing class sizes and the rising complexity of 21st-century student needs are making outcomes harder to achieve.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay