The Effectiveness of a 1-to-1 Meeting in Support of - First-Year College Students in a Required Orientation Course

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

A required, face-to-face college orientation course used over seven years includes a 1-to-1 instructor meeting in the second week of the semester. This study examines how effectively that assignment supports first-year students’ transition to college life and reduces isolation and loneliness. Data come from 88 first-semester first-year students in GEP 101, analyzed through a researcher-developed 17-question survey and descriptive statistics. Results show students report substantially improved support from the meeting.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Research Questions

Limitations

Purpose and Significance of the Study

| | The Effectiveness of a 1-to-1 Meeting in Support of | | --- | --- | | | First-Year College Students in a Required Orientation Course | Ching-Wen Chang, Missouri State University Abstract This researcher’s interaction with first-year college students over the past seven years through a required, face-to-face college orientation course has been a rewarding and a thought-provoking experience for one whose regular course load involves graduate students only, in an online setting. This interaction has resulted in an interest in providing research to support the format of this orientation course, as well as substantiate its activities and assignments. This study’s focus was an attempt to determine the effectiveness of one of the required assignments, a 1-to-1 meeting with the instructor during the course of the semester. Specifically, the goal was to determine how much support the meeting provides to this student population in terms of transitioning to college life, and reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness often experienced by first-year students. The 88 participants in this study were all first semester, first-year college students in GEP 101, FirstYear Foundations, a required college orientation course at a 4-year public university in the Midwest. This researcher and a fellow researcher used descriptive statistics to analyze the responses to a researcher-developed, 17-question survey. The student-participants overwhelmingly indicated that they believe support for transitioning to college life, and reducingfeelings of isolation and loneliness thatfirst-year college students may experience was substantially improved as a result of this college orientation course. Keywords: 1-to-1 student meetings, teacher-student relationship, first-year university students, college orientation course, first-year seminar Introduction One or more sections of GEP 101, First-Year Foundations, a required, face-to-face college orientation course has been taught every fall for the past seven years by this researcher. This student population is very different from this researcher’s normal course load consisting of graduate students in an online setting. The interaction with these first-year students has resulted in an interest in providing research to validate the activities and assignments in this course. The particular assignment that became the impetus for this study is the required 1-to-1 teacher-student meeting that takes place the second week of the semester. The face-to-face meetings are 20 minutes in length, and include seven prearranged questions such as “Have you declared a major?”,“Are you getting along with your roommate?”, among others. The students’ responses to these questions typically generate an open-ended dialogue. The overarching goal of this assignment is to provide this student population (who just a few months earlier were in high school) with a confidant; determining how well they are transitioning to college life; and whether or not the meeting can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness often experienced by first-year students. The course developers state the primary goal of these sessions is for new students to establish a connection with a faculty member they have gotten to know, who they can talk with; as well as to alert the instructor to any potential at-risk situation a student may intentionally or unintentionally convey during the meeting conversation. The curriculum for this course is fixed for all sections and includes an orientation to the learning management system; weekly reading assignments in the required textbook College Success: Achieving Your Goals, exposure to the many university resources including library resources, the counseling center, public safety, multicultural services, international student services, and the writing center, to name just a few. Also included are topics such as stress management, time management, academic success, academic integrity, Title IX inform

FAQs

What assignment does the study evaluate in the orientation course?

The study evaluates the required 1-to-1 teacher-student meeting that occurs during the second week of the semester as a specific course assignment.

How does the study define the support goals for first-year students?

It focuses on students’ transition to college life and on reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness commonly experienced by first-year students.

What method and participants were used to assess effectiveness?

The study surveyed 88 first-semester first-year students in GEP 101 using a researcher-developed 17-question survey and descriptive statistics.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo