1

Implementing a First-Year Transitions Course to Increase the Knowledge and Utilization

of Campus Resources to Improve First-Generation Student Retention Rates

Jake Barber, Austin Robinson, Katherine Hutto

Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University

HESA 522: Student Development Theory

Dr. Carrie Kortegast

November 13, 2022

 2

The Issue

The transition from high school to college can challenge students academically,

emotionally, and socially. With this in mind, postsecondary institutions across the United States

offer students varying resources and support services around campus. These departments and

centers may look different depending on the institution and its student body population, but the

goal remains the same, to provide students with support during their time at the institution. Even

with a plethora of options for students to seek out during times of need, there is a growing issue

of students underutilizing the resources provided on campus. This can stem from various reasons

such as not knowing what resources are available, fear of seeking help, or lack of knowledge of

where these resources are located. When students are struggling and do not have support, it is

common for students to withdraw from an institution altogether. In order to address this issue,

we have designed a first-year transitions course called Transitions 101. The course will highlight

the various campus resources and provide opportunities through in-class activities for students to

visit and utilize them throughout the semester. With this programmatic intervention, our goals

are to increase the overall utilization of campus resources and improve retention rates among our

first-year students.

Review of Literature Regarding First-Year Courses and Student Support

The ways in which institutions aim to support first-year students have continually adapted

to the increasingly growing diverse student population within the United States. This has forced

institutions to get creative on how to better support students who are part of minoritized and

underrepresented groups. Areas that have proven to be effective in student success are High-

Impact Practices (Kuh, 2008). Although High-Impact Practices are experiences that can be

directed toward students throughout their college career, First-Year Seminars and Experiences
 3

are specifically dedicated to improving the intellectual and practical skills of first-year students

in small student groups with a faculty member. These courses are a great way to develop

student's academic skills, critical thinking abilities, and writing skills. Data supports that courses

offered in a student's first year are very common. “Recent national data indicate that

approximately 85 to 95 percent of institutions report offering a first-year seminar to at least some

of their entering first-year students” (Greenfield et al., 2013, p. 90). While the manner in which

these courses are run varies quite extensively from institution to institution, the overall goal

remains the same. Among the many variations, some institutions offer their courses for credit

toward graduation, some are only a semester while others are an entire year, for some institutions

the course is optional while at others it is required for all first-year students. With all the various

ways these types of courses are offered it is important to remember that there is no one right way

and that every institution needs to find what works best for them.

Students who are able to quickly gain confidence upon transitioning into college are more

likely to believe that they will succeed and persist toward their goals. Porter and Swinger (2006)

stated, "That the school-level study skills and academic engagement factor is associated with

higher intention to persist is consistent with the undergirding philosophy of many first-year

seminars: students need assistance with college-level study and academic expectations” (p. 106).

Research shows that first-year seminars which focus on helping students with the transition and

develop strong study skills see increases in student retention.

Student support services on campuses are believed to be key in the retention of students

throughout their time at an institution. Recent literature has shown that a student who uses

campus resources like counseling services and academic support services are not only retained

throughout the semesters but have an overall increased satisfaction and connection to the
 4

institution than their counterparts (Grant-Vallone et al., 2003). This is crucial to student success

amongst our first-generation students who may not have the support system at home to help them

navigate through their time in college. Studies have shown that recently, a large number of high-

school graduates are not equipped with the skills necessary to begin their college journey.

Wilmer (2008) states, “With 42 percent of students entering college underprepared and an

estimation that 80 percent of future jobs will require the skills that a college education provides,

we must find better methods to prepare these students and assist them in achieving their

academic goals.” Postsecondary institutions can help students in achieving these goals through

education on the support services available to them during their transition. The importance of

resources on campus has benefits for both the student and the institution, so providing first-

generation first-year students with the knowledge of what the institution has to support them in a

classroom setting should lead to increased awareness and utilization of these areas.

Gansemer-Topf et al. (2006) stated the importance of using student development theory

to enhance undergraduate student involvement, persistence, and learning. These researchers go

on to describe the importance of adult development theory as well as the overlap between its four

primary theoretical approaches, which creates an instance of intersectionality between student

development theory, and adult development theory. The four primary theoretical approaches they

identified where: “life span perspective, developmental perspective, transition perspective, and

contextual perspective (Schlossberg, Waters, and Goodman, 1995). Although they have distinct

approaches to development, there is overlap among them” (p.23). Regarding the transition

perspective, research shows that the transition to a higher level of academia can elicit feelings of

self-doubt among students, which can negatively affect academic performance. Therefore, there

should be an initial program or initiative in place for first-year students to provide assistance and
 5

support that students can rely upon during their time in college, to eliminate these negative

feelings that impede student success.

` Another instance of literature emphasizing the necessity of first-year programs can be

found in research done by Hunter (2006). In her research, she describes the contents of a report

titled, Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Undergraduate Education.

That report was possibly the first time that attention was brought to the first-year experience on a

national level. “It called for increasing student involvement in higher education and it asserted

that ‘college administrators should reallocate faculty and other institutional resources toward

increased service to first- and second-year students.’ Many educators interested in the first year

applauded this recognition of the importance of the beginning college experience. Since then,

countless students have benefited from this increased attention” (Hunter, 2006, p. 4). This report

called attention to the transition of first-year students because of the degree of difficulty that

comes with making the transition from high school to college. That transition alone is a sizeable

challenge, however making that transition without being aware of, or utilizing the resources

available on a college campus will only make this change increasingly difficult for first-year

college students. A course designed to address this transitional period for our students by

bringing the resources to them and giving them the tools they need to be successful will only aid

in persistence and retention rates.

Context

When designing a programmatic intervention, it is important to define the institutional

context in which this program will occur as well as the intended target audience. This first-year

transitions course will be implemented at Northern Illinois University (NIU) which is a four-year

public institution with approximately 15,650 students enrolled as of Fall 2022. NIU is a doctoral
 6

university with high research activity according to its Carnegie Classification (2020). As a large

and primarily residential institution for first-year students, it is important to engage with them

earlier to establish connections and provide knowledge about resources. The first-year transitions

course program would be sponsored by the Orientation and First Year Programs department in

collaboration with staff members from the various areas under the Division of Student Affairs

who would act as the facilitators of these classes.

Our target audience for this program is first-year students between 18-20 years old, but

more specifically first-generation students. According to Northern Illinois University (2022),

56% of the past year's incoming first-year class identified as first-generation students and was

stated to be the most diverse incoming freshman class in university history. These are students

who have just experienced the transition from high school to college and are in the moving-in

stage of Schlossberg's Transition Model. Barclay (2017) explains that “For first-time college

students, moving in prompts anxieties of moving to a new campus, having a potential stranger as

a roommate, earning how to select and register for classes, and similar things that are new to

students” (p.24). The first-year transitions course is targeted towards students experiencing these

anxieties and new experiences.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework of adults in transition as outlined in Schlossberg's Transition

Model aligns with the issue and context pertaining to our first-year transition course.

Schlossberg's Transition Model defines transitions as events or non-events resulting in changed

relationships, routines, assumptions, and/or roles (Anderson et al, 2014). The model provided by

Schlossberg proves to be a multi-layered, multi-faceted theory about the reactions people have to

the transitions they make throughout the entirety of their adult lives. According to the model,
 7

adults are in a constant state of transition, either moving into, moving through, or moving out of

a transitional event.

In the case of first-year students entering college, these young adults are moving out of

their familiar high school settings and moving into an unfamiliar college setting, potentially with

inhibitions about their ability to adapt academically and socially. Students might be transitioning

from established social circles and friend groups to not having any social connections on campus

at all. Students will have to transition from their familiar, traditional high school workload to

college-level coursework. After becoming acclimated moving through their first semester or year

in college, students will be tasked with navigating through college to graduate, followed by

transitioning into whatever comes next for them.

Because Schlossberg’s Transition Model speaks to the condition that students find

themselves in, it seemed appropriate to undergird our first-year transition course using the

correlating adults in transition theory as justification for doing so. The first-year transition course

would aim to meet the needs of students during their initial transition to college life while

equipping them with the knowledge and resources they need to be successful during their time at

the university.

Identifying the ages at which students’ progress from different stages of development is

important. Anderson et al. (2012) examine this by looking at how Levinson identifies the six

stages of development based on age as Early Adult Transition on Leaving the Family (ages 16-

20), Entering the Adult World (ages 21-29), Settling Down (ages 30-34), Becoming One’s Own

Person (ages 35-39), Midlife Transition (ages 40-42), and Restabilization (ages 43-50). With

these age ranges, student affairs professionals can provide services and resources that are

designed to assist students in specific stages. It is important to note that “Levinson’s

 8

formulations, referred to as seasons of life, allowed for individual variation yet emphasized an

underlying sequential order and similarity. His findings showed ‘Relatively low variability in the

age at whichever period begins and ends” (Anderson et al., 2012, p. 9). Looking at the first two

stages Early Adult Transition on Leaving the Family and Entering the Adult World it is

important to note that based on the ages that Levinson provides many students who may be

transitioning into college fall in between these two stages of development potentially making a

transition more difficult.

Programmatic Intervention

When designing a programmatic intervention, it is important to define the interventional

outcomes. This first-year transitions course is intended to increase the utilization of campus

resources and increase retention and persistence rates through the first year. To do this, a first-

year transition class will be implemented which will include a financial literacy module,

registration assistance, departmental speakers, and a checklist intended to help guide students

during their transition to college. All these pieces will be utilized to introduce students to the

resources available to them and help to guide them through the transition to college. As students

participate in the program an increase in student persistence and retention rates will follow.

Persistence and retention are easy to measure, however determining what has the greatest

effect on them can be difficult. In a study examining how first-year seminars affect persistence

Porter and Swing (2006) used data from 45 institutions and, "derived five measures of learning

outcomes in transition-themed first-year seminars and investigated their impact on intent to

persist. Although all five are common components of first-year seminars, only two of the five

measures, study skills and academic engagement, and health education, have substantial impact

on early intention to persist” (p. 105). The five measures that Porter & Swing derived in their
 9

research are Study skills, Campus policies, Campus engagement, Peer connection, and Health

information. While all five measures are valuable, the three mentioned in the above quote help to

provide context earlier in a student's transition when it comes to retention. For first-year students,

the three measures of study skills, academic engagement, and health education are skills that

many students should already have some basic familiarity with from their time in secondary

education. The transition out of high school into college as described in the adults in transition

theory can be difficult so measuring how these three skills evolve in the first year can help to

determine how impactful the first-year transition course truly is. Part of the course is designed to

support students as they transition into college. By overlaying Levinson’s six stages of

development based on the age you see that most of the students who would be partaking in the

first-year transition course are either about to or already are experiencing a transition from Early

Adult Transition on Leaving the Family (ages 16-20) to Entering the Adult World (ages 21-29).

The course and resources provided are designed to assist students as they experience this

transition and form a foundation for the next stages of development.

The Transitions 101 course will feature weekly topics and in-class activities that will

provide students with the tools and knowledge necessary to be successful at the institution. A

course schedule can be found in Appendix C with the class topics and sample activities for some

of the weeks. In addition to the weekly topics, students will be provided with a First-Year

Checklist during the first week that will start guiding students on the path to being fully

integrated into the university. The checklist breaks down key targets for students to complete

throughout the semester that will help answer some of the questions that many new students have

upon coming to the institution and has been outlined in Appendix A. Based on Schlossberg’s

Transition Theory, it is important to provide students with opportunities to engage in support

 10

services as they are moving into their college careers and are presented with anxiety and stress

during this time. By offering a transitions course, we are able to not just inform students of the

campus resources, but actively work with campus partners to have in-person experiences at these

locations or with the staff to eliminate some of the stress of having to seek out support on their

own. Establishing connections is a crucial first step in the journey to student success and

retention.

To evaluate the success of this program, first-year students will complete a survey that

will be conducted on the first and last day of the semester for all first-year students, both those

enrolled in the program and those not, to compare how students taking the course managed their

transition over the first semester compared to those that did not. The survey can be found in

Appendix B. This will also help see if retention rates were improved amongst students enrolled

in the transition course. It will also be important to work collaboratively with offices around

campus to how many students in the course utilize resources around campus to determine if the

course is successful in introducing students to available resources which will help them in their

transition to college.

Conclusion

Making the transition from high school to college can be a difficult time in a young

person's life. Not only is there an academic component involved in this change, but a social and

emotional component as well. Studies have shown that a large number of high school students

are unprepared to engage in collegiate-level coursework. This sudden change in academic

difficulty coupled with the likelihood of struggling to adapt to a new social environment is a

daunting task in the eyes of first-year students, especially those who identify as first-generation.

From the perspective of a first-year student, these obstacles could possibly lead to
 11

demoralization, and an overall lack of motivation, ultimately resulting in an academic

withdrawal from a university. Schlossberg’s transition theory helped frame our program based

on where first-year students are in their development, moving in stage, and what their needs are

in terms of institutional support. These are the issues and obstacles that would be alleviated to a

certain degree with the first-year transition course proposed within the confines of this document.

Our first-year transition course, Transitions 101, is in alignment with High Impact

Practices (Kuh, 2008) designed to inform students of the resources available to them and to

foster a connection and satisfaction with the university. First-year students should be made aware

of the campus resources that act as support systems and if utilized, can effectively assist students

from their first day of classes to graduation day. We designed this course knowing that certain

offices and departments operate under the pretense of providing assistance to students; however,

we understand that first-year students typically underutilize campus resources due to being

unaware of the location and purpose of these resources.

Additionally, first-year students and first-generation students might not know what

specific questions to ask when introduced to campus resources and the fear and uncertainty that

accompanies being in a new environment plays a role in persistence as well. With Transitions

101, we would bring the resources directly to the students in order to relieve the stress and ease

the tension that comes with being a first-year student in an unfamiliar place. By providing a

course that teaches students how to be financially literate, introducing them to campus resources,

and tracking their overall progress and utilization of campus resources, we will ultimately see an

increase in persistence and retention among our first-year students.

 12

References

Anderson, M. L., Goodman, J., & Schlossberg, N. K. (2012). Counseling adults in transition:

Linking Schlossberg's theory with practice in a diverse world. New York: Springer.

Barclay, S. R., (2017). Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. In Killam, W. K. & Degges-White, S.

(Eds.) College student development: Applying theory to practice on the diverse campus

(pp. 23-34). Springer.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education ®. Carnegie Classifications |

Institution Lookup. (2020). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from

https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/index.php

Gansemer‐Topf, A. M., Ross, L. E., & Johnson, R. M. (2006). Graduate and professional student

development and student affairs. New directions for student services, 2006(115), 19-30.

Grant-Vallone, E., Reid, K., Umali, C., & Pohlert, E. (2003). An analysis of the effects of self-

esteem, social support, and participation in student support services on students'

adjustment and commitment to college. Journal of College Student Retention: Research,

Theory & Practice, 5(3), 255-274.

Greenfield, G. M., Keup, J. R., & Gardner, J. N. (2013). Developing and sustaining successful

first-year programs: A guide for practitioners. John Wiley & Sons.

Hunter, M. S. (2006). Fostering student learning and success through first-year programs. Peer

Review, 8(3).

NIU's freshman class grows again, shines academically. NIU Newsroom. (2022, September 9).

Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://newsroom.niu.edu/inst_news_releases/nius-

freshman-class-grows-again-shines-
 13

academically/#:~:text=Total%20NIU%20enrollment%20for%20fall,and%20Graduate%2

0School%20enrollment%20decreased.

Porter, S. R., & Swing, R. L. (2006). Understanding how first-year seminars affect persistence.

Research in Higher Education, 47(1), 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-8153-

Wilmer, E. (2008). Student Support Services for the Underprepared Student. Inquiry, 13(1), 5-

19.

Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them,

and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.

 14

Appendix A

First-Year Checklist to Guide Transitions 101 Course

 15

Appendix B

Sample of the Beginning and End of Semester Surveys for Transitions 101

Transitions 101: Pre-Survey

➢ In what area are you most likely to major? If undecided, please list that.

○ __________________________________________________

➢ How confident do you feel that this major is right for you and aligns with career

goals?

○ Extremely Confident

○ Confident

○ Somewhat Confident

○ Slightly Confident

○ Not Confident

○ I am unsure

➢ Please list 5 campus resources that you are familiar with. (If unsure, list as many as

you can)

➢ ____________________________________________________

➢ I feel prepared both academically and socially to succeed at NIU this year.

➢ Strongly Agree

➢ Agree

➢ Neutral

➢ Disagree

➢ Strongly Disagree
 16

Transitions 101: Post-Survey

➢ How satisfied are you with the knowledge you gained from this course?

➢ Very satisfied

➢ Satisfied

➢ Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

➢ Dissatisfied

➢ Very dissatisfied

➢ Do you feel you achieved the desired learning outcome from this course?

➢ Yes

➢ No

➢ Not Sure

➢ On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the instructor’s overall teaching performance?

( 1 = poor, 10 = excellent)

○ 1
○ 2
○ 3
○ 4
○ 5
○ 6
○ 7
○ 8
○ 9
○ 10

➢ How effective were the instructional materials used in this course?

○ Extremely effective

○ Very effective
 17

○ Somewhat effective

○ Not so effective

○ Not at all effective

➢ How effective were the learning activities used in this course?

○ Extremely effective

○ Very effective

○ Somewhat effective

○ Not so effective

○ Not at all effective

➢ If you visited any of the departments listed and utilized their services, please check

the corresponding box:

○ Bursar office

○ Financial Aid office

○ Student Financial Advising Services

○ Center for Student Assistance (CSA)

○ Career Services

○ Counseling and Consultation Services

○ Academic Advising

○ The Writing Center

○ Tutoring Services

➢ Are you determined to continue your college career next semester?

○ Yes
○ No
○ Not sure
 18

Appendix C
Semester Long Outline for Transitions 101

Week 1: Introduction to Northern Illinois University

● In-Class Activity | Pre-survey about NIU Campus Resources

● Hand out First-Year Checklist to Guide Transitions 101 Course

Week 2: Student Involvement

● In-Class Presentation | Introduction to HuskieHub & Student Organizations

● Out of Class Activity | Attend a minimum of 3 campus events the semester and

provide photo documentation and written documentation of the experience.

Week 3: Center for Student Assistance (CSA)

● In-Class Presentation | Introduction to the CSA & panel discussion

● Out-of-Class Activity | Make an appointment with a Peer Academic Coach and

provide written documentation of attendance

Week 4: Diversity and Cultural Resource Centers and Programs

● In-Class Activity | Campus Tour of the Cultural Resource Centers with presentations

from students and staff at each center.

Week 5: University Libraries

● In-Class Activity | Tour of the library and Librarian Presentation with Q&A

Week 6: Financial Aid

● In-Class Panel | Panel of NIU staff discussing the importance of completing a FAFSA

and applying for Scholarships

Week 7: Counseling and Consultation Services

● In-Class Activity | Mental Health Screenings and program about the services offered

Week 8: University Libraries

 19

● In-Class Presentation | Presentation by University Libraries on how to effectively

conduct research for a paper

Week 9: Colleges, Schools and Departments

● Introduction to a variety of Academic Programs, Opportunities, and Resources

available to students.

● In-Class Activity | Students will take a career quiz to see what potential career paths

they may be interested in and how that corresponds to a decided major.

Week 10: Academic Advisors

● In-Class Discussion |Discuss the importance of meeting with an academic advisor

prior to registering for classes

Week 11: Spring Class Registration

● In-Class Activity | Review registration process and priority registration dates

Week 12: Career Services

● In-Class Activity | Professional headshots provided by Career Services

Week 13: Center for Student Assistance (CSA)

● In-Class Panel | First Semester Wrap-Up & Check-In

Week 14: Tips to prepare for Finals Week

● In-Class Activity | Panel of upperclassman students to share study tips for finals prep.

Week 15: How to be Successful Beyond NIU

● In-Class Activity | Develop plans to continue the work done in the course for the

following semester and post-survey about Transitions 101 as well as course

evaluations

Week 16: Finals Week

● No class! Good luck with your finals!