Building Pathways to Academic Success. A Practice Report

Abstract

Students attending university for the first time come with a range of expectations, experiences and skills. For many these prior experiences are less than optimal for achieving academic success. This paper evaluates the academic outcomes across three cohorts of a five day enabling program offered to commencing students in the week prior to their formal university orientation program. The demographics of this sample are such that over 50 percent come from low socio-economic backgrounds, about 50 percent are first in family to attend university, 50 percent are mature age students and over 50 percent have university entrance scores in the lower ranges of academic ability. Those who entered university with an Overall Position score of 15 or less and completed the program were less likely to fail and achieved higher grade point averages at the end of their first semester of studies than those who did not complete the enabling program. [Author abstract, ed]