First Year Experience Programs and Lifelong Engagement

This project examines how institutions implement successful first year experience programs to promote lifelong institutional engagement among students. The report also explores what metrics institutions employ to evaluate the success of their efforts in these areas.

Key observations from our research:

1. First-year experience programs support a student’s transition to higher education and teach the institution’s traditions and values.
2. Alumni participate in recruitment events and host celebratory galas for first-year students.
3. Staff hire students to serve as orientation leaders during first-year experience program sessions.
4. Online survey evaluations for participants after program sessions to collect feedback on how to improve orientation programming.

Download the Report