Too ColLEGe-IT to Quit: Onboarding to Higher Education

On average 1 in 3 first-time students do not continue on after their first year citing reasons such as lack of sense of belonging to academic preparedness. Moreover, students enrolled in online learning have 10% to 20% higher retention and persistence failure rates when compared to face-to-face. As universities transition towards an increasingly online environment, first-time students to college are doubly-faced with navigating the terrain of higher education in an online environment which impacts retention and persistence. Thus, there is a need to have an onboarding course prior to the start of a college student’s first semester to support their success as they start their college journeys.

The purpose of this 5-module course was designed to educate first-time college students on how to succeed at the university, develop a better understanding of the learning process, and acquire academic skills and knowledge essential for success in college and in life. This course utilized a strengths-based approach with activities geared towards self-discovery, developing academic skills, and community-building. This session will discuss the objectives, learning technology, activities, and the overall development process used to create this course.