First-Year Student Success Initiative | Division of Academic Affairs | The University of Maine

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First-Year Student Success Initiative

The first year of a student’s academic experience sets the tone for their academic success or failure. Every year from 20% to 25% of first-year students do not return to UMaine for a second year of study. There are a variety of factors that contribute to students’ performance in their first year.

Student success is central to UMaine's mission, values, reputation and fiscal health. The first year of a student's academic experience has a particularly significant impact on their academic success or failure. A variety of factors contribute to students' success (or failure) in their first year. Throughout the 2018-2019 academic year the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Life collaborated on the development of plans to optimize the first-year student experience.

On September 27, 2018, Provost Hecker led an Academic Affairs Faculty Forum at which he shared background data and analyses related to student success and failure as well as a proposal for how UMaine administrators, faculty, and staff can work together to create a comprehensive first year student success plan.

Submissions from 2019 2019

First-Year Success Program: Academic Support Services, Academic Support Services Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Summer Preparation Working Group Video, Chris Bartram

First-Year Curricula Review: College of Education & Human Development, College of Education & Human Development and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Curricula Review: College of Engineering, College of Engineering and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Curricula Review: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Curricula Review: College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, & Agriculture, College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, & Agriculture and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: New Student Orientation Working Group Video, Michael Cooley

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Placement, Preparation, & Progress Working Group Video, Farahad Dastoor

First-Year Success Program: Faculty Support/Development, Faculty Support/Development Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Success Program: Financial, Financial Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Success Program: First-Year Success Courses, First-Year Success Courses Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Courses Working Group Video, Emily Haddad

First Year Student Success Initiative: Academic Support Services video, Sara Henry

First Year Student Success Initiative: Academic Support Services Working Group Report, Sara Henry, Crisanne Blackie, Erick Chapman, Amy Coleman, Paula Drewniany, Susan Gardner, Michelle Gayne, Sarah Joughin, Ann Maxim, Paige Mitchell, and Brittany Smith

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Financial Working Group Video, Jessica Hickernell

First-Year Success Program: Living Learning Communities, Living Learning Communities Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Navigate Working Group Video, Mary Mahoney O'Neil

First-Year Success Program: Navigate Committee, Navigate Committee Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Success Program: New Student Orientation, New Student Orientation Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Steering Committee Members, Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative webpage, Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Success Program: Placement, Preparation, and Progress, Placement, Preparation, and Progress Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Living & Learning Communities Working Group Video, Sean Smith

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Faculty Support/Development Working Group Video, Natasha Speer

First-Year Success Program: Student Success Hub, Student Success Hub Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Success Program: Summer Preparation, Summer Preparation Working Group and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative: Student Success Hub Working Group Video, Katie Taylor

First-Year Curricula Review: Undergraduate School of Business, Maine Business School, Undergraduate School of Business, Maine Business School and Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

First-Year Student Success Initiative Video, University of Maine

Faculty Forum : First-year Success Initiative - Update, University of Maine Office of Academic Affairs

Submissions from 2018 2018

First Year Student Success Initiative: Academic Support Services Working Group Charge, Jeffrey E. Hecker

Faculty Forum : First-Year Student Success, University of Maine Office of Academic Affairs

First-Year Retention and Student Success at UMaine (Exploratory Analysis), University of Maine Office of Institutional Research

Submissions from 2014 2014

2014 Action Plan for Retention and Graduation, Jeffrey Hecker