Many colleges and universities have well-developed systems and supports, from special orientations for new students to special first-year seminars to group-based models that help students feel connected to the institution. So what happens after the first year?

In a workshop discussion Student Success in the USAhosted by Inside Higher Education And Times Higher Education Last week in Knoxville, Tenn., experts and higher education leaders discussed the barriers continuing students face and how colleges and universities can better support them.

What is needed: Many first-year activities focus on building awareness and connection within the institution, helping students build relationships with each other and the university to which they belong.

After the first year, students sometimes ask, “Where is the love?” They may feel left behind by thinking. said Silvia Patricia Rios Husain, vice president for student success at the University of South Carolina.

Rios Husain said that as students progress in their academic careers, they will complete more important courses and therefore experience more challenging academic environments.

Krystyne Savarese, vice president for student success at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where the event took place, said another area students are starting to question is their career development. Often, students question the value of general education courses in their undergraduate programs and seek greater relevance to their future plans.

Sophomores may also have different financial situations. First-year residency requirements are common at four-year residential colleges, but not every institution has the capacity to accommodate students for all four years. Students may need additional support in identifying housing and managing personal finances to pay rent or utility bills, Rios Husain said.

At the University of New England, college leaders noticed that fewer students were completing the FAFSA after the first year despite being Pell eligible; This can impact student retention and financial health, said Colin Pears, chief student retention officer and vice president for student success.

Another trend Pears has noticed is that students can make significant personal growth in their first year as they experience newfound self-confidence and freedom, but this can also put them in a challenging position as they navigate their college experience as their “new selves.” to talk. Students are at a stage of education where they are making a series of choices about their future that can create stress.

Providing guided reflection opportunities is key at this stage, Rios Husain said, helping students make connections between what they’ve learned and what they’ve experienced so they can identify ways to progress both at university and beyond.

Put it into practice: Higher education leaders have identified strategies that will benefit sophomores and seniors at their institutions:

• University of South Carolina created Carolina ExperienceProviding a hub for ongoing support beyond the first year.
• James Madison University has a campus-wide initiative to create a culture of continuous improvement and a growth mindset among stakeholders. University leaders hope it will serve as a model of preventative care that will encourage students to fail, learn and try again, said Paul Mabrey, director of student success and enrollment analytics.
• The University of New England provides strengths coaching to students to help them identify their whys and unlock their calling.
• UT Knoxville offers experiential learning and meaning-making experiences to sophomores to advance their career readiness and help them identify career competencies they develop inside and outside the classroom.

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