iLEAD+–+Creating+a+transfer-year+experience

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**iLEAD: A comprehensive transfer experience program with a focus on civic leadership, engagement and democracy **

Katherine Nordyke, Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning; Instructor, First-Year Foundations, Missouri State University [KatherineNordyke@MissouriState.edu] Amy Carmack, Program Manager, University of Kansas Medical Center [acarmack@kumc.edu] **Keywords:** Transfer students, civic engagement, student affairs, student learning, democratic engagement **Conference track:** Higher education student outcomes **Format:** Poster presentation **Summary** This poster presentation describes a program that is based on the need to provide support for transferring college students through a comprehensive transfer experience program with a special focus on increasing knowledge and awareness of civic engagement, leadership, and democracy. As reported in Leadership Exchange (Jacobs & Marling, 2011), the National Center for Education Statistics found that at least 60% of college graduates will attend more than one institution during their academic careers. Transfer students may have familiarity with critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal relationship development, but may lack exposure, understanding, and practice with civic engagement, leadership, and democracy. There is no known research on the impacts or effects of transfer-year experience programs and these variables and with a growing number of transfer students, it is imperative to explore the needs for this unique set of students. This poster presentation, explores the use of the iLEAD (Leadership, Engagement, and Democracy) initiative to increase knowledge and awareness of civic engagement, leadership, and democracy. iLEAD focuses on cultivating civic engagement skills through leadership activities, service-learning, and democratic class instruction during a one-semester course (Track 1) or two-semester course (Track 2). The poster presentation will include background information on transfer students, a program overview, program implementation strategies, research methodology, and assessment and evaluation plans for continued effectiveness and impact on student learning (NASPA & ACPA, 2004). Missouri State University is planning implementation of iLEAD in the spring 2013 semester through the Department of Academic Affairs and Public Affairs and this research has informed that process. **References** American Association of State Colleges and Universities. (n.d.). //American Democracy Project.// Retrieved from [|http://www.aascu.org/programs/adp/about.htm] Astin, A. W., Sax, L. J., & Avalos, J. (1999). Long-term effects of volunteerism during the undergraduate years. //The Review of Higher Education, 22//(2), 187-202. Barefoot, B. (2000). The first-year experience: Are we making it any better? //About Campus,// 12-18. Bok, D. (2006). //Our underachieving colleges//. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Camarena, P., Saltarelli, A., & Lung, J. (2006). Expanding the role of required out-of-class experiences in FYE: Lessons from personal development and student development projects. //Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 18//(1), 61-84. Jacobs, R. C., & Marling, J. L. (2011). Transfer students: How SSAOs can ease the transition process. //Leadership Exchange, 8//(4), 10-15. Keup, J. R., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Learning how to be a successful student: Exploring the impact of first-year seminars on student outcomes. //Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 17//(1), 11-47. Lang, D. J. (2007). The impact of a first-year experience course on the academic performance, persistence, and graduation rates of first-semester college students at a public research university. //Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 19//(1), 9-25. Myers-Lipton, S. J. (1998). Effect of a comprehensive service-learning program on college students’ civic responsibility. //Teaching Sociology, 26//, 243-258. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and American College Personnel Association. (2004). //Learning reconsidered: A campus-wide focus on the student experience.// Washington, DC: Authors. Pascarella, E. T., Ethington, C. A., & Smart, J. C. (1988). The influence of college on humanitarian/civic involvement values. //The Journal of Higher Education, 59//(4), 412-437. Spiezio, K. E., Baker, K. Q., & Boland, K. (2005). General education and civic engagement: An empirical analysis of pedagogical possibilities. //The Journal of General Education, 54//(4), 273-293. Starke, M. C., Harth, M., & Sirianni, F. (2001). Retention, bonding, and academic achievement: Success of a first-year seminar. //Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 13//(2), 7-35.

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