Promoting Networks of Academic Ties: How a Learning Community Facilitates First-Year Academic Success

• In Event: Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: College Student Learning and Outcomes Poster Session 1

Abstract

An important goal of postsecondary institutions is to connect students with one another so that mutual learning can occur, a component of academic integration. The purpose of this study is to analyze the patterns of connections among first-year college students in order to shed light on the ways administrators structure educational environments that make connections possible. Specifically, this study explores the peer academic networks among students in two residential communities (an arts-themed learning community and a random-assignment residence hall floor). An analysis using network data supports the notion that certain patterns of relationships are connected to increased first-semester GPA and that institutions may be able to facilitate the creation of such beneficial residential networks.

Author

• Rachel Smith, Baruch College - CUNY