First Year Writing Retention and Success: Interventions and Initiatives
Start Date
August 2025
End Date
August 2025
Location
ALT 303
Abstract
First Year Writing Retention and Success: Interventions and Initiatives
Multiple studies have shown the correlation between success in first-year writing courses and overall academic success, retention, and persistence. The problem, then, lies in the rising failure to complete this course, an issue exacerbated by the after-effects of the Covid pandemic that manifests as lowered attendance rates and potential mental health concerns. The research conducted at Xavier for this project strongly supports outcomes noted by other researchers who have concluded that 1) student retention is directly linked to first-year writing success and 2) the key to that success lies in being present for those classes.
This project arose in response to increased numbers of withdrawal and failure rates from Xavier University’s first-year writing courses last year. Data gathered from the past academic year indicates several trends, such as gender differences in struggling students, a tendency for students to start off strong and decline near the midterm point, and an overall pattern of absences being by far the leading cause of withdrawal or failure in first-year writing courses, with secondary reporting indicating that mental health concerns were the underlying source of those absences. The programmatic interventions that were designed by Dr. Frey and I last summer and instituted this previous school year resulted in significant decreases in withdrawal and failure rates. Based on these results, this summer has been dedicated to further research on mental health and gender differences and the drafting of an academic article on our findings.
First Year Writing Retention and Success: Interventions and Initiatives
ALT 303
First Year Writing Retention and Success: Interventions and Initiatives
Multiple studies have shown the correlation between success in first-year writing courses and overall academic success, retention, and persistence. The problem, then, lies in the rising failure to complete this course, an issue exacerbated by the after-effects of the Covid pandemic that manifests as lowered attendance rates and potential mental health concerns. The research conducted at Xavier for this project strongly supports outcomes noted by other researchers who have concluded that 1) student retention is directly linked to first-year writing success and 2) the key to that success lies in being present for those classes.
This project arose in response to increased numbers of withdrawal and failure rates from Xavier University’s first-year writing courses last year. Data gathered from the past academic year indicates several trends, such as gender differences in struggling students, a tendency for students to start off strong and decline near the midterm point, and an overall pattern of absences being by far the leading cause of withdrawal or failure in first-year writing courses, with secondary reporting indicating that mental health concerns were the underlying source of those absences. The programmatic interventions that were designed by Dr. Frey and I last summer and instituted this previous school year resulted in significant decreases in withdrawal and failure rates. Based on these results, this summer has been dedicated to further research on mental health and gender differences and the drafting of an academic article on our findings.
