THE EFFECT OF UNIVERSITY 101 ON
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
by
Kathleen Pettman
B.Sc., University of Victoria, 1992

PROJECT SUBMITIED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
in
EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING

© Kathleen Pettman, 2003
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
December 2003
All rights reserved . This work may not be
reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without the permission of the author.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
UBRARV

Prince George, BC

University 101 on Academic Performance
Abstract
University 101 is a course designed to assist first year students to adjust
to the University and to gain the skills necessary to become successful students.
This project compared the academic performance of a sample of first year
students who took this course with a sample of similar students who did not take
the course. A significant correlation was found between admission percentage 1
and subsequent term grade point averages (GPAs) 2 at the University of Northern
British Columbia (UNBC); no significant correlation was found between
admission percentage and the increase in GPA between terms. Analyses of
covariance (ANCOVA) with admission percentage as the covariate, completion of
University 101 as the independent variable, and term 1 and term 2 GPAs as the
dependent variables found a significant positive effect on both term 1 and term 2
GPAs. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the independent variable
completion of University 101 and the dependent variable the difference between
term 1 and term 2 GPAs found a significant negative effect of University 101 on
increase in GPA.

1
2

See appendix B for details of admission percentage calculation
See appendix D for details of term GPA calculation

ii

University 101 on Academic Performance
Table of Contents
Abstract

ii

Table of Contents

iii

List of Tables

iv

List of Figures

v

Introduction
Factors that Influence Student Success
Introduction to the Research Problem

1
1
2

Literature Review
Review of Research on Student Success Courses
Summary of the Research on Student Success Courses
Statement of the Research Problem

4
4
20
20

Method
Subjects
Criteria for inclusion.
Recruitment procedure.
Characteristics of subjects.
Procedures
Explanation of procedures.
Phase 1 procedures.
Phase 2 procedures.
Measures
Ethics Safeguards

27
27
27
27
28
28
28
32
33
33

Results

33

Discussion

38

References

44

Appendix A: UNBC High School Applicant Admission
Requirements
Appendix 8: High School Admission Percentage Calculation
Appendix C: UNBC Grading Information
Appendix D: Term Grade Point Average Calculation
Appendix E: Sample University 101 Course Outline
Appendix F: Sample University 101 Class Schedule
Appendix G: Subject Data Summary

48
49
51
53
54
55
56

29

iii

University 101 on Academic Performance
List of Tables
Table 1.

Cognitive Skill Measures

7

Table 2.

Factors Found to Positively Affect Academic
Development

8

Table 3.

University 101: Topics of Instruction

26

Table 4.

First Year Student Data Extract

29

Table 5.

Master Query Fields

30

Table 6.

Treatment Subject Identification

31

Table 7.

Control Subject Identification

31

Table 8.

GPA Means and Standard Deviations

34

Table 9.

Correlation between Admission Percentage and UN8C
Term 1 GPA, Term 2 GPA, and GPA Difference

35

Table 10.

Analysis of Covariance -Term 1 GPA as
Dependent Variable

36

Table 11.

Analysis of Covariance- Term 2 GPA as
Dependent Variable

37

Table 12.

Analysis of Covariance- GPA Difference
as Dependent Variable

38

Table 81 .

Sample Transcript

49

Table 82.

Sample Admission Percentage Calculation

50

iv

University 101 on Academic Performance
List of Figures
Figure 1. Pre-test Post-test Non-randomized Experimental Design

v

4

University 101 on Academic Performance
Introduction
Anyone involved in post-secondary education today is aware of the
growing interest in "student success." There are valid reasons for this interest.
Governments spend a significant amount of taxpayers' money funding
universities 3 . Individually, students invest time and money to attend university.
For both reasons , people want to know they are getting a good return for this
money.

Unfortunately, it is becoming apparent that the success rate is not

impressive. In Canada, fewer than half of the students who begin a degree
complete within five years (Smith , 1991 ). In British Columbia the situation is
similar (Dennison , 1982). It would seem that there is a lot of room for
improvement.

Factors that Influence Student Success
The literature has identified a number of factors that influence student
success. Institutional characteristics such as the number of faculty - student
interactions, availability of faculty, teaching versus research orientation of faculty,
opportunities for social integration (such as joining clubs) , and opportunities for
academic integration (activities that allow students to actively participate in the
learning process) increase students' sense of belonging to the institution and
engagement in the learning process, which , in turn , leads to increased success
rates . Personal characteristics such as age, life experience, support of family
and friends, ability to adapt to new situations, academic preparedness,
3

For the purposes of th is project, a university is defined as a degree-granting institution with both
teaching and research mandates.

1

University 101 on Academic Performance
commitment to an academic goal, relevance of studies to career goals, study
skills, and time management skills also affect an individual's chance of success.
Introduction to the Research Problem
There are two primary reasons for studying student success at this time.
In the past, students who dropped out or were required to withdraw due to poor
grades were written off as "not having what it takes" to succeed; it was
considered a standard and acceptable weeding-out process4 . It is becoming
increasingly apparent, however, that this assessment was inaccurate. For
example, Johnson and Buck (1995) found that half of the students who were
required to withdraw from one institution continued their studies successfully at
other institutions. Rather than ability, it is a combination of factors that
determines whether these students persist to credential completion and if they
do, the level of academic achievement they attain.
The second impetus is the reality of supply and demand. Institutions are
under pressure to produce more graduates to meet the demands of our everadvancing society. At the same time, they are experiencing a demographicallyinduced shortage of applicants considered qualified by traditional standards.
Therefore universities are under pressure to admit applicants who, relative to the
applicants of the recent past, are less academically qualified. At the same time,
universities are being pressured by governments to demonstrate higher
graduation rates. This has led to the search for strategies to assist students to
succeed and budget decisions to fund these strategies. One popular strategy is
4

Based on the researcher's 10 years of experience working in the post-secondary environment

2

University 101 on Academic Performance
to offer a course for first-year students providing formalized instruction in skills
such as note-taking techniques, exam writing techniques, and effective study
strategies. Previously, these skills were left to students to develop on their own,
or were addressed through non-credit workshops. These courses may also
address other factors related to success such as providing small , seminar
formats to increase personal interactions between students and faculty,
clarification of academic goals, problem solving , and information about services
and clubs on campus.
Such a course was instituted at the University of Northern British
Columbia in 1998. Aptly titled University 101 , Introduction to Higher Education, it
was initiated with the expectation that it would lead to an increase in student
success. It has since been offered each term. Hundreds of students have taken
the course in the expectation that they will learn skills necessary to succeed in
university faster than if left to learn through trial-and-error, and that they will
obtain better grades earlier in their university career. The University invests
instructional resources to offer the course; students invest money and time to
take the course. Clearly both parties expect a return on their investment.
If University 101 is having the desired outcome, students who take the
course should show a greater improvement in their academic performance
following course completion than if they had not taken the course. The goal of
this study is to examine whether the course is having the desired effect. Do
students who take University 101 demonstrate a higher rate of student success,
as measured by term grade point average (TGPA) , than do similar students who
do not take the course? The research design to answer this question, a matched

3

University 101 on Academic Performance
sample with pre and post treatment measures, is presented as Figure 1. The
results were evaluated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) .

N 0

X 0

N 0

0

Figure 1. Pre-test Post-test Non-randomized Experimental Design.
Literature Review
Review of Research on Student Success Courses
In 1999/00, Canadian governments spent $12,089,000,000 on university
funding (Statistics Canada, n.d.-b) . This represents approximately 80% of the
operating costs of universities; another 17% comes from tuition fees (Smith ,
1991; Statistics Canada, n.d.b). It would certainly appear that Canadians are
convinced that universities are a worthwhile investment.

In 1998/99, 826,361

students were enrolled in Canadian universities (Statistics Canada, n.d.-d)students willing to make a personal investment in education. Books and tuition
for a typical undergraduate degree carry an estimated price tag of $16,000. 5
The opportunity cost of lost wages, at least $51 ,000 , must also be considered. 6
In addition to the dollar cost, obtaining a degree takes a great deal of hard work.

5

Calculated at $3000 per year tuition. This is an average cost for publicly funded
institutions in British Columbia in 2000/2001; tuition is slightly higher in the rest of
Canada, and varies by province, institution, and program. An additional $1000 per year
has been added for books and materials for a total of $4000 per year. Since degrees
take a minimum of four years to complete, the total is $16,000.
6

If we assume a student could find a full time job at minimum wage the calculation
would be as follows:
35 hours per week X $7 per hour X 52 weeks per year X 4 years = $50,960

4

University 101 on Academic Performance
Clearly, these students were convinced that there would be a payoff for their
investment of money, time , and energy.
If both society and individuals are willing to put such significant resources
into university education, the expected payoff must be high.

Universities are

expected to provide experts in a wide range of fields that can be called upon
when needed; to produce research to improve our knowledge of the world, our
comfort, and our chance of survival ; and to produce graduates with necessary
skills.

Students expect better employment opportunities, higher salaries, and an

opportunity to increase their knowledge in fields of interest.

In short, the

expectation is that universities will produce graduates with skills and knowledge.
What contributes to (or detracts from) achieving this goal? To adequately
examine this question, we must consider two inextricable measurespersistence and academic performance. Persistence refers to a student's
continuation of studies to completion. Academic performance refers to taking
advantage of learning opportunities to make the most of a student's potential
and , at a minimum, maintaining satisfactory academic standing 7 .
The Canadian system of higher education is very similar to the American
system, with credentials considered equivalent by universities and employers
alike. In fact, the American system is more like the Canadian system than any
other in the world. 8 Because of the similarities in the education system and
7

Generally satisfactory academic standing is defined as a 2.0 or "C" grade point average in
Canada. See appendices C and D for details of grading and GPA calculations.

8

The researcher has worked for more than 5 years as an admissions officer, which has required
the comparison of many educational systems around the world. Resources consistently
recommend that Canadian and American university degrees be considered equivalent.

5

University 101 on Academic Performance
culture, American research is often considered applicable to Canadian students.
There is one notable exception , however. American studies consistently find that
minority students, usually defined as Mexican American and African American ,
achieve lower grades and have higher dropout rates than majority students.
Canadian studies do not find that minority students have the same challenges in
achieving success at university (Grayson , 1998, 1995a). It is theorized that this
may be due to historically different immigration patterns in the two countries.
Therefore, with the exception of racial considerations, this study has referred to
American and Canadian findings.
To begin the exploration of the factors that contribute to the goal of
producing skilled graduates, one must first define the development under
consideration. The traditional student enters university directly from secondary
school, is approximately 18 years of age upon entrance, and graduates from
university around age 22 . These are critical developmental years for humans,
regardless of the activities in which they engage and the environment in which
they find themselves. It is therefore necessary to carefully consider which
developments can be attributed solely to participation in a university education .
To do so, we must control for maturation , initial abilities, socioeconomic
background , and other relevant factors. Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) found
that, even when these factors were controlled , university graduates had higher
cognitive skill levels than did non-graduates in the measures listed in Table 1.

6

University 101 on Academic Performance
Table 1
Cognitive Skill Measures
Written and oral communication skills
General intelligence
Analytical skill development
Critical thinking
Ability to weigh evidence and determine validity of arguments using facts
rather than beliefs and to distinguish between strong and weak arguments
Level of reasoning ability
Intellectual flexibility (defined as the ability to comprehend and effectively
argue both sides of a complex issue)
Subject matter knowledge
Factual knowledge
Tendency to engage in activities that continue to add to knowledge

If a university education leads to cognitive development, what factors can
enhance this development? Perhaps the best summary of factors leading to
cognitive development, which is also consistent with Pascarella and Terenzini
(1991 ), comes from Astin (1993). His definition of overall academic development
is a combination of self-reported general knowledge, knowledge of a particular
field, ability to think critically, analytical and problem solving skills, and writing
skills. Astin also found that overall academic development was positively
affected by numerous factors (see Table 2).

7

University 101 on Academic Performance

Table 2
Factors Found to Positively Affect Academic Development

Faculty who were more student and teaching oriented than research oriented
Peer socioeconomic status (higher status led to more development)
Grade point average
Hours per week spent studying
Class papers critiqued by instructor
Number of science oriented courses taken
Number of writing skills courses taken
Working on group projects
Discussion of racial or ethnic issues
Number of history courses taken
Number of math or numerical analysis courses taken
Number of presentations given in class
Number of hours spent tutoring other students
Level of alcohol consumptiona
aThe author had no explanation for this finding; it specifically affects general knowledge. His
discussion on the result is "A somewhat far-fetched interpretation of this finding is that the
students might enhance their fund of general knowledge and information by means of the lengthy
conversations that frequently accompany social drinking. While the size of the correlation is quite
small (partial Beta=.04), it is highly significant statistically (p<.0005) and certainly warrants further
investigation" (Astin, 1993, p. 225) .

Grayson (1993) found that the perceived relevance of classes to career success
and satisfaction with instruction increased the acquisition of knowledge. Lizzio,
Wilson, and Simons (2002) found that positive perceptions of the teaching
environment lead to academic achievement and qualitative learning outcomes.
Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) sum up their findings with "simply put, the
greater the student's involvement or engagement in academic work or in the

8

University 101 on Academic Pertormance
academic experience of college , the greater his or her level of knowledge
acquisition and general cognitive development" (p. 616).
It is clear, then , that a university education increases cognitive skills and
knowledge. It is also an established fact that university graduates have higher
incomes than do non-graduates. The 2001 Canada census shows that the
average annual income for a university graduate is $48,648, while the average
income for those without a degree (but with high school graduation and perhaps
some additional post-secondary education) is $25,477 (Statistics Canada, n.d.a) . These factors alone should be a strong incentive to complete a degree. It is
striking , then , that "more students leave their college or university prior to degree
completion than stay" (Tinto, 1993, p. 1). In the United States, 55% of those who
enroll in first year do not complete a degree (Tinto , 1987). In Canada, 42% of
those entering university in 1985 had not completed a degree in 5 years; of those
who withdrew, approximately half were in good academic standing and did not
transfer to another institution (Smith , 1991 ). In British Columbia, the withdrawal
rate between first and second year ranges from 21 to 46% (Dennison, 1982); the
completion rate ranges from 38 to 51%. Clearly, a significant number of students
who begin university change their minds. What contributes to the decision to
leave university, or conversely, what makes students persist?
Tinto (1993) and Spann (1990) describe a student integration model in
which the decision to persist or drop out is made based on the interplay of
intention, commitment, interaction , congruence, and student characteristics.
Intention refers to the student's academic goal- what do they plan to achieve?
Commitment is the willingness of students to pertorm the necessary work

9

University 101 on Academic Performance
required to achieve the goal. Interaction refers to the amount of interaction the
student has with members of the institution. Congruence is the academic and
social fit between the student and the institution. Student characteristics include
academic ability, preparedness, and ability to accomplish the transition on
intellectual, social , academic, and personal levels as they adjust from their
previous life to that of a university student. This model has been readily
accepted in higher education circles and has formed the framework for most
recent retention literature. It has been so highly accepted that Mckeown,
Macdonnel, and Bowman (1993) point out that findings have since been
gathered to support the theory rather than the usual practice of having the theory
synthesized by a deductive process. There may be grounds for this concern
because the majority of recent literature limits investigation to factors proposed
by Tinto's model. While there is a wide body of evidence in support of the
influence of these factors on retention , there could be other contributing factors
that are being overlooked , or there may be interactions between factors that are
not being considered because they are not in the currently accepted model.
The caution of Mckeown et al. (1993) aside, Tinto's (1993) theory does
effectively explain why students make different decisions in apparently similar
circumstances. An academically gifted student may drop out if s/he does not
have a high academic goal , is unwilling to put the necessary work into
academics, finds the curriculum uninteresting, does not "fit in" with the student
body, or experiences an accumulation of these factors that tip the balance.
Conversely, a student with lower academic ability might persist to degree
completion if s/he is committed to a career or academic goal , finds the academic
10

University 101 on Academic Performance
climate stimulating , becomes involved in student activities, or experiences a
combination of these factors that makes the hard work seem worthwhile.
Essentially, it is an on-going cost/benefit analysis equation .
While some students decide to drop out voluntarily after doing this analysis,
each semester universities determine that some students are ineligible to
continue due to poor academic performance. These students are required to
withdraw. There are no Canadian figures available to provide a clear picture of
the number of students in this category annually. However, in American
literature 20 to 33% of those who withdraw do so involuntarily (Johnson , 1994,
1996; Tinto, 1987). There has been relatively little work done with these
students, perhaps because they are dismissed as being inherently incapable of
succeeding at university studies- lacking the talent or ability. However, Corman ,
Barr, and Caputo (1992) point out "the assumption underlying some Canadian
admission policies is that the students accepted are capable of and prepared for
obtaining a university degree" (p. 22). This is worth consideration. The entire
point of the admissions process in universities is to ensure that those admitted
have adequate academic preparation to succeed at university (and , if there are
more applicants than spaces available , that the most qualified candidates are
selected). It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that all students admitted based
on academic qualifications have demonstrated the necessary academic
background and ability to succeed - or at the very least that most students
admitted with the same preparation and grades do succeed . Johnson and Buck
(1995) found additional evidence for this- half of the students who were required
to withdraw from one institution continued their education successfully at other
11

- - - - - - - - - - - - - --

- - - - - - - - - - - - ----

University 101 on Academic Performance
institutions. Their success at other institutions is hardly indicative of a lack of
academic ability.
What this does suggest is that this group of students should not be written
off as unworthy of retention efforts - most have the ability to succeed. When
considering what else affects students who withdraw involuntarily, the literature
finds that those required to withdraw are more likely to be younger, have gone
directly from high school to university, have less work experience, and have
lower admission percentages (Johnson 1994, 1996). These students are less
likely to have children (Johnson 1996); they are also less likely to have family
support for university studies (Johnson 1994). They reported excessive social
lives (by their own assessment), unsatisfactory instruction and unavailable
faculty, lack of enjoyment of classes, and that their program was not developing
employment skills (Johnson, 1994). Not surprisingly, they were also more likely
to miss classes, fail to turn in assignments, and fall behind in course readings
(Johnson, 1994, Dietsche, 1990). Johnson (1994) found that students required
to withdraw had less effective time management and study skills than did those
who persisted or withdrew voluntarily. Johnson and Buck (1995) found that
students who left involuntarily cited the following as contributors to poor grades:
personal and financial causes (31 %), lack of commitment, need for time off, a
competitive environment (24%), the wrong program, poor teaching methods, and
the unavailability of professors (1 0%). Dietsche (1990) found that uncertainty
about goals was also a significant factor in predicting involuntary withdrawal.
Grayson (1998) found that the higher the perceived value of a degree, the lower
the chance of involuntary withdrawal. Hours of off-campus work and living in
12

University 101 on Academic Performance
temporary accommodations (as opposed to university residence or the family
home) increased the likelihood of involuntary withdrawal (Tinto, 1993). It is
worthwhile to note that self-reported reasons for attrition may not give us an
accurate picture of what actually occurs. Rather, students are reluctant to report
negatively about themselves, and may report socially-acceptable reasons for
their actions rather than less-flattering truths (Braxton, Brier, & Hossler, 1988;
McKeown, Macdonell, & Bowman, 1993). The literature certainly suggests that
students who are required to withdraw are affected by many factors- not simply
a lack of academic ability. For the majority of these students, a combination of
factors result in a failure to put in the effort required to maintain acceptable
academic standing.

In essence, they decide not to do the work required to

succeed academically, which eventually results in a requirement to withdraw
from the institution. It would seem that there are more similarities than
differences between students who withdraw voluntarily and those who do so
involuntarily.
This leads us back to an examination of the factors that contribute to
persistence. As most university counselors and academic advisors would attest,
the majority of university students have not yet finalized their educational and
career goals. Tinto (1993) found that just over 33% of students have firm plans.
Of those, "nearly three out of every four college students will experience some
form of educational and/or occupational uncertainty during the course of their
college careers ... " (p. 40). While career indecision is not directly related to
withdrawal, this indecision over an extended period is more common among
those who withdraw than among those who persist (Tinto, 1993). Dietsche
13

~------------~---------

-- -

University 101 on Academic Performance
(1990) found that uncertainty about career goals was significantly linked to
withdrawal, while Stewart (1990) found that this was one of three main reasons
students gave for withdrawal. For those who are certain of their career goals,
perceived relevance of course work to future career success increased the
likelihood of persistence (Grayson, 1993; Johnson, 1995, 1996). Career
counselling is positively correlated with persistence (Astin, 1993). Braxton,
Murrell, and Pascarella (1988) found that academic advising works by increasing
academic integration and commitment to the goal of a degree.
Perhaps the effect of uncertainty about goals is better considered as
contributing to what Tinto (1987) defines as commitment- the willingness to do
the work required to earn a degree. The more a degree is seen as leading to a
desired goal, the more commitment we can expect from a student. Commitment
will also be affected by external factors such as the support of family and friends
or conflicting demands for time and energy. It is also likely to vary over the
course of degree completion. Commitment may be toward something as general
as the concept of learning or as specific as a degree at a select institution (as
when there is particular prestige associated with the institution, or a family
tradition to uphold). In fact, educational commitment has been found to be the
most significant predictor of persistence (Dietsche, 1990; Grayson, 1998;
Johnson & Buck, 1995; Ungar, 1980). Cope and Hannah (1975) found that a
combination of educational and occupational goals was the significant predictor.
Regardless of the reason for commitment, students who put effort into academic
activities are more likely to succeed than are those who do not.

14

University 101 on Academic Performance
Whether students persist or drop out, increased commitment is likely to
result in more energy being expended on academic activities. Academic
activities include class attendance, assignment completion, and time spent
studying. Not surprisingly, the more time spent on these activities, the better the
GPA tends to be (Larose & Roland , 1991 ). Quality of effort in these areas is a
main predictor of persistence (Dietsche, 1990; Grayson, 1995a; Tinto, 1993.
Richardson and Sullivan (1994) found the quality of effort demonstrated by
students to be a main predictor of persistence. It is unlikely that quality of effort
leads to retention as much as the decision to persist leads to these activities.
However, this diminishes neither the fact that the two are correlated, nor the
predictive and diagnostic usefulness of quality of effort.
While the quality of academic effort seems a rather self-evident part of the
retention equation for most educators, the significance of integration may be
surprising to some. Tinto (1987) explains that "experiences, academic and
social, which serve to integrate the individual into the life of the college, also
serve to heighten attachments and therefore strengthen individual commitments
both to the goal of education and to the institution" (p. 5). It is important to note
that there are two dimensions to these experiences- quantity and quality.
Social integration occurs when students feel comfortable with the number and
type of social interactions they experience. This includes finding a peer group of
students to associate with, belonging to clubs, participating in athletics, and
taking part in institution-sponsored activities. Thomas and Andes (1987) found
that social affiliation, participation in extracurricular activities, and perception of
affiliation were correlated with persistence. Stewart (1990) found that those who
15

University 101 on Academic Performance
persisted had more contact with clubs and sports. Husband (1976) found that
those who persisted were much more likely to identify with someone on campus
with whom they had a significant relationship. The exception to this rule is that
older, non-traditional students do not seem to have the same need for social
integration (Metzer & Bean, 1993). In general, however, students must find
activities they enjoy doing, people they enjoy being around, and feel welcome in
these circles. While sheer volume of participation alone will not ensure this
sense of belonging, the more contact students make, the more likely it is that
they will find people and activities they enjoy. Conversely, when social contact is
insufficient or unsatisfying, it leads to a feeling of isolation from the institution.
The more similarity students see between themselves and the dominant culture
of the organization, the more likely they are to see themselves as congruent with
the institution (Tinto, 1993). Interestingly, he also points out that while larger
institutions have a greater challenge to create a sense of community, they have
the advantage of having more sub-groups of students and faculty, which
increases the likelihood that there will be a group with which a student can
identify. Smaller institutions have an advantage in creating a sense of
community, but have a greater challenge creating diversity.
Social integration is only one part of integration into the university
environment. Academic integration refers to the level of academic performance
required as well as informal academic activities; for example, contact with faculty
or participation in academic activities outside a formal classroom setting. If the
academic performance expectations are too high, students may withdraw or be
required to withdraw; if they are too low, they are likely to be bored and transfer
16

~-------------------------------

University 101 on Academic Periormance
to a more demanding program or institution. With regard to informal academic
activities, Tinto (Spann , 1990) states:
The research is very clear that the more students make contact
with faculty, especially outside the classroom, and the more
educationally satisfying those contacts are, the more likely those
students are to stay. Furthermore, even among those who stay,
those who report contacts and report them as satisfying are more
likely to have higher learning gains while in college. Among people
of similar ability, people who have higher and more satisfying
contact will learn more than people who do not have this contact.
Faculty contact is, therefore, the fabric of the college community
and is an independent predictor or force in learning. (p.20)
Terenzini and Pascarella (1980) found that with faculty interaction, quantity
mattered, but quality of interaction , specifically intellectual or course-related
discussion , was the most important. Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) found that
the educational impact of a college's faculty is enhanced when their
contacts with students extend beyond the formal classroom to
informal non-classroom settings. Net of student background
characteristics, extent of informal contact with faculty is positively
linked with a wide range of outcomes. These include perceptions
of intellectual growth during college, increases in intellectual
orientation, liberalization of social and political values, growth in
autonomy and independence, increases in interpersonal skills,
gains in general maturity and personal development, educational
aspirations and attainment, orientation toward scholarly careers,
and women's interest in and choice of sex-atypical (maledominated) careers. (p. 620)
Dietsche (1990) found integration into academic environments was a significant
predictor of persistence.

Metzher and Bean (1993) found that academic

congruence was particularly important for non-traditional students (perhaps
because social integration is not nearly as likely or important to them; they are
there to learn , and if they do not learn what they want to, there is no other reason
to be there). Stewart (1990) found dissatisfaction with curriculum content higher
among those who withdrew than among those who persisted. Rummel, Acton,
17

----------

University 101 on Academic Performance
Costello, and Pielo (1999) found that the majority of students who withdrew in
good academic standing did so due to dissatisfaction with academics at their
institution. Johnson (1996) found that perceived instructor unavailability was
correlated with increased withdrawal rates. Quality of instruction and the
perceived relevance to future career success were found to be linked to
persistence (Grayson, 1993, 1995b; Johnson, 1996). Astin (1993) found that
student - faculty interactions, being a guest in a faculty member's home, active
learning through giving presentations in class, independent research projects,
and the use of essay exams increase retention. Grayson (1993) found that
academic involvement was far more important than social involvement, although
these studies were done at a commuter university where campus involvement
was generally less overall. Tinto (1993) concludes that the prevalence of
student-student and student-faculty interactions is the single most important
predictor of persistence even when controlling for background, personality, and
academic performance.
So far we have considered a number of institutional factors that act on
students once they enter an institution. Students, however, are not blank slates
when they start university. They bring with them an individual set of experiences,
skills, and natural abilities.

It is not surprising that those who were academically

successful in high school tend to be the best performers in university, and in fact
Richardson and Sullivan (1994) found that the single best predictor of university
GPA is a student's high school GPA. This does not mean that they are the most
likely to persist, however; merely that when they do persist they show high
achievement. However, students with high academic abilities and levels of
18

University 101 on Academic Periormance
academic preparedness need expend only a limited degree of effort to succeed
academically. While this does not ensure persistence, it does mean that they do
not need as much commitment to succeed, and all else being equal, may persist
when those not as apt or prepared might drop out. Age and life situation are also
significant individual factors. Young and old students alike have challenges
presented by their life circumstances. Younger students are busy with the
business of growing up, making a transition from a high school student to
university student, teenager to adult. This often involves moving away from
home, making new friends, finalizing (or choosing) a career direction and
developing a sense of personal identity. Fitting in with a peer group is a bigger
factor for younger students than for older ones. Older students tend to take
university in addition to other things rather than instead of, as is usually the case
with younger students. This means family and work commitments tend to
compete with the time available for academic activities, and that integration with
the institution tends not to be as strong. Instead their affiliations tend to be off
campus. They tend to have more commitment to their educational goals
(Metzner & Bean, 1987). While they may be more committed to their goals, they
may be academically rusty or under-prepared (some universities admit mature
students with less documented academic preparation than students admitted
directly from high school). Interestingly, family responsibility is linked to greater
persistence in men, but less for women (Astin, 1993). External ties affect
persistence in a more generalized way as well. Students who maintain their old
friendships and live off campus are less likely to become integrated in their new
university (Christie & Dinham, 1991 ). When people important to the student
19

University 101 on Academic Performance
support the goal of a university degree, persistence is more likely. Conversely, if
they do not support the goal or the student's integration into the university
environment, persistence is less likely (Tinto, 1993). Students are more likely to
withdraw during their first year, with the chances of withdrawal decreasing the
longer they have attended university (Johnson & Buck, 1995). Tinto (1993)
agreed " ... involvement matters most during the first year of college. Attrition is,
for most institutions, most frequent during the first year of college. Nearly half of
allleavers depart before the start of the second year" (p. 169).

Summary of the Research on Student Success Courses
While we do not yet have a model that will predict academic success or
persistence with perfect accuracy, there is evidence to support a number of
factors, both institutional and personal, which influence academic success and
persistence. Institutionally, an environment that provides more faculty/student
interactions and opportunities to integrate socially and academically is likely to
have a positive impact on academic success and persistence. Students who
have a strong commitment to degree completion, have study and time
management skills, are academically prepared, have support of family and
friends, are older, have life experience, and can develop relationships with
students and faculty, have the best chance of academic success and
persistence. This is unlikely to surprise those who work with students or even
students themselves.

Statement of the Research Problem
While it appears universities have it in their power to create a learning
environment that encourages student success, there is little that can be done to

20

University 101 on Academic Performance
affect the applicant pool from which students are selected. However, universities
have a vested interest in the academic ability of their student body for reasons
beyond the ability to boast of attracting the best and brightest. First, the higher
the academic ability of admitted students, the greater the success and
persistence rate (Levitz, Noel, & Richter, 1999). Second, Toby (2002) suggests
that a sobering, but almost inevitable, consequence of increasing numbers of
academically under-prepared students is a lowering of academic expectations.
No university aspires to higher drop-out rates or lower academic standards.
However, traditional students of any academic ability will be in shorter supply in
the future due to decreasing population in that age group (Statistics Canada,
n.d.-c). At the same time, there has been a push to improve access to post
secondary education, resulting in the creation of more space in universities.
Enrollment managers are therefore left with two choices. One is to focus their
attention on non-traditional students to fill the gap, such as older students
entering (or returning to) university to upgrade their skills to compete in the
current labour market. These mature students may be motivated and capable,
but may also lack academic foundations (especially in mathematics or writing
skills) and likely have not called upon academic skills for many years. Another
alternative is to admit traditional students with less academic preparation or lower
grades. Either way, the end result is that institutions face a difficult choice:
"Colleges must balance the trade-off between lenient admissions policies, which
result in high attrition rates, and greater selectivity, which reduces the size of the
incoming class but increases the likelihood of retention and stability of overall
enrollment" (Billson & Terry, 1987, p. 293).
21

University 101 on Academic Performance
Certainly UNBC faces this dilemma. Universities typically admit students
on a competitive basis. This means that when there are more applicants than
available spaces, the most qualified applicants are offered admission. The
University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and Simon Fraser University
have had more applicants than spaces available for over a decade.
Consequently, they have limited their offers of admission to those with admission
percentages greater than 75-85% (depending on the institution and faculty) (The
President's University Council, n.d.). UNBC, as a newer institution without the
local population base of the other universities, has not yet had to raise the
admission percentage cutoff above 65%. In addition, UNBC admits a significant
number of students under special entry and mature student categories -students
who, by definition of their admission category, do not meet the standard
academic criteria. This is good news for those concerned about accessibility of
higher education. However, it also means that the student body at UNBC is less
academically prepared than the student bodies at the other public universities in
the province. Therefore, being less academically prepared, UNBC students are
at higher risk for dropping out or being required to withdraw (Johnson, 1996).
It is clear that it is not possible for UNBC to limit admissions to applicants
who already have all the personal characteristics necessary for high success
rates. This suggests a need for UNBC (as well as other universities, as the
upcoming demographic trends affect their applicant pool) to develop programs to
assist these students. Academic under-preparedness does not mean a lack of
ability; there are learning skills that can be taught and remedial foundational skills
(such as math and writing competencies) that can produce competent students

22

----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

University 101 on Academic Performance
from those with potential. Billson and Terry (1987) are correct. Universities,
including UNBC, have a choice. They can maintain enrollment by admitting lessqualified students and provide remedial education for them, or admit only
academically qualified (and therefore fewer) students. It is unlikely that the
pressure on universities for increased enrollment numbers and access will permit
the latter choice. In any case, there is a clear need to optimize preparation for all
students.
How do we assist students who may not be prepared for university
studies? Most students are unaware of effective learning strategies. Despite 12
years of education, most first-year students have never been exposed to theories
of knowledge acquisition- that is, how to learn most effectively (Government of
British Columbia, n.d.). Most first-year university students do not have basic
university survival skills such as how to take good lecture notes, effective revision
techniques, or test-taking strategies. There is definitely a case for teaching
students how to learn more effectively. Otherwise, we can expect that many
students with potential will continue to have difficulties adapting to university
studies. This has potential for long term consequences for these students- they
are at risk of attributing failure to a lack of ability rather than correctible factors
such as lack of effort, knowledge, or study skills (Hunter, Perry, & Menec, 1996).
It would seem that these skills are particularly important to first generation
students 9 , of which UNBC has a higher than average number. First generation
students tend to be less involved in social and academic activities overall
9

First generation students are those who do not have parents or other close family members who
attended university.

23

University 101 on Academic Periormance
(Grayson, 1995b). They do not have family members who can pass on tips
about how to succeed at university, encourage participation in extracurricular
activities, or even understand the environment and expectations students face.
Therefore, explicit instruction about successful strategies for integration into the
university environment and study strategies is appropriate. Particularly useful
could be parent/family orientation that assists in understanding the experience a clarification of the relationship between class time, studying, readings,
assignments, exams, and the importance of extracurricular activities.
Perhaps the most ambitious attempt to improve student success is the
growing number of first-year student success courses offered in North America.
The first such program, University 101, was offered at the University of South
Carolina in 1972. Since then, the number of institutions offering similar courses
has grown quickly:
Currently, on approximately two-thirds of the nation's colleges and
university campuses, freshman seminar/student success courses
are being implemented in an attempt to ease the transition of
students into the college environment and to increase the likelihood
that admitted students will achieve 'success,' as it is defined by
each institution and each student. (Barefoot, 1993, p. 7).
It makes sense to target student success efforts at students in their first year.
Not only are these students the most vulnerable, on a pragmatic level this is
when retention efforts have the greatest potential for results.
It is particularly important to address potential difficulties in first year, since
attrition rates are halved each subsequent year after the first year.
For example, if an institution has a first-to-second year attrition rate
of 30 percent for an entering freshman class, attrition after the
second year is commonly half that (15 percent); it is half that again
(8 percent) after the third year, 4 percent after the fourth, and 2
percent during the fifth year. The graduation rate can then be
calculated by adding up these rates, and subtracting the sum from

24

University 101 on Academic Performance
100 percent. For this example, the five year graduation rate would
be calculated as follows: 100 percent- (30+ 15+8+4+2) =41
percent. Given this finding, it is clear that the most efficient way to
boost graduation rates is to reduce the first-to-second year attrition
rate. (Levitz et al, 1999, p. 37).
In Canada, the first institution to offer such a course was the University of
Windsor in 1983. By 1993 seventeen universities were offering such courses,
three for credit. These courses vary in length from a few hours at the beginning
of the term to three hours of classes per week for the academic year. Typically
these courses include the following topics: exploration of career plans, practical
academic skills such as note taking or exam writing strategies, time
management, expectations of university, awareness of university services (such
as counselling and advising), awareness of personal learning styles, self
awareness, academic policies, skill assessment (such as mathematics and
writing), research skills, stress management, oral communication skills, computer
skills, and values clarification (Barefoot, 1993). The evaluations that have been
done of such programs supports the prediction that courses such as this would
increase retention and academic performance.
Freshman seminars (and their participating students) have been
studied, measured, and evaluated more often than has been the
practice for any other course in the higher education curriculum.
And on many campuses, freshman seminars have garnered strong
support not only because they meet the needs of entering students,
but also because they bring clear yields in terms of dollars and
"sense" - that is, freshman seminars predictably increase rates of
freshman-to-sophomore retention and grade point averages of
participating students. (Barefoot, 1993, p 7).
Such a course was introduced at UNBC in January, 1998, as a credit
elective toward any undergraduate degree program. It was designed to assist
students by providing instruction on the topics that are listed in Table 3.
25

University 101 on Academic Performance

Table 3
University 101: Topics of Instruction

University expectations
Time management
Student support services (academic, personal, health)
Computer skills (University computer services, word processing alternatives, internet-based
research)
Efficient reading skills
Note taking from lectures and note making from reading
Test taking (preparation and test-taking skills
Study skills (human learning, memory, motivation)
Critical thinking and problem solving
Effective writing (process, editing, writing styles)
Interpersonal skills (communication , listening and speaking, public speaking)
Educational planning and academic advice (academic advisors, information sources, the
planning process)
Career and personal planning (career information sources, personal planning , job search
strategies)

It is evident that the course content addresses many of the common problems
identified in the literature. In addition, the small seminar format provides an
opportunity for small group discussions, student participation, a high level of
student/faculty interaction, as well as peer interaction and support. Given what
we know about factors that affect student persistence and success, this course
should have a positive impact on both. The purpose of this study is to evaluate
whether this course does, in fact, have the expected impact on student success
(persistence information is not available to the researcher). Do first-year

26

University 101 on Academic Performance
students who take University 101 demonstrate a higher success rate (measured
by TGPA) than do equivalent first-year students who do not take the course?
Method
Subjects
Criteria for inclusion.
All subjects have graduated from a British Columbia secondary school,
met UNBC admission requirements, had an admission percentage recorded on
the student information system, were 18-19 years of age at beginning of Fall
term, registered in courses at UNBC in the Fall and Winter terms immediately
after admission, have a TGPA greater than 0.999 for both terms, and did not
participate in the Northern Advancement Program 10 . Treatment subjects
registered in and achieved a passing grade (D or higher) in University 101 in their
first term at UNBC. Control group subjects did not register in University 101 in
their first or second term at UNBC.
Recruitment procedure.
Subjects were not recruited. An extract was made of existing data in the
student information system (a relational database that records student academic
information) by the UNBC Institutional Research Office. The use of this
information was consistent with institutional research and planning purposes, and
permission for inclusion in this study was obtained from students upon
registration at UNBC (see ethics section for details).
10

A program designed to support First Nations students which included some of the content of
University 101 as well as intensive student support and coaching.

27

-----------------------------------~----

University 101 on Academic Performance

Characteristics of Subjects.
The following inclusion criteria were chosen to ensure that all the students
selected for this comparison meet a commonly-accepted definition of a first-year
student. All students were admitted to UNBC within one year of high school
completion, were 18-19 years of age at the time they entered UNBC, and had no
previous experience in a post-secondary educational environment. According to
the research literature, this group is the most likely to have difficulties with
academic success and persistence. University 101 was created to meet the
needs of this target group; therefore, this is the most appropriate and relevant
subject pool to consider when evaluating results.
Random assignment was not possible. Treatment subjects elected to take
University 101. Subjects who did not take University 101 elected to take other
courses instead, were prevented from taking it because the course was already
full, or the course presented a schedule conflict for students.

Procedures
Explanation of procedures.
1. Data extracts were obtained from the UNBC Institutional Research Office in
Microsoft Excel 2000 table format. These extracts included information about
students' admission status, biographic details, registration status, TGPA, and
University 101 participation.
2. Microsoft Access 2000 and Excel were used to facilitate identification of firstyear students who did not register in University 101 in their first or second term at
University and the matching of these students with the students in the treatment
group.
28

Un iversity 101 on Academic Performance
4. The admission percentage and TGPAs for the matched pairs were analyzed
using analysis of covariance.

Phase 1 procedures.
1. The data in Table 4 were extracted May 22 , 2003 , from the UNBC student
information system.

Table 4

First Year Student Data Extract
Explanation

Field
PIDM

Personal Identification Master- a computer generated unique ID for each person record that can be
used to match information for the same student while maintaining the students' anonymity.

Admit Term

Term the student was admitted to the University

Gender
Birth Date
Marital Status"

Marital status on admission

Admit Code

Indicated the applicant's previous academic background .

Admit Level

Undergraduate or graduate (all undergraduate in this study)

No of Terms
Registered

Total number of terms for which the student had registered at UNBC at the time the data were
extracted

199801 b Registered

This field was flagged "UN IV" if the student registered in the course in that term and did not withdraw.

199805 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

199901 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

199905 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200001 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200005 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200101 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200105 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200201 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered .

200205 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

200301 Registered

See definition for 199801 Registered.

Admission %'

The GPA of the student based on grades from English 12, 3 other academic grade 121evel courses,
and a fifth grade 12 course. See Appendix B.

199705 TGPA to
200301 TGPA

TGPAs by term ; see Appendix C for details on TGPA calculation.

Registration Term

The term the student registered in University 101.

Subject

The subject code, which was "Univ"

Course No

The course number, which was "1 01 "

Grade

The letter grade the student was awarded for the University 101 course.

• In all but one case students were single, never married. In one treatment subject this field was blank ; this subject was matched with a
control subject who also had a blank in this field .
b Terms are identified in the student information system by the year (first four numbers) then the term number (Ot=January-April ,
05=September-December).
' Many duplications of admission percentage existed . When students have attended more than one school , duplicate admission
percentage records are created in the data extract. In 3 cases both admission percentages were identical, in which case the first record
was deleted leaving one admission percentage. In 41 cases only one of the records contained an admission percentage , in which case the
record with the percentage was retained and the other record(s) deleted. In 8 cases there were 2 or 3 records for the same student with
differing percentage values. In this case, the values were averaged and the average retained ; the percentages differed by no more than
3% in these cases , so final percentage was not greatly altered .

29

University 101 on Academic Performance
2. The data were combined and filtered to create a data set with 2037 student
records that included the fields listed in Table 5.

Table 5
Master Query Fields

Information

Field
Match ID
PIDM
Admit Term
Admit GPA
Gender
Birth Date
Marital
Status
Admit Code
No of terms
Registered
199705200301
TGPA
Registration
Term
Grade

A created field to house the matched sample ID as indicated in Table 4
notes.
As in Table 4
As in Table 4
As in Table 4

As in Table 4
As in Table 4
As in Table 4
As in Table 4
As in Table 4
As in Table 4

3. The Treatment subjects were identified using filtering as follows to identify the
treatment subjects of interest (see Table 6). The criteria identified 47 subjects.

30

University 101 on Academic Performance

Table 6
Treatment Subject Identification

Fall
1998

Fall
1999

Fall
2000

Fall
2001

Fall
2002

293

384

334

353

375

2. Subjects who also have an
admission percentage recorded

270

366

323

352

371

3. Subjects who also meet birth
date range criteria

228

310

278

317

318

183

221

216

250

238

7

16

14

Filtering Operation
1. Total subject pool of first-year
students admitted in Fall XXXX

4. Subjects who also have TGPA
values of 1 or greater for admit term
and following term and at least 2
terms of registrationa
5. Filter to include only students
who also successfully attempted
University 101 in their first term

9

athis value was chosen as students with a TGPA less than 1 can be considered , for the purposes
of this study, to have failed to expend enough effort on studies to determine whether participation
in University 101 has any effect.

4. The eligible control subjects were similarly identified for matching (see Table
7).

Table 7
Control Subject Identification
Filtering Operation
1-4. The first 4 filtering criteria in
Table 6 above resu lted in the
following potential subject pool
5. Filter to exclude students who
attempted University 101 in either of
their first two terms at University

Fall
1998

Fall
1999

Fall
2000

Fall
2001

Fall
2002

183

221

216

250

238

175

202

197

236

224

5. Treatment subjects were matched with comparable students who did not take
UN IV 101. Subjects were matched first by gender, then all potential matches
31

University 101 on Academic Performance
with an admission percentage within five percentage points were identified; the
subject with the closest birth date was then selected.
6. The researcher then had two matched data sets for each admission intake the treatment group and a matched control group.

Phase 2 procedures.
1. Data were checked for outliers and anomalies using frequency and histogram
analysis.
2. Means and standard deviations were calculated.
3. Correlations between admission percentage, term 1 GPA, term 2 GPA, and
the difference in GPA between terms 1 and 2 were calculated. This confirmed
that admission percentage is a useful covariate for term 1 and term 2 GPA, but
not for the difference in GPAs.
4. A 2 X 2 X 1 ANCOVA was calculated using completion of University 101 and
gender as independent variables and admission percentage as the covariate.
This confirmed that there is no gender effect, and this factor was therefore
omitted from subsequent calculations.
5. A 2 X 1 ANCOVA was calculated using completion of University 101 as the
independent variable, term 1 GPA as the dependent variable, and admission
percentage as the covariate.
6. A 2 X 1 ANCOVA was calculated using completion of University 101 as the
independent variable, term 2 GPA as the dependent variable, and admission
percentage as the covariate.

32

~----------------------------------------------~--

--

University 101 on Academic Performance
7. A 2 X 1 ANOVA was calculated using completion of University 101 as the
independent variable and the difference between term 1 and term 2 GPAs as the
dependent variable.
Measures
See Appendices A through D for details of high school admission ,
admission percentage, UNBC grading scale, and TGPA calculations.
Ethics Safeguards
Each time they register, students sign a form that discloses the following
information:
Students are advised that the use of information provided on this
registration form, as well as other information contained in a
student record, complies with the BC Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, and with the policies and procedures of
the University of Northern British Columbia. In addition to internal
administrative use related to student admission, registration and
status, student information may also be used in strict confidence in
University research and planning. Certain student information is
provided on a confidential basis to Statistics Canada as governed
by the Canada Statistics Act, and to the BC Government. The
internal use of student records, and the obligatory reporting of
student data to external bodies respect the absolute confidentiality
of student information. (University of Northern British Columbia
Registration Form)
The information used in this study was extracted from the student information
system for the purposes of institutional research in accordance with this
statement. The use of the personal identity master (PI OM) ensured that the
identity of the subjects was not known to the researcher or anyone associated
with this study at any time. Therefore confidentiality was strictly maintained.
Results
The data were checked for outliers and other anomalies using frequency

33

University 101 on Academic Performance
and histogram analysis. No outliers were identified. Raw data is presented in
Table Gin Appendix G. The means and standard deviations are summarized in
Table 8.
Table 8
GPA Means and Standard Deviations

Control
~

Treatment
Group

n

Minimum

Maximum

M

so

ADMGPA

47

67.40

93.20

79.05

7.13

TRM1GPA
TRM2GPA
GPA
Chan e

47

1.10
1.00

4.26
4.18

2.46
2.40

.75

47
47

-1.42

1.33

-0.06

.56

ADMGPA

47

66.60

94.40

78.59

7.71

TRM1GPA
TRM2GPA
GPA
Change

47
47

1.15
1.11

4.33
4.33

2.69
2.45

.76
.77

47

-1 .67

1.43

-0.24

.65

.80

The mean admission percentage for the control group is 79.06%, for the
treatment group 78.59%. The mean term 1 GPA for the control group is 2.46, for
the treatment group 2.69. The mean term 2 GPA for the control group is 2.40,
for the treatment group 2.45.
The correlations between admission percentage and other GPA data were
determined. The results are presented in Table 9.

34

University 101 on Academic Performance
Table 9
Correlations between Admission Percentage and
UNBC Term 1 GPA, Term 2 GPA, and GPA Difference

n

Pearson Correlation

Significance (2-tailed)

47

.53

.000

47

.55

47

.030

.84

Control Group Term 1 GPA
and Admission Percentage

47

.55

.000

Control Group Term 2 GPA
and Admission Percentage

47

.68

.000

47

.24

.099

Treatment Group Term 1 GPA
and Admission Percentage
Treatment Group Term 2 GPA
and Admission Percentage
Treatment Group GPA
difference and Admission
Percentage

Control Group GPA Difference
and Admission Percentage

.000

The treatment group correlation between admission percentage and term
1 GPA is r = .53, p <.0005 (two-tailed). The treatment group correlation
between admission percentage and term 2 GPA is r =.55, p < .0005 (two-tailed).
The control group correlation between admission percentage and term 1 GPA is r
= .55, p <.0005 (two-tailed). The control group correlation between admission
percentage and term 2 GPA is r = .068, p < .0005 (two-tailed). These results
are statistically significant, confirming that the admission percentage is an
appropriate covariate for these comparisons. The treatment group correlation
between admission percentage and GPA difference is r =.030, p < .84 (twotailed); the control group correlation is r = .24, p <.099. Neither is statistically

35

~----------------------------------------------

University 101 on Academic Performance
significant, confirming that admission percentage is not useful as a covariate for
this comparison.
A 2 X 2 x 1 analysis of covariance with the admission percentage as
covariate, term 1 GPA as the dependent variable, and the independent variables
(gender and participation in University 101) with two levels was completed. No
significant gender effect F(1 ,89) = .37, p = .55 or gender x university 101
interaction effect F(1 ,89) = 1.29, p = .26 was found . This confirmed that the
matching process worked , and gender was therefore omitted as a factor from
subsequent operations.
A 2 x 1 analysis of covariance with the admission percentage as covariate,
term 1 GPA as the dependent variable, and the independent variable completion
of University 101 with two levels (yes or no) was also completed. The results of
this analysis are presented in Table 10.

Table 10

Analysis of Covariance- Term 1 GPA as Dependent Variable

Source
Corrected Model
Intercept
Admission Percentage
University 101
Error
Total
Corrected Total

Of

MS

F

p

2

8.20
2.42
15.14
1.55
.41

20.07
5.93
37.04
3.80

.000
.017
.000
.054

91
94
93

Students who took University 101 had greater term 1 GPAs than did students
who did not take the course with results approaching significance, F(1 ,91) =

36

University 101 on Academic Performance
3.80, p = .054, d = 0.3. The a = .01 for judging the lack of the equality
assumption of homogeneity of variance was not violated in this ANCOVA.
A 2 x 1 analysis of covariance with the admission percentage as covariate ,
term 2 GPA as the dependent variable, and the independent variable completion
of University 101 with two levels (yes or no) was completed. The results of this
analysis are presented in Table 11.
Table 11

Analysis of Covariance- Term 2 GPA as Dependent Variable
Source
Corrected Model
Intercept
Adm ission Percentage
University 101
Error
Total
Corrected Total

Of

MS

F

p

2

10.70
5.83
21 .34
.15
.390

27.46
14.97
54.78
.37

.000
.000
.000
.54

91
94
93

Students who took University 101 did not have significantly higher term 2
GPAs than did students who did not take the course, F(1 ,91) = .37, p =.54, d =
.064. The a = .01 for judging the lack of the equality assumption of homogeneity
of variance was also not violated in this ANCOVA.
Finally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the dependent variable the
difference between term 2 GPA and term 1 GPA and the independent variable
completion of University 101 with two levels (yes or no) was completed . The
results of this analysis are presented in Table 12.

37

University 101 on Academic Performance

Table 12
Analysis of Variance- GPA Difference as Dependent Variable
Source
Corrected Model
Intercept
University 101
Error
Total
Corrected Total

df

1
92
94
93

MS

F

p

.79
2.06
.79
.370

2.13
5.56
2.13

.15
.02
.15

Students who took University 101 had a non-significant higher decrease in
the term GPAs than did students who did not take the course, F(1 ,92) = 2.13, p =
.15, d = -.03. Again the a = .01 for judging the lack of the equality assumption of
homogeneity of variance was not violated in this ANOV A.
Discussion
As expected due to the matching process, there was very little difference
in the admission percentage means and standard deviations, although the
treatment group had a slightly lower admission percentage. It is interesting, then ,
that the mean term 1 and term 2 GPAs were slightly higher in the treatment
group. The lower mean admission percentage for the treatment group would
suggest the term GPAs would also be lower. It is also interesting that both
groups showed a decrease in GPA from term 1 to term 2. The researcher
expected an increase in GPA over time in the first few years at university as
students become accustomed to the expectations and become more skilled
students. The mean change in GPA over the two terms was therefore in a
negative direction, and the treatment group showed a larger negative change.
The significance of these differences is discussed further below.

38

University 101 on Academic Performance
The statistically significant correlation between admission percentage and
UNBC GPA is consistent with the literature, which has repeatedly reported that
one of the best predictors of academic success in university is the degree of
academic success in high school. This would certainly support the current
admission practice of admitting students to UNBC and awarding entrance
scholarships on the basis of high school performance. The lack of a significant
correlation between admission percentage and the increase in GPA over terms is
also consistent with expectations. The literature indicates that admission
percentage is an effective predictor of subsequent performance, but not that it
leads to a steady increase in term GPAs. Therefore, a high admission
percentage would not be expected to predict a large increase in GPA from one
term to the next.
The initial 2 X 2 X 1 ANCOVA for term 1 GPA showed no gender or
gender X University 101 effect. This was consistent with expectations, as the
literature did not indicate a gender effect. In addition , subjects were matched on
gender to adjust for any unexpected gender effect. Gender was therefore
omitted from subsequent calculations to increase the power of the operations to
detect differences due to completion of University 101. The second 2 X 1
ANCOVA with term 1 GPA as the dependent variable showed that successful
completion of University 101 had an immediate positive effect on term GPA that
approaches significance. Students who took the course had higher term 1 GPAs
than did students who did not take the course, with a p < .054. This result is
0.004 above a level that would allow the researcher to claim a significant effect.
The risks of committing a type I error are minimal in this case. The University

39

University 101 on Academic Performance
could waste resources offering University 101 and students could waste time and
money taking University 101 when it has no effect. The risk of a type II error is
larger. If the University were to stop offering the course, students would lose the
opportunity to take a course that is likely to help them achieve academic
success. The University might find lower levels of academic performance among
students and a lower retention rate . It is therefore preferable to risk a type I error
and suggest that this project provides evidence that participation in University
101 has an immediate positive effect on grades and is achieving one of the
stated goals- that of improving academic performance among first-year
students.
The literature supports this explanation. University 101 topics include
career planning , note taking and exam writing strategies, time management,
realistic expectations of university, awareness of university services (such as
counselling and advising) , awareness of personal learning styles, academic
policies, research skills, stress management, and communication skills. The
literature finds that knowledge of these areas positively affects academic
performance. University 101 is offered in a small seminar format; the literature
finds that frequent student/faculty interactions, such as those that are facilitated
by a small seminar format, positively affect academic performance. In addition ,
the literature finds that student success courses with content similar to University
101 consistently lead to increased academic success.
The 2 X 1 ANCOVA with term 2 GPA as the dependent variable did not
show an effect of successful completion of University 101 on term 2 GPA. There
are a few possible explanations for this. It may be that the effect of University
40

University 101 on Academic Performance
101 is immediate but does not last beyond the end of the course. Another
possibility is the tendency of regression toward the mean. Students who took
University 101 performed significantly better than expected in the first term, but
perhaps the tendency of regression toward the mean was stronger than the
effect of the course, so in term 2 no significant difference is observed. Or, it may
be that there is no effect of the course, and the results in term 1 occurred by
chance.
Similarly, the 2 X 1 ANCOVA with the difference in GPAs between terms 1
and 2 showed no significant effect of completion of University 101. The
researcher expected a trend of increasing GPAs in the first few years at
university, and possibly that treatment subjects would show a greater increase in
GPA than did control subjects. The fact that both samples showed a decrease in
TGPA in term 2 is counter-intuitive for those who work in student services. A
decline in performance of this nature merits attention because it is not mentioned
in the literature. There are a few possible explanations for this finding, however.
Grades may be influenced by comparison with other students in a cohort, and
this cohort changes in second term. Many students leave university after the first
term, especially those who struggled academically and received the lowest
grades in the first term. Among the remaining students, a new group is then at
the bottom of the class academically. These students could then receive the
lower grades previously awarded to the students who withdrew. Another
possible explanation is that students who do not take the course improve their
skills over two terms as they gradually learn how to succeed at university. In
contrast, students who take University 101 learn those skills earlier, apply them
41

University 101 on Academic Performance
in the first term, and therefore do not have a gradual improvement in skills to
minimize the drop in GPA.
Overall, the results of this study do not provide clear evidence that
University 101 improves academic performance. One explanation for this is that
teaching learning skills, clarification of career goals, and familiarization with
University resources does not affect subsequent academic performance. This
would be at odds with the literature, however. Another explanation is that, while
this type of course can prove effective, the design or delivery of this particular
course is not effective. Another is that students who take the course may take
longer than one term to incorporate the skills they learn into their practices, and
thus the effects of the course may take longer to manifest than the scope of this
study. Another explanation is that those who elect to take University 101 have
deficiencies that are not readily remedied by University 101. It is also possible
that the course has a greater effect on retention than it does on academic
performance.
It is clear that there are many questions yet to be answered. Would a
larger sample size (only available as more students take the course over time)
show statistically significant results? Would information about the reasons
students choose to take the course (or choose not to) provide some information
about additional relevant factors that could be used to better match subjects? Do
factors such as such as parental income, parental education level, or coming
from a rural versus urban environment change the effect of University 101?
Does this course have long-term effects on academic performance that would
show up in subsequent terms? Do students who take this course show a higher

42

University 101 on Academic Performance
persistence rate? Is there anything about the students who elect to take the
course that puts them at a higher risk for not succeeding (do they have reason to
be nervous about the transition and therefore take the course)? Conversely, are
students who elect to take the course more likely to succeed than those who do
not by virtue of electing to take the course (for example, a willingness to take this
course could indicate a strong commitment to success)? Would results change if
the grade achieved in the course were taken into consideration? Does the
course have different outcomes for mature students? What do students say
about the course with regard to its perceived usefulness, how it affects their
perception of the University, how it affects their perception of themselves "fitting"
with the University, how it affects their commitment to degree completion, and
how these perceptions affect academic performance and persistence? These
are just some of the questions that should be answered with further research
before final conclusions can be drawn about the full value of University 101 for
UNBC students and for UNBC.

43

University 101 on Academic Performance
References
Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Barefoot, B. 0. (Ed.). (1993). Exploring the evidence: Reporting outcomes of
freshman seminars. Columbia, SC: National Resource Center for The
Freshman Year Experience, University of South Carolina.
Billson, J. M. & Terry, M. B. (1987). A student retention model for higher
education. College and University, Summer, 290-305.
Braxton, J. M., Brier, E. M., & Hossler, D. (1988). The influence of student
problems on student withdrawal decisions: An autopsy on "autopsy"
studies. Research in Higher Education, 28(3), 241-253.
Braxton, J. M., Murrell D., & Pascarella, E. T. (1988). Causal modeling and path
analysis: An introduction and illustration in student attrition research.
Journal of College Student Development, 29, 263-272.
Christie, N.G, & Dinham, S.M. (1991 ). Institutional and external influences on
social integration in the freshman year. Journal of Higher Education, v62
n4 p412-36 Jui-Aug.
Cope, R.G., & Hannah, W. (1975). Revolving college doors: the causes and
consequences of dropping out, stopping out, and transferring. New York:
J. Wiley.
Corman J., Barr L., & Caputo T. (1992). Unpacking attrition: A change of
emphasis. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 22(3), 14-27.
Dennison, J. D. (1982). Degree completion at British Columbia's universities.
Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 22(2), 43-57.
Dietsche, P. H. J. (1990). Freshman attrition in a college of applied arts and
technology. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 20(3), 65-84.
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Education (n.d.). Curriculum.
Retrieved on December 18, 2003, from
http://www. bced. gov. be. ca/i rp/i rp. htm.
Grayson, J. P. (1993). Improving first year science education in a commuter
university. North York, Ontario, Canada: Institute for Social Research,
York University.
Grayson, J. P. (1995a). Does race matter? Outcomes of the first year experience
in Canadian university. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 25(2),
79-109 .
44

University 101 on Academic Performance
Grayson , J. P. (1995b). The first generation at York University. North York,
Ontario , Canada: Institute for Social Research, York University.
Grays on, J. P. ( 1998). Racial origin and student retention in Canada. Higher
Education, 36, 323-352.
Hunter, A. J., Perry, R. P. , & Menec, V. H. (1996, August). Assisting at-risk
students: The role of perceived and actual success. Paper presented at
the Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
Husband , R.L. (1976, February) . Significant others: A new look at attrition. Draft
of paper presented at Annual Meeting of the Association for Innovation in
Higher Education , Philadelphia, Pa.
Johnson , G. M. ( 1994). Undergraduate student attrition: A comparison of the
characteristics of students who withdraw and who persist. The Alberta
Journal of Educational Research, 40(3), September, 337-353.
Johnson , G. M. (1996). Faculty differences in university attrition: a comparison of
the characteristics of arts, education and science students who withdrew
from undergraduate programs. Journal of Higher Education Policy and
Management, 18(1), 75-85.
Johnson , G. M & Buck, G. H. (1995). Student's personal and academic
attributions of university withdrawal. The Canadian Journal of Higher
Education, 25(2), 53-77.
Larose, S. & Roland , R. (1991 ). The role of prior academic performance and
nonacademic attributes in the prediction of success of high-risk college
students. Journal of College Student Development, 32, March, 171-177.
Levitz, R. S. , Noel, L., & Richter, B. J. (1999). Strategic moves for retention
success. New Directions for Higher Education, 108, Winter 1999, 31-49.
Lizzio, A., Wilson , K. , & Simons, R. (2002). University students' perceptions of
the learning environment and academic outcomes: Implications for theory
and practice. Studies in Higher Education, 27(1), 27-52.
McKeown B. , Macdonnell A. , & Bowman C. (1993) . The point of view of the
student in attrition research . The Canadian Journal of Higher Education,
23(2), 65-85.
Metzner, B.S ., & Bean, J. P. (1987) . The estimation of a conceptual model of
nontraditional undergraduate student attrition . Research in Higher
Education, 27(1 ), 15-38.
Pascarella, E. T. & Terenzini , P. T. (1991 ). How college affects students. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
45

University 101 on Academic Performance

The President's University Council. (n.d.) Admission targets/quotas and cut-off
points for new entry students: Fall - arts & science. Retrieved June 25 ,
2003 , from http://www.sfu.ca/analytical-studies/TUPC.tupc2.1.pdf
Richardson , S. M. & Sullivan , M. M. (1994) . Identifying non-cognitive factors that
influence success of academically underprepared freshmen. Journal of
the Freshman Year Experience, 6(2), 89-98.
Rummel, A., Acton , D. , Costello, S. & Pielo, G. (1999). Is all retention good? An
empirical study. College Student Journal,33(2), p.241. Retrieved June
05, 2003 from Academic Search Elite database.
Smith, S. L. (1991 ). Commission of inquiry on Canadian university education.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Association of Universities and Colleges of
Canada.
Spann , N. G. (1990). Student retention: An interview with Vincent Tinto. Journal
of Educational Development, 14(1), September, 18-24.
Statistics Canada. (n.d.-a) Average earnings of the population 15 years and over
by highest level of schooling, provinces and territories. Retrieved June 23,
2003, from http://www.statcan.ca/English/Pgdb/labour50a.htm
Statistics Canada. (n.d.-b) Expenditures on postsecondary education, provinces
and territories. Retrieved June 5, 2003, from
http://www.statcan.ca/English/Pgdb/educ11/a.htm
Statistics Canada. (n.d.-c) Population projections for the years 2001 , 2006,
2011 , and 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2003, from
http: .. www.statcan.ca/English/Pgdb/demo23b.htm
Statistics Canada. (n.d.-d) University enrolment, fulltime and part-time, by sex.
Retrieved June 5, 2003, from
http://www.statcan.ca/English/Pgdb/educ03/a.htm
Stewart, M. J. (1990). Attrition from health professional schools in a Canadian
university. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 20(3), 43-63.
Terenzini , P. T. & Pascarella, E. T. (1980). Toward the validation of Tinto's model
of college student attrition: A review of recent studies. Research in Higher
Education, 12(3), 271-282.
Thomas, J. H. & Andes , J. (1987). Affiliation and retention in higher education .
Higher Education, 332-340.

46

University 101 on Academic Performance
Tinto V. (1987, November). The principles of effective retention. Paper presented
at the Fall Conference of the Maryland College Personnel Association ,
Largo, MD.
Tinto, V. (1993) . Leaving college- rethinking the causes and cures of student
attrition (2nd ed .). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Toby, J. (2002) . Increasing access to college: An educational mistake. Academic
Questions, Spring, 46-52 .
University of Northern British Columbia. (n .d. -a) Undergraduate Calendar 20032004. Retrieved June 5, 2003 from
http://www.unbc.ca/admissions/index.html
University of Northern British Columbia.(n.d.-b) Undergraduate Calendar 20032004. Retrieved June 5, 2003 from http://www.unbc.ca/calendar/
Ungar, S. B. (1980). The retention problem: An analysis of enrolment attrition at
Canadian colleges. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 10(1), 57-

74.

47

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix A
UNBC High School Applicant Admission Requirements
The following information is found in the University of Northern British Columbia
Calendar (University of Northern British Columbiaal:
Successful completion of an approved provincially examinable grade 12 program
leading to graduation with a minimum BC/Yukon high school C+ (65%) average
calculated on the basis of the five best grade 12 courses from the list below:
•

English 12

•

Three grade 12 courses, selected from the following :
Applications of Mathematics
BC First Nations Studies
Biology
Calculus
Chemistry
Comparative Civilizations
English Literature
French
German
Geography
Geology

•

History
Japanese
Latin
Law
Mandarin
Physics
Principles of Mathematics
Punjabi
Spanish
Technical and Professional Communications
Writing

A fifth grade 12 course. This course can be any grade 12 course taught in
the secondary school, including: locally developed courses (e.g. First
Nations languages) , career preparation courses (Construction 12, etc.), or
others (Art 12, Band 12, Information Technology 12, Communications 12,
CAPP 12, etc.)

48

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix B
High School Admission Percentage Calculation

Table 81
Sample High School Transcript

Course

School Mark

Provincial Exam
Mark

Final Grade

Band 12

78

N/A

78

Chorus 12

90

N/A

90

English 12

82

70

76

French 12

76

80

78

Geography 12

84

80

82

History 12

62

69

66

Physical Education 12

87

N/A

87

Writing 12

79

N/A

79

The BC high school admission percentage is calculated by averaging the
final percentages of the courses indicated in Appendix A. An example of how
the admission percentage for the transcript in Table 81 would be calculated is
illustrated in Table 82.

49

University 101 on Academic Performance

Table 82
Sample Admission Percentage Calculation
Admission Requirement

Course Used

Grade

English 12

English 12

76

1 grade 12 course from list (course from list with
highest grade)

Geography 12

82

1 grade 12 course from list (course from list with
next highest grade)

Writing 12

79

1 grade 12 course from list (course with next
highest grade)

French 12

78

Fifth grade 12 course (the remaining grade12
course with the highest grade)

Chorus 12

90

The admission percentage for the example illustrated in Table 81 and Table 82
would be the average of the five courses used in Table 82. Therefore, the
admission percentage for this example would be 76 + 82 + 79 + 78 + 90 = 81%
5

50

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix C
UNBC Grading Information
The UNBC Calendar (University of Northern British Columbiab) includes the
following explanation of the grading scale used:

Grading
Each credit course for which you are registered is awarded a final grade at the
end of the semester. The grade for each course will be entered on your transcript
by a letter grade and a grade point.

Grade Point Average

Grade Point Average (GPA) is a method of expressing a student's performance
as a numerical value. Each letter grade is assigned a numerical equivalent,
which is then multiplied by the credit hour value assigned to the course to
produce the grade point.

Grading System
UNBC Grade
Point

Letter Grade

Percentage

4.33

A+

90-100%

4.00

A

85-89.9%

3.67

A-

80-84.9%

3.33

B+

77-79.9%

3.00

B

73-76.9%

2.67

B-

70-72.9%

2.33

C+

67-69.9%

2.00

c

63-69.9%

1.67

C-

60-62.9%

1.00

D

50-59.9%

0.00

F

0-49.9%

51

Definition/Standing
Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Marginal
Failure

University 101 on Academic Performance
The following are not included in academic average:
p

Passing grade

credit awarded

AEG

Aegrotat standing

credit awarded

DEF

Deferred grade

no credit awarded

w

Withdrawn

no credit awarded

AUD

Audit of course

no credit awarded

WAU

Withdrawn from audit

no credit awarded

INP

Thesis or project course work in progress

NGR

No grade reported

52

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix D
Term Grade Point Average Calculation
The UNBC Calendar (University of Northern British Columbiab) includes the
following explanation of the grading scale used.

Semester Grade Point Average

Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA 11 ) is computed by dividing the total
number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours taken in the
semester. See Repeating Courses for the treatment of repeated courses in GPA
calculations.

Calculation of Grade Point Average

The following is an example of how a student's GPA is calculated at the end of a
semester:
1. ENGL 301-3 B

3.0

3 credit hours =

9.00

X 3.0

2. ENGL 302-3 B-

2.67

3 credit hours =

8.01

x2.67
3. BIOL 301-4

C+

2.33

4 credit hours =

9.32

x2.33
4. HIST 302-3

A+

4.33

3 credit hours =

12.99

x4.33

5. PYSC 301-3 W
Total

13 credit hours

Semester GPA 39.32/13 =3.02
11

Semester Grade Point Average is equivalent to Term Grade Point Average.

53

39.32

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix E
Sample University 101 Course Outline
COURSE DESCRIPTION: University 101 is most appropriate for students who are in their first year of study at university.
It offers an introduction to the university as an institution of higher learning, an explanation of the various methods of
inquiry employed therein, and demonstrations of the study skills and learning strategies that are required for academic
success. Students will be encouraged and assisted to apply the information presented in this course to other courses that
they are completing concurrently.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: University 101 is a central component of UNBC's Student Success Initiative. This initiative
involves the development of an undergraduate course that is specifically designed to assist students to quickly learn the
new academic skills and strategies that are necessary to successfully complete their first year of study at UNBC and to
improve their academic performance in each of the subsequent years of their degree programs. University 101-3:
Introduction to Higher Education is a three credit, multi disciplinary elective that is an appropriate foundation course for all
university degree programs. The course is most appropriate for students who are in their first or second year of study at
university, including those who have transferred from regional colleges, and for mature students who are returning to postsecondary study following an extensive interval of alternate activities. UN IV 101 is not appropriate for senior students or
any students who may assume that the course will be an easy three credits. Former UN IV 101 students have indicated
that the difficulty and workload of UN IV 101 are above the average for first and second year UNBC courses. Last, this
part of the Student Success initiative is a pilot project that involves offering sections of University 101-3 to not more than
25 students per section for a period of six years. The results of the pilot will be evaluated during that period and at the
conclusion of the project.
TOPIC OUTLINE
Part One

Part Two

1. Introduction
2. Time Management
3. Memory Enhancement
4. Effective Reading
5. Note Taking
6. Test Taking

7. Diverse Thinking
8. Critical Thinking
9. Effective Writing
10. Interpersonal Skills
11. Money and Health
12. Future Thinking

EVALUATION

Evaluation Task

2
3
4

5
6

Date or
Due Date

Library Research Skills Report
(Topic to be selected in class)
Mid-Term Exam
Library Research Topic Presentation
(Topic to be selected in class)
Library Research Term Paper
(Topic to be selected in class)
Class Attendance and Participation
Final Exam (To be scheduled by Registrar)

Thu 30 Jan 2003
Thu 13 Feb 2003

10%
17.5%

Tue 11 to Tue 18 Mar 2003

12.5%

Thu 28 Mar 2003
24 Classes
7 April2003

25%
05%
30%

COURSE TEXT
Ellis , D. (2000) . Becoming a master student (Cdn ., 3rd Ed.}. Boston , MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
During the course , lists of student success books, articles , study aids , and helpful Web sites will be circulated in class.

COURSE POLICIES

1. Course Registration : A Wait List is kept by the Registrar's Office to admit those who want to register if space becomes available in the
class. Those who put their names on the wait list will be admitted automatically if spaces become available. This list will be discontinued
on Thursday January 16, the last day to drop and add courses for this semester.
2. Attendance: All students are expected to attend class regularly. The marks for missed evaluations (exams, quizzes, class
presentations) due to absence will be adjusted if the absence was legitimately unavoidable and it is explained in writing by an appropriate
authority: e.g., signed letter from doctor, minister, etc. Otherwise. the marks will be forfeited .
3. Late Submission of Assignments: Excepting those with a legitimate reason for a delay that is duly authenticated in writing by an
appropriate official , those who have the advantage of additional time to complete and submit an assignment will be assessed a penalty of
three percent per day for each day after the submission deadline that the assignment is submitted or extended. The course instructor will
assume responsibility only for those assignments that are submitted directly to him . Due to the risk of computer virus transmission and the
loss of computer files , do not submit any assignment by computer.
4. Final Examination: The UN IV 101 final examination date will be announced by the Registrar in March . It will be scheduled during the
examination period (Apr.?-16) and it may occur as late as 22:00 hours on April16. Students are advised not to make any travel or
employment commitments that may conflict with the exam sch edule.

54

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix F
Sample University 101 Class Schedule
Assignment
Information

Date

Topics

Reading

Tue 07 Jan

Course Introduction

Course Handouts

Thu 09 Jan

Text Introduction

Ellis, Ch 01

Tue 14 Jan

Library Research Skills
Lab

Library Skills
Workbook

Thu 16 Jan

Library Research Skills
Lab

Library Skills
Workbook

Tue 21 Jan

Time ManaQement

Ellis, Ch 02

Thu 23 Jan

Time Management

Ellis, Ch 02

Tue 28 Jan

Memory Skills and
Strategies

Ellis , Ch 03

Thu 30 Jan

Efficient Reading

Ellis, Ch 04

Tue 04 Feb

Note Taking Strategies

Ellis, Ch 05

Thu 06 Feb

Note Taking Strategies
Test Taking
Preparation and Skills

See assignments on
Pg . I of Course
Outline
Complete Ch I Learning
Style Inventory
Do Chapter 01 Self Test
Library Research Report
Start now!

Important Notes

This class will be held in
the UNBC Library
This class will be held in
the UNBC Library
I 6 Jan. last dal£ to
add/ droQ courses without
financial oenalt

Ellis, Ch 05

Do Chapter 02 Self Test
Complete Ch . 2
Time Monitor Exercise
Complete Ch 3 Ex 13
Review Schedule
Do Chapter 03 Self Test
Do Chapter 04 Self Test
Complete Ch 4 Ex 16
Make it a habit
Library Research
Progress Report Due
Do Chapter 05 Self Test

Ellis , Ch 06

Do Chapter 06 Self Test

Mid-Term Exam

Ellis , Ch 01-06 &
Lectures

Mid-Term Exam

I 3 Feb. Last dal£ to droQ
courses without
academic oenalt

17·21 Feb

Mid

Term

Study

Break

Tue 25 Feb
Thu 27 Feb
Tue 04 Mar

Public SpeakinQ
Effective WritinQ
Effective WritinQ
Student Research
Presentations
Student Research
Presentations
Diverse Thinkinq
Critical & Creative
Thinking
Critical & Creative
Thinkinq
Interpersonal Skills &
Relationships
Interpersonal Skills &
Relationships
Physical & Mental
Health

Ellis, Ch 09
Ellis, Ch 09
Ellis, Ch 09
Lecture & Reading
Notes
Lecture & Reading
Notes
Ellis, Ch 07

Mid-Term Exam Review
Do Chapter 09 Self Test

Tue II Feb
Thu 13 Feb

Thu 06 Mar
Tue I I Mar
Thu 13 Mar
Tue 18 Mar
Thu 20 Mar
Tue 25 Mar
Thu 27 Mar
Tue 01 Apr

•••••

.

Presentation Group 1 I
Eval Group 2
Presentation Group 2/
Eval Group 1
Do Chapter 07 Self Test

Ellis, Ch 08
Ellis, Ch 08

Do Chapter 08 Self Test

Ellis , Ch . 10

Do Chapter 10 Self Test

Ellis, Ch . 10

Library Research
Reports Due

Ellis, ChIt

Thu 03 Apr

Future Thinking

Ellis, Ch 12

Mon 07 Apr

UNIV 101 FINAL EXAM

EllisChs t-12&
All Lectures

Do Chapter I I Self Test
Do Chapter 12 Self Test
Library Research Reports
Returned
Scheduled Examination (3
Hrs.)

55

Final Exam Format
Description
Exam date will be set by
Reqistrar

University 101 on Academic Performance
Appendix G
Subject Data Summary

<
c..

...

<!l

.a

Gl

en

.sr:::
0

......

~

0

.r:::~

Q;

c..

Q;

r:::
0

'(ij

·e
1/)

<
c..
<!l
...

<
c..
<!l
N

~~

...
0

Gl

c..

...Gl

c E

"C

:::1

<

1-

1-

Q;

<
...
c.. Gl

<!l!::.

<!l

T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T

87.4
86.20
93.60
74.60
85.40
77.60
74.00
85.00
79.20
74.0
78.80
85.60
79.00
86.60
76.00
68 .20
75.60

3.38
2.93
4.33
1.89
1.93
1.75
1.22
2.07
2.53
1.15
2.48
2.83
2.44
2.8
1.93
2.25
3.84

3.05
3.47
4
2.92
1.83
2.67
1.11
3.13
2.58
2.58
2.04
2.72
1.98
2.09
1.67
1.67
3.61

-0.33
0.54
-0.33
1.03
-0.1
0.92
-0.11
1.06
0.05
1.43
-0.44
-0.11
-0.46
-0.71
-0. 26
-0.58
-0.23

F
F
F
M
F
F
M
F
F
M
M
F
F
F
F
M
F

70.60
70.8
73.40
69
69.80
85.6
67.20
69.8
85.00
94.40
81.6
74.20
69.4
74.4
72.6
84.20
80.60
89.6
71.00
82.80
66.60
80.8
85.40
87.80
92.20
73.00
73.60
72.60
70.40
88.40

3.75
2.59
3.11
1.53
1.92
3.15
2.53
3.4
3.3
4.33
2.98
2.81
1.92
2.47
1.75
2.58
3.5
3.83
2.67
3
2.67
2.93
2.8
3.07
4.25
1.92
2.5
2.33
2.69
2.48

2.56
1.47
2.22
2.42
2.09
3.73
2.47
3.5
2.6
4.33
2.88
2.04
1.33
1.78
1.42
2.08
1.83
3.34
1.78
2.89
1.5
2.58
1.78
2.5
4
2.33
1.6
2.8
2.33
1.95

-1.19
-1 .12
-0.89
0.89
0.17
0.58
-0.06
0.1
-0.7
0
-0.1
-0.77
-0.59
-0.69

F
M
F
M
M
F
M
M
F
M
F
F
M
M

-0.5
-1 .67
-0.49
-0.89
-0.11
-1.17
-0.35
-1 .02
-0.57
-0.25
0.41
-0.9
0.47
-0.36
-0.53

F
M
M
F
F
F
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
M
F

"C

E
Q;

E

-0.33

...EGl

Gl

UGI 10

r:::cz:'
~

...

en

....Illr:::

E

Gl

<
c..

<!l

~

...0

~

.r:::~

r:::

Gl

:::1

c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

M

r:::

0
'(ij

·e
1/)

<
c..

...

<!l

r:::cz:'
~

<!l

Gl(!l
!EN

E

N

...

c E

Gl
"C

<

1-

1-

Q;

<
...
c.. Gl

<!l!::.

<!l

88.40
82.20
93.20
76.00
88.80
80.40
77.20
88.80
75.80
72.40
79.20
83.0
76.60
89.20
75.80
67.40
73.40

3.73
2.27
3.32
2.24
2.67
1.67
3.2
3.34
2.08
3.11
1.92
3.07
1.67
2
2.73
2
1.25

3.33
2.73
3.33
2.33
4
1.98
1.78
2.76
1.77
3.13
2.82
3.27
1.78
2.83
2.56
1.5
1.8

-0.4
0.46
0.01
0.09
1.33
0.31
-1 .42
-0.58
-0.31
0.02
0.9
0.2
0.11
0.83
-0.17
-0.5
0.55

F
F
F
M
F
F
M
F
F
M
M
F
F
F
F
M
F

72.40
72.00
77.00
70.8
71.80
86.2
68 .60
72.6
85.6
91.00
83.0
76.40
77.40
75.0
72.2
80.20
77.60
91 .00
72.40
78.80
69.20
77.20
87.6
86.60
92.60
72.00
74.40
75.00
73.80
87.2

1.93
2.98
2.59
2.59
2.58
1.74
1.92
1.33
2
3.72
2.06
2.73
2.86
2.73
1.4
2.77
1.73
3.69
2.21
2.17
1.54
1.1
2.55
3.93
4.26
2.02
2.93
2.5
1.89
2.9

2.42
2.05
2
1.6
2.33
2.56
1.8
1.34
1.5
3.62
2.33
3.27
2.33
2.97
1.33
2.2
2.36
3.28
2.17
1.25
1
1.44
2.57
3.94
4.18
1.32
3.17
1.6
2.13
3.21

0.49
-0.93
-0.59
-0.99
-0.25
0.82
-0.12
0.01
-0.5
-0.1
0.27
0.54
-0.53
0.24
-0.07
-0.57
0.63
-0.41
-0.04
-0.92
-0.54
0.34
0.02
0.01
-0.08
-0.7
0.24
-0.9
0.24
0.31

F
M
F
M
M
F
M
M
F
M
F
F
M
M

"C

E
Q;

aT= subject took University 101, n=47; C= subject did not take University 101 , n=47
bin percentages
c in UNBC grade point

56

<
c..

UGI 10

r:::

Gl

M

F
M
M
F
F
F
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
M
F