START had 4 objectives: Objective 1: Make those teaching 1st-year courses aware of the difficulties students face when entering HE, on the one hand, & of the special role those teaching 1st-year students have in making HE inclusive, accessible & engaging, on the other. Objective 2: Introduce HE academics to tools & activities they can use in order to set ALL students for success through (1) helping students learn how to learn in HE & (2) revising assessment, learning & teaching activities to help students successfully adapt to learning in this new environment. Objective 3: Agree on indicators of excellence and create tools that can guide professional development efforts & recognition for those who teach 1st-year students and are keen to promote inclusive excellence (student retention & success) through core curriculum activities. Objective 4: Facilitate dialogue with key actors of pre-university education sector, so as to increase the number of diverse students who access HE better PREPARED to learn & succeed in HE environment
Student dropout & lack of timely completion caused by difficulties experienced in their transition to higher education (HE) is a well-known problem, but higher education institutions (HEIs) have not been able to resolve it so far. Students (SS) who access HE but do not receive the necessary support from Academics (AA) who teach 1st-year courses are, so to speak, let down by the system. This has serious societal & financial costs. AA, in turn, have no access to professional development resources to help them learn how to support ALL students in transition to HE. START addressed the following interconnected needs: - need for HE that will no longer let diverse SS down, effectively excluding them through lack of support; - need for those who teach 1st-year SS to be aware of how & why transition to HE might be difficult & to learn how to promote student retention & set ALL SS for success; - need of Academics working with 1st-year SS for professional development resources & activities that allow to learn to promote student retention & set ALL SS for success; - need of HEIs to easily access professional development tools & materials designed for AA teaching 1st-year SS; - need for better communication with actors of pre-HE sector