Community college student experiences within (and beyond) an accelerated-first-year seminar course

Student success and retention are one of the top challenges colleges face. It has become important that higher education professionals understand the reasons for first-year student engagement and attrition. Institutions of higher education have an opportunity to engage and retain students by providing first-year seminar courses that promote self-efficacy and mastery of educational goals. As community colleges have been facing declining enrollment numbers nationally, it has become important for institutions of higher education to identify what elements of first-year seminars impact long-term student success—especially within accelerated versions of these courses. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of first-year students who enroll in accelerated first-year seminar courses and identify patterns that would explain how the student engagement in the course influenced their academic success in the classroom. While literature exists that examines the general impact of accelerated first-year seminars, there is little research focusing on the elements of accelerated first-year seminars have a positive impact on long-term student success and retention. To add to the literature in this area and inform practice, 12 students from Small Midwestern Community College (SMCC) who successfully completed an accelerated first-year seminar (AFYS) participated in a phenomenological study. The research questions included: (a) How do students experience AFYS? (b) How do community college students make meaning of their educational experience in AFYS? (c) What elements of or experiences during AFYS do students identify as being most influential and supportive of their long-term success as students? Students participated in Zoom interviews, then data were transcribed and analyzed using a phenomenological analysis approach (IPA). Four significant themes were generated: (a) Navigation, (b) Connection, (c) Resources and Support, (d) and Learning about Self. These findings are largely consistent with current literature, yet these findings also address a gap in current understandings by identifying the elements of accelerated first-year seminars that impact long-term success. Detailed explanations of the findings and implications of this research for community colleges, student affairs professionals, and faculty are included.