The+perceptions+of+participants+in+a+first-year+experience+program+at+a+New+Zealand+university

**The perceptions of participants in a first-year experience program** **at a New Zealand university** Hesham Elnagar, graduate student, Northern Arizona University hhe2@nau.edu]

**Keywords:** Leadership, first-year students, international

**Track:** International impact and development

**Format:** Poster presentation

**Date & time:** Friday 9:00

**Location:** Salon 4 / Salon 9

**Summary:** The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is a service-based leadership program for high achieving first-year students at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Recently restructured to engage students more systematically, the program employs a first-year experience (FYE) foundation to help students connect to their new university surroundings, while providing engaging experiences with various leadership paradigms and service-learning opportunities. The objective of this case study is to collect and understand the perceptions of the participants’ experiences in the program.

In all, this study illustrates the perceptions of students in a program where service-learning can be applied with concepts in leadership to assist them with the transition to higher education. In the program, leadership and community engagement were widely discussed from different and varied paradigms, providing students the background to connect leadership and community involvement with service experiences. Thematic analysis illustrated both positive trends and areas needing improvement. Therefore, these findings highlight to practitioners the lessons learned from this cohort of students while presenting cultural nuances specific to New Zealand.

The results from this study will benefit the university community by displaying a coherent analysis of New Zealand first-year student experience as demonstrated within the ELP. It will especially provide rich narratives for the program coordinators in their assessment of its recent restructure incorporating service and leadership. More general, the study represents a contextualized educational experience in leadership and service viable to all educational communities, both local and worldwide.

**References:** Barefoot, B. (2000). First-year experience: Are we making it any better. //About Campus//, 12-19.

Kidwell, K., & Reising, B. (2005). Understanding the college first-year experience. //Clearing House//, //78//(6), 253. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.

Leach, L., & Zepke, N. (2009). //Engaging first year students: A conceptual organiser for student engagement//. Paper presented at the Twelfth Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference, Hobart, Australia. Paper retrieved from http://www.fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers09/content/html/sessions.html

McInnis, C. (2001). Researching the first year experience: Where to from here? //Higher Education Research & Development//, 20(2), 105-114.

Mitchell, P., & Forer, P. (2010). Blended learning: The perceptions of first-year geography students. //Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 34//(1), 77-89.

Purnell, S. (2002, June). //Calm and composed on the surface, but paddling like hell underneath: The transition to university in New Zealand.// Paper presented at the annual meeting of The First Year in Higher Education Conference, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Paper retrieved from http://www.fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers02.htm

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Todd, N. & Ballantyne, J. (2007). 'This is our campus!': Student perspectives of their 1st year experience at a new university campus. In Proceedings of: 10th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference 2007. //10th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference 2007//, Brisbane, Queensland, (1-9). 4 - 6 July 2007.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Webster, B. & Chan, W. (2009). First year transition experiences and effects on student learning outcomes, in //The Student Experience, Proceedings of the 32nd HERDSA Annual Conference,// Darwin, Australia, 6-9 July 2009: pp. 608-613.

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