Developing links for inclusion: Advising university students commencing with second-year courses

While credit transfer pathways have created inclusive opportunities in higher education and diversified Australian student populations (Chesters & Watson, 2016; Millman, 2013), students who benefit from these pathways often struggle with the academic skills needed to complete second-year university assessments (Millman, 2013). Furthermore, the adjustment to asynchronous, self-directed learning can be challenging for students who have previously thrived in a competency-based environment (Millman, 2013). The Student Success team at UniSC have recognised a cohort of students admitted to the Bachelor of Nursing Science program through the enrolled nurse pathway as at a higher risk of attrition than traditional school-leavers (Chesters & Watson, 2016) and offered a variety of programs to support their retention and success. These have included multidisciplinary sessions that focus on essential academic skill development for second-year courses (Millman, 2013), opportunities for peer mentoring, and clinical communication practice targeting our culturally and linguistically diverse nursing student population (Brennan, Horne-Thompson & Clark, 2013). While these activities have received positive feedback since they were introduced in 2018, their opt-in nature has resulted in low attendance. To encourage proactive rather than reactive engagement with learning support (Picton & Kahu, 2022) a pilot early-intervention project is being carried out at UniSC in Semester 2, 2023. This will include a targeted message in an early-semester calling campaign, follow-up emails, and partnership with academic staff to create a cohort-specific discussion group in their learning management system, Canvas. This pilot will be evaluated in December 2023 by reviewing engagement data, feedback, and course outcomes.