Identity and Role Challenges for Academic Teams Engaging with a First-Year Transition Program

The Commencing Student Success Project (CSSP) was initiated in July 2020 to address on-going issues relating to the experiences of commencing students. The quality of the transition experience into higher education studies is associated with student retention and attrition. The project aimed to develop and enact a set of principles focused on the teaching academic: student relationship, that would positively enhance the student experience, and improve student retention in their first year of study. This article examines academics’ perceptions of the benefits of involvement in the CSSP project, and identifies challenges they experienced relating to changes in their role as a Unit Coordinator (UC) of a commencing unit. A number of strategies on how to efficaciously train and support academics who may be involved in such a project are proposed.