In 2002, the Policy Center on the First Year of College (supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and Lumina Foundation for Education) sponsored a project to recognize colleges and universities as "Institutions of Excellence" in their design and execution of the first year. Thirteen colleges and universities--representing a broad spectrum of campus types--were selected as exceptional institutions that place a high priority on the first-year experience. Achieving and Sustaining Excellence in the First Year of College includes case studies of each of the thirteen exemplary institutions. These studies illustrate and analyze the colleges' best practices in teaching, assessing, and retaining first-year college students. The individual case studies offer lessons learned and have broad potential application beyond the particular type of institution represented.

1. On Being Named an Institution of Excellence in the First College Year. The Process and the Places.
2. Research Methods.

Part One. Case Studies of Two-Year Institutions.

3. The Community College of Denver. A Second Family for the First-Year Student
4. LaGuardia Community College. A Window on the World

Part Two. Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with Fewer Than 2,000 Students.

5. The First Year at Eckerd College. Responsible Innovation
6. Kalamazoo College. No Stone Left Unturned

Part Three. Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 2,000 to 5,000 Students.

7. Drury University. Balancing Intellectual Rigor with Intrusive Personal Support in the First Year
8. Elon University. Transforming Education Through a Community of Inquiry and Engagement
9. West Point and the Plebe-Year Experience. The Long Gray Line

Part Four. Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 5,000 to 10,000 Students.

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York. Excellence in the Bronx
11. The First Year at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. Starting with a Clean Slate

Part Five. Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 10,000 to 20,000 Students.

12. Appalachian State University. High Standards for the First Year in North Carolina's High Country
13. The Story of Ball State University. "Everything Students Need"

Part Six. Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with More Than 20,000 Students.

14. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Success and the City
15. University of South Carolina. Creator and Standard-Bearer for the First-Year Experience

Part Seven. Conclusion.

16. Findings and Recommendations.
Epilogue. Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year.
Appendix A. All Participants in the Institutions of Excellence Study (N = 130).
Appendix B. Initial Letter of Invitation to Participate in the Institutions of Excellence Project.
Appendix C. Semifinalists.
Appendix D. Letter to Semifinalists.
Appendix E. Announcement Letter to Thirteen Institutions of Excellence.
Appendix F. Research Subject Information and Consent Form