Adam Scales Publishes Article in The Learning Assistance Review

By Abby Harlan
May 6, 2026

Adam Scales, assistant director of academic success at Washington and Lee University, recently authored an article published in The Learning Assistance Review, the peer-reviewed journal of the International College Learning Center Association (ICLCA).

The paper, titled "Redesigning a First-Year Experience Course to Support Students' Transition to University," explores the viability of a newly developed curriculum on facilitating students' transition to college.

The study examines the effectiveness of first-year experience courses in helping new college students navigate the transitional period in their academic careers. Using a newly developed curriculum being implemented at a public university, Scales utilized data from first-year students to measure the program's impact in supporting students' success and transition into the university environment. The findings suggest that combining holistic models of success with peer-supported interventions can enhance first-year experience course design and better prepare incoming students as they adjust to the expectations of postsecondary education.

Scales, who joined the W&L faculty in 2021, holds a bachelor's degree in film and English from the University of East Anglia (U.K.) as well as an M.Ed. in higher and postsecondary education from Arizona State University. He has also earned a Ph.D. in media from the University of East Anglia. On campus, Scales directs programs that foster student success through peer tutoring, academic coaching and learning resource projects.