We explored the benefits of strengths-based academic advising approaches for first-year students (N ¼ 1,228). We used propensity score matching techniques to create matched pairs of students who did and did not engage in strengthsbased advising conversations with an advisor. First-year students who experienced strengthsbased conversations had significantly higher rates of first-year retention and graduation in 4 years, levels of engagement, and academic selfefficacy than students who did not participate in these conversations. Focus groups of 21 advisors provided insights into strengths-based advising in 3 findings: strengths approaches facilitated advising relationships (thereby supporting students' engagement, retention, and graduation), enhanced students' self-awareness and confidence, and advanced advisors' own personal and professional development (thereby positively influencing student success).

The purpose of this chapter is to present the results of a multi-institutional study of undergraduates who participated in service-learning abroad. Data were derived from the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey, which was administered to undergraduates enrolled at 14 large, public research-extensive universities (n = 12,744) in the United States (US) during Spring 2013. The results of hierarchical linear regression analyses suggested that students who participated in service-learning abroad (11.79% of students) were significantly more likely to develop multicultural competence, global and intercultural skills, and leadership skills over their undergraduate peers who did not participate in service-learning abroad.

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