10.5193/JEE34.2.127 Journal of Experiential Education • 2011, Volume 34, No. 2 pp. 127–148 Effects of a College Adventure Orientation Program on Student Development Behaviors Ekaterini Vlamis, Brent J. Bell, and Michael Gass This study examined the effects of an adventure orientation program on the student development behaviors of incoming frst-year students at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Student development was mea- sured by a condensed version of the Student Development Task Inven- tory-2 (CSDTI-2; Gass, 1986; Winston, Miller, & Prince, 1979). Data anal- ysis showed overall positive signifcant gains for adventure orientation program participants on certain measures of developmental tasks (i.e., developing autonomy, developing purpose) and subtasks (i.e., emotional autonomy, instrumental autonomy, appropriate educational plans). Changes in this study differed from those found by Gass (1986) and Han- sen (1982) at their respective institutions. The different outcomes high- light that adventure orientation courses’ variability in curricular design may have a strong impact on student developmental task and subtask outcomes. This fnding demonstrates the importance of selecting pro- gram activities and processing techniques based on a program’s intent, objectives, philosophy, experiences, and focus. Keywords: Adventure Orientation, Wilderness Orientation, First-Year Students, Outdoor Orientation Programs, Student Development Ekaterini Vlamis, M.S., owns, facilitates, and guides for Edgewood Consulting and Services, located in New Paltz, New York, USA. E-mail: ekaterini@ edgewoodcs.com Brent J. Bell, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Outdoor Education at the Uni- versity of New Hampshire, Durham, USA. E-mail: bbell@unh.edu Michael Gass, Ph.D., is the Coordinator of Outdoor Education at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA. E-mail: mgass@unh.edu