First-year experience
Most colleges have some sort of orientation period for incoming freshmen, whether it be a day, a week, freshman pre-orientation trips, or some combination of the above. Orientation, however, can have a limited impact on incoming students' sense of community. First-year seminars and other activities that regularly bring small groups of students and teachers or staff together are becoming common offerings at many universities. U.S. News & World Report asked deans of admissions, chief academic officers, presidents of colleges, and deans of students from over 1,500 universities to suggest up to 15 schools that had excellent first-year experiences. Here are some of the colleges whose first-year experiences stood out:
Elon University. Elon's Common Reading Program (ECRP), for which incoming freshman are expected to arrive on campus having read an assigned book on an important and timely subject, challenges students, faculty, and staff to examine themselves and the local and global worlds they inhabit through reading. The readings and related discussions aim not only to encourage critical reflection about important issues but also to invite consideration of how our individual actions affect these issues.
University of South Carolina. University 101, a first-year seminar started in 1972 to help students adjust to college life and learn about the university’s offerings, sparked an international movement called the first-year experience, with South Carolina earning national recognition for its work with students, peer leaders, and instructors. The Columbia campus also is home to the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, the internationally recognized expert for scholarship, policy, and best practice for all postsecondary student transitions.
Agnes Scott College. All freshman take Leadership Prologue, where they learn about the Agnes Scott approach to leadership and the liberal arts. In the class, students focus on the five fundamental leadership skills: critical thinking, writing, public speaking, digital literacy, and teamwork. This serves as students' foundation for good scholarship, leadership, and campus involvement.
To learn more about freshman orientation and first-year experiences, use the contact form on my website to reach out.
