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FYI on FYE: Year in review |
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Terry Biel |
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Mar 29, 2005 |
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This article is the first in a three-part series on the First-Year Experience Program.
The UT First-Year Experience Program, designed to aid in retention and improve grades for first-year students, recently celebrated its one-year birthday. With more than 15 programs up and running, it is growing fast.
As an all-encompassing enterprise designed to target academics, student life and the middle ground between the two, FYE-funded programs range from expansion of tutoring and supplemental instruction offerings to new student life endeavors and advising initiatives. In essence, FYE aims to “make everything special for freshmen,” said Jennifer Rockwood, director of the program. “Often that’s the hardest part [of college]; you’re in transition.”
In addition to lifestyle and environment changes in college, students in 1000- and 2000-level University core courses often have a very different mindset than students in 3000 to 4000 courses, since these higher level courses consist almost entirely of material in their program of study. Once over that hurdle, “research proves that if a student does well in the first year, they’ll do well the rest of the time,” Rockwood pointed out.
Dr. Bernie Bopp, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and UT FYE committee chair, concurred with the need to better address the difficulties of first-year students at UT. Year one to year two retention rates before FYE activity hovered around 72 percent. “I think we can do better,” Bopp said, “and I think FYE is going to help do that.”
FYE itself is not a discrete program, but a series of programs under the auspices of the FYE committee, which includes administrators, faculty members and two student representatives. Each year, the committee selects a topic, sends out a request for proposals, and makes a recommendation to the Office of the Provost on which proposals to fund. Proposals must detail staffing, budget, a timeline of activities, and outcome measures by which the success of the project can be determined.
The first request for proposals, sent out fall 2003, was very broad and asked for “new or expanded FYE activities.” A total of 10 programs were selected for funding from the first round of FYE proposals, covering a variety of academic and student life initiatives, including expanded supplemental instruction at the Learning Enhancement Center, an Arts-Living Learning community and the Primos Latino peer-mentor program.
One lack in the 2003 proposals was advising and transfer student initiatives. The fall 2004 request specifically called for proposals in these two areas. Five additional programs received funding:
• Professional development for advisers in arts and sciences — Designed to increase adviser effectiveness and raise the level of student satisfaction.
• Survey of orientation programs for adult and transfer students — Assesses current Rocket Launch freshman orientation for adult and transfer students through visits to comparable programs.
• Year of the Adviser recognition and rewards — Accompanying the Office of the Provost’s 2005 Year of the Adviser activities, this program will bring in speakers and help highlight the importance of advisers at UT.
• Training and professional development for faculty and staff advisers — Will develop innovative, effective advising strategies.
• UMAPS — Will custom-tailor informational publications based on six basic personality types, including information on UT majors, core classes, student organizations, community activities and career possibilities.
For more information on these or any other First-Year Experience programs, contact Rockwood at Ext. 2330 or go to http://utfye.utoledo.edu.
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