EPS 101

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EPS 101 FYE 101

• Northern Arizona University

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First Year Seminars . . .

• Freshmen Success hinges on
• Developing academic intellectual competence
• Establishing and maintaining interpersonal
  relationships
• Developing identity
• Making career decisions life-style choices
• Maintaining personal health wellness
• First--Year Seminars
• EPS 101 Academic Personal Development
• FYE 101 First Year Experience Seminar

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EPS 101 Administratively

• Faculty Coordinator from Educational Psychology
• 12 GA instructors
• Department Resources

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Overview of EPS 101

• Primary focus on learning and study skills
• Somewhat interactive 3 credit course
• Taught in small sections of 20 to 25 students
• Required for conditionally admitted students who
  did not meet the aptitude requirements for
  admissions
• Course topics include academic, navigational, and
  life skills

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EPS 101 Nuts Bolts

• Three credit
• Grade Bearing
• Taught by Graduate Assistants in Educational
  Psychology
• Course meets for 15 weeks

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Course Structure

• Classes meet twice a week
• All semester
• Each class meeting is 1 hr, 10 min long

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Graduate Assistants

• Attend Fall Training
• Teach provided Curriculum
• Teach two sections
• Office Hours, 2 per week
• Participate in Summer Reading
• Assist with Welcome Weekend Activities
• Compensation
• Assistantship (9,000 for 9 months)
• Teaching Experience

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FYE 101 Administratively

• Freshmen Academic Programs
• Part of Undergraduate Studies
• FYE 101 Coordinator
• Two 20 hour GAs
• Student worker
• 35 Peer Mentors

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Overview of FYE 101

• Freshmen Seminar with an Extended Orientation
  Focus
• Taught in small sections of 20 to 25 students
• designed to assist new students in making their
  transition to college
• Course topics include academic, navigational, and
  life skills topics

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FYE 101 Nuts Bolts

• One credit
• Grade Bearing
• Course meets 15 times during the semester
• Taught by Upper-division, Undergraduate Peer
  Mentors

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Peer Mentors

• Teach two sections of FYE 101
• Office Hours, 2 per week
• Attend Spring Training
• Curriculum Development
• First-Year Students
• Higher Education
• Vista

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Peer Mentors

• Participate in Summer Reading
• Assist with Welcome Weekend Activities
• Compensation
• Paid 700 to 800 Stipend
• Move into Residence Halls early in Fall
• Leadership Experience
• Enroll in Fieldwork course in College Teaching

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FYE Course Structure

• Each class meeting is 50 minutes long
• Each class meets
• Twice a week for the first month
• Once a week during the second month
• Individual office meetings with students during
  the third month

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FYE Themes

• Are designed to
• Make course material more meaningful
• Capitalize on existing interests, hobbies,
  activities
• Motivate them with personal relevance
• Encourage community building
• Stronger focus on identity development
• Keep students more engaged

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Identity Development

• Foundational Course Questions
• Who am I?
• Where did I come from?
• How do I matter?
• Real College (textbook)

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FYE Themes

• Relationships
• Its not what you know, its who you know
• Flagstaff
• Beyond the Pines
• Health
• Self-Empowerment
• Recreational and Outdoor Sports
• Get in the Game

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More FYE Themes . . .

• Arts and Crafts
• Idle Hands
• Meaning Purpose
• This I Believe . . . . I think
• Entrepreneurship
• The American Dream . . . Where do I get mine?
• Career Exploration
• The Future is Out There . . . But Where?
• Traditional FYE
• Fall 2007 title pending . . . . .

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Theme Structure(aspirational)

• Block Scheduling
• Team Theme Curriculum Development
• Guest Speakers
• Theme Specific
• Foundational Course Questions
• Faculty Integration
• Out of Class experiences
• Readings Topics
• Service Learning
• Coupons

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Assessment

• Seminar Participant Outcomes
• Retention
• Cumulative GPA
• Academic Standing
• Course Experience
• Course evaluations (FYE EPS)
• Instruction Support Program (FYE only)
• Peer Mentor Self-Evaluation
• FYE 101 Student Assessment of Peer Mentors
• Classroom Observations by Leadership Team

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Final Thoughts

• Questions? . . . . .
• Concerns? . . . . . .
• Ideas? . . . . . . . .