Connecting the First Year: The student’s whole BGSU experience

The Problem  Many good programs, but too many  Lack of centralized coordination has detracted from overall effort  Redundancies and gaps  Difficult for students to navigate  Many good programs, but too many  Lack of centralized coordination has detracted from overall effort  Redundancies and gaps  Difficult for students to navigate

Existing Programs  Many programs affect first-year students  Some for special subpopulations  Some also for sophmores, juniors, seniors  There are only five programs that are designed for first-year students:  BG Perspective (gen ed)  BGeXperience  Springboard  UNIV 100  Residential Learning Communities (9)  Many programs affect first-year students  Some for special subpopulations  Some also for sophmores, juniors, seniors  There are only five programs that are designed for first-year students:  BG Perspective (gen ed)  BGeXperience  Springboard  UNIV 100  Residential Learning Communities (9)

Building on Success  While existing programs have had success, they lack coherence and distinctiveness  Coherence: thematic connections across all four years, and spanning academic and student affairs  Distinctiveness: Framing around the University Learning Outcomes, of which Critical Thinking About Values plays the leading role  While existing programs have had success, they lack coherence and distinctiveness  Coherence: thematic connections across all four years, and spanning academic and student affairs  Distinctiveness: Framing around the University Learning Outcomes, of which Critical Thinking About Values plays the leading role

Three Critical Transitions  Transition to college  Finding a major  Preparing for life after college  Address all three transitions in a coordinated, thematic way  Transition to college  Finding a major  Preparing for life after college  Address all three transitions in a coordinated, thematic way

Special Issues for the First Year  Enhancing social integration  First-year transition issues  Building academic skills  Critical thinking about values  Multicultural competence  Intentional retention  Navigating the system  Engagement with external communities  Enhancing social integration  First-year transition issues  Building academic skills  Critical thinking about values  Multicultural competence  Intentional retention  Navigating the system  Engagement with external communities

First-year Seminar  Address the “transition to college” issues  Build academic component  University Learning Outcomes  Electronic portfolio use  Must be part of BG Perspective  Multiple versions possible  Address the “transition to college” issues  Build academic component  University Learning Outcomes  Electronic portfolio use  Must be part of BG Perspective  Multiple versions possible

Transition to Majors  For students who have decided on a particular major  Courses that explore how the major connects to issues of the day  For students who want to explore  Inter- or multi-disciplinary courses designed around topics such as “AIDS,” “Sustainability,” or “Oil”  For students who have decided on a particular major  Courses that explore how the major connects to issues of the day  For students who want to explore  Inter- or multi-disciplinary courses designed around topics such as “AIDS,” “Sustainability,” or “Oil”

Reflecting and Looking Ahead  Capstone courses in every major  Synthetic, project-based demonstration of learning  Culmination of electronic portfolio, with purposeful connection to career or further study  Capstone courses in every major  Synthetic, project-based demonstration of learning  Culmination of electronic portfolio, with purposeful connection to career or further study

Administrative Structure  Central oversight is necessary to ensure consistency and coordination  Formal structure (such as undergraduate college) is unnecessary and undesirable  Central oversight is necessary to ensure consistency and coordination  Formal structure (such as undergraduate college) is unnecessary and undesirable

Related Concerns  Comprehensive curricular review: For the “transitions” approach to be most effective, the University Learning Outcomes should be intentional themes for all courses  Overlap of A&S “group requirements” with BG Perspective is confusing and counterproductive  Comprehensive curricular review: For the “transitions” approach to be most effective, the University Learning Outcomes should be intentional themes for all courses  Overlap of A&S “group requirements” with BG Perspective is confusing and counterproductive