Program Description
FYE connects first-year (including transfer) students to a community of first-year friendly courses and faculty who partner in helping FYE students build their academic foundation and make a successful transition to Chico State.
Mission
The mission of the First-Year Experience is to ensure the successful transition and retention of all first-year (including transfer) students at CSU, Chico. FYE supports the design of research-based curricular experiences that emphasize social connection, identity exploration, academic and civic efficacy.
Goals
- Specifically designed classes, called U-Courses, that are designed with students’ transitioning processes in mind
- U-Course offerings change every semester and are always 100-level and meet General Education requirements
- Public sphere events where students meet members of the community, and their course work is central to discussions at the event
- Sense of Place is connected to the course work in nearly all of FYE’s U-Courses
- Town Hall Meeting is connected to the course work in many “POLS 155: American Government: National, State, and Local” courses
- Student support events that help students find community and connect to resources
- Major Quest supports undeclared students in finding a major
- Transfer Support provides students who are new to Chico State’s campus, but not new to college with insider knowledge and resources
- Two mentoring programs that connect first-year students with more-experienced students
- Peer Academic Leader program supports students enrolled in U-Courses in the classroom
- Peer Mentor program focuses on student success both inside and outside of the classroom
Student Learning Outcomes
- Equitably increase first-year student retention from Fall to Spring semester and first- to second-year.
- Increase sense of belonging and mattering in first-year students.
- Provide opportunities for first-year students to develop an academic identity.
- Improve academic efficacy in first-year students.
- Improve civic efficacy in first-year students.