First-Year Experience (FYE) Seminars/Courses Create Community, and a Strong

Foundation for Students’ Personal and Professional Development

FYE InstructorsJessica Tvrdy, Michael Rideout, Marci Barnes,

Michelle Wagner & Denise Marchionda FYE Students

Marie Degou and Dennis KingJo Mucci, Director

First-Year Experience & Student Success

It’s all about the first year…FYE at MCC!

____________________________provide freshman the opportunity to engage with a faculty member in a

low stress, usually small class (15-20 students)

environment that eases the transition to college life, but

remains both academically enriching and reasonably challenging.

First-Year Experience (FYE) Quiz

Research: National Survey of First-Year Seminars

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Research consistently shows that first-year experience courses/seminars that are linked and create a learning community are effective programming efforts for:• retention and student success• responding to the academic, social and personal needs of first-year students • assisting first-year students in becoming integrated into an institution’s academic environment

Rationale for Making the FYE Course a Requirement

 

It is the intention of this course to link the First-Year Experience Seminar with a General Education course to accomplish the following:

Make the traditional First-Year curriculum explicitly relevant to the students by connecting it to a course in which the “content” seems apparent, and, therefore, more academic 

Create FYE curriculum that will give students the opportunity to practice skills that they will need to be successful in all of their college courses

Introduce students to the MCC ISLOs by creating opportunities for students to reflect on these skills in “real world” situations

Help students begin to take ownership of their education by creating both short-term and long-term educational plans

Allow students to have a wide variety of seminar experiences that can be combined (“bundled”) to fulfill a General Education elective 

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Key Observations of First-Year Experience Seminars

First-year seminars are taught by faculty members (including adjuncts) and professional staff, who develop and teach the seminars.

A typical first-year seminar can meet anywhere between one and four hours per week.

Instructors are often granted a significant amount of freedom regarding the topics of first-year seminars as long as seminars involve interdisciplinary topics and develop skills identified in the program’s overarching philosophy.

Institutions indicate that academic advising is extremely important and tied into first-year seminars at most institutions. Academic advisors also help promote first-year seminars among students. 6

Middlesex Community College has developed the First-Year Experience Seminar and other Interdisciplinary Studies

(IDS) courses to foster a strong sense of community through the

use of small classroom settings, group projects, presentations

and course offerings that is topical and accessible to all

students. Theseminars develop students’ oral and written

communication skillswhile promoting strong relationships among students,

their instructors and the college community.

Why did MCC develop their First-Year Experience

Seminars/Courses?

Introduced to ISLOsWritten and Oral Communication

Multicultural/Global Literacy

Critical Thinking

Social Responsibility

Quantitative Literacy

Personal and Professional Development

The First-Year Experience (FYE) is a one-credit seminar experience that can be linked with introductory, college-level courses to form Learning Communities. Students learn essential student success skills, behaviors and habits of mind that will increase their college success. Students will also learn about student support, co-curricular services and other college resources to develop and strengthen their skills and abilities.

IDS 101: General Education Seminar: FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE (1 Credit)

Examples of Linked Courses

Preparation for College MathIntroduction to SociologyIntroduction to PsychologyExplorations in Human BehaviorExplorations in HumanitiesExplorations in ScienceBasic WritingEnglish Composition ISpeechEducation (EDU & PSY)

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Linked/W Day Time Room Instructor IDS Sec Instructor DAY Time RoomEng 071 19 MWF 10:30-11:20 HH 219 TBA IDS 101 01 TBA M 8:30-9:20 NA 102EDU 100 01 MW 10:30-11:45 SA 102 TBA IDS 101 02 TBA M 9:30-10:20 NA 102ENG 091 01 MWF 8:30-10:20 AR Lib 3 Black IDS 101 03 TBA M 10:30-11:20 HH 213MAT 001 06 T 10:30-11:30 AR 211 Delmonaco IDS 101 04 TBA R 10:30-11:20 AR 110HUM 100 01 MWF 7:30-8:20 NA G 9 TBA IDS 101 05 TBA W 9:30-10:20 HH 112PSY 101 05 T-R 1:30-2:45 NA 211 Pisarik IDS 101 06 TBA R 12:30-1:20 SA 006EDU 101 01 MW 10:30-11:45 BH 002 Higgins IDS 101 07 TBA M 12-12:20 BH 002SOC 101 05 T R 9-10:45 NA G 11 Ogburn IDS 101 08 TBA R 11-11:50 AR-Lib 3SOC 101 01 MWF 8:30-9:20 SA 006 Alessi IDS 101 09 TBA F 9:30-10:20 BH 103MAT 001 02 MWF 9-10:15 AR 211 Caruso IDS 101 10 TBA W 10:30-11:20 NA 211ENG 071 03 MWF 9:30-10:20 HH 114 Laughlin IDS 101 11 TBA W 8:30-9:20 SA 103ENG 101 10 MWF 11:30-12:20 NA G11 Davidson IDS 101 12 TBA F 10:30-11:20 SA 103PSY 122 02 TR 10:30-11:45 BH 002 Regan IDS 101 13 TBA T 12-12:50 BH 002ENG 071 10 MWF 12:30-1:20 NA G11 Laughlin IDS 101 14 TBA M 1:30-2:20 HH 212ENG 101 11 TR 9-10:15 SA 006 Davidson IDS 101 15 TBA T 8-8:50 HH 310ENG 101 25 MWF 12:30-1:20 HH 116 TBA IDS 101 16 TBA M 1:30-2:20 HH 220

MWF 10:30-11:20 TBA IDS 101 17 TBA W 10:30-11:20 NA 117 MWF 9:30-10:20 TBA IDS 101 18 TBA F 8:30-9:20 BH 103

SOC 101 30 T 6-8:45 pm NA G 11 TBA IDS 101 30 TBA T 5-5:50 pm NA G9 S 9-11:45 TBA IDS 101 31 TBA S 12-12:50 NA G9

ENG 071 54 MWF 9:30-10:20 LD 301 Schleicher IDS 101 50 TBA M 8:30-9:20 LC 209ENG 071 52 MWF 8:30-9:20 LF 205 TBA IDS 101 51 TBA M 9:30-10:20 LC 209PSY 122 52 WF 12:30-1:45 LC 207 Regan IDS 101 52 TBA W 11:30-12:20 LC 112

HUM 101 50 MWF 12:30-1:20 LF 214 Ryan IDS 101 53 TBA M 11:30-12:20 LC 105SOC 101 50 MWF 9:30-10:20 LC 115 IDS 101 54 TBA F 8:30-9:20 LC 306

IDS 101 55 TBA W 8-8:50 LC 306ENG 101 64 TR 9-10:15 LC 318 TBA IDS 101 56 TBA R 8-8:50 LC 110PSY 123 50 WF 12-1:15 LC 113 Hutchinson IDS 101 57 TBA F 1:30-2:20 LC 213 AENG 071 61 TR 1:30-2:45 LF 205 TBA IDS 101 58 TBA T 12:30-1:20 LC 213 PSY 101 59 TR 9-10:15 LC 211 Gibbons IDS 101 59 TBA T 10:30-11:20 LP 403ENG 071 64 TR 9-10:15 LC 110 TBA IDS 101 60 TBA R 10:30-11:20 LF 205COM 103 52 TR 10:30-11:45 LC 201 McKeon,R IDS 101 61 TBA T 9:30-10:20 LC 118PSY 100 51 WF 10:30-11:45 LP 405 Gray IDS 101 62 TBA W 9:30-10:20 LC 214PSY 101 64 TR 7:30-8:45 LC 104 Keen IDS 101 63 TBA R 9-9:50 LP 405

Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) Schedule Fall 2013

FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE): IDS 101 SERVICE LEARNING: IDS 102 LEADERSHIP: IDS 103 RESEARCH: IDS 104 CAREER EXPLORATION: IDS 106 CAREER DEVELOPMENT: IDS 107 WELLNESS: IDS 108

Instructors and lots of very committed people, throughout the college

Advising Resources Activities/Projects Engagement opportunities ePortfolios

It takes a village!

What’s Important in an FYE Course? Everything!

Some linked courses are showing higher retention than they have had in the past

Linked partners are noticing that students are bonding and participating more

More collaborative, group work in both FYE and linked courses

Stronger sense of community Students are more engaged More students are attending college-wide

events Students are helping other students

Some Important Observations

“I learned a lot this year. I discovered how to stay on track

till the very end no matter what. Even with so much on my plate I managed my classes pretty well and learned even with some struggles. There were so many mistakes I made in school that I’ve learned not to do for next semester. School isn’t like a hobby or any side thing, it should be your prime thing in your life.”

Student Reflection

Jessica Tvrdy

Advising and FYE

Embedding Academic Advising into First-Year Experience Courses

- Students that build a relationship with an academic advisor are the most likely to persist (Hollis, 2009).

-34% of College Students rarely or never meet with their academic advisor (CCSSE, 2004).

- Community College students are most likely to utilize campus recourses such as advising and supplemental instruction when it is a course requirement (Ashburn,

Bartlett & Wolverstron, 2006).

First-Year Experience courses that link students with their advisor increase student retention and persistence rates (Cornell & Mosley, 2006).

What would you do if you had a time

machine?

Mike Rideout

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Time Machines according to Hollywood

The Time Machine (1960)

The Time Machine (2002)Back to the Future (1985)

Primer (2004)

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Students have been assigned an activity that is directly related to the following Institutional Student Learning Outcomes…

Critical ThinkingWritten and Oral CommunicationSocial Responsibility (to a certain extent)

The activity…

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Analysis

Students give a detailed examination of the concept and elements of time.

Have we used our time wisely? If not, what can we change? What can we do now to ensure security/ success in the future? My decisions have outcomes!

“If I had a time machine you would find me in the future instead of the past because I look forward to see where all my decisions are going to bring me.”

FYE Student Spring ‘13

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Evaluation

“By going into the future I would be able to see the results of the present now and if not satisfied I will be able to come back and fix or change what went wrong.” FYE Student Spring ‘13

To determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study.o Would I see something in the future that

would make changing my life in the present now worth it?

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Creative Thinking

“The reason why I would go into the future instead of the past is because you can’t change your past but you can always can make choices to better your future.”

FYE Student Spring ‘13

Critical thinking is the ability to reason about beliefs and actions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is always true, sometimes true, partly true, or false.

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Logical Conclusions

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Actions now Consequences in the future

Written and Oral Communication

Written assignments Oral presentations Use of relevant information literacy skills Effective use of technology

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Written and Oral Communication

This assignment consists of…

•A 300-600 word paper explaining what one would do if they had access to a time machine. Where would you go? What would you see? How would it affect your life?•A public speaking component: Students read their paper in front of the class. •A rubric, which students use during the process of writing and presenting and faculty use during the grading process.

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Social Responsibility

One could use a time machine to go back in time to prevent wars, assassinations, tragic events and social injustices BUT…

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Scholarship Writing

Marci Barnes

More Target Scholarships

http://www.youtube.com/watch v=Ba5g28B644g’

Tall Clubs International awards student scholarship(s) of up to $1000 each to tall students who are under 21 years of age and attending their first year of college in the following Fall. The recipients must also meet the TCI height requirement minimums of 5'10" for women and 6'2" for men.

Scholarship for Community College GraduatesYou’ve earned your associate’s degree—now go for your bachelor’s from Boston University.Boston University’s Metropolitan College is proud to offer the Scholarship for Community College Graduates. The scholarship is currently available to eligible graduates of the following six Massachusetts community colleges:Bunker Hill Community CollegeMassachusetts Bay Community College

Middlesex Community Collegehttps://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/scholarships/ Northern Essex Community CollegeQuinsigamond Community CollegeRoxbury Community CollegeRecipients of this annual scholarship will receive a 50 percent tuition scholarship for up to 12 credits per semester while they complete their bachelor’s degree at Boston University’s Metropolitan College. Those selected for the Scholarship for Community College Graduates will be required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above in order to continue receiving the tuition benefits of the program.

Assignment

Locate scholarship Brainstorm Draft Essay Revision process Final essay Option to submit

The-First Year Experience: A Perfect Opportunity to

Revamp Résumés!

Résumé Revision meets Wordle!

Michelle Wagner

Wordle is an online tool that generates visual “word clouds” from provided text.

Visit www.wordle.net Select the option, “Create your own.”

Paste in your text, click “go,” and enjoy!

What is Wordle?

Bring résumé bullets “to life” with Wordle.

Use an “Active Verb” word cloud to revitalize bullets beginning with stale nouns.

Consider pasting résumés, cover letters, biographies, and applicable job descriptions into Wordle to pinpoint key words and streamline “matches.”

MORE uses for Wordle…

Capstone Project: Poster Presentations

Denise Marchionda, Ed.D. AKA “Dr. M”

Final Project Specifications

Handout:  Final Project Specifications (and grading rubric)Title: Purpose of Project: Project will include (notice the point values of each component):Two (or more) Books (Print) and One Paragraph Summaries of each (1 point). These books should be ones that someone may read to find information on this topic. (Please include copies of the covers of the books, as well as the table of contents for each.) Names of Two (or more) People on campus who can help someone with this topic (2 points). The names should be accompanied with official business cards, written summaries of brief interviews with these people and why they are the go-to people, as well as handouts or pamphlets of some sort that would guide others to these people.  Two (or more) professionally sponsored electronic sources (websites) (1 point). These need descriptions of what is included there and why they would be good sites to visit. This component should include the Home Pages printed for display. One interactive component to teach a concept (2 points). This can be a game, questionnaire, or any kind of activity THAT CAN BE DONE AT THE POSTER OR PRESENTATION. Be sure to create something that many people can use without disrupting the entire poster. (For example, provide copies of a questionnaire or prepare a take-away information piece like a business card, handout, or pamphlet.) 

Planning Ahead

Time Management

Personal and Professional Development

More Posters

A Few More Posters

Final Display of Posters!

“I want to end this semester with a bang and explain that this class is vital for

a new college student. It opened my eyes. It just helped by showing how to

survive in a college atmosphere, what it takes to make it in college and how

to be a good student. And this class shows you the way.”

“Thanks to this class I’ve learned about different activities that are offered at the school and that it’s important to get involved or reach out and ask for help if you need it. While in this class I was able to do a short oral presentation which I didn’t like doing, but I did it and it helped me prepare for that week which I had to present three oral repots in other classes.”

Student Reflection

“I learned this was a great class to take my first semester.Being a single mom it was really hard for me to mentallyget back into school, I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. In this class I’ve learned that it’s important to learn to manage your time because if you can’t then you fall behind. I watched a lot of people drop classes because it didn’t fit their schedule. If I didn’t figure out how to manage my time I feel I would have become one of those people.”

Student Reflection

First-Year Experience (FYE) Seminars/Courses provide

freshman the opportunity to engage with a faculty member in a low stress, usually small class (15-20 students) environment that eases the transition to college life, but remains both academically enriching and reasonably challenging.

First-Year Experience (FYE) Quiz

Questions? Need more information?

Thank you!