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FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYEX) UPDATE
From the Desk of First-Year Experience Director, Judi McIntyre
The FYEX Program is pleased to announce a variety of Interest Groups and Learning Communities being planned for first-year students arriving at Shepherd in the fall. Twenty-one Interest Groups are currently being developed, with several new interests added to the ever-growing list of repeat favorites. New offerings include:
- Orientation to the USA, led by Dr. Seung-yun Kim, designed to assist international students with their transition to living and learning in the United States;
- Having a Blast with Shepherd’s Past, led by Dr. Keith Alexander, focusing on the history of Shepherd and the surrounding region;
- Bicycling in the Great Outdoors, with Joe Jefferson, geared toward all levels of riders from recreational to competitive;
- The World of Board Games, led by TC Williams, which will banish boredom through the fun exploration of a host of new and old board games;
- Beat the Freshman 15, led by Scott Anderson, aimed at teaching how nutrition, healthy cooking, and exercise can keep away unwanted extra pounds
- Civility on Campus, led by Gwen Skrabak, will emphasize how to become a respected and positive influence on campus
FYEX Learning Community courses being planned for the fall include:
- Life is a Melody, taught by Ethan Fischer and Cam Millar, combining the study of English 101 & Music Appreciation;
- Composition of the Human Mind, taught by Dr. Heidi Dobish and Michelle Baker, pairing Psychology & English 101;
- The Cost of Living, taught by Rudy Bropleh and Ruth Conley, exploring the inter-relatedness of Economics & Biology.
In Learning Community courses, students benefit from two seemingly unrelated courses being team-taught by professors who have designed the curriculum around the commonalities and connections the two subjects share. Field trips and special performing arts presentations are frequently incorporated into the curriculum.
NEW STUDENT CONVOCATION: Convocation is scheduled for Friday, August 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Butcher Center. President Suzanne Shipley will welcome new students to Shepherd on behalf of the faculty and staff and Student Government Association President, Jesse Sigley will welcome them on behalf of the student body. Dr. Jason Best will be the featured faculty speaker this year and a light dinner reception will follow the event in the balcony/mezzanine area. All part-time and full-time faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and extend a warm welcome to incoming students.
SU’S COMMON READING, PERSEPOLIS: A year-long program of events centering on the 2008 Common Reading selection, Persepolis, is being planned. A web site and Facebook page are being designed and will be unveiled in the fall. All first-year students will receive a free copy of the book at Advising/Registration this summer and free copies are also available to faculty who would like to incorporate the text into their fall curriculum.
The One Book, One Community Program will once again invite the local community to participate in the Common Reading experience, with special events designed to unite the campus and community as we collectively explore themes and issues raised in Persepolis.
The following committees are currently seeking volunteer members to assist with the organization of Common Reading events:
- Publicity
- Faculty Resources
- Programming
- Student Essay
- One Book, One Community
Please contact Judi McIntyre at 876-5396 or jmcintyr@shepherd.edu to join any of these committees. Although author Marjane Satrapi, was unavailable to attend as a guest speaker during the program, other related events, including discussion panels, special topic lectures and performing arts presentations are being planned to coincide with the Common Reading Program this fall.
FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS: Six sections of a First-Year Seminar course are being piloted this fall for provisional students. The 3-credit class will teach critical thinking and the theory of learning, in addition to subjects such as study skills, time management, performance anxiety, etc. Faculty teaching the class will meet on May 29th to create a course syllabus. Peer educators, drawn from student volunteers across campus, will assist individual faculty members and serve as student mentors throughout the semester. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting program, geared toward bringing Shepherd students to a higher preparation level as they enter advanced university classes. Faculty members leading these seminars are John Sheridan, Michelle Baker, Laura Renninger, Adam Booth, Karen Green and TC Williams.