First Year Forward program gives first-years a seamless transition to college life.
The first year of college holds a lot of weight for a student’s future, and Westfield State is trying to ensure it offers a positive, well-rounded experience.
That’s why Connections: First Year Forward, a collaborative program designed to create a seamless transition period for freshman from high school to college, was developed as a result of a Foundations of Excellence Study in the 2010-2011 academic year.
“While our in-depth study made it clear we are doing many things right, we felt it important to reflect upon and understand what we do well and consider thoughtfully what does not meet our standards of excellence,” says Maureen McCartney, associate dean of Academic Affairs and chair of the First Year Advisory Committee.
She says the study showed that students, faculty and staff all wanted more of a focus on the transition, academic connections, diversity discussions and professional development.
“Success during this transition sets the foundation for continued success as an undergraduate,” McCartney adds.
The goals of First Year Forward are: promoting the understanding of the values and goals of a college education; enabling students to understand the policies, procedures and resources relevant to academic success; enhancing the essential academic skills of first-year students; encouraging students to engage in higher levels of personal, social and civic responsibility; and encouraging a connection to the University community.
To develop a close relationship amongst students, First Year Forward has established a number of first-year-student-only activities, including First-Year Convocation, a ceremony welcoming students to Westfield State; a First-Year READ book that all students are required to read and an accompanying author visit; the “1-Book,” a welcome packet for students and parents that explains the University and what to expect freshman year; and first-year only academic classes.
Each freshman is offered two first-year only courses.
Professor Susanne Chuku of the Economic and Management department teaches a first-year-only section of Principles of Economics and applied the first-year objectives to her Economics curriculum.
“Teaching a first-year-only course is an exciting opportunity to make a unique difference in the lives of my freshmen students,” Chuku says. “It made me realize how important the role of an instructor is in shaping their future college years.”
Feedback on First-Year-Only courses has been positive. According to Dr. Marsha Marotta, dean of Undergraduate Studies and an advisory board member, a group of first-year students in the Student Government Association reported that they felt more comfortable in their first-year classes as freshmen and that first-year-only classes helped with the transition to the college environment in a more intensive way than their other courses.
Additionally, the University hosted a lecture by Sudhir Venkatesh, author of First-Year READ pick Gang Leader for a Day, in November 2012, an estimated 600 of whom were first-year students.
“All of our initiatives for first-year students are about student success,” says Dr. Marotta. “We have among the best retention and graduation rates in the state university system, and we’re committed to doing even better. That means putting in place programs that will give students a solid foundation, giving them special attention from the moment they choose Westfield State.”
