Center for First-Year Experience eases transition for freshmen
The Center for the First-Year Experience (CFYE) is continuing its efforts to welcome, orient and engage students throughout the entire first year of college life.
During the next few years, CFYE will improve Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR); create a new first-week-on-campus orientation program; create and teach small freshman seminar courses; provide training for faculty and graduate students teaching freshman courses; support efforts to improve advising and tutoring for first-year students; and conduct research about student adjustment and learning in the first year.
The center is funded by a new student fee, which replaces the fee for the SOAR program, and includes the entire first-year experience.
As part of its training efforts, CFYE will hold its annual First-Year Conference from 8 a.m.–1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, at the Pyle Center.
The free conference is intended to provide UW–Madison faculty, graduate students and academic staff an opportunity to think and learn about first-year students and their academic success.
Session topics include engaging first-year students in large gateway courses, student development in the first college year, a student panel and intentional learning in first-year courses. The keynote speaker will be Betsy Barefoot, co-director and senior scholar at the Policy Center on the First Year of College.
There is no registration fee, and a breakfast and lunch buffet are included.