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Many liberal arts universities in the United States offer first-year experience courses, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx is designedÌýto addressÌýthe most relevant issues facing students as they navigate their academic success, their personal and community wellness, and theirÌýidentity and social development.

In recent years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx has become one of the leading models nationally for the first-year experience. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx program staff frequently meets with other colleges and universities to offer insight into design and curriculum developmentÌýforÌýfirst-year experience courses. These institutions include:ÌýUniversity of Alaska Anchorage,ÌýGeorgetown University, Southern Methodist University,ÌýPortland State University,ÌýSt. John Fisher College, and Trinity University,Ìý

All incoming first-year and transfer students are required to take Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 as part of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Core Curriculum. Please see the guidance below for more specifics related to requirements and waivers based on entering class year.

2018-2019: Starting in academic year 2018-2019, all incoming first-year students will be required to take Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 as part of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Core Curriculum. In fall 2018, students in the International Accelerator Program (IAP) will also take Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 in restricted sections and following completion will be mainstreamed into Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2.

2019-2020: In academic year 2019-2020, transfer students and Mentorship Program students will also take Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 in restricted sections and following completion will be mainstreamed into Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2.

2020-2021: In academic year 2020-2021, transfer students with an Associate's Degree are waived from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 requirement. Transfer students with an Associate's Degree should enroll directly into a section of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2.

2021-2022 & 2022-2023: In academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, external transfer students holding an associate or bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or transferring 60 credit hours from other regionally accredited two or four year institutions are waived from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 requirement. External transfer students matching this criteria must submit their transcript, and should work with their advisor to apply an exception to the student’s degree audit. These students should enroll directly into a section of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2.

2023-2024: In academic year 2023-2024, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 will be offered as a 1-credit, 10-class course. During this academic year, students will enroll in a section of CORE-196 rather than CORE-100/101. External transfer students holding an associate or bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or transferring 60 credit hours from other regionally accredited two or four year institutions will be required to complete theÌýÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 requirement.Ìý

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 are two of the foundational courses that comprise the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Core Curriculum. To receive credit for the courses, students must receive a C or higher in both courses.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 are A-F graded courses that will be co-facilitated by an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Instructor and a Peer Facilitator and meet once per week. Readings and videos will be assigned through Canvas as online homework, and students will be asked to complete written assignments prior to their next class meeting. The content will be covered in class discussions, as the students come together as a group to process the material, participate in classroom activities and dialogues, and explore new ways of thinking.

Students who complete Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 (1.5 credits) with a C or higher will take Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 (1.5 credits) the following semester. Students who receive lower than a C in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 will need to retake the course again and must receive a C or higher before continuing into Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2.

Students who receive lower than a C in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 will need to retake the course and receive a C or higher to fulfill their Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Core Curriculum requirement.

For full-time students (12-17.5 credit hours), enrollment in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 is part of their tuition and fees total as set by the University. In other words, a student enrolled in 17.5 credits and a student enrolled in 15 credits will pay the same tuition amount.Ìý

For more information about tuition and fees, please visit this website.

The role of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Instructor and Peer Facilitator is to co-facilitate class discussion and activities for their sections of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx. They work together to coordinate course planning, teaching, and classroom logistics.

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Instructor and Peer Facilitator are also there to help support students during their first year of college at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, both inside and outside of the classroom. They have been specially selected and trained to work with first-year and transfer students, and are knowledgeable about the resources and opportunities available to them on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ campus and in the greater Washington, DC area.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx uses a co-facilitation model as a way to flatten the hierarchy structure in the classroom environment.

The majority of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 Instructors are members of the first-year advising team. Incoming first-year students they will be assigned to a section of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 (CORE-100) that is taught by their first-year advisor and their advisor will have no more than 76 assigned students as part of their caseload. This close-knit relationship allows their advisor to engage in personal mentorship that recognizes student’s individual needs. Plus, this ensures that students will see their advisor every week in the classroom during the Fall semester.

Transfer and spring admits will not have a first-year advisor as their Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 Instructor. Instead, their sections will be taught by staff, faculty, and alums who have been specifically selected and trained to instruct their sections.

Students will be able to choose their own section of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 and thereby their instructor. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 Instructor team will be comprised of the first-year advising team, as well as staff, faculty, and alums who have been specifically selected and trained to instruct these sections.

All Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Instructors have obtained a faculty appointment in order to serve in their role with the program. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Instructor are responsible for adhering to the co-facilitation model, the standardized curriculum, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx program policies including grading rubrics.

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Peer Facilitators are undergraduate students with sophomore standing or who are in their second year at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ with a minimum of 30 credits completed. By the start of their employment with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx, Peer Facilitators will have already completed both Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 requirements.

Peer Facilitators typically serve as co-facilitators for two sections of either Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 or Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2, and will typically be paired with the same staff or faculty Instructor for both sections. They are expected to attend all once-a-week Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx classes for their assigned sections and assist the Instructor by offering their unique perspective as an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ student. Peer Facilitators have various responsibilities, including updating their students about campus events and activities, encouraging their participation and engagement in class, and coordinating with the assigned Instructor on course planning, teaching, and classroom management/logistics.

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 curriculum is revised during the summer in preparation for the fall termÌýwith minor revisions made in the fall for the spring term.Ìý

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2Ìýcurriculum is revised during theÌýfall in preparation for the spring termÌýwith minor revisions made in the summer for the spring term.

Revisions to the curriculum for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 typically include removing, editing, or adding assignments, readings, and resources. Revisions also include reorienting the order of the class units or selecting new themes to explore in the courses. The weekly guiding question(s), why statements, and learning objectives are also updated to reflect the changes to course content.

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Program frequently requests feedback from students, Instructors, Peer Facilitators, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ community members. Feedback is collected during Instructor and Peer Facilitator meetings and through surveys. Focus groups are alsoÌýoccasionally held.

Currently, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx has a comprehensive survey assessment strategy for students, which includes:

• the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 Start of Semester Survey,
• the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx1 End of Semester Survey,
• and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx2 End of Semester Survey.

These surveys allow forÌýlongitudinalÌýquantitative and qualitative data collection over an academic year. Results and responses to these surveys help to inform the curricular revision process.

Feedback is also collected informally through one-on-one meetings with students who reach out the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵx Program.