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Many liberal arts universities in the United States offer first-year experience courses, and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx 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, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx has become one of the leading models nationally for the first-year experience. Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 as part of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 as part of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Core Curriculum. In fall 2018, students in the International Accelerator Program (IAP) will also take Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 in restricted sections and following completion will be mainstreamed into Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2.

2019-2020: In academic year 2019-2020, transfer students and Mentorship Program students will also take Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 in restricted sections and following completion will be mainstreamed into Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2.

2020-2021: In academic year 2020-2021, transfer students with an Associate's Degree are waived from the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 requirement. Transfer students with an Associate's Degree should enroll directly into a section of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2.

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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2.

2023-2024: In academic year 2023-2024, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 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 theÌýÃå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 requirement.Ìý

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 are two of the foundational courses that comprise the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Core Curriculum. To receive credit for the courses, students must receive a C or higher in both courses.

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 are A-F graded courses that will be co-facilitated by an Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 (1.5 credits) with a C or higher will take Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 (1.5 credits) the following semester. Students who receive lower than a C in Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 will need to retake the course again and must receive a C or higher before continuing into Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2.

Students who receive lower than a C in Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 will need to retake the course and receive a C or higher to fulfill their Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Core Curriculum requirement.

For full-time students (12-17.5 credit hours), enrollment in Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Instructor and Peer Facilitator is to co-facilitate class discussion and activities for their sections of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx. They work together to coordinate course planning, teaching, and classroom logistics.

The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Instructor and Peer Facilitator are also there to help support students during their first year of college at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é campus and in the greater Washington, DC area.

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx uses a co-facilitation model as a way to flatten the hierarchy structure in the classroom environment.

The majority of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 Instructors are members of the first-year advising team. Incoming first-year students they will be assigned to a section of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 (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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 and thereby their instructor. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Instructors have obtained a faculty appointment in order to serve in their role with the program. Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Instructor are responsible for adhering to the co-facilitation model, the standardized curriculum, and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx program policies including grading rubrics.

The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Peer Facilitators are undergraduate students with sophomore standing or who are in their second year at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é with a minimum of 30 credits completed. By the start of their employment with Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx, Peer Facilitators will have already completed both Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 requirements.

Peer Facilitators typically serve as co-facilitators for two sections of either Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 or Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2, and will typically be paired with the same staff or faculty Instructor for both sections. They are expected to attend all once-a-week Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx classes for their assigned sections and assist the Instructor by offering their unique perspective as an Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 curriculum is revised during the summer in preparation for the fall termÌýwith minor revisions made in the fall for the spring term.Ìý

The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2Ìýcurriculum 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Program frequently requests feedback from students, Instructors, Peer Facilitators, and Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é community members. Feedback is collected during Instructor and Peer Facilitator meetings and through surveys. Focus groups are alsoÌýoccasionally held.

Currently, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx has a comprehensive survey assessment strategy for students, which includes:

• the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 Start of Semester Survey,
• the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx1 End of Semester Survey,
• and the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx2 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 Ãå±±ÂÖ¼éx Program.