1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

First-Year Experience (FYE)
Seminars/Courses Create Community, and a
Strong Foundation for Students’ Personal
and Professional Development
FYE Instructors
Jessica Tvrdy, Michael Rideout, Marci Barnes,
Michelle Wagner & Denise Marchionda
FYE Students
Marie Degou and Dennis King
Jo Mucci, Director
First-Year Experience & Student Success
It’s all about the first year…
FYE at MCC!
First-Year Experience (FYE) Quiz
____________________________provide freshman the
opportunity to engage with a faculty member in a low
stress, usually small class (15-20 students) environment
that eases the transition to college life, but remains
both academically enriching and reasonably
challenging.
Research: National Survey of
First-Year Seminars
Research consistently shows that first-year experience
courses/seminars that are linked and create a learning
community are effective programming efforts for:
• retention and student success
• responding to the academic, social and personal
needs of first-year students
• assisting first-year students in becoming integrated
into an institution’s academic environment
4
Rationale for Making the FYE Course a
Requirement
It is the intention of this course to link the First-Year Experience Seminar with a
General Education course to accomplish the following:
 Make the traditional First-Year curriculum explicitly relevant to the students by
connecting it to a course in which the “content” seems apparent, and, therefore,
more academic
 Create FYE curriculum that will give students the opportunity to practice skills
that they will need to be successful in all of their college courses
 Introduce students to the MCC ISLOs by creating opportunities for students to
reflect on these skills in “real world” situations
 Help students begin to take ownership of their education by creating both shortterm and long-term educational plans
 Allow students to have a wide variety of seminar experiences that can be
combined (“bundled”) to fulfill a General Education elective
5
Key Observations of First-Year
Experience Seminars
 First-year seminars are taught by faculty members (including adjuncts) and
professional staff, who develop and teach the seminars.
 A typical first-year seminar can meet anywhere between one and four hours
per week.
 Instructors are often granted a significant amount of freedom regarding the
topics of first-year seminars as long as seminars involve interdisciplinary
topics and develop skills identified in the program’s overarching philosophy.
 Institutions indicate that academic advising is extremely important and tied
into first-year seminars at most institutions. Academic advisors also help
promote first-year seminars among students.
6
Why did MCC develop their First-Year
Experience Seminars/Courses?
Middlesex Community College has developed the First-Year
Experience Seminar and other Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS)
courses to foster a strong sense of community through the use of
small classroom settings, group projects, presentations and
course offerings that is topical and accessible to all students. The
seminars develop students’ oral and written communication skills
while promoting strong relationships among students, their
instructors and the college community.
Introduced to ISLOs
Written and Oral Communication
Multicultural/Global Literacy
Critical Thinking
Social Responsibility
Quantitative Literacy
Personal and Professional
Development
IDS 101: General Education Seminar:
FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE (1 Credit)
The First-Year Experience (FYE) is a one-credit
seminar experience that can be linked with
introductory, college-level courses to form Learning
Communities. Students learn essential student
success skills, behaviors and habits of mind that will
increase their college success. Students will also learn
about student support, co-curricular services and
other college resources to develop and strengthen
their skills and abilities.
Examples of Linked Courses
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Preparation for College Math
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Psychology
Explorations in Human Behavior
Explorations in Humanities
Explorations in Science
Basic Writing
English Composition I
Speech
Education (EDU & PSY)
10
Linked/W
Eng 071 19
EDU 100 01
ENG 091 01
MAT 001 06
HUM 100 01
PSY 101 05
EDU 101 01
SOC 101 05
SOC 101 01
MAT 001 02
ENG 071 03
ENG 101 10
PSY 122 02
ENG 071 10
ENG 101 11
ENG 101 25
Time
10:30-11:20
10:30-11:45
8:30-10:20
10:30-11:30
7:30-8:20
1:30-2:45
10:30-11:45
9-10:45
8:30-9:20
9-10:15
9:30-10:20
11:30-12:20
10:30-11:45
12:30-1:20
9-10:15
12:30-1:20
10:30-11:20
9:30-10:20
6-8:45 pm
9-11:45
9:30-10:20
8:30-9:20
12:30-1:45
12:30-1:20
9:30-10:20
Room
HH 219
SA 102
AR Lib 3
AR 211
NA G 9
NA 211
BH 002
NA G 11
SA 006
AR 211
HH 114
NA G11
BH 002
NA G11
SA 006
HH 116
ENG 071 54
ENG 071 52
PSY 122 52
HUM 101 50
SOC 101 50
Day
MWF
MW
MWF
T
MWF
T-R
MW
TR
MWF
MWF
MWF
MWF
TR
MWF
TR
MWF
MWF
MWF
T
S
MWF
MWF
WF
MWF
MWF
ENG 101 64
PSY 123 50
ENG 071 61
PSY 101 59
ENG 071 64
COM 103 52
PSY 100 51
PSY 101 64
TR
WF
TR
TR
TR
TR
WF
TR
9-10:15
12-1:15
1:30-2:45
9-10:15
9-10:15
10:30-11:45
10:30-11:45
7:30-8:45
LC 318
LC 113
LF 205
LC 211
LC 110
LC 201
LP 405
LC 104
SOC 101 30
NA G 11
LD 301
LF 205
LC 207
LF 214
LC 115
Instructor
TBA
TBA
Black
Delmonaco
TBA
Pisarik
Higgins
Ogburn
Alessi
Caruso
Laughlin
Davidson
Regan
Laughlin
Davidson
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Schleicher
TBA
Regan
Ryan
TBA
Hutchinson
TBA
Gibbons
TBA
McKeon,R 11
Gray
Keen
IDS Sec
IDS 101 01
IDS 101 02
IDS 101 03
IDS 101 04
IDS 101 05
IDS 101 06
IDS 101 07
IDS 101 08
IDS 101 09
IDS 101 10
IDS 101 11
IDS 101 12
IDS 101 13
IDS 101 14
IDS 101 15
IDS 101 16
IDS 101 17
IDS 101 18
IDS 101 30
IDS 101 31
IDS 101 50
IDS 101 51
IDS 101 52
IDS 101 53
IDS 101 54
IDS 101 55
IDS 101 56
IDS 101 57
IDS 101 58
IDS 101 59
IDS 101 60
IDS 101 61
IDS 101 62
IDS 101 63
Instructor
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
DAY
M
M
M
R
W
R
M
R
F
W
W
F
T
M
T
M
W
F
T
S
M
M
W
M
F
W
R
F
T
T
R
T
W
R
Time
8:30-9:20
9:30-10:20
10:30-11:20
10:30-11:20
9:30-10:20
12:30-1:20
12-12:20
11-11:50
9:30-10:20
10:30-11:20
8:30-9:20
10:30-11:20
12-12:50
1:30-2:20
8-8:50
1:30-2:20
10:30-11:20
8:30-9:20
5-5:50 pm
12-12:50
8:30-9:20
9:30-10:20
11:30-12:20
11:30-12:20
8:30-9:20
8-8:50
8-8:50
1:30-2:20
12:30-1:20
10:30-11:20
10:30-11:20
9:30-10:20
9:30-10:20
9-9:50
Room
NA 102
NA 102
HH 213
AR 110
HH 112
SA 006
BH 002
AR-Lib 3
BH 103
NA 211
SA 103
SA 103
BH 002
HH 212
HH 310
HH 220
NA 117
BH 103
NA G9
NA G9
LC 209
LC 209
LC 112
LC 105
LC 306
LC 306
LC 110
LC 213 A
LC 213
LP 403
LF 205
LC 118
LC 214
LP 405
Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) Schedule Fall 2013
 FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE): IDS 101
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SERVICE LEARNING: IDS 102
LEADERSHIP: IDS 103
RESEARCH: IDS 104
CAREER EXPLORATION: IDS 106
CAREER DEVELOPMENT: IDS 107
WELLNESS: IDS 108
What’s Important in an FYE Course?
Everything!
 Instructors and lots of very committed people,
throughout the college
 Advising
 Resources
 Activities/Projects
 Engagement opportunities
 ePortfolios
It takes a village!
Some Important Observations
 Some linked courses are showing higher retention
than they have had in the past
 Linked partners are noticing that students are
bonding and participating more
 More collaborative, group work in both FYE and
linked courses
 Stronger sense of community
 Students are more engaged
 More students are attending college-wide events
 Students are helping other students
Student Reflection
“I learned a lot this year. I discovered how to stay on track
till the very end no matter what. Even with so much on
my plate I managed my classes pretty well and learned
even with some struggles. There were so many mistakes
I made in school that I’ve learned not to do for next
semester. School isn’t like a hobby or any side thing, it
should be your prime thing in your life.”
Advising and FYE
Jessica Tvrdy
Embedding Academic Advising into
First-Year Experience Courses
- Students that build a relationship with an academic advisor are the
most likely to persist (Hollis, 2009).
-34% of College Students rarely or never meet with their academic
advisor (CCSSE, 2004).
- Community College students are most likely to utilize campus
recourses such as advising and supplemental instruction when it is a
course requirement (Ashburn, Bartlett & Wolverstron, 2006).
First-Year Experience courses that link students with their advisor
increase student retention and persistence rates (Cornell & Mosley,
2006).
What would you do if you
had a time machine?
Mike Rideout
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Time Machines according to Hollywood
The Time Machine (1960)
Primer (2004)
The Time Machine (2002)
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Back to the Future (1985)
The activity…
Students have been assigned an activity that is
directly related to the following Institutional
Student Learning Outcomes…
Critical Thinking
Written and Oral Communication
Social Responsibility (to a certain extent)
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Analysis
Students give a detailed
examination of the concept
and elements of time.
 Have we used our time wisely? If
not, what can we change?
 What can we do now to ensure
security/ success in the future?
 My decisions have outcomes!
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“If I had a time machine you would find
me in the future instead of the past
because I look forward to see where all
my decisions are going to bring me.”
FYE Student Spring ‘13
Evaluation
 To determine the significance, worth, or
condition of usually by careful appraisal and
study.
o Would I see something in the future that would make
changing my life in the present now worth it?
“By going into the future I would be able
to see the results of the present now
and if not satisfied I will be able to come
back and fix or change what went
wrong.”
FYE Student Spring ‘13
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Creative Thinking
“The reason why I would go into the
future instead of the past is because
you can’t change your past but you
can always can make choices to
better your future.”
FYE Student Spring ‘13
Critical thinking is the ability to reason about
beliefs and actions. It is a way of deciding whether
a claim is always true, sometimes true, partly true,
or false.
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Logical Conclusions
Actions now
Consequences in the future
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Written and Oral Communication
 Written assignments
 Oral presentations
 Use of relevant
information literacy
skills
 Effective use of
technology
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Written and Oral Communication
This assignment consists of…
• A 300-600 word paper explaining what one would do if
they had access to a time machine. Where would you
go? What would you see? How would it affect your life?
• A public speaking component: Students read their
paper in front of the class.
• A rubric, which students use during the process of
writing and presenting and faculty use during the
grading process.
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Social Responsibility
One could use a time
machine to go back in
time to prevent wars,
assassinations, tragic
events and social
injustices BUT…
MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Scholarship Writing
Marci Barnes
http://www.youtube.com/watch v=Ba5g28B644g’
More Target
Scholarships
Tall Clubs International awards student scholarship(s) of up to
$1000 each to tall students who are under 21 years of age and
attending their first year of college in the following Fall. The
recipients must also meet the TCI height requirement
minimums of 5'10" for women and 6'2" for men.
Scholarship for Community College Graduates
You’ve earned your associate’s degree—now go for your bachelor’s from
Boston University.
Boston University’s Metropolitan College is proud to offer the Scholarship
for Community College Graduates. The scholarship is currently available to
eligible graduates of the following six Massachusetts community colleges:
Bunker Hill Community College
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Middlesex Community College
https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/scholarships/
Northern Essex Community College
Quinsigamond Community College
Roxbury Community College
Recipients of this annual scholarship will receive a 50 percent tuition
scholarship for up to 12 credits per semester while they complete their
bachelor’s degree at Boston University’s Metropolitan College. Those
selected for the Scholarship for Community College Graduates will be
required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above in order to continue receiving
the tuition benefits of the program.
Assignment
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Locate scholarship
Brainstorm
Draft Essay
Revision process
Final essay
Option to submit
The-First Year Experience:
A Perfect Opportunity to Revamp
Résumés!
Résumé Revision meets Wordle!
Michelle Wagner
What is Wordle?
Wordle is an online tool that generates
visual “word clouds” from provided text.
Visit www.wordle.net
 Select the option, “Create your own.”
Paste in your text, click “go,” and enjoy!
Bring résumé bullets “to life” with
Wordle.
 Use an “Active Verb” word cloud to revitalize
bullets beginning with stale nouns.
MORE uses for Wordle…
 Consider pasting résumés, cover
letters, biographies, and
applicable job descriptions into
Wordle to pinpoint key words
and streamline “matches.”
Capstone Project: Poster
Presentations
Denise Marchionda, Ed.D. AKA “Dr. M”
Final Project Specifications
Handout:
Final Project Specifications (and grading rubric)
Title:
Purpose of Project:
Project will include (notice the point values of each component):
Two (or more) Books (Print) and One Paragraph Summaries of each (1 point). These books should be ones that someone may read
to find information on this topic. (Please include copies of the covers of the books, as well as the table of contents for each.)
Names of Two (or more) People on campus who can help someone with this topic (2 points). The names should be accompanied
with official business cards, written summaries of brief interviews with these people and why they are the go-to people, as well as
handouts or pamphlets of some sort that would guide others to these people.
Two (or more) professionally sponsored electronic sources (websites) (1 point). These need descriptions of what is included there
and why they would be good sites to visit. This component should include the Home Pages printed for display.
One interactive component to teach a concept (2 points). This can be a game, questionnaire, or any kind of activity THAT CAN BE
DONE AT THE POSTER OR PRESENTATION. Be sure to create something that many people can use without disrupting the entire
poster. (For example, provide copies of a questionnaire or prepare a take-away information piece like a business card, handout, or
pamphlet.)
Planning Ahead
Time Management
Personal and Professional
Development
More Posters
A Few More Posters
Final Display of Posters!
Student Reflection
“I want to end this semester with a bang and explain that this class is vital for
a new college student. It opened my eyes. It just helped by showing how to
survive in a college atmosphere, what it takes to make it in college and how
to be a good student. And this class shows you the way.”
“Thanks to this class I’ve learned about different activities that are
offered at the school and that it’s important to get involved or reach out
and ask for help if you need it. While in this class I was able to do a short
oral presentation which I didn’t like doing, but I did it and it helped me
prepare for that week which I had to present three oral repots in other
classes.”
Student Reflection
“I learned this was a great class to take my first semester.
Being a single mom it was really hard for me to mentally
get back into school, I didn’t know what I was doing or
where I was going. In this class I’ve learned that it’s
important to learn to manage your time because if you
can’t then you fall behind. I watched a lot of people drop
classes because it didn’t fit their schedule. If I didn’t
figure out how to manage my time I feel I would have
become one of those people.”
First-Year Experience (FYE) Quiz
First-Year Experience (FYE) Seminars/Courses provide
freshman the opportunity to engage with a faculty
member in a low stress, usually small class (15-20
students) environment that eases the transition to
college life, but remains both academically enriching
and reasonably challenging.
Thank you!
Questions? Need more
information?