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First Year Experience

Learning Communities (University College) (Albany State University-2023)

The Learning Communities (LCs) activity provides first-year learning communities where two or more courses are linked thematically with collaborative instruction. The primary approach of the Learning Communities is to organize and leverage student success activities and campus resources while supporting and aligning to the mission of University College and our strategic plan, The Standard. Courses within a first-year learning community will develop co-curricular activities and focus on core areas as well as areas of academic performance, retention, student mindset, and degree progression.

New Student Initiatives (Kennesaw State University-2023)

To combat lower graduation rates, KSU will focus on four initiatives aimed at supporting new students:

  1. The President’s Focused Learner Program

The President’s Focused Learner Program (PFL) is a KSU initiative seeking to assist incoming students at risk of “Murky Middle” GPAs with their ability to navigate the academic and personal well-being factors often necessary for a student’s academic success. The PFL Program spans all majors at KSU.

FIRE 1000 Course Update (Gordon State College-2023)

FIRE 1000 (Freshmen Introduction to Reasoning Essentials) is a first-year course intended to stimulate students’ academic self-efficacy, depth of intellectual inquiry, and problem-solving skills. This is done through research and reflection to achieve a deeper understanding of themselves, their purpose, and the campus community. FIRE 1000 was launched in 2017 and is required at GSC for all new students and transfer students under 13 credit hours.

Leonard Bass

Dr. Leonard Bass is a seasoned faculty and senior administrator with 20 years of experience in higher education.  He has served in various sectors of post-secondary education and in a variety of positions.  Since 2012, he has been serving as the Dean of the Learning Support division on the East and Winter Park Campuses of Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.  In his role, he is responsible for the development of innovative academic support programming and strategic planning efforts aimed at ensuring student learning.  His division is comprised of the Library, Tutoring and Testing, Learning Communities, Supplemental Learning, Service Learning, and all Student Life Skills courses.  

John Gardner

John is an educator, university professor and administrator, non-profit organization chief executive officer, author, editor, public speaker, consultant, change agent, student retention specialist, first-year, sophomore, transfer, and senior year students’ advocate, and initiator and scholar of the American first-year and senior-year reform movements. He serves as President of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education (JNGI).

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