Under My Wing: A “How-to” Process for Designing a Freshman Experience Course

Abstract

Designing a first-year experience course was a new endeavor. In my case, it could be considered a “first year leading the first-years” experience. The title embodies my belief that this is the most important mentoring service we can provide to freshmen as they enter into a world of dissonance and self-discovery. A well-planned and engaging first-year experience course will indicate to our students that we value them and their journey. They and their families have entrusted us with a very important task and we owe it to them to deliver the best product possible. This “how-to” article will explore the process of effective course design, supporting tools, and effective assignments and activities.

Keywords

• First-year Experience
• Course Design
• Design Process
• Freshman
• Scope and Sequence