First Year Experience

PACE is a first-year student program that provides intentional interventions through both curricular and co-curricular activities that support academic perseverance and enhance a sense of belonging. Beginning with First Chime, a fun convocation to “ring” in the beginning of the school year, students are connected to faculty members in their focus area and peer mentors to understand expectations for the first weeks of school. Interventions are planned and implemented in Perspectives (our first-year seminar course).

Continuing to develop a first-year experience course, using high impact practices. This course will, ideally, be taken by all incoming freshmen who have not already completed their Institutional IMPACTS requirements. However, due to resource restraints, preference will be given to students who are first-time freshmen with no college credit. The course meets 3 hours per week and covers topics for academic and personal growth and wellness. Active Learning techniques will encourage students to tackle diverse perspectives and practice collaboration.

Pull together stakeholders from across campus to synchronize a robust and coordinated first-year experience that facilitates academic, social, and institutional integration that fosters student feelings of belonging.  This translates to student success, retention, and, ultimately, completion.

AU recognizes the need to first improve semester to semester persistence. In Spring 2023, the institution set a Fall 1 to Spring 1 aspirational goal of 95%. Since then, the institution has seen continuous improvement in cohort persistence (i.e. Spring 2023--92.6%; Spring 2024—94.1%).  Several tactics have been implemented to achieve these ends.

This activity expands the work ASU currently conducts within its University College. 

Albany State University currently does not require students to have standardized test scores prior to admission.  As such, it has been difficult to identify incoming students’ specific strengths nor areas that need improvement.  Our student success supports are therefore often too general to directly address specific student-related deficiencies.  To overcome this barrier to success, we are piloting a First Year Student Assessment Protocol (FYAP).

Program focused on associate level students, placed in learning communities, an additional requirement of a UNIV transition to college course, and embedded support services. The goal of the program is preparing students to transition or transfer to baccalaureate programs.

Evaluate all program maps in light of the USG Core IMPACTS and update our associate pathway for our two associate degrees (Core in Arts and Core in Science) using the changes/adjustments made to Core IMPACTS. Stabilizing the leadership in the coordination of the curriculum and implementation of FYE.

Educate incoming and continuing students on financial literacy. This includes campus activities regarding understanding the FAFSA, financial aid processing, reviewing student accounts, balancing a budget, and making healthy fiscal decisions. These activities are in collaboration with the Center for Student Success and Retention and Housing & Residence Life

MGA’s FYE initiative encompasses three elements – academic success,, character development, and community engagement.

The Knights Academy (KA) is an online academic community focused on increasing first year student academic success by engaging the student in a variety of learning activities. These activities seek to assist students develop critical student success skills by participating in quests and engaging with other students through discussion posts.  Topics covered in the Knights Academy include the following: 

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.