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FutureSTATE 2015

A strategy for Mississippi State University to become
the region's most respected land-grant institution

FutureSTATE 2015 Progress Reports

Spring 2008

ENHANCE STUDENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Initiative: Create a core curriculum based first year experience program that provides students with individualized attention, leadership service experiences, and help in making the transition to college life.

Achievements of the past year:

  • Secured $20,000 permanent funding for First Year Experience programs
  • Extensive involvement in Day One Leadership Learning Community planning, implementation and support
  • Maintenance of four existing Learning Communities
  • Development and approval of First-Year Experience Seminars
  • Dr. Tom Carskadon appointed as Director of First-Year Experience within the Center for Teaching and Learning

Goals for the next year:

  • Have ten sections of the First-Year Seminar taught Fall 2008 semester and ten in the Spring 2009 Semester
  • Assist with course redesign efforts at MSU
  • Identify courses that present barriers to success to first-year students at MSU
  • Add five learning communities with at least one being a residential learning community
  • Establishment of a First-Year Experience Advisory Group

Constraints to full implementation of this initiative:
Additional funds are needed for release time of the Director of First-Year Experience as well as additional support staff.

Proposed modification of the initiative:
Some clarification is needed with the current wording of the initiative as the intent is not to create a new core curriculum but rather a First-Year Experience built upon the current core curriculum.

Overall assessment of the status of the initiative or other comments:
Awareness of First-Year Experience has grown on campus. New programs out of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs were established with positive results. The foundation has been established to build a vibrant First-Year Experience that will provide students a variety of ways to help them make a successful transition to the university.