First Year Experience (FYE)

The First Year Experience program at UW-Superior is part of a package of initiatives designed to integrate students into the campus community and its public liberal arts mission. These initiatives offer a set of experiences that will anchor first-year students within UW-Superior academically, socially, and culturally. The information you find here will help you gain some more understanding of the First Year Experience program here at UW-Superior!

Mission

First Year Experience exists to support a diverse group of students in their academic and social transition into the university by fostering community building, personal growth, and life-long learning through a variety of beneficial courses, programs and services.

Learning Outcomes

Through active participation in the First Year Experience, students will be able to:

• Identify meaningful connections they have made with faculty, staff, and peers.
• Understand and articulate their responsibility to engage academically and socially.
• Identify and locate resources that are available within the university, local and global communities to support their academic goals.

So What Does it Mean to Attend a Liberal Arts institution?

At UW-Superior, we pride ourselves on being Wisconsin's Leading Public Liberal Arts Institution.  But what does that mean?  The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has defined a Liberal Education as the following:

Liberal Education is an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings. (Retrieved from the AAC&U website, www.aacu.org)

"A Liberal Arts Education is geared not to just disseminate knowledge, but in addition, to educate on how knowledge is to be used, analyzed, shared and expanded during your daily interaction with the world." (Fanning, T., & Jayachandiran, C. 2005)

Source:

What is Liberal Education?. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from the AAC&U website: http://www.aacu.org/leap/what_is_liberal_education.cfm

We're excited you chose to come to UW-Superior, and we hope your time here will be both an educational and positive experience. As a new student, at times you may feel overwhelmed or lost until you become familiar with the campus. The First Year Experience (FYE) office and staff are here to assist you. We encourage you to participate in the variety of courses, programs and activities provided through our office. Please feel free to visit our office, the Career and First Year Center, Yellowjacket Union 230.