New program creates confusion for freshmen

According to the brochure, "the Freshman Academy is a comprehensive set of integrated courses and experiences designed to ease your transition into college and to increase the likelihood of your success."

That sounds straightforward enough, but already within the first two weeks of the year, the Academy seems to have hit some snags: students, and even faculty, are expressing frustration. It seems that no one is exactly sure what is going on, and, currently, more than 50 percent of the freshman involved have already thrown in the towel.

Freshman Emily Smith said, "I dropped it," about the class, indicating she was confused. Amber Evjen said she likes the concept, "but I would be more willing to do it if they provided more instruction."

"I'm not looking forward to the seminars," she said, "I'm planning on dropping it."

So, what's causing the upset?

Joseph Sendelbaugh of the Provost's Office assures that all the disorder and confusion is mainly due to it being a brand-new program, and he said it will be up and running smoothly in no time.

"It's our first attempt at a freshman academy," he said. "A lot of people are still very interested in it. They'll gather information over this year and smooth out the rough spots."

Writing Center Coordinator Katherine Schmidt, who helps oversee the writing component of Freshman Academy, said while confusion has been abundant, positive feedback has also been received.

"The majority of the feedback we have received and continue to receive indicates that for many students, the Freshman Academy is a very positive and engaging experience," she said.

"However," she said, "not everything has gone as smoothly as planned." Nonetheless, Schmidt said, "new programs often need adjustments after initial feedback from the implementation process."

Schmidt said with time, the Academy will work out its kinks and students involved will reap the benefits.

Essentially, the program is made up of two parts, including a year-long online course-Academy 101-and several Freshman Integrated Seminars.

Academy 101 can be thought of as the evolved version of the old Freshman Experience course, still focusing on helping students develop basic skills, self-discipline and the ability to thrive. The course is highly recommended to students to aid in their success. However, it is not required, like some have come to believe. "Academy 101 is strongly recommended but not mandatory at this time," Schmidt said.

The course places much emphasis on writing, the learning process and teamwork. Students will take part in weekly group projects and an individual portfolio, both of which allow the students, individually and/or within their groups, to compete for scholarship opportunities ($1,000-$10,000) available for their sophomore year.

Throughout Academy 101, the Writing Center is imperative. Much of the students' assignments will be guided by the center's own staff and peer tutors. The main goal of the Writing Center is to catch any troubles with students' writing early, so new skills can be implemented and a student can improve.

In addition to Academy 101, each student will also be assigned to one of 80 mentors familiar with Western (faculty, administrators, staff members or alumni) for help and insight regarding other aspects of college life.

Students will also be urged to create learning communities and bond with their fellow cohorts to insure involvement and support. "It would be fair to say it is offered as a 'tool' to help students in their first year," Sendelbaugh said.

The second part of the program is the Integrated Seminars. These seminars are designed to cover broad subject areas, and introduce students to the creative arts, humanities, social and natural sciences and mathematics.

Students have the option of taking these seminars to fulfill their LACC requirements, or they may choose from the already outlined courses. The seminars are worth four credits per term, and run all year.

Overall, Schmidt said, Freshman Academy is designed to stimulate engaged and reflective learning, increase global awareness, develop writing expertise, refine collaborative skills and foster e-communication proficiency.

"To put it simply," she said, "the Western Freshman Academy is taking the freshman experience to a new level."

Planning for Freshman Academy began late last fall and since has been temporarily approved by the faculty senate for a two-year "trial run".

During this time, Western hopes to ingrain its new freshmen with not only necessary habits and a heightened sense of involvement, but also to encourage them to succeed and most importantly, stay in school. Even though the program has encountered problems very early, there is no doubt these kinks will be straightened out, according to officials, and if (and when) the program turns out to be a success, bet on it becoming a permanent staple at Western.

Sendelbaugh is very optimistic: "Learning communities we know work," he said. "Most take two to three years to smooth out and get operating. A lot of good people are involved with the concept-it will work!"

For more information, visit the Freshman Academy website at www.wou.edu/freshmanacademy.