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The First-Year Study Group at the University of South Carolina was appointed by the Vice President of Student Affairs in the fall 2013 semester to formally review the programs, communications, and processes that first-year students engage in from the time of acceptance to the university through the end of the first year of college. In order to support student success, the committee aims to design a purposeful and intentionally sequenced first-year experience with an emphasis on pre-enrollment communications, summer orientation, welcome week, and University 101. Dan Friedman, Director of University 101 Programs, chaired the committee, which consisted of Connor Baade, Stacey Bradley, Sara Corwin, Maegan Gudridge, Stuart Hunter, Nikki Knutson, Jeremy Lane, Gene Luna, Aaron Marterer, Kim McMahon, Bethany Naser, Scott Verzyl, and Mary Wagner. During the 2013-14 academic year, the committee conducted 13 meetings and one half-day retreat. Following is a list of the committee’s major accomplishments for the year. Major accomplishmentsDuring its first year, the committee:Developed a Profile of USC First-Year Students to enrich the understanding of incoming students.Conducted an inventory and timeline of services provided for first-year students across the division.Crafted learning outcomes for the first year of college and related markers of success.Developed an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of the first-year experience at Carolina. Initiated a division-wide communications inventory of publications and materials that new students receive from university departments beginning with their acceptance to the university through their entire first year.Facilitated the creation of the Registration Assistance Center for orientation in which representatives from New Student Orientation, the Registrar’s Office, and Admissions work from a central location to respond to any problems that occur as students register for classes. Provided the recommendation that spurred the shift of oversight of South Carolina Residency into the Registrar’s Office.Collaborated with the Registrar’s Office to examine ways to flag STEM courses in Banner to help students keep track of scholarship requirements.Supported the implementation of a 2-day summer orientation program.Initiated changes to messaging about first-year students taking a recommended 15 credit hours each semester of their first year.Requested customization for online portal/admissions checklist in Banner.Suggested that the Student Success Center, in partnership with Financial Aid, watch for students at risk of losing scholarships due to unfulfilled requirements.Inspired offices throughout the division to shift their messaging approaches to more appropriately address first-year students’ needs, such as the Department of Student Life’s messaging about student success, campus involvement, and leadership opportunities.Raised awareness of first-year students’ needs among the division and highlighted the complexity of the first-year experience.Next Steps Beginning in the summer of 2014, the group will convene a subcommittee to examine how first-year students are introduced to the topics of employability and career readiness through New Student Orientation, Carolina Welcome Week, and University 101 programs. This subcommittee will identify ways to integrate programs and services that address this topic and also develop recommendations for approaches that complement each other and build developmentally rather than duplicate efforts. After the implementation of this initial subcommittee, the First-Year Study Group will create additional subcommittees charged with leading a similar process for each of the other learning outcomes for the first college year. Future steps will include the implementation of an assessment subcommittee to develop an assessment plan, as well as a group to conduct a communications analysis. The communications subcommittee will review the publications and messages submitted by departments across campus. Materials will be analyzed in the aggregate for the relevance, accuracy, timing, and frequency of the messaging. The subcommittee will also create a timeline of the information first-year students receive from university departments and provide recommendations that promote consistency of messaging across campus. The First-Year Study Group will continue to address recommendations for future action and research related to the first-year experience at Carolina. Also, the committee will analyze current programs offered by New Student Orientation, Carolina Welcome Week, and University 101 to determine any changes or improvements of existing strategies.Respectfully submitted,Dan Friedman, Ph.D.Chair, First-Year Study Group ................
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