Planning and Participation

Faculty involvement in the freshman year begins with curricular and co-curricular planning in the months leading up to the start of the academic year. Faculty have the opportunity to establish core competencies in their disciplines and influence students to pursue a path they may never have considered before. The first year is a time for exploration and expansion. Through funded projects faculty can experiment with new learning models, collaborate with colleagues across the disciplines and explore technology in the classroom in exciting new ways. Funding is available for professional development meetings, conferences, and training.

Faculty who participate in the freshman year are part of an academic community that share new ideas and experiences. The most innovative teaching and learning take place in the freshman blocks. Across the country, faculty experiment with first year learning communities that benefit not only student participants but faculty as well

Convocation/Baruch Beginnings and the Freshman Text

Beyond the planning stage, faculty have the opportunity to come together regularly to collaborate throughout the year. Beside the common reading, or freshman text, faculty come together for Convocation and the Baruch Beginnings day of activities. The day's activities allow faculty to greet one another after the summer hiatus, meet the freshman class and their families, and get reconnected to the community at large.

Mid-Semester Early Warning System

At mid-semester, faculty are asked to assess the progress of students in first year courses and alert the College of any students at risk of failure. The first semester can determine the path a student will follow throughout his/her college career, so monitoring and intervention at the beginning can facilitate a successful transition for students at this very challenging juncture.

Freshman Seminar

Faculty who wish to have even more of an impact on the lives of Baruch freshman should consider leading a section of Freshman Seminar (FRO 1000). This one hour a week small group seminar consists of a portion of the students already enrolled in your academic course. Here, faculty help guide students through the challenging transition into college life and learning. Faculty get to know students and form close bonds while helping them with hands-on strategies for tackling coursework and adjusting to a new environment. Together faculty and students share expectations and serve as a support group that strengthens connections and contribute to the creation of a community of engaged learners.

The Second Semester

In the second semester, faculty continue to play a vital role in some of ongoing developmental activities of the freshman year experience. In addition to keeping relationships alive that were made in the first semester and providing continued guidance for students, faculty play a crucial role in the College's efforts to assist second semester freshmen with exploring majors and careers. More than any other resource, faculty play the crucial role in inspiring and guiding students into satisfying and appropriate career pathways.

Second semester freshmen participate in two structured activities that assist them with selecting a major and learning about careers and themselves. Students are invited to take an on-line vocational interest inventory. Those who complete the survey attend a follow-up workshop where they meet with trained counselors to go over their survey results and learn about the process of selecting a major and a career that is right for them based on their interests, skills, and values.

Later in the semester, faculty come together again at the Majors and Careers Fair where students can take what they have learned about themselves and explore further the majors and minors Baruch College offers and learn where these fields of study can lead them.

By year's end, students and faculty have shared in a transforming experience. The foundation has been laid for their future success. But this success is only made possible by student engagement with faculty throughout the first year.

Outcomes and Assessment

At the end of the freshman year, faculty are asked to assess their projects and share outcomes. Each new year builds on the last. In addition to curricular and programmatic assessment, freshmen participate in a nationwide benchmarking survey (CIRP), as well as end-of-the first-year survey (YFCY), comparing expectations with outcomes. This allows us to measure our efforts against those of colleges nationwide and shape our goals and activities for the future. Information on assessment and outcomes of these and other freshmen year projects can be found at the Assessment@baruch website. More than any other, freshman year programs are the driving force in curricular reform, student engagement, and community building at Baruch College.

Other Resources

Other resources for faculty include Blackboard sites for faculty teaching fist year courses with discussion groups on teaching and learning, teaching and technology, class management, and the freshman text.