Description
Students who enroll at community colleges often need to balance work, family
obligations, and other factors that may prevent them from achieving their academic goals.
Community college students are also more likely to be underprepared for college-level
coursework when compared to traditional students who attend 4-year institutions. To support
learners as they adjust to the responsibilities associated with being a college student, many
higher education institutions offer or require a first-year seminar (FYS).
FYS are often taught by a variety of educators, including full-time faculty, adjunct
faculty, administrators, and staff. By having a diverse group of instructors teaching these
seminars, ensuring curricular consistency across all sections can be challenging. To streamline
the processes of recruiting, training, and ultimately retaining quality FYS faculty, this product
dissertation introduces the First-Year Seminar Faculty Resource Site, an online tool that
provides educational content faculty can use when developing their FYS. The research
throughout this dissertation will explore the common themes and skills typically taught in FYS.
It will also highlight ways institutions can support faculty when they are designing their own
FYS.
