UNIV 101 was created by the Core 39 Committee as a way to help incoming students successfully transition to life as a college student. Its goals were straight forward: to help students benefit from the value of higher education, assist with self-direction and the motivation required to succeed, help students understand how their education applies to the community and to encourage engagement with people beyond the University community.
"UNIV 101 is much different from a regular class. It's more like a support system. I make my class a lot about life. What's your next great opportunity? Who is the next interesting person you are about to meet? How can you build on your professional foundation? How do you make connections? Who are you right now?" - Shannon Hoehn, Information Technology Applications Administrator and UNIV 101 Instructor
Making UNIV 101 a safe place to navigate the first 10 weeks of their freshman year is the goal of faculty. They see the class as the foundation of a successful year.
Shannon Hoehn, Information Technology Applications Administrator, is an avid hiker. One of her favorite things to do with her UNIV 101 class is hike through the many miles of trails at USI. "It's all about expanding your horizons–trying something new," she tells students as they slip and slide their way down a hill.
"I love my freshman. I lucked into this teaching UNIV 101. I don't ever plan on giving up teaching this class up," adds Hoehn.
Conversation is key in UNIV 101. After taking the Super Strong Career Interest Inventory, students are looking at their life more critically. They are gauging their strengths and weaknesses, and some are thinking about changing their majors. Hoehn finds Ted Talks to be a good jumping off point to engage students in class conversations, particularly Malcolm Gladwell's 2004 Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce.
Taught by a diverse group of faculty and staff, 72 UNIV 101 classes were scheduled this fall to nurture students' needs. Classes are broken down by college and various sub groups such as department, LLC, first generation, 21st century scholar, veteran and non-traditional students, global communities and scholarship. The division allows faculty to specialize their class to meet individualized needs. Some classes do extra work on maintaining scholarships or navigating Blackboard, while others include public speaking and presentations as part of their syllabus.
Standard course topics touch on navigating life at USI, which includes awareness of events and organizations, utilizing services like Career Services' career counseling and Academic Skills' tutoring and supplemental education. These courses are designed to give students the motivation to ignite their academic goals.
UNIV 101 faculty have always been composed of diverse staff ranging from academic advisors from all the colleges to the President of the University. At the yearly retreat, the faculty learn best practices, hear success stories and customize their syllabus to meet students' needs.
Students are also exposed to service learning, diversity, ethics and personal wellness as a way to engage in a greater life outside the USI community. Faculty teaching UNIV learn about the pedagogy of presence in a student's freshman year. Research shows student engagement is a big factor in retention. "Faculty make a huge impact in the lives of students," Brody Broshears, Assistant Director of Academic Success, says. Every summer, USI faculty gather to share success stories in their UNIV 101 classes and to cultivate successful ideas with one another.
"My goal is to open engineering students to all that is available to them with an engineering degree. It's the course's job to give them opportunities to everything the campus has to succeed." - Arthur Chlebowski, Assistant Professor of Engineering and UNIV 101 Instructor
As a freshman, Dr. Arthur Chlebowski, Assistant Professor of Engineering, took a similar class with other young engineering majors, which he found extremely helpful. Taking that class exposed him to all the different facets of engineering he never considered. He credits that experience with steering him toward being a civil engineer. He sees his UNIV 101 course as a way to build a sense of community among the engineering freshmen. "It's a good start to their academic career," he says. "If you don't get a good first step forward in college, it's hard to catch up."
Chlebowski adds it takes about eight weeks for the freshmen to break out of their shell. The turning point for his students is the annual Pott College of Science, Education, and Engineering picnic. "Students are able to meet future professors and other students who have been through all the trials and tribulations of being an engineering student. They can share first-hand experience on how they survived those courses."
"I start class the same way. I ask 'What's happening? How's it going?' I want them to know I'm there for them. The more I can help them out, the better the start to their freshman year. If they don't have a good first step, they don't succeed," Chlebowski says.
"Last year, my UNIV 101 class met on campus during all the stress of COVID-19. For many of the students, it was the only time they were on campus. We encouraged those students not to leave after class, but make it a day. Study, eat lunch. And the ones who did got to know each other, made study groups and thrived instead of just survived." - Kevin Valadares, Professor of Health Services and UNIV 101 Instructor
Dr. Kevin Valdares, Professor of Health Services, teaches one of the 22 College of Nursing and Health Professions UNIV 101 classes and considers it one of the most important classes a freshman will take. In his sixth year of teaching the class, he considers the academic resources introduced in UNIV 101 to be very important to students about five weeks after the semester sets in. "When these students were in high school, asking for tutoring was such a negative thing. It meant you weren't smart," Valdares says. "In college, the concept of tutoring is positive. It means you know your limits, and you know it's okay to ask for help."
With the Nursing and Health Professions classes being competitive, Valdares encourages his students to start seeking academic help early.
One of Valdares' favorite parts about his UNIV 101 class is exposing students to actual case studies in the healthcare field. The cases give students the chance to examine preconceptions they had about healthcare. "They are some tough cases with no clear right or wrong answers."
Valdares emphasizes to his students that it's also the "other stuff" that really matters to their academic careers. He introduces them to opportunities within the college, such as student research and paid internships. "There are ways to engage in something beyond the classroom that really matter."
"How am I supposed to know what I don't know when I don't know??!" - Jenn Horn, Instructor in English, quoting a student who was frustrated with the start of their school year
Jenn Horn has been teaching UNIV 101 since it first started at the University. She has always enjoyed interacting with freshmen and has marveled how UNIV 101 has changed over the years. But one thing that hasn't changed has been the freshman. "Their concerns are consistently the same: managing expectations, figuring out who you are and balancing everything successfully. Sometimes students are prepared academically–maybe not socially or psychologically for college."
Horn enjoys letting students have some agency in the structure of their class. "Once a student got a parking ticket and didn't know what to do about it. So we spent the class period in discussion of why you got a ticket, how to avoid it, how to fight it if you thought you had good cause, how to pay a ticket and finally, what happens if you never pay your tickets."
"One of the strengths of UNIV 101 is the sense of community it promotes. Most of your college life is what goes on outside the classroom. In this class, I hope to be a resource to the students. We give the students lots of experiences and resources so they can find their flock." - Sandi Davis, Program Coordinator of Fitness, Recreation and Wellness and UNIV 101 Instructor
In her seven years of teaching UNIV 101, Sandi Davis, Program Coordinator of USI's Fitness, Wellness and Recreation Center, finds the Super Strong Interest Inventory a good tool for incoming freshman. "I took a similar test when I was in high school. It told me I was either going to be a bartender or a farmer. These career tests are so much better now at breaking things down. For example, I am very social (like a bartender). And like a farmer, I'm not afraid of hard work. My job here is a pretty accurate representation of those test results. The Super Strong gives students insights about themselves they didn't know. "
Davis's students are a mixture of kinesiology, sports management and pre-occupational therapy. "Incoming freshmen are already stressed out. These students will be friends and classmates for the next four years. It's important to build that sense of community in the classroom."
"I enjoy teaching the ethics portion of UNIV 101. There can be academic dishonesty, especially in online classes. I try to teach my students the nessecity of courage. It's a skill that will serve them in life. Courage will help with problem-solving and critical thinking. When you practice courage, you get more courageous." - Jill Oeding, Associate Professor of Business Law and UNIV 101 Instructor
Dr. Jill Oeding, Associate Professor of Business Law, sees all the components of UNIV 101 as a way to prepare students to be successful in life. "A bad first semester can make a student give up on college or go some where else. They have a lot to learn, from something complicated to how to navigate Blackboard to something we take for granted like how to save or download a file."
Another component Oeding brings to the class is gratitude. Every class she asks random students what they are grateful for. At the start of the semester, students were grateful for in-person classes. "COVID-19 has taken part of their world away. They're just grateful to be here," she says.
With her 42 years at the University, Pam Hopson, Executive Director of USI's Multicultural Center, has a lifetime of advice to give to students. She has seen it all from her 15 years in Student Financial Aid and the last 27 years in the Multicultural Center.
The students in her UNIV 101 class are the select Multicultural Leadership Scholar students. Hopson puts them through unique experiences designed to hone and ignite their leadership qualities. She has high expectations. "The students don't want a repeat of what they were exposed to in high school," she says. "Coming to college is a big deal!"
One of her favorite things to teach is time management. "There are high expectations in college, and you can start managing those expectations by managing your time well. I tell students they need to be prepared for class. You need to bring something to the table. Look at the syllabus. Do the homework. Professors have expectations, too."
What she hopes her UNIV 101 students take away from her class is the knowledge that beyond class, many people across campus are there to be a safety net–to help them soar. "Our network is your network."
Statistics show UNIV 101 helps students transition successfully to college. In a 2018 course assessment, 83.4% of students agreed the class helped them be more successful. More than 6,000 students utilized academic support in their majors through tutoring or supplemental education. By the end of UNIV 101, all students will have competed a four-year degree plan, met with their advisor and completed Blackboard and myUSI training. Other things they will gain include financial literacy, exposure to a career fair or Exploring Majors and Minors Fair and meeting and talking to a host of staff invested in making them successful during their time at USI.
The faculty who teach the 10-week class agree UNIV 101 is the foundation to student success. Students are making connections with the University community that will move them along their four-year journey to achieve their degree. It's also a place to learn about yourself and grow. "I'm here to help my students find their way, find themselves and give them a safe place to do it it," Hoehn says.
Sandi Davis is known for making chocolate chip cookies for her students. "Homemade chocolate chip cookies mean 'home' to me. I hope it brings a little 'home' to the students," she says.
Faculty know the class is a success when they see the students over the next four years in class and on campus. "I love having them pop up in my class again. You become invested in their future success as a college student," Horn adds.
"The key is letting them know I'm just like them. I'm also taking classes, writing papers and managing my time. And like them, sometimes I'm up until midnight turning it in," Hoehn says.
“UNIV 101 has impacted my first few weeks of college by showing me all the resources this campus has to offer and the amount of support there is for the students here at USI. UNIV is a great class to connect with other freshman and build friendships. You will learn skills like time management, how to plan your week and to use displace when getting work done,” Marcus T. Robinson, freshman pre-nursing major
"I loved having Sandi Davis as my UNIV 101 instructor! She helped the transition to college so smoothly and truly cares about her students and their well-being. Not only does Sandi give good advice, but she also makes some good desserts!" Shea Keller, a junior exercise science major, says.
"Sandi Davis provided a fun and open learning environment as she jokes with her students and teaches skills to be a successful college student. She also provided us multiple opportunities to get involved on campus with weekly updates of events we should look into attending. Finally, she encouraged each student to get out of their comfort zone and find their place on campus," adds Grace Marshall, junior exercise science major.
"The TedTalks have all been very enlightening, ranging from self-improvement talks to tips on building connections while in college. We have also completed the Career Interest Inventory, which solidified what I knew about myself: I'm artistic, creative and a realist." - Lydia Grow, sociology major
“My learning didn't stop at UNIV 101. Professor Horn has continued to reach out to me and show me how our life lessons can be tied to our academic lessons. My life lessons will help me achieve my goal of becoming a social worker.” - Kaitlyn Yurchiak, Junior social work major
"USI's UNIV 101 course was an excellent opportunity for me to be introduced to the college classroom setting. I got to learn and develop skills amongst other new college students to take with me throughout my journey at USI and in my future career." - Ryan Strege
"It was definitely an important class because it was almost like a 'starter course' to not only prepare you for college in general, but to also offer studying tips, how to navigate the Eagle page and the importance of attendance and finishing homework. That class was big on participating, and a good portion of our grade would come from that. I really am thankful for that because it showed me just how important it is to participate in class or even to just ask questions. I never would do that in high school. UNIV 101 with Jenn was an amazing class to have as a freshman. It was a great transition course into college and she made everyone feel welcome, heard and she was there for us to grow not only as college students but as individuals. I still remain in contact with Jenn specifically because of that class. I view her as a mentor, as I am sure other UNIV students do with her or their own UNIV professors." - Alleigh Dillman, senior management major
"My MLS Scholarship and UNIV 101 class has positively affected my first few weeks of my college experience. Instead of being homesick, I was perfectly fine because I had a support group of friends. Thanks to Multicultural Center Staff, my preparedness and my readiness to learn has increased tenfold since I’ve been here. My time here has in fact bettered myself in more ways than one. Whether it was my ability to make it to classes on time, my time management, my ability to soak up knowledge and my ability to be out there and make new friends." - Olivia Howard, freshman biology major
Credits:
Barbara J. Goodwin