Definition:
First Year Experience programs take a variety of forms to provide academic and cocurricular support as students begin university life. This competency allows first year students to transition into the University and to appreciate the values, culture, and resources of the academic community. WCSU’s student body is especially in need of such support because of its diversity, including traditional first-year students, students from at-risk communities, active and military veterans, those at varying levels of academic and social preparation, first and second generation Americans, and students who are the first members of their families to attend college. Our students need a program that orients them to the expectations, resources, requirements, and rewards of their WCSU experience.

Outcomes:
Upon completion of the First Year Navigation Competency, students will be able to:

• Understand the physical and virtual WCSU campus;
• Identify resources in the university community, including faculty, staff, and administration;
• Understand the necessary procedures that contribute to academic success and graduation at Western;
• Understand the culture and expectations of academics at the university level; and
• Understand habits and practices necessary for continuing academic success.