DANBURY, CONN. — The first year of college can be difficult. Students at Western Connecticut State University are faced with choosing the right courses, learning new study habits and balancing time between school, work and family. To help ease this transition, the university is developing a First Year Experience (FYE) program.

The university recently received a grant to help develop, implement and assess the program. The three-year $174,331 grant is from the Davis Educational Foundation established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Stanton Davis’s retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc.

The grant coincides with the creation of a new general education framework that will include a required FYE experience component. WCSU Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Dr. Missy Alexander said the grant enables the university to build on FYE programs that have been previously implemented. In part, the funding allows for a greater level of assessment to help evaluate the success of the program.

Dr. Kelli Custer, an assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Linguistics and Creative Process and coordinator of the FYE Program, explained an integral part of the program will be using videos on a variety of topics such as exploring the campus, planning course selections and utilizing the various campus resources from the Office of Student Affairs to the campus libraries. These videos are being written and produced by WCSU student interns, guided by faculty.

Alexander explained that, as a part of general education curriculum, these videos may be used in FYE-designated courses. When the program is implemented in the fall of 2015, material will be embedded in current courses so that the work will always be tied to an academic subject. A national expert on FYE programs will conduct a seminar with faculty to help guide the courses toward the needs of WCSU students.

“The hope is that this makes the adjustment for students smoother,” Alexander said. “The three-year grant allows us to support our students in a way we haven’t been able to before.”

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs.

Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.