Freshman Studies: The beginning of our
students’ personal Journey of Transformation
Seton Hall University’s freshmen are introduced to the University core curriculum in their first semester of studies through the linked courses of Journey of Transformation and University Life. Together, these two courses form small learning communities that foster student engagement with the university in the first semester. Seton Hall University’s first year students begin their common learning experience in the summer before their freshman year when they participate in the Summer Reading Program, reading a text that is selected for its ability to generate thoughtful discussion. When students arrive for classes in September they begin their own personal Journey of Transformation through the university core curriculum.
The Freshman Studies Program is the first contact accepted freshmen have with the University. We like to begin the conversation with our incoming class as soon as possible. Pirate Adventure brochures are mailed to each new freshman. It provides placement testing information and an assigned orientation date based upon their accepted major. Also included in the brochure is a personalized account name and password which enables the freshman to check their SHU email account and interact with the first year electronic community.
Each new student is enrolled in a 1-credit University Life class that is 50 minutes in duration. The purpose of this class is to engage students in planning their academic journey; to familiarize them with University resources; to improve reading, writing and analytical thinking skills; and to support our mission of “forming students to be servant leaders in a global society.” Freshman Studies encourages freshmen to embrace technology. We have incorporated the creation of an e-Portfolio as a major component of the University Life class, which comprises 25% of each first year student’s grade. By creating an e-Portfolio each student has the opportunity to record his/her achievements (papers, research, internships, etc.) and to use it as an assessment tool for his/her educational experience.
The University Life course is paired with the 3-credit course, The Journey of Transformation. The Journey of Transformation guides students in exploring some of the “big questions” of the humanities. Through reading and discussing a common set of classic works, the community of first year students joins the vibrant conversation that forms the Catholic intellectual tradition, studying classics of the Catholic intellectual tradition that deal with the human journey (e.g. Augustine’s Confession and Dante’s Divine Comedy) as well as classics from other traditions. The course asks students to reflect on basic human questions.
The first year experience is meant to immerse students into a thriving community of academic servant leaders. Getting to know their Peer Advisors, their Freshmen Mentors, their “Journey” Professors, and, through Service Learning, some of their less fortunate community neighbors, these students sample the full panoply of collegiate possibilities.