summary fep 2011

Freshmore Experience: Summer and  FEP 101

Orientación de Verano! on Prezi

The freshman seminar has been designed with a curricular map, stating the activities, technology and assessment for each session.  View curricular map.The FEP 101 course is complemented by a Learning community social network as a part of the retention suite acquired from ConnectEDU (formerly known as Education Dynamics).  This LCSN will be launched by June 2011, in time for preliminary contact with fall 2011 cohort.   This network will provide to students:

• ·        Applications for students to interact among peers in a social network virtual learning community
• ·         A service center where students can ask questions to University staff
• ·         An event announcement tool
• ·         A library with articles specially written for the first-year experience.  This library includes articles about the themes studied in the FEP courses.
• ·         Interactive self-tests with diagnostic value in connection with the early monitoring system acquired  to flag students at risk (EarlyIQ).

Focus Group

A focus group was held to customize the interface to student preferences.The fall 2011 cohort will begin the summer orientation and the FEP 101 course in August.  The summer orientation that precede the course is being designed  along the same thematic lines of the course, with participatory and interactive activities to appraise students both about university life, the FEP 101 course and the learning community social network. Project staff present different design options to focus group students so, they can give their opinion to select the best interface for the LCSN. Also they pick the name and top banner design, here and after they named the LCSN as “Mi Camino en Sagrado”.  Project staff also coordinates with stakeholders from all pertinent institutional units, so they not only use the LCSN, but recommend it to students.

Presentation: Summer Activities

Our effort began with a series of weekly meetings to plan and coordinate the way to contact the students selected on the Pilot program. We obtain the list of the selected students and prepare letters and emails; also we try to reach it by telephone.  In August 8, 2011 we launched a set of activities for the students who came to the campus.  Some students decide to stay on campus for the two days of activities others’ lives in the metropolitan area and they will be easier to travel. In our engagement efforts for Summer Orientation we gave t-shirts, backpacks, notepads and pens as a starting kit.  A booth zone was ready in place with representatives of the student organizations and service areas available to students.  Dr. Fraile’s address to student to give the welcome to USC, the President of USC also address to students to talk to students to open channels of communications with students.

A summary of the activities prepared to students was:

·         Campus Tour

·         City Tour

·         How to Manage Budget Presentation

·         Integration  Workshop with LIPIT Group

·         Salsa Dance Lessons

·         Student Associations Shows

·         Cirino’s Careers and Vocational Test

·         “Mi Camino en Sagrado” Learning Community Social Network Tour

Among all freshmen students who assist to Summer Orientation they share a 75% overall. The Assessment Technician prepared and submitted a survey for all students who did came to the orientation. 

The 2011 cohort will take three core curriculum courses together besides the FEP 101 course, for a total of 4 courses to be taken this semester. Coordination with the faculty from the 4 courses is going on, so all them foster use of the learning community social network in their respective courses.

Summer Orientation Student Satisfaction