On April 29, 2008 the University Faculty Senate voted to accept legislation that replaced the existing FYS requirement with a First-Year Engagement Plan. All academic units were asked to submit a First-Year Engagement Plan for achieving the goals and objectives of first-year engagement, as stated in the 1997 report of the SCGE, for baccalaureate, associate degree, and provisional first-year students enrolled within the unit. To restate, these are as follows:
Goals
- to engage students in learning and orient them to the scholarly community from the outset of their undergraduate studies in a way that will bridge to later experiences in their chosen majors
- to facilitate students? adjustment to the high expectations, demanding workload, increased liberties, and other aspects of the transition to college life
Objectives
- to introduce students to university study
- to introduce students to Penn State as an academic community, including fields of study and areas of interest available to students
- to acquaint students with the learning tools and resources available at Penn State
- to provide an opportunity for students to develop relationships with full-time faculty and other students in an academic area of interest to them
- to introduce students to their responsibilities as part of the University community
Penn State Berks First-Year Engagement Plan
Penn State Berks Senate Executive Summary of the FIrst-Year Engagement Plan