Start Strong with UA’s First-Year Experience Program!

The University of Akron has the necessary support structure to help students succeed—University College, which was established in 1935, almost 75 years ago. Some of the ongoing initiatives supported by University College that illustrate our commitment to students include: required new student orientation for traditional-aged, adult, and transfer students; an opening convocation for new students in the Fall; a common reading program with a First-Year Lecture in September; professional advisers who work with UC students until they transfer to UA’s degree-granting colleges; an extensive Learning Communities program; a number of courses—Student Success Seminar, Career Planning, Information Tools for Success—to help students transition to the University or to a degree program; the Majors Mosaic program in October which highlights programs in which students can earn majors, minors, and certificates; and student academic support including peer tutoring and Learning Assistants.

During New Student Orientation, incoming students meet with their academic adviser. Students works with their adviser until they transition from University College to a degree-granting college; even if students change majors they will not need to change advisers as our advisers are generalists who know the freshmen-sophomore requirements for all of the programs at the University. Advisers help explain the policies and procedures of the University to students, and can help students stay in good-standing by directing them to UA’s myriad of resources.

Adult students—who are 25 years of age or older—need support as they begin, or return to, college. UA Adult Focus transforms students into scholars, who make appropriate educational and career choices. UA Adult Focus fosters a greater sense of community by sponsoring and advising UA Adult Learners (UAAL), providing an adult learner study lounge and computer lab, offering pre-admission advising for any prospective nontraditional students, supporting the Adult Learner Mentor Program, and the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honorary Society for adult learners.

UA’s Student Success Seminar is a course which helps students transition to the world of higher education, whether they are the fifth generation to attend college or the first in their extended family to pursue a college degree. Students learn about campus services available to help them succeed while focusing on study skills which can be useful not only in the first-year, but throughout their college experience. University College also offers a Career Planning class for students who are exploring the many programs and degrees available to them, and a course in Information Literacy Skills, which is taught by University Librarians.

University College collaborates with school systems within our service area to provide the opportunity for their students to take college courses at the University. The Post Secondary Enrollment Option Program, which is the largest among the state-assisted universities within Ohio, is administered by UC.

In collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, University College sponsors an Ameri-Corps®VISTA volunteer who staffs our Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement. UC professionals join with community leaders from the University Park Alliance to develop service-learning opportunities for students; more than 120 students in the Pre-Education and Exploratory Learning Communities work with students in two Akron elementary schools on their reading. UC administrators and students also participate each year with volunteers from local churches and businesses to clean up the neighborhoods in which they work and live on “Make a Difference Day.”

University College administrators and others across campus work to make the First-Year Experience a special one for students. If students Start Strong and are

engaged in their classes which they attend regularly,
involved in at least one campus organization within the first year,
completing their assignments on time, and
accessing the campus resources such as tutoring, the Office of Accessibility, etc., they will successfully achieve their degree objective.