First-Year Program and Events

First-Year Experience Philosophy and Goals

First-Year Experience (FYE) programming is primarily interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on first-year students and their transition out of high school and into university life.

Relying on campus collaborations between and among faculty, staff, administrators, and students, we aim to enhance the success of first-year students, steering them to embrace the academic rigor of university studies while also participating in co-curricular activities. We invite our first-years to grow in their critical thinking, their appreciation for diversity and tolerance, and their understanding of the benefits of the liberal arts education we provide through our core curriculum.

Our goals are simple: increased student learning, achievement, and engagement in both their curricular and co-curricular experiences.

FYE: Three Primary Arenas

Three primary FYE arenas into which we invite first-year students are the Common Read program, our First-Year Learning Communities (FLCs), and the First-Year Seminar course. Through each of these campus-wide efforts, we intentionally and repeatedly invite students to engage in active learning as we expand the space of the classroom to encompass peer-work, community involvement, and sharing research across campus.


First-Year Learning Communities
First-Year Seminar Course
Common Read Program

A Brief Nod to the History of FYE at Armstrong

Formal FYE programming at Armstrong dates back at least to the turn of the century, when the university began exploring various student learning communities and paired course offerings while also expanding its offering of “success” or “university experience” classes.

In 2008, an increased focus on all things FYE included the hiring of several core curriculum faculty who would concentrate efforts on program enhancements and work alongside a newly formed First-Year Experience Task Force comprising university-wide administrators, staff, and faculty. Three years of research, experimentation, and collaboration have brought the program to its present state, one where every entering first-year student has abundant opportunities to identify—and then attain—personally derived marks of success.

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