We believe that learning is not just about books and classes – it’s about working together, trying new things, and remaining curious for your whole life.
The First-Year Experience (FYE) program is for all of you who are just starting your journey at Guttman. The program subscribes to the philosophy that learning is social, collaborative, experiential, holistic, iterative, and lifelong. FYE is a collection of learning experiences that you participate in during your first year at the College.
What to Expect
Learning Communities
With the rest of your student cohort, you will enroll in two courses led by different professors. This experience reinforces skill-building across multiple courses – you’ll be able to deepen your critical thinking and practice integrated learning. The best part? Learning communities make you feel like you really belong here, on campus. You’re not just learning by yourself; you’re a part of a community!
Instructional Teams
The Instructional Team is the professional learning community that will provide you with instruction, advisement, mentorship, and support in the multiple academic learning communities where you will have the opportunity to learn and grow. Teams meet weekly to discuss your progress at Guttman and collaborate to address your needs, making sure that you’re in a position to achieve your goals.
Mathematics in the First Semester and Math Across the Curriculum
As part of the FYE program, you’ll enroll in a math course aligned with your interests and educational goals during your first semester. Incorporating a math course as part of the FYE program helps you achieve success in gateway math courses while providing you with the greatest choice and flexibility. An awesome bonus? Embedded advising and tutoring is available to you, meaning you’ll have the resources at hand to succeed.
Experiential Learning
You’ll engage in curricular and co-curricular experiential learning activities – in other words, experiences outside of the classroom – throughout your first year to highlight the real-world practicality of course content. At Guttman, your education is connected to what’s going on beyond the classroom.
Social Justice Curricular and Co-Curricular Opportunities
As a first-year student at Guttman, you’ll enroll in AMST 103: Introduction to Social Justice in the fall semester and participate in co-curricular activities aligned with the College’s social justice mission.
FYE Philosophy
FYE at Guttman is the springboard for your future success in higher education and professional activities. We take into consideration the social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of learning to promote your development as an engaged member of society. Embracing cutting-edge practices and a robust, integrative curriculum, the FYE program establishes an inclusive, rigorous model for you to blaze your own educational, professional, and life paths.
To promote career readiness within the curriculum, the FYE implements course design and experiences that promote and incorporate the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) Career Competencies:
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
- Oral/Written Communication
- Teamwork/Collaboration
- Digital Technology
- Leadership
- Professionalism/Work Ethic
- Career Management
- Global/Intercultural Fluency
FYE Learning Outcomes
Once you complete all FYE requirements, you’ll be able to:
- Engage in critical thinking and reflective learning, showing the ability to make informed choices and excel academically.
- Develop and demonstrate responsibility for independent and collaborative learning
- Approach personal development as a lifelong, self-directed process, involving goal setting, planning, time management and self-motivation.
- Gain proficiency in the practices of information literacy – to locate, evaluate and use relevant and needed information effectively.
- Construct new knowledge in various capacities, including numerical, verbal, technological, digital and creative.
- Integrate and apply knowledge and skills from different disciplines and multiple, diverse perspectives in intentional and deliberate ways.
- Identify and use specific skills, resources and strategies proactively and purposefully.
- Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral forms, in person and digitally, including to articulate personal and social values.
- Explore how social identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, class) intersect with your identity as a student at Guttman.
First-Year Experience Requirements
Please refer to individual course descriptions for further information.
First Semester
- AMST 103: Introduction to Social Justice (3 cr.)
- ENGL 103: Composition I (3 cr.) OR ENGL 103: Composition I (3 cr.) AND ENGL 103A: Composition IA (0 cr.)
- MATH 103: Statistics (3 cr.) OR MATH 103A: Statistics A (1.5 cr.) AND MATH 103B: Statistics B (1.5 cr.)
- FYS 101: Learning about Being a Successful Student I (LaBSS I) (0 cr.)
Second Semester
- SOSC 111: Ethnographies of Work I (3 cr.)
- ENGL 203: Composition II (3 cr.)