UMBC takes a special interest in making students’ first year on campus an academic and personal success.
The transition from high school or community college to a research university can be challenging. Classes are filled with other talented students, and instructors have high standards and expectations. This can be both stimulating and overwhelming. UMBC takes a special interest in supporting students so their first year on campus is an academic and personal success. Students are welcomed into a diverse community where individuals demonstrate a strong sense of respect for one another. In addition, students are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards in their work and to respect and value the work of others through a commitment to academic integrity.
Although we expect students to strive to do excellent work, we know that success is not a goal attained solely through strong academic work. Other factors that have a profound impact on student success include the kinds of personal connections students make to the campus and the level of engagement each student has with his or her own educational experience. The offerings described below are open to all students at UMBC during their first year on campus, including students just beginning their higher education and those transferring to UMBC from another institution. They are designed to help students find an intellectual and social home. Becoming involved in these activities during the first year will help facilitate the transition to college life and prepare students for a successful outcome to their undergraduate experience.
- Collegiate Summer Institute (CSI), Summer Bridge Program
- New Student Book Experience (Orientation/Welcome Week)
- First-Year Academic Seminars (FYS)
- Introduction to an Honors University (IHU), First-Year Success Courses
- Transfer Student Seminars (TRS)
- Living Learning Communities (LLCs) - Described under the section entitled “Life on the UMBC Campus”
Collegiate Summer Institute, Summer Bridge Program
CSI@UMBC is a summer bridge program designed for students interested in getting a head start on their college experience. During this six-week program, participants have an opportunity to earn four to seven credits, learn what it takes to be a successful student, and discover the UMBC campus and the surrounding area. Students also participate in the University’s “Introduction to an Honors University” (IHU) seminar which is designed to address transition issues as well as support students in developing the skills needed to reach their academic goals. During the IHU portion of the class, students become familiar with the many resources and opportunities that UMBC offers. Although the summer bridge program has an academic focus which helps students get to know faculty and staff, participants also engage in interesting on- and off-campus activities in which they get to know each other - creating a peer support system that last well beyond the summer experience.
New Student Book Experience (NSBE)
Each year current students and faculty select a book for new student summer reading. All new students are expected to read the selected text and join in a campus-wide conversation about the book during Welcome Week in August. Small-group discussions for all entering students are facilitated by UMBC faculty and staff. These discussions allow everyone to come together to get a taste of the kind of discussion that is typical of university courses. The program connects new freshmen and transfer students with each other and with faculty and staff, as well as student leaders, at the start of the academic year. The New Student Book Experience provides an intellectually stimulating interaction that welcomes new students into the UMBC community. This shared experience provides students with an opportunity to discuss ideas that relate to a common text in an environment where different interpretations are examined and discussed. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the Barbara Simon Memorial Essay Contest.
First-Year Academic Seminars (FYS)
First-Year Seminars provide new students with the opportunity to get to know a faculty member well and connect with peers through small seminar classes. Faculty, with deep commitments to undergraduate education and special interests they want to share with students, offer customized first-year academic seminars designed to introduce students to the academic excitement and rigor of a top-tier research university. First-Year Seminars are limited to 20 students, so participants have direct access to a full-time faculty member with whom they can engage and get to know well. In this way, new students face the challenges of an academically rigorous course with the support of a faculty member committed to their success. In this active learning environment, faculty partner with students in the exploration of course material. The courses incorporate creative and critical thinking, a focus on written and oral communication skills, research skills, and significant opportunities for discussion and faculty/peer critiques of assignments.
FYS courses may be used to meet a general education program requirement, provided the course carries this type of designation.
- Students may have one FYS class in their GEP profile.
- If the course selected is in the arts/humanities (AH) or social sciences (SS) areas, in which students must complete three courses in each area, if one of the courses applied is an FYS course then the two remaining courses must come from two different disciplines. In addition, many FYS courses also meet the mathematics (M), sciences (S) and culture (C) requirements.
Examples of past FYS offerings:
- Images of Madness (SS)
- Sexuality, Health, and Human Rights (SS)
- Vienna 1900 (C)
- Sustainability in American Culture (AH)
- Crime Busting with Mathematics and Statistics (M)
For a list of current first-year seminars, visit www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/fys
Introduction to an Honors University (IHU), First-Year Success Courses
IHU courses provide an introduction to the higher education experience in a personalized setting and are open to all new students at UMBC. These one-credit experiences are often attached to introductory courses in the major and/or to courses that meet a core general education requirement. Participation in an IHU helps set the stage for academic success at UMBC. They are designed to help new students:
- Clarify academic expectations and develop essential academic skills. In these courses students have an opportunity to develop and improve their academic skills in relationship to specific course content.
- Improve study skills and the ability to manage time, and strengthen written and oral communication skills. Students discuss strategies for academic success that apply directly to the academic content of the core course. Students who participate in an IHU experience have a higher level of early success at UMBC than those who do not participate and the skills acquired contribute to their success throughout their academic career.
- Become active members of the UMBC community. Complementing the work done in the classroom are the many out of class activities that broaden a student’s UMBC experience. These opportunities include participation in clubs and organizations, leadership development, internships, athletics, intramurals and a variety of other activities that can enhance personal development and students’ future success. The IHU courses assist students in learning about these campus opportunities and how to get involved.
- Maximize personal development and self-awareness. Students will develop connections with other students with whom they will interact as they participate in campus activities, form study groups and learn about resources that are available for personal and academic support. In addition, students have an opportunity to get to know faculty and staff who have an interest in helping them to identify their goals and develop strategies for reaching those goals.
To participate in one of the “Introduction to an Honors University” seminars, look for courses that carry the letter “Y” after the course number in the Schedule of Classes.
As of academic year 2013-2014 courses that have a “Y” seminar (IHU) attached include:
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- SCI 100Y, Water: An Interdisciplinary Study
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- (Required for athletes)
Transfer Student Seminar (TRS 201)
These one or two-credit courses are designed to assist in the successful transition of transfer students from their previous college or university to UMBC. Seminars focus on familiarizing new transfer students with the academic expectations of the University and their major department while providing opportunities for students to develop further the skills needed to achieve success at an Honors University. The material covered will complement the work that is being done in upper-level courses in the major, and it will contain academic material selected by the Department that has been identified as critical to the success of transfer students in that particular major.
Current offerings include:
- TRS 201 in Chemical Engineering
- TRS 201 in Computer Science
- TRS 201 in Information Systems
- TRS 201 in Modern Language and Linguistics
- TRS 201 in American Studies
- TRS 201 in History
- TRS 201 in Visual Arts
For updates related to TRS visit http://www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/fys/transferStudents.html
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