Choosing Events
All students will be responsible for composing a program of ten events representing a range of campus opportunities (and, if designated by the instructor, selected off-campus activities). Your First-Year Seminar instructor will also provide more individualized guidelines for your contract, to befit the special needs of your section. For most students, the original contract will include some prescheduled events and some event types that can be accomplished through various events not necessarily known in advance. Once a contract has been established between student and instructor, revisions to the original contract must be approved by the instructor.
Event Eligibility
Unless an instructor creates exceptions, all eligible events are expected to be VWC sponsored. Your choices should reflect diversity within and across three categories – usually 2-4 events in each category, although requirements may vary with instructors:
FYE-1: Intellectual and Cultural Events
- for engaging with academic opportunities beyond the classroom
- Examples: Honor Convocation (required), CSRF programs, public lectures, music and theater performances, art exhibitions, research panels, educational film screenings, community service projects, poetry readings, International and Intercultural Programs.
FYE-2: Skills and Information Workshops
- for developing academic and personal success skills
- Examples: Equalogy program (required), library workshops (e.g., “Plagiarism,” “Evaluating Resources”), Argument Mapping workshop, stress management seminars, career services panels, “Myers-Briggs Inventory and Choosing a Future,” “choosing a major” workshop, Majors Fair and Academic Resources Expo, “Business Careers for Liberal Arts Majors” workshop, learning resource center workshops, time management workshop, motivation workshop, Study Abroad Fair.
FYE-3: Campus Life Activities
- for integrating into the campus community
- Examples: sports events, Club Fair, student government opportunities, meetings or events sponsored by clubs and organizations (including honor society and Greek events), WAC-sponsored events, residence life events, student newspaper, honor society events, chapel events.
In order to help students recognize which events “count” for which categories (so to facilitate balanced activity plans), qualifying events will be flagged in the on-line campus events calendar with FYE-1, FYE-2, or FYE-3. Clicking on the First Year Experience Events Calendar will bring up a screen that lists all flagged events by category. Inevitably, some qualifying events will not be entered into the campus events calendar (or not by the beginning of the semester). However, students may bring such events to their instructors’ attention and request permission to use them for their CECs.