Lisa Carstens,
Director of First-Year Seminar
Welcome to the First-Year Experience at Virginia Wesleyan College!
Many students come out of high school feeling as if school is a place where they are supposed to sit still and have authorities tell them what to think. But college should be different, and college at Virginia Wesleyan is different.
Virginia Wesleyan students take the lead in their educations. Taking the lead means bringing curiosity, asking questions about concerns that matter, and seeking understanding through careful research, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. It’s not about receiving the answers but about knowing how to seek them out.
Our unique first-year seminar program is our way of launching new students on that adventure of self-directed learning. But at Virginia Wesleyan College, self-directed doesn’t mean you’re on your own. It means you are challenged to stretch yourself intellectually and personally while being given the tools and support to make the stretch. This course provides the tools and support you need to meet that challenge.
Professors become scholars because they love learning; they become teachers because they love learning along side others. We look forward to learning along side you!
Sincerely,
Lisa Carstens
Batten Associate Professor of English
Associate Dean of Inquiry-Guided
Learning