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  • Typical Freshman Seminar Schedule
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• Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the Classroom First-Year Program

We have designed two components of Fisher’s First-Year Program to go beyond the classroom to help us educate students about the core values of the College, accepting personal responsibility, and making healthy decisions related to the college experience. Great Beginnings is a one-day pre-orientation for new students and their parents in May of the senior year of high school. Orientation, a three-day program in late August, sets the tone for success through academic, social, cultural, and religious activities.

Great Beginnings

The Great Beginnings program is the series of course registration days for freshmen who will be entering St. John Fisher in the Fall. Students and their families choose one day of a series of possible dates to attend. Each day-long program offers students the opportunity to meet with current students, faculty, staff, and freshman advisors. Students attend sessions that will familiarize them with the academic program, the first-year program, and other aspects of college life (clubs/activities, living on campus, athletics, scholar programs, etc). Part of the day will be spent meeting with freshman advisors to discuss and confirm course schedules for the fall. There are plenty of opportunities to have questions answered and to meet with other new students entering in the Fall.

A full day of activities is planned for parents as well. Sessions are held concerning academic information and procedures, financial information, student life/campus resources, and adjusting to college life. Faculty and staff join the parents for lunch. Lunchtime conversation offers a more casual way of sharing information and answering questions.

The day ends with a reception where incoming freshmen and their families have the opportunity to meet and chat with members of the faculty and staff.

Orientation

This three-day program in late August, which includes academic, social, cultural, and religious activities, helps students make a successful transition from high school to college. As an interactive experience, it connects incoming students with other freshmen and returning students, it helps newcomers learn about resources on campus, and it establishes a positive transition to a new place. Each year, the Orientation Program helps educate new students about personal responsibility, presents them with scenarios which are typical of the first-year experience, and stresses healthy decision-making related to the college experience.