Creating Community in the Freshman Year Experience

Campuswide Initiatives

• Theme of common experiences shared/reinforced in both the official, formal culture and in the informal culture.
• Use of mission statement and campus creed to articulate ideal of cummunity.
• Other campus custome, rituals, rites (e.g., "College Coffee" at Elon College)
• Creating common administrative homes and structures (e.g. university college/general college/division of undergraduate studies, residentcolleges)

Classroom Initiatives

• common curricular experiences
• freshman composition
• core/general education courses
• freshman seminar using common texts, assignments, and activities (e.g., reading/writing assignments; library research projects; mandated use of services/resources; attending plays, concerts, lectures and convocations)
• Summer common readings
• Linked/paired courses (e.g., Freshman Interest Groups)
• Organization of study groups (e.g., Supplemental Instruction)

Out-of class Initiatives

• Orientation -FISH Camp experience (Texas A & M), Freshman Camp (University of South Carolina)
• The freshman convocation, other rites of passage.
• Community volunteer service
• Athlectic contests
• Student/faculty meals/forums, etc.
• Miscellaneous campuswid events (e.g., moving the library at Marietta College)

A Purposeful Community

First, a college or university is an educationally purposeful community, a place where faculty and students share academic goals and work toegether to strengthen teaching and learning on the campus.

An Open Community

Second, a college or university is an open community, a place where freedom of expression is uncompromisingly protected and where civility is powerfully affirmed.

A Just Community

Third, a college or university is a just community, a place where the sacredness of each person is honored and where diversity is aggressively pursued.

A Disciplined Community

Fourth, a college or university is a disciplined community, a place where individuals accept their obligations to the group and where well-defined governance procedures guide behavior for the common good.

A Caring Community

Fifth, a college or university is a caring community, a place where the well-being of each member is sensitively supported and where service to others is encouraged.

A Celebrative Community

Sixth, a college or university is a celebrative community, one in whech the heritage of the institution is remembered and where rituals affirming both tradition and change are widely shared.