How can we ensure that students begin their GV career with a strong start? This initiative, currently led by Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow Tom Pentecost, focuses faculty attention on best practices for engaging students in first-year undergraduate courses. The focus this year is generating a list of best practices for faculty teaching first-year students. We are also investigating staffing practices for first-year courses. If you are interested in learning more about the initiative or would like to strengthen your courses to best engage incoming students, do not hesitate to contact us. Direct inquiries to Tom Pentecost, Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow.

Resources

(1) Tips for Teaching First Year Students at GVSU - a document prepared as part of the Strong Start Initiative.

(2) How College Works: A thought-provoking book that identifies important aspects of the college experience vital to student success.

• The book is available as an eBook through University Libraries: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/gvsu/detail.action?docID=10835367
• A brief interview with Daniel F. Chambliss: http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/bookclub/2014/10/06/video-interview-with-dan-chambliss-an-author-of-how-college-works/
• A series of videos that summarizes some of the findings from the book: http://academics.hamilton.edu/sociology/dchambli/how-college-works

(3) A guide prepared by the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/firstyears/

(4) A guidebook of best practices compiled by faculty at Carnegie Mellon University: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/PublicationsArchives/InternalReports/BestPractices-1stYears.pdf

(5) Suggestions for teaching first-year students, University of Wisconsin Madison: https://newstudent.wisc.edu/documents/teaching-working-with-first-year-students/