Student Engagement

Our students and professors find many ways to connect with one another, including:

PALs Mentoring Program
The PALs (Personal Achievement Liaisons) mentoring program pairs faculty or staff members with incoming undergraduate students (freshmen or transfers) to help students get off to a fast start.

Living-Learning Communities
L-LCs offer incoming freshmen with similar interests, majors, or lifestyles, the opportunity to live together in the same residence hall, take some of their courses together, and meet regularly with faculty and upper-classmen who share their interests. The University at Albany offers freshmen a number of Living-Learning Communities to suit a variety of career paths and interests. New communities are always being developed, so check back often for the most up to date list of options. 

Freshman and Transfer Seminars (UFSP 100 and UUNI350)
Discipline-based, 1-credit seminars from some of our best professors, designed specifically to meet the needs of first semester freshmen and transfers.

Explore UAlbany
Held during Great Dane Beginnings Opening weekend, incoming students attend lectures on cutting edge topics and get to meet faculty before classes start.

Food for Thought
A program that encourages students and professors to dine together in residence dining halls.

CHEER Fund
Supporting faculty and staff Creating Highly Engaging Educational Resources for their students.

UA-UKnow Website
Helps incoming students understand the academic expectations at UAlbany through e-mails and our "UA-UKnow:What you really need to know!" website.

UAlbany Academic Traditions
Some of UAlbany's memorable academic traditions include:
Food for Finals- Faculty and staff serve up late night breakfast for undergraduates studying for finals
Candlelighting- Our opening convocation during which the flame of knowledge is lit
Torch Night- Graduating seniors pass the flame of knowledge on to underclassmen

Clubs and Groups
Faculty and staff act as advisors to student clubs and groups, offering expertise, support, and guidance.

Peer Educators
Would you like to have the help of excellent, undergraduate students in your department's lower level courses? High achieving juniors and seniors, selected by you, have the opportunity to learn how to be Peer Educators through a three credit EAPS course that teaches them how them how to effectively assist faculty in lower level courses.