Leah Scognamiglio, Director of the First Year Experience
First Year Experience (FYE) Programs are housed within the Minerva Center for High-Impact Practices, part of Academic Innovation and Student Success. We offer credit-bearing FYE courses for both first-year and transfer students and opportunities for students to engage with faculty both inside and outside the classroom. FYE Programs include:
- Living-Learning Communities, which provide incoming first-year students an opportunity to live and take classes with others who share their interests. (There is a non-residential community option for transfer students.)
- Freshman Seminars, which allow students to explore an area of interest and gain insight into the academic expectations of the University at Albany. UAlbany offers 1-credit seminars on a wide variety of topics including academic exploration and goal setting and 3-credit seminars that focus on the transition to college process and skills necessary to be successful. Freshman Seminars are primarily offered in the fall semester and are limited to 25 students per section, offering first-year students the opportunity for personal interaction with a faculty member. Students work with their academic advisor to determine which seminar fits their needs and interests.
- U UNI 99 Engagement Classes, which help new students connect with peers with similar academic pathways and with faculty, staff, and leaders from their respective College/School. Advisors work with new students to determine if a 0-credit U UNI 99 is right for them.
- Munch with the Majors, a campus-wide event during the fall semester where students intending to major in a specific discipline meet faculty and staff from that area and learn how to be successful in that discipline. With a focus on informational conversations over dessert, students learn about undergraduate research opportunities, internships, different tracks within the major, and what successful graduates who have majored in the department have done.
- Fostering UAlbany academic traditions like the Torch Award and Spark Awards for transformational teaching, Ember Award for Innovative Academic Engagement, and Food for Finals. Visit the Faculty Engagement Program website for more information.
Visit the First-Year Experience webpage to learn more about our FYE programs.