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Can anyone remember their first
few days at college….excitement, fear, nervousness, acceptance
or anxiety? Whatever those first impressions were, many remember
their first year as the beginning of some of the best days of
their lives. Research has shown that a student’s first year
shapes their perceptions of a college and will determine if they
remain. In short, the first year is crucial because of its
impact on student retention.
Reinhardt has been selected as one of only 20 four-year
institutions to participate in the Foundations of Excellence
(FOE) program this year. This in-depth evaluation of the
first-year experience will give Reinhardt faculty and staff a
unique opportunity to bolster retention by improving students’
lives.
The nine-month FOE program is supported by the Policy Center on
the First Year of College and asks volunteers from across the
campus to analyze the College’s strengths and weaknesses based
on nine specific dimensions. These dimensions include the
College’s philosophy, organization, learning, faculty, students
and others.
“This project will give us a chance to build a dynamic program
and completely rework our freshman year experience,” said Dr.
Roger R. Lee, vice president of student affairs. “To be selected
for this project, we must have a strong campus commitment to
students and readiness to engage in evaluation and improvement.
I think this can have very positive outcomes, both in the short-
and long-term.”
Lee will lead a core group of faculty, staff and students in
developing recommendations based on the input they gather. Their
report will be submitted to the Policy Center. The Center staff
will also provide suggestions.
According to Lee, Reinhardt is in great company. Past FOE
participants in Georgia include Kennesaw State University,
Georgia Southwestern University and Georgia Southern University.
“The other colleges and universities chosen to participate this
year are a great collection of institutions from all across the
U.S. It is a truly exceptional group, and we are excited
Reinhardt is part of the mix,” Lee said.
The FOE program and Policy Center were founded by John N.
Gardner, an expert in the first year experience due to his work
at the University of South Carolina and their National Resource
Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
It is headquartered in Brevard, N.C.
“Already this endeavor has created an excitement across campus,
especially within our faculty,” said Lee. “We are ready to
educate ourselves and focus on the experience we provide our
freshman.”
With an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, Reinhardt
College is a four-year liberal arts institution with a
residential Main Campus in Cherokee County (Ga.) and an off
campus center in Alpharetta, Ga. Affiliated with The United
Methodist Church, Reinhardt offers 34 programs of study ranging
from business, communications and education to liberal arts,
psychology and music. Since its founding in 1883, the
institution has focused on being “the way college should be” by
meeting student needs one student at a time. For more
information, please contact Reinhardt at 770-720-5526 or
1-87-REINHARDT or see the College website at
www.reinhardt.edu.
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