Center for the First Year Experience Advisory Board-November 1, 2010
At the first meeting, the Center for the First Year Experience Advisory Board Committee discussed the Center’s plan for revamping the SOAR and Wisconsin Welcome programs on campus. Each member of the Committee gave feedback on their experience at SOAR and Wisconsin Welcome, giving the Center an idea of student feelings towards the current programs. After mapping out the new SOAR and Wisconsin Welcome program, committee members also gave feedback on the new program that is to be revised and perfected before being put into place for the summer of 2012. The new program includes many ideas that would relieve stress from students and families in the orientation process.
Some changes include:
- Increased parent involvement
- Increased time for choosing classes
- More activity choices for the first night of SOAR
These changes, as well as others, would help students to make more advised decisions when it comes to choosing their schedules. It would also help students to feel more comfortable with the process at SOAR.
The committee also discussed the possibility of implementing LGBT bullying issues into the diversity section of SOAR small group discussions. Due to limited time, this will be discussed at the next meeting.
-Erin M. Connell
