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FYC

Alpha Lambda Delta FYC Instructors Department Directory

First Year Courses

The Office of First-Year Courses & Learning Communities administers Student Success Seminars for all first-year students. Student Success Seminars include content about campus resources, study skills, critical thinking, and diversity, helping students find ways to get connected to the university during the transition to college. Eastern Kentucky University offers several variations of the seminar, depending upon a student’s major or special interests.

  • Exploratory students (students who have not declared a major) enroll in GSD 101, a 3-hour course that incorporates a major and career exploration unit developed in coordination with the Center for Career and Co-op.
  • Sections of GSD 101 are also offered for special populations (NOVA, Student Athletes, Latino Bridge Program).
  • Students who enter the University with a declared major must also enroll in GSD 101.

Learning Communities

First-Year Courses is also home to GSD 101 Learning Communities. Eligible students are pre-enrolled in learning communities on an as-available basis. In a learning community, students take two classes with the same group of students and have increased opportunities to interact with instructors, classmates, and peer mentors outside of class.

Taking part in a learning community provides the following benefits:

  • Attending two classes with the same group of students
  • Securing a seat in high demand classes
  • Getting involved in campus life
  • Attending specially-designed out-of-class programs
  • Learning about helpful resources available at EKU
  • Improving chances of academic success
  • Getting to know instructors and classmates better
  • Creating lasting friendships

In addition to an instructor, many GSD 101 classes have a First-Year Leader (FYL). FYL’s are selected in a competitive process that includes an evaluation of grades, public service, and performance in a variety of interviews and scenarios designed to reflect the dynamics of peer-to-peer mentoring. FYL’s are high-achieving upperclassmen who serve as role models and mentors inside and outside the classroom. They take the GST 300 “Principles of Peer Mentoring /Tutoring” course and receive training throughout the semester. Taking part in the program is an excellent opportunity for Colonels to “pay forward” the mentorship and guidance they received from faculty, staff, and peers during their first semester of college.

Position Description
First-Year Leaders are peer mentors who assist first-year students enrolled in the GSD 101 courses during the fall semester. FYL’s work with an instructor to facilitate classroom activities and discussion, provide information, and support students in group and one-on-one settings.

Responsibilities

  • In The Classroom
  • Facilitate group discussions or lead group activities
  • Be available to offer student perspectives, information, and resources
  • Lead learning activities and icebreakers to promote rapport
  • Attend at least one class per week
  • Outside the Classroom
  • Initiate one-on-one or group meetings for supplemental instruction or support
  • Serve as a student consultant, offering information and guidance
  • Attend out-of-class experiences with students
  • Communicate with students to coordinate social or service-orientated activities
  • Attend all scheduled GST 300 class meetings and complete assignments
  • Attend trainings during the Spring semester and in August in preparation for Fall

Application Process
The primary requirements are completion of GSD 101 as a freshman, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and the desire to assist new students as they transition into college. Applications are usually submitted during the Spring semester and new First-Year Leaders are selected following an interview process in April or May. If you have questions about the FYL program, contact fyc@eku.edu.

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honors society for first-year students. It was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the University of Illinois to recognize academic excellence among freshmen women. One year before, Dean Thomas Arkle Clark had founded Phi Eta Sigma, an honor society to recognize excellence among freshmen men. Both groups operated as single sex organizations until the mid-70’s, when both became co-educational.

Alpha Lambda Delta became a national organization through the chartering of several chapters in the late 1920’s. Today, there are over 280 chapters and over one million students have been initiated. The chapter at Eastern Kentucky University was chartered in 2005.

Alpha Lambda Delta continues to celebrate academic excellence among first-year students. The Perpetual Fellowship Fund exceeds $5 million and provides over 50 undergraduate, 20 study-abroad, and 28 graduate fellowships.

Membership Requirements

  • You must have a 3.5 or higher Grade Point Average (on a 4.0-point scale), or the equivalent.
  • You must be enrolled as a full-time student pursuing a baccalaureate (Bachelor’s) degree.
  • Freshman transfer students from institutions that do not have an Alpha Lambda Delta chapter, to be eligible for membership, must have the required Alpha Lambda Delta grade point average on the courses taken during the first full curricular period at EKU. In addition, the cumulative average of the grades of the student’s transfer credits combined with the grades in the institution in which the student is currently enrolled must equal the Alpha Lambda Delta academic grade requirement.

If you meet the above requirements, you should receive an invitation from EKU’s ALD Chapter via email. If you meet the above requirements and have not received an invitation to join Alpha Lambda Delta, contact the Chapter Advisor, Alex White, at alexander.white@eku.edu .

The Office of First-Year Courses & Learning Communities hosts numerous awards throughout the year to showcase the accomplishments of our students and instructors.

Outstanding First-Year Student Awards
Eastern Kentucky University seeks to provide “students those intellectual and cultural pursuits which will develop in them habits of scholarship and intellectual curiosity.” Each year, students enrolled in GSD 101 “Foundations of Learning” and College-Specific Student Success Seminars are nominated for Outstanding First-Year Student Awards.

Award recipients demonstrate exceptional classroom performance, leadership among their peers, and a willingness to challenge themselves intellectually. Winners of this award are honored at a ceremony in front of families, instructors, and college leaders.

Outstanding Instructor Awards
Each spring, First-Year Courses honors the most successful of our Student Success Seminar instructors with our Outstanding Instructor Awards. Each candidate is nominated by students and winners are selected by a committee based on student evaluations and instructor observations.

Mission & Vision

Mission
The Office of First-Year Courses promotes academic and college success by facilitating first-year students in their transition to college life through a curriculum based on critical thinking, major and career exploration, connection to the University, and utilization of academic resources and support services.

Vision
First-Year Courses is committed to cultivating quality instruction through an innovative, engaging, and influential learning environment that will provide an inspiring experience for all students by:

  • Making positive connections with faculty, staff, and peers,
  • Engaging in behaviors that promote connection to the University,
  • Understanding their role as a member of the socially diverse university community,
  • Developing awareness of the impact of their personal choices through major and career assessments, and
  • Demonstrating their ability to think critically, analytically, and integratively.

Motto
Motivate. Inspire. Lead… Equipping first-year students for success!

Guides & Resources

Academic Calendar

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Contact Information

First Year Courses

Whitlock Building
Room 455

859-622-7322
fyc@eku.edu

Department Directory