One of the key factors in creating a sense of belonging among students is positive relationships with faculty. Research shows that students who feel a connection to their professors are more likely to view their institution as a welcoming place, which in turn has a positive impact on retention.
At Syracuse, the First Year Seminar (FYS) 101 was launched in 2021 to help incoming students create meaningful and rewarding connections within the University community. Faculty, staff and graduate students participate in FYS as lead instructors, partnering with undergraduate students who serve as peer leaders.
Hundreds of University employees have served as lead instructors since the beginning of the program—but faculty engagement has not been as high as that of staff. This past fall, for example, of 162 lead instructors, only 39 were faculty. FYS leadership is now putting out a call for more faculty members to participate in the program.
“Due to the small class size and discussion-based pedagogy of First Year Seminar, faculty get to know their students and what they are experiencing on campus well. We find that faculty speak very highly of their experience, and they take what they learned from their students into their own disciplines,” says FYS Director Shannon Hitchcock Schantz.
Following the Fall 2023 semester, a FYS 101 course feedback survey drew a 72.13% response rate and over 2,700 responses. Results indicated that students feel lead instructors and peer leaders create a trusting and positive environment and allow for dialogue and connections across differences.
“The impact that lead instructors and peer leaders have on students is what makes FYS unique,” Schantz says, noting that questions about these connections resulted in the highest course feedback averages among all students.
Rochele Royster
The desire to connect with students was one reason Rochele Royster, an assistant professor of art therapy at the College of Visual and Performing Arts who recently joined the Syracuse community, decided to participate in FYS.
“Engaging with undergraduate students through meaningful conversations, coursework and assignments has provided invaluable insights. This interaction has allowed me to forge connections that extend beyond the traditional academic realm,” Royster says.
The impact isn’t just felt by faculty.
“The involvement of faculty in a leadership role significantly enhances the student experience by providing exposure to a diverse range of expertise, especially for students whose majors or fields of study may not naturally intersect. The diverse composition of students from across the campus adds richness to this experience,” Royster says. “In my role as an instructor for graduate students in a more specialized field, I found it particularly rewarding to share insights about my field, sparking interest and curiosity among undergraduate students who may not have otherwise encountered the field of art therapy. Beyond academic exposure, the presence of someone on campus not directly involved in grading or academic evaluation can offer valuable non-biased support, creating a more holistic and inclusive learning environment.”
A lead instructor guides discussions for one section of FYS 101 with the support of one or two peer leaders. Sections are capped at 19 first-year or incoming transfer students who come from programs across campus, including InclusiveU. Discussions are intended to create a sense of belonging and help new students navigate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), the University and the local community.
Lead instructors receive course materials, including Blackboard Ultra course shells, but they can expand those materials as desired, drawing from their own expertise and experience. In addition to instructing the weekly 80-minute class, lead instructors meet weekly with their peer leader, hold one office hour, grade assignments, input attendance in Orange Success and engage in training with the FYS team. Compensation is $2,500 per section.
In the first six weeks of the course, students engage in dialogue on their own intersectional identities and attend the shared experience activity and the first Home College Experience (HCE), which provides discipline-specific opportunities for students to connect to and build community within their home school or college. (Lead instructors do not hold classes during the HCE weeks.)
Over the subsequent weeks, the students engage in discussions on the foundations of DEIA before attending the second HCE. As the course progresses, students engage around the concepts of privilege, oppression and marginalization, and how these concepts work in context, specifically in the Syracuse community. Finally, students create a personal engagement plan, map personal goals and action items and attend the final HCE week.
Lead instructor training sessions are held during the summer. Participants can choose either a daylong, in-person session or two half-day, virtual sessions. Interested in becoming a lead instructor? Apply online. For more information, email firstyear@syr.edu or call 315.443.9035.
