freshman year class finally clears hurdles
TRANSCRIPT
8/8/2019 Freshman year class finally clears hurdles
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/freshman-year-class-finally-clears-hurdles 1/1
Freshman year course finally clears hurdles
_
ly Christopher TrayEDITOR
For those freshmen who may
struggle with the adjustment to
college life, the Department ofAcademic Support Services is
currently offering a course toaid in the transition to college.
The course, Freshman Yearlnquiry (FYI), was passed bythe Edinbonr llniversitycurriculunr comrnittee just llslspring. Many othcr universitiesalready offer this sorr offreshman orientation class.
"As far as discussins the
process we had to go through inorder to get this course
approved, ten yerus ofperseverance pretty much sums
it up," said Gloria Furcron, an
Act l0l counselor with the
Department of Academic
Support Services and ao
instructor for the class.
FYI is a course that offers
incoming freshmen and transfer
students with less than 24
c:redits an opportunity to learn
about whirt it takes to be a
successful college studcnt.
"Basically, we try t<l provide
skills that will make these
college is all about," said
Furcron. "We teach about the
ideas of success, timemanagement, listening skills inand out of the classroom,
money management, healthy
decisions, stress, sexuality,
drugs, diversity, and basically
the setting of standards foryourself to achieve personal
integrity."
"Ten years of
perseverance
pretty much
Bruce Skolnick, coordinator
of the general studies program,
agrees that FYI is an absolute
necessity for those incoming
freshmen who have yet to
declare a major.
"Apart from the difficulty ofchoosing a field of study," said
Skolnick, "FYI helps prepare
these students to do so, simplyby providing them with some ofthe essentials that will help
prepare them for a career.
Those students who regularly
attend the course, participate,
and show a high level of interest
may, down the road, be more
skilled at managing their time
and resources than, perhaps
students who have not beenplaced in the course."
Kelly Hughes, a freshman inSkolnick's class, thinks the
course should be offered to allincoming freshmen.
"This course deals with the
management of time and alsoaids in giving you ways toimprove your studying,"Hughes said. "I think it should
be offered to all incomins
approved by the curriculum forthe next two years saidSkolnick.
Because the course isprefaced with an 010 class
category, the three creditsgained from passing the course
do not count towards graduationrequirements; however, if the
course is taken with nine other
credits, students will still be
considered under full-timestatus.
APSCUF contends that rhcState System docsn't bclicvc lhcfaculty has the whcrcwitlrll tostrike. It was also notctl irr tltce-mail that in thc evcnt ol' a
strike, SSHE plans to kccp irll of'its campuscs up anrl runrring,with staffing prirrrirrily cotnirrgfrom temporary cmployccs.
According to an AssociatcdPress article, howcvcr, SSI lEspokesman Kenn Marslrall saidthere are no plans to hirc
replacement faculty or rrssignmanagers to teach in thc cvcntof a strike.
SUnS it Up." freshman and not just those who
_Gloria Furcron have yet to declare a major."Srnce the course is beins
-
offered on a pilot basis, it ii
APSCUF . . . continued from page I
that point," said Thomas S.Giotto, SSHE's chief negotiator.
Compensation being frozenfor both summer school andclass overloads at the 1995 ratewere two additional concerns ofAPSCUF.
For a strike to occur on thepart of the faculty union, thereare four steps that must be
taken.
First, The LegislativeAssembly must authorize a
strike authorization vote to betaken among the faculty. Thisstep was completed in April.
Secondly, by virtue of a
secret ballot, the faculty mustcast enough votes to authorizethe Executive Council to call a
strike. This vote will take place
on Monday, Sept. 27, and
Tuesday, Sept.28.Third, the negotiations teanr
must inform the State ExecutiveCouncil that negotiations are at
an lmpasse.
And finally, the last step
involves the State ExecutiveCouncil actually calling a strike.
According to a campus-widee-mail sent out to EdinboroLlniversity faculfy last week,
incoming freshmen more
effective as college students,"
said Carol Gleischner, another
Act l0l counselor who also
teaches the course.
Students are instructed on
how to delve into campus
resources, in addition to
learning study habits and
contemporary health issues.
Computing and library skills are
also taught, and the sharpening
of study skills and time
management are featured as
well."Basically, this coursc
provides an overview ol' what