iStart: New Student Days

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iStart New Student Days

• Thursday, August 28 Saturday, August 30
• 2008
• iStart.wayne.edu

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iStart New Student Days

• is a collaborative effort
• provides entering first-year students an
  opportunity to be officially welcomed to the
  University by the President
• creates a fun environment for students to meet
  peers and connect with faculty and staff
• exposes students to college life situations and
  resources to address them
• helps students strengthen the skills necessary to
  learn effectively.

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Goals of iStart

• Students will gain greater awareness of campus
  resources.
• Students will develop relationships with staff
  and faculty.
• Students will develop relationships with peers.
• Students will feel better prepared to begin at WSU

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Goal 1 Students will gain greater awareness of
campus resources.

• I am more aware of campus resources
• as a result of my participation in iStart.

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Goal 2 Students will develop relationships with
staff and faculty.

• I know staff whom I can call on for support.

• I know faculty whom I can call on for
  support.

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Goal 3 Students will develop relationships with
peers.

• During iStart, I developed friendships that I
  would like to continue.

• I know students whom I can call on for
  support.

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Goal 4. Students will feel better prepared to
begin at WSU.

• I feel better prepared to begin at
• WSU because of iStart.

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• Peer Mentors have an integral role in helping
  achieve these goals AND creating the community in
  which students reach their individual goals.

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• Be a Part of
• Something Great!
• Learning Communities
• _at_ Wayne State
• Fall 2008

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WHAT is a Learning Community?

• Learning Communities are small groups of
  students, faculty, and staff who work closely
  together - each group a community of learners
• In a learning community, theyll be among
  students with similar interests. Their entire
  group might take a course together, study
  together, have social activities, and they might
  all live on the same floor of a residence hall.

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Guiding Principle
SUCCESS
SUPPORT
Responsibility
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Our Vision

• Vision for WSU learning communities
• To support Wayne State Universitys commitment to
  student learning, the Learning Community
  initiative seeks to enhance our undergraduates
  experience by providing ALL interested students
  dynamic, focused communities in which students,
  staff, and faculty can learn and grow together.

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Learning Communities They Work
for Students

• Research shows that students who
• participate in Learning Communities
• Have higher academic achievement
• Have an easier transition to the university
• Have more interaction with faculty
• Get more involved in campus life

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Learning Outcomes

• Over all, the following learning objectives cover
  much of the range of the specific objectives of
  the various programs
• Developing critical thinking skills
• Improving ability to apply knowledge and solve
  problems
• Making appropriate use of student services
• Developing ability to collaborate with others
• Experiencing a successful transition to
  university and successfully identifying and
  pursuing their goals

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Organizing for Success

• GOOD PRACTICES
• Discussion groups and seminars integrate learning
  across learning community classes
• Assignments explicitly integrate materials across
  courses
• Student support services staff and learning
  community faculty share a sense of purpose about
  the learning community program

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Visit our website

• www.lc.wayne.edu
• Take a look at the descriptions of each Learning
  Community on our website. Contact the LC
  coordinator for more information, and details
  about how to sign up

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Are You Interested?

• Be Part of Something Great Select A Learning
  Community
• Last Name____________________________
• First Name____________________________
• Phone Number_________________________
• Academic Major________________________
• WSU Student ID Number_________________
• ?? I would like to join the ______________________
  ____________Learning Community.

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Questions?