College Experience Courses
U FSP 100 Freshman Seminar (1)
A class that meets once per week with a member of the teaching faculty. Course topics vary and will offer students a chance to interact with a faculty member about a topic of mutual interest. At the same time, it will introduce first-year students to the University at Albany community and assist them in understanding the academic expectations, intellectual challenges, and personal opportunities available to them as learners. Course enrollment is limited to approximately 25 students per section. Consult schedule of classes for individual seminar topics. Open to freshmen only. Only one of U FSP 100 and U FSP 102 may be taken for credit.
U FSP 102 Living-Learning Community Seminar (1)
A class that meets once a week with a member of the teaching faculty. Course topics vary but are connected to Living-Learning Communities. The course is designed to integrate discipline-based learning with an understanding of the academic expectations, intellectual challenges, and personal opportunities available to students as university learners. Additionally, students forge connections with teaching faculty members. May be repeated once for credit. Only one of U FSP 102 and U FSP 100 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): admission into a Living-Learning Community.
U UNI 099 Student Engagement Recurring Class Meeting (0)
A recurring and scheduled class meeting time to allow and encourage groups of students to interact with faculty and staff around a topic, theme or major. Students enrolled in U UNI 099 would meet as a community at a scheduled time and location to discuss issues around the community's theme, class topics, host guest speakers, get help with transitional issues, form study and review sessions, and/or meet with faculty, advisors, and staff. Non-graded. May be repeated.
U UNI 100 The Freshman Year Experience (3)
The purpose of this course is to help new students transition to college and improve their academic skills. During the course of the semester, you will learn about the college experience—experiences unique to first year students, transitional stages that you may undergo, and coping strategies that can help you pass through this phase of college life. You will learn how to use and locate important campus resources. You will learn about who you are and how that information helps you choose a major and a career. Finally, you will learn how to increase your chances of succeeding at the University at Albany as your transition through this most critical first year. Only one of U UNI 100 and E SPY 120 may be taken for credit.
U UNI 103 College Transition (1)
The purpose of this course is to help students become more effective in the college setting. During the course, students will learn about the college experience - experiences unique to first year students, transitional stages that students may undergo, and coping strategies that can help freshmen maneuver through various phases of college life. Students will learn how to use and locate important campus resources, manage intellectual challenges, and pursue professional opportunities as well as develop appropriate academic expectations in the college setting. Students will learn more about personal and societal characteristics that influence decision making and career exploration. Finally, students will learn how to increase leadership and civic engagement while in college. Prerequisite(s): open only to rising junior (11th grade) or senior (12th grade) high school students participating in STEP. Permission of instructor required.
U UNI 200 Sophomore Year Experience (3)
Sophomore Year is nationally known as college students' "slump" period in their four year journey. It is during this second year that students are pressured to make major decisions (i.e., major, minor, internships, work or graduate school track, staying or transferring, and so on). This SYE course would seek to guide second year students through this make-or-break point by discussing ways to successfully navigate through this difficult time. Second to third year retention strategies will also be emphasized.
