First Year Experience

Office of First Year Experience
800 N. State College Blvd., Langsdorf Hall 216
Fullerton, CA 92831
657-278-3709
fullerton.edu/ofye

Director
Minerva S. Chavez

Assistant Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs
Demetri Kelly

Student Leadership Development Coordinator
Silvia Zamudio

Administrative Assistant
Rosemarie Enriquez

Introduction

The Office of First Year Experience (OFYE) is an association for undeclared first-year students that offers a community of faculty, professional staff, peer mentors and student success fellows. The Office of First Year Experience serves as a bridge to help students successfully navigate the university culture and specifically connects students to the Titan academic and social experiences that the campus culture offers.

Through the UNIV 100 Compass Crossing course, first-year students are grounded in targeted curricular topics and programming activities that span across such topics as academic competence, identity development, leadership development, physical and mental health, stress management, and information literacy. The broad range of academic and student support resources, clubs and organizations that Cal State Fullerton offers also are presented.

Supported jointly by the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, the Office of First Year Experience connects undeclared first-year students to a community of first year-focused faculty, professional staff, peer mentors and student success fellows who serve as partners in navigating the campus and connecting students to the Titan experience, both academically and socially. Cal State Fullerton is a partner in students’ education. Students who come in undecided are fully supported in the discovery of their major trajectory. Staff in the Office of First Year Experience work in partnership with the Academic Advisement Center and colleges across the campus to help students explore and ultimately declare their majors.

UNIV 100 Compass Crossing

UNIV 100 Compass Crossing course description: “Foundations for College Success, Life-Long Learning and Self-Development” provides knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to succeed as an undergraduate student; builds a foundation for lifelong learning; and creates self-meaning in a global society. The course is designed for exploring majors with a focus on longitudinal learning, self-validation and social integration.

UNIV 100 Learning Goals:

Further their own critical self-understanding and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to engage and reflect in learning and self-development practices.
Develop strategies to be integrated physiological, socio-cultural and psychological beings to promote a holistic awareness of lifelong learning throughout their lives.
Actively apply and participate in developing a lifelong commitment to health for both personal well-being (such as physical, financial, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, socio-interpersonal and/or environment aspects) and societal responsibility.
Develop themselves as responsible citizens, employees and employers, family members, and members of global society.

In UNIV 100, undeclared first-year students make new connections with peers and develop professional relationships with professors, staff and peer mentors. OFYE also offers student success coaching, early alert intervention, community-based learning, and academic and student success programming through OFYE and through campus involvement/activities. The OFYE Lava Lounge is the home to the undeclared first-year student, provides a space to meet friends or study with access to computers and printing.

OFYE students living on campus have the option of choosing the First Year Connection in Pine Residence Hall as their themed living-learning community. Additionally, students have the advantage to participate in leadership opportunities within the student-led Freshman Student Association on campus.

Courses

First Year Experience

Courses are designated as UNIV in the class schedule.