Evolutions
"Evolutions" First Year Experience Program is a comprehensive initiative to assist first year students in their transition to and success at ESF. Research has strongly indicated that the initial experience and first months of a student’s matriculation are pivotal to overall success in college. ESF’s ?Evolutions? Program effectively facilitates and monitors the progress of freshmen students by:
- Increasing student-to-student interaction;
- Increasing faculty-to-student interaction;
- Increasing student involvement and time on campus;
- Linking the curriculum and co-curriculum; and
- Increasing expectations and levels of academic engagement.
Evolutions: ESF’s First Year Experience
ESF’s "Evolutions" Program assists new students with their transition and adjustment to ESF and, through specifically designed programs and services, works to foster the academic achievement, social integration and personal success of our students. This is accomplished through the following programmatic initiatives:
New Student Orientation
ESF provides all new students with programs designed to facilitate a successful transition to college life and further acquaint them and their families with the ESF community. Our fall Orientation program is offered the weekend prior to the start of classes. The program provides opportunities to receive academic information and advisement, learn about support services and residential living, and meet faculty, staff and other incoming students. The orientation program is required for all entering first year, transfer and graduate students.
ESF 132
ESF 132 is an orientation course for all first year students. ESF 132 is designed to introduce students to their field of study and to ease their transition to college. In addition to academic content, such relevant topics as study skills, alcohol and other drugs awareness, and diversity awareness are included.
Student-to-Student Mentors
This program links new first-year students to returning ESF students in a mentoring relationship. Student-to-Student mentors help new students adapt to the ESF community through informal interactions and by sharing their best tips for academic and personal success. Regular mentoring meetings will serve as a forum for questions, comments, tours, introductions and discussions and provide a direct connection for new students to communicate with upper class students in a comfortable environment. This mentorship program requires preparation and a semester-long commitment on the part of the upper class student mentors. 
Mentors will attend three staff meetings, participate in discussions of fist year student concerns, and write reflective pieces about their experiences. It is an expectation that all first-year students attend the mentoring meetings and to take full advantage of the Student-to-Student Mentoring program.
Learning Communities
What is the ESF college experience? It’s more than books, lectures, and living in a residence hall. Learning does not happen in a vacuum, nor do the four walls of a classroom limit it.
An ESF student’s education is defined by top-notch academic experiences and rich personal development. Residential communities are one way that an integrated focus on in- and out-of-classroom learning is achieved.
Learn more about ESF's Learning Communities HERE.
Alcohol & Other Drug Awareness
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Programming Action Plan is intended to articulate and maintain ESF expectations regarding student use of alcohol and other drugs. This plan encourages abstinence and healthy choices regarding alcohol and other drugs by creating a positive living and learning experience for students. In order to meet the goals of this plan, the College works to provide an environment that does not tolerate the illegal and harmful use of alcohol and other drugs. We do this in three ways: 1. Through our campus judicial system; 2. By providing educational programs on alcohol and other drugs as well as alternative social events; and 3. By providing academic content on the implications of alcohol and other drug use.
Community Service Projects/ Service Learning
ESF’s commitment to service is best exemplified through student participation. More than 1100 ESF students, contribute 50,000 + hours of service to the community each academic year. These hours of contributed service are facilitated through service learning courses and student organization and individual participation. First year students will be targeted for community service participation thereby creating a stronger bond with the institution and the surrounding community.
Student Organization Involvement
Research has proven that students who get involved stay enrolled. Beginning with our annual activities fair in the fall semester, first year students will be made aware of and encouraged to participate in student organizations and activities. On a regular basis, students will be informed of campus events and programs as well as student organization activities.
Insomniacs
Established in the spring of 2005, the Insomniacs look to bring healthy, safe, and fun programs and activities to the college community. Activities will occur between the hours of 10pm and 2am, when students experience most of their “free time.” Working to create an identity and campus culture for alternative programming, the Insomniacs establishes a college-wide focus on students’ healthy choices with alcohol through student driven programming.
Diversity Awareness and Training
In order to fully meet the needs of students, institutions of higher education not only must develop a variety of specialized and targeted approaches for special populations, but also promote and develop programs that educate all students about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, etc. With the support of the student-to-student mentoring program, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the continued development of educational programming on historical implications and present day awareness, students will be provided with opportunities to work toward building respect for themselves and others, thereby strengthening the community in which we all work and live.
Coming Soon