The Office of First-Year & University Programs designs, implements, and supports programs
to help students achieve academic excellence in the classroom and develop a deeper
understanding of, and commitment to, long-term academic and personal development.
We are dedicated to helping students make a successful transition from the high school
classroom to the academic world of higher education. Grounded in an asset-based approach
that helps first-year students identify and build upon their academic and co-curricular
interests, we are committed to helping students become more engaged lifelong learners
within the classroom and beyond.
First-Year & University Programs offers:
- UNIVERSITY 101 - The First-Year Seminar - Our award winning first-year seminar is a comprehensive college success course that
assists first-year students with developing skills, motivation, and self-understanding
necessary to meet the demands of our rigorous undergraduate curriculum and ever changing
world.
- UNIV Academic Recovery Program - Our innovative academic recovery courses are designed to provide students on Academic Notice with additional academic support and personal growth opportunities that focus on
fostering campus connections, hope-building, and self-efficacy.
- UNIV Personal and Professional Development Courses - We offer a range of courses students may take to deepen their academic and community
engagement with a focus on intercultural communication and civic responsibility.
These courses include second-year seminars, university-wide internships, and leadership
development.
Our Program Goals
We want first-year students to be eligible to continue their studies at Cal State
San Marcos beyond the first year, and we want them to choose to do so. To that end,
First-Year & University Programs actively maintains a wide range of campus partnerships
and collaborations. In particular, we have designed a first-year seminar course that
helps to ensure all first-year students accomplish the following:
- Develop the foundational college-level academic skills necessary to thrive in the
Cal State San Marcos undergraduate curriculum
- Understand all graduation requirements and take full advantage of campus resources
to develop an academic plan
- Develop enhanced self-understanding that leads to full commitment to a major and career
path
- Develop greater participation in the campus community and an increased sense of connection
to fellow first-year students and faculty
Office of First-Year & University Programs Promoting Academic Success for First-Year Students!
Questions? Contact us at: fyup@csusm.edu