Welcome to First and Second Year Programs
Mission
Located in the Memorial Union and a key member of the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of First and Second Year Programs works with students to maximize their academic and social potential with specific emphasis placed on the first two years. The first two years of college involve a number of transitions and require students to make some very important decisions. Our office helps students with these transitions and provides resources so students may make informed decisions in their quest for success.
Vision
Through direct programming, mentoring, and collaboration with many other UM departments the Office of First and Second Year Programs is committed to implementing the following initiatives:
Outreaching and Supporting First Year Students
There are many key opportunities to engage first-year students and enlighten them on the vast number of resources and experiences UMaine has to offer. Some of these include: orchestrating programs in the First Year Residential Experience, offering programs designed to improve student study skills (e.g., Reading the College Text, Time Management, etc.), meeting with students one-on-one who are referred and/or who are identified as needing support by family, faculty, Admissions, the CSI, etc., and coordinating the M Project, a program of peer mentors for first year students.
- Coordination of the Maine Hello, a campus-wide event.
- Develop and co-direct a comprehensive First Year Residential Experience (FYRE) program.
- Collaboration with Institutional Studies, Admissions and New Student Programs to identify indicators of UMaine high risk students (e.g., contact with new students between Orientation and Maine Hello, extension of scholarships for OPTIONS and OATS pre-semester trips, etc.).
- Outreach to students not registered for the next semester.
- Develop and maintain an online referral and early warning system for staff and faculty. Follow up with each student referred through the online system as well as referrals from faculty, staff, parents, and others.
- Collaboration with Residence Life; Community Standards, Rights and Responsibilities, New Student Programs; and other departments to reach out to students (e.g., out-of-state students during breaks and holidays, contact with transfer students, contact with first-year students between Orientation and the start of classes, etc.).
- Participation and collaboration with the CAMP program which is an alcohol intervention program collaboratively run by Campus Recreation, Alcohol and Drug Education Programs and Community Standards, Rights and Responsibilities.
- Participation and collaboration with Case Management Team on student behavioral issues, focusing on first-year students.
- Academic and Behavioral Contracts: When students return from academic suspension or are on academic probation, our office is a part of that recovery strategy. Behavioral contracts (students returning from disciplinary suspension or students on conduct-based probation) also include participation in our programming.
- Development of pre-semester trips for first-year students (and/or collaboration with OATS and OPTIONS trips).
- M-Project and first-year guides: peer mentors assigned to all first-year students.
- Web-based informational guides for students (e.g., pod casts about living on campus, registering for classes, etc.) and also providing information about planning your second year at UM.
- Administration of the College Student Inventory (CSI) to high risk students. Personal follow-up with each student via email and in person.
- Distribution of the CSI results to advisors and Academic and Student Affairs staff, including training sessions for UMaine faculty and staff about how to understand and use CSI results as requested.
Outreaching and Supporting Second Year Students
- Welcoming back second year students who live on campus with a coordinated event similar to the Maine Hello.
- Special lunches and diners with sophomores to offer more meaningful interactions with faculty and staff.
- Collaborate with the Career Center to offer a 1.0 credit seminar available for students to explore career decision making.
- Match sophomores with juniors and seniors who are in the same major or field.
- Identify second year students who may be at-risk of poor performance or may be more likely to leave college.
- Host and facilitate a retreat weekend for second year students to reflect on their experiences with a focus on planning their next two years at UMaine and looking at their future careers.
- Provide key and timely information and reminders to second year students.
- Guide and encourage students to develop and track their co-curricular activities.
- Implement a co-curricular transcript program for students.
- Promote and collaborate with the Bodwell Volunteer Center to increase the number of sophomores participating in service and service learning opportunities in the surrounding community.
- Work with international programs and departments to promote international experiences, develop new international opportunities, and create programming to engage international students with US students.
- Develop and implement financial planning and management training targeting second year students, but open to all students.
Researching and Assessing Key Aspects of Student Life
If we are going to be successful in assisting students in navigating their first two years at the University of Maine it is important to understand our current and future students. Collecting, analyzing, and communicating important data about first and second year students, and all UM students, is an important component of our operations. This information will inform our decision making about program development and various outreach interventions.
- Annual study using stratified random sample of graduate and undergraduate students to profile UMaine students, their habits, interests, what’s important to them, how they spend their time, etc.
- Topical surveys of current issues, problems, etc.
- Tracking and reporting MELMAC grant information.
- Developing and implementing an exit interview/survey process for students leaving UMaine. This process is appropriately coordinated with various UMaine departments.
- Provide student demographic and statistical information to Student Affairs and UMaine.
Stop in and see us. Our door is always open!
For more information contact:
EJ Roach
Director
ej.roach@umit.maine.edu
312 Memorial Union
Orono, ME 04469
581-1420 or 581-1429
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