Policies, Procedures, and Timelines
Freshman Learning Communities
The Freshman Learning Community (FLC) program provides students with opportunities to experience a
smoother transition into the higher education community through efforts to integrate them both
academically and socially to the expectations established by the University community. At the core of
the program lies a course (GSU 1010) dedicated to assisting students in the attainment of necessary
academic skills and personal success strategies essential to integrating into the campus community.
Additionally, the course provides opportunities for the dissemination of important information related
to campus resources, as well as the support of peer mentors who encourage co-curricular engagement.
Students who participate in FLC tend to have a higher retention rate and GPA than students who elected
not to participate in a learning community.
The FLC program is composed of different sets of policies and procedures related to the following four
areas: 1) Scheduling, 2) Communication, 3) Pedagogical Support, and 4) Registration.
Scheduling
Each FLC section is composed of 5-6 courses, most, if not all, are from the Core Curriculum. Since FLC
sections now fall under one of the eight fields of interest (Business, Education, Health Sciences,
Humanities, Policy Studies, Social Sciences, Undeclared), particular focus needs to be made when
selecting courses.
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Courses are selected related to field of interest (whether because of the content of the course
or the course is recommended/required for majors in field of interest).
Courses are scheduled so as to create a balanced schedule throughout the week so as not to
overwhelm students on a particular day(s) (a few FLC sections will be scheduled in more concise
blocks with multiple back-to-back courses).
Courses with high DWF rates are not to be scheduled back-to-back.
Courses in the same area of the Core Curriculum are not to be scheduled in the same FLC.
In order to accommodate the availability of courses scheduled and student preferences, courses
are to be selected either primarily in the morning, early afternoon, or later in the afternoon.
Total credit hours of each FLC section are not to exceed 16 hours.
Whenever possible, multiple FLC sections in the same area of interest are to be scheduled in a
large section of a Core course (2-3 Business related FLC in same section of PolS 1101, for
example).
Once the schedule for each FLC has been completed and proofed for time conflicts, the following
procedures should be taken:
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The complete schedule for all FLCs is to be reviewed by advisors in the Freshman Center of the
University Advisement Center. Since advisors in the Center are assigned to specific majors, one
or two advisors will review the schedules for the FLCs in a particular field of interest.
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The reviewed schedule is then to be submitted to the college scheduler in the College of Arts
and Sciences for her to reserve seats in specific sections. This will take place no later than late
February.
If a scheduling change in an FLC needs to take place (GSU 1010 instructors need to change the
time of their sections, for example), the entire FLC block needs to be reviewed to ensure that
the change does not create a time conflict. The change needs to be submitted to the college
scheduler in Arts and Sciences and properly updated in the master list of all FLC schedules.
Communication
The Communication area has many different stakeholders and needs to be constantly managed
throughout the academic year. Whether reaching out to faculty, administration, incoming students, or
current first-year students, targeted information needs to be created and disseminated about the
benefits of the programs and the reasons why they should participate in the FLC.
Faculty and Administration
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Early spring, as the schedule for all FLCs is being finalized, individual departments are to be
contacted and made aware of the number of seats being reserved for the FLC. Along with the
notification, a brief summary of the program, its goals, and benefits need to be attached so that
departments understand the importance of these seats and their roles in the retention and
success of incoming first-year students. Particularly for departments, the benefits of FLCs should
also focus on the possible recruitment of majors.
At least twice a year, early spring and early summer, a report on the accomplishments of the FLC
program and of its students should be posted on the Success website and sent to chairs, deans,
and provosts.
Throughout summer, FLC instructors need to be encouraged to sit in on the “Academics” panel
during Incept so that they can not only talk about the role of faculty members in a university
setting, but can also meet other instructors who are teaching in the FLC program.
Starting in the summer and throughout the fall semester, communication about FLC-related
events (major selection fairs, civic engagement opportunities, co-curricular activities, etc.) needs
to be disseminated on the Success website, GSU website, and through emails. An increased
awareness of the different components of the program needs to take place so as to facilitate
recruitment and possible theme integration. The dissemination of information is also important
as it can potentially increase the number of faculty members who participate in other programs
housed under First-Year Programs (FYP), such as Early Alert/iCare, First-Year Book, and
Academic Coaching.
A purposeful outreach of all instructors who are participating in the FLC, not just GSU 1010 and
Engl 1101 instructors, needs to take place in order to increase the sense of learning community
and, possibly, the integration of the FLC theme. Opportunities for FLC instructors to interact
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with students and fellow instructors outside the confines of the classroom also need to be
created.
Towards the end of the fall semester, instructors who are teaching GSU 1010 sections should be
asked for a commitment for next fall semester. By the end of January, it should be clear which
instructors are planning on coming back for the upcoming fall semester. At the same time, a call
for GSU 1010 instructors should be sent across all colleges and departments to recruit new
instructors among the ranks of faculty members and adjuncts.
Students
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Early spring, the Success website needs to be updated to expand on the benefits of the FLC
program, as well as the outcomes students should expect from enthusiastically participating in
the FLC.
In order to better prepare students for their transition, the Success website needs to clearly
delineate expectations, present ideas to adapt and develop learning study skills, as well as
articulate the cost of not fully engaging in the FLC and in their education.
Also in early spring, First-Year Programs needs to work collaboratively with the Office of
Admissions to craft all communication sent to incoming first-year students (confirmed or not)
about all aspects of the FLC. All communication from Admissions should direct students to the
updated Success website, where students will find valuable information about FLC.
As the Office of New Student Orientation and Parent Relations is training new Inceptors in midspring, FYP needs to communicate effectively with the new recruits about the FLC program, its
goals and benefits, as well as the required aspect of the program. Inceptors need to be
knowledgeable enough about the program so that they can answer most questions
appropriately from students and parents. Inceptors also need to know members of FYP who can
answer all other pertinent questions.
Starting in spring, and continuously throughout the following fall and spring semesters,
incoming first-year students need to be made aware of all FLC-related events (major selection
fairs, civic engagement opportunities, success workshops, co-curricular activities, advisement,
etc.) and achievements related to the program. Frequent encouragements and affirmations
could also reinforce the notion that FYP and Undergraduate Studies care about the success of all
students.
Mid-fall and mid-spring semesters, once the course schedule posts to GoSolar, FLC students
need to be reminded about their course registration for the following term. Intense and
intrusive communication about holds, finances, and other possible obstacles to their registration
needs to take place. GSU 1010 instructors, Peer Mentors, email campaigns, and posters are
possible ways to reach out to FLC students.
Continuing communication with FLC students in the spring semester needs to be more of a focus
for FYP. Programs or linked courses in the spring need to be examined so that the benefits of the
FLC program last beyond the first semester.
A comprehensive calendar dedicated solely to communication (of which an incomplete draft is included
at the end of this document) will be created and shared among all members of First-Year Programs; the
calendar will also highlight who will be responsible for which measure in order to ensure that every
aspect listed above is accomplished. For the most part, the Assistant Director for First-Year Programs
will be responsible for the direct communication with the administration, instructors (current and
potential), and incoming first-year students, as well as making sure that all marketing materials have a
consistent message about the program. The Retention Coordinator and Retention Specialist will
continually update students about their progress, as well as communicate with instructors and students
about all FLC events taking place. The new Administrative Specialist will be responsible for the
assessment of the program, updating the website, and monitoring the FLC@gsu.edu email address.
Pedagogical Support
An area of growth will be the pedagogical support provided to GSU 1010 and FLC instructors. Whereas
the GSU 1010 curriculum will be consistently scrutinized to ensure that it is up to date and that students
obtain the most effective academic support, more attention needs to be directed towards the support
faculty members involved in the FLC receive. Particular emphasis will be placed on ways GSU 1010
instructors can increase the engagement of students in their learning experience as well as how they can
devise ways to integrate the field of interest within other FLC courses.
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A common syllabus for GSU 1010 needs to be designed that will be required of all new
instructors (whether graduate teaching assistants or staff members). The common syllabus will
ensure that all required modules are completed and that critical academic skills are thoroughly
covered, making for a more homogenous and comprehensive experience for all FLC students.
For the same reasons, returning instructors will be asked to submit their syllabus prior to the
start of the semester so that they can be evaluated.
A comprehensive instructor’s manual needs to be distributed to all GSU 1010 instructors. The
manual needs to not only include weekly talking points and activities, but also ideas about
possible assignments and ways to engage students in the classroom.
New instructors will be required to attend at least a day-long training session in the spring and
continuous training sessions and workshops throughout the year (sessions should last no longer
than 45 minutes once a month or so). Failure to do so will result in the instructor not being
retained for the following year or for the upcoming semester.
Returning instructors will be required to attend at least a half-day training session in the spring.
These instructors will be invited, but not required, to use the common GSU 1010 syllabus and to
attend the sessions and workshops held throughout the year.
The training sessions and workshops offered for GSU 1010 instructors need to address student
engagement in the classroom, classroom management, theme integration, communication
between FLC instructors, and using Peer Mentors effectively. Instructors will also be encouraged
to attend workshops sponsored by the Center for Instructional Innovation and the Exchange.
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The expectations for all students to participate in required modules for GSU 1010 need to be
clearly communicated to instructors, along with easy steps-by-steps directions on how to
integrate them in the classroom. Hybridizing many modules (where the majority, if not entirety,
of the material to be covered is placed online) may be a solution to increasing the buy-in from
faculty members. When hybridizing is not an option (such as Atlanta-Based Learning), the
module must be optimized in its approach and logistics.
Late summer, all FLC instructors (GSU 1010, Engl 1101, and other departments) will be invited to
attend a one-day conference on teaching undergraduate students, with an emphasis on
teaching in the FLC. The conference will talk about the FLC program, Georgia State students,
effective teaching strategies, ways to create and integrate interdisciplinary assignments, as well
as allow instructors in the same FLC to meet and talk about the goals and assignments of their
courses. The conference will be sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Studies, the Center
for Instructional Innovation, and Writing Across the Curriculum; other offices, such as the
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Learning and the Exchange, may also be added to the
program.
Late summer, the Assistant Director for First-Year Programs needs to attend as many
instructors’ training sessions as possible from as many departments as possible. Whenever
possible, the focus must turn on ways to integrating the FLC theme and on supporting the firstyear students.
Throughout the year, communication with all instructors must be continuous so as to reinforce
the notion that FYP is there to provide support and emphasize responsibility.
Registration
In order to lower the amount of manual processes related to the Freshman Learning Communities
registration, the registration process has been adapted so that students will register themselves for FLC
courses and will take control of their necessary registration adjustments (such as AP/IB credits). Doing
so will significantly lighten the workload related to FLC registration, and would allow more time for the
staff of Undergraduate Studies to communicate with students.
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As students are accepted to Georgia State, an FLC attribute will be placed on the students’
record that will allow them to register for sections that have been restricted to FLC. Students in
the Honors College, since they will be exempted from registering in an FLC, will not have the
attribute on their records.
During Incept, students with a particular interest (as determined by their majors and by the
eight fields of interest) will sit at a table with an advisor. Following a presentation about the
Core Curriculum, students will be presented with a choice of 4-5 FLC for which they can join.
Based on their choice, the students will be provided with a sheet with CRNs they must manually
enter in their PAWS account so as to be registered. In order to validate their choice, the advisor
will need to verify that the students have entered the correct CRNS before submitting their
registration.
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Prior to Incept, the process to have students opt out of the FLC needs to be designed and
communicated to advisors. Acceptable grounds to be exempted from participating in the FLC
also need to be determined.
Once students have registered for courses, a nightly automated job will be run to put an FLC
hold on the students’ record that will keep the students from changing their registration.
Also during Incept, and continually during summer, students will be informed about their
options for altering their fall registration to take into account AP/IB/joint enrollment credits,
finances, and number of hours desired (changes related to course selection will not be
accepted).
An online form will be created to make all requests more uniform, and an automated process
will be developed to inform students of the status of their requests. This form will allow FYP to
better communicate with students by creating a central location for students to submit their
requests and for FYP to lay out important information regarding registration, course equivalents,
and course credits. Only requests made through the online form will be accepted.
The process to alter schedules will still be a manual one, but the overall workload to register
students will be significantly lighter and the communication flow will be vastly improved.
For students who do not complete the online form, weekly reports will still be run to ensure that
students are not registered for courses they do not need. In these cases, members of FYP will
communicate with individual students to inform them of their options.
Timeline
Month
January
February
Events
 Outreach to FLC students regarding fall progress
 Assessment of FLC program disseminated across campus
 Acknowledgement sent to FLC instructors
 Survey sent to FLC instructors
 Course selection for each FLC
 Advisors review FLC schedule
 Communication with chairs about course selection (how many seats and
sections)
 Recruitment of instructors for GSU 1010
 Update to GSU 1010 textbook (digitization)
 Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
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Course selection for each FLC
FLC schedule sent to A&S schedulers
Communication with Admissions to send information to students about FLC
program
Recruitment of instructors for GSU 1010
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Update to GSU 1010 textbook (digitization)
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
March
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Proof of FLC schedule
Outreach to FLC students about fall registration
GSU 1010 Instructor’s Manual updated as needed
Success website updated to reflect importance and benefits of FLC program
Meeting with new Inceptors about FLC
Work on GSU 1010 modules
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
Recruitment of instructors for GSU 1010
Update to GSU 1010 textbook (digitization)
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
April
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Hiring of GTAs to teach GSU 1010*
Workshops on creating an FLC*
Hiring of FLC Ambassadors
Outreach to FLC students about fall registration
GSU 1010 Instructor’s Manual updated as needed
Meeting with Housing about theme integration in Housing activities
Work on GSU 1010 modules
Creation of online form for schedule changes
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
Recruitment of instructors for GSU 1010
Update to GSU 1010 textbook (digitization)
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
May
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Training of FLC Ambassadors*
Proofing of online form for schedule changes
Work on GSU 1010 modules
Outreach to FLC students about fall registration
Proofing of FLC attribute on students’ records
Training for FLC registration process with advisors
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
Day-long training for new GSU 1010 instructors*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
June
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Incept
FLC representation on Academics panel
Course schedule changes
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
Assessment of FLC program disseminated across campus
July
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Incept
FLC representation on Academics panel
Course schedule changes
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
FLC Teaching Conference*
Half-day training for new and returning GSU 1010 instructors*
August
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Incept
GSU 1010 instructors workshops*
Course schedule changes
Communication with incoming First-Year students about FLC
Organization and implementation of FLC-related events/activities*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
September
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GSU 1010 instructors workshops*
Organization and implementation of FLC-related events/activities*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
October
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GSU 1010 instructors workshops*
Outreach to FLC students about spring registration
Organization and implementation of FLC-related events/activities*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
November
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GSU 1010 instructors workshops*
Outreach to FLC students about spring registration
Workshops on creating an FLC*
Organization and implementation of FLC-related events/activities*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
December
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GSU 1010 instructors workshops*
Outreach to FLC students about spring registration
Organization and implementation of FLC-related events/activities*
Communication with faculty/students about FLC-related events/activities
* Indicates event when funds would be needed