The focus is on early intervention. With the help of suggestions from students, faculty, and administrators, Walters and Kuh determined the biggest stumbling blocks for new students. Mathematics instruction is one area they decided to target. And there is a lot of variability from high school to high school in terms of coverage. And starting in the fall of 1998, greater reliance will be placed on math skills assessment scores in placing students in math courses.
Plans also call for expanding math tutorial services on campus.
In two live shows a week sent to the residence halls through the campus cable system, a teacher of D116 and D117 will summarize the most recent class lecture and text material for the students, who will be able to interact live via telephone or e-mail. The shows will be recorded for replay during the remainder of the week. Each FIG will consist of twenty students who have voluntarily co-enrolled, for the fall semester of their freshman year, in a set of three courses linked by a broad theme, such as environmentalism or women in literature. Peer advising augments the interaction provided by the linked courses and the group theme. In the seminar, FIG members will discuss their courses and focus topic, as well as study methods, library resources, campus resources and strategies for successfully making the transition to college.