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General Education

Eastern Washington University

  • About General Education
    • About General Education
    • General Education Requirements
    • First Year Experience
    • Outcomes
  • Teaching General Education
    • Course Criteria
    • Course Submission Guidelines
    • FYE Course Proposal Form
    • QSR Submission Information
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Approved General Education Courses
    • Breadth Area Courses
      • Natural Science Courses
      • Social Science Courses
      • Humanities and Arts
    • Diversity Courses
    • Global Studies Courses
  • Assessment

First Year Experience

FYE logo

What is First Year Experience?

First Year Experience (FYE) is based on a set of purposeful learning experiences that have been shown to:

  • Deepen student learning and engagement
  • Raise levels of performance, retention and success for students
  • Invoke intellectually engaging and effective educational practices

FYE courses are 5-credit, theme-based and focus on research, creative work, or service learning through complex projects.

FYE courses help introduce students to EWU success skills (see below). FYE courses also familiarize students with EWU facilities and focus on integration into the EWU community.

Learning Outcomes Expand

All FYE courses center around two of the five General Education Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Each FYE course will address one outcome from each group:

Group 1

  • Creative Thinking
  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Information Literacy

Group 2

  • Writing and Communication
  • Quantitative Literacy
Success Skills Expand

FYE faculty and Center for Academic Advising and Retention (CAAR) advisors will introduce students to EWU success skills. Success skills may include:

  • Time management
  • Decision-making
  • Goal-setting
  • Academic planning
  • Study strategies
  • and more

Each class is joined by a CAAR advisor once a week, and regular class time is devoted to a lab activity focused on one of the success skills listed above. These labs focus on skills that help students succeed not only at EWU, but in their personal and professional lives as well. CAAR Advisors are tasked with the assessment of these skills.

Example Success Skills Schedule

Breadth Areas Expand

FYEs may satisfy one of the breadth areas, for a total of 5 credits. These credits count toward the required 26 credits for breadth areas. FYE classes are optional, but strongly encouraged for all new first time freshmen.

The FYEs must fulfill equivalent GE course requirements in the applicable breadth areas. The breadth areas are:

  • Humanities & Arts
  • Social Science
  • Natural Science

FYE courses are generally offered in the Fall, and are limited to 25 students.

Current FYE Courses & Events

For a broader sense of some of the possibilities of FYE, see also some of our past course listings and events below.

Past Course Listings Expand

FYE Courses 2019-2020

FYE Courses 2018-2019

Past FYE-Exclusive Events Expand

Fall 2019 FYE Events

Above: Students in "The World You Inherit" FYE embark on a journey through the geologic time scale where 1 in = 11,000 years!

Pictured Below: FYE students help plant trees to diversify habitat and reduce invasive species at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in Fall 2019, during the annual ‘Eagle Up’ day for community engagement

Back to General Education Requirements
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