First Year Experience
The LSUA Office of First Year Experience (FYE) empowers first-year students through transformational strategies, practical resources, and engaging workshops. We promote self-efficacy and lifelong learning by fostering critical thinking and metacognitive development—all aimed at enhancing student success in academics and campus involvement.
The Office of FYE is home to The LSUA Experience, which includes our first-year experience program and courses: LSUA 1001: Seminar for Academic Success and LSUA 3001/4001: Academic Leadership I/II. FYE also oversee New Student Orientation, Parent & Family Orientation, the Student Ambassador Program, and innovative FYE programming.
New Student Orientation
LSUA's New Student Orientation is a comprehensive full-day program designed to help incoming students transition successfully to university life. Parents, spouses, and significant others are welcome to attend a separate Parent Orientation session that runs concurrently with the student program.
LSUA Ambassadors
LSUA's Student Ambassadors are an elite group of select students that exemplify leadership, scholarship, and professionalism. The Ambassador program provides students with numerous academic and professional networking opportunities that expand their horizons and experience while at LSUA.
Peer Mentors
Peer Mentors are upperclassmen that are enrolled in LSUA 3001: Academic Leadership I. These students are selected though an application and interview process to co-teach, with a faculty member, a section of LSUA 1001: Seminar for Academic Success.
LSUA 1001: Seminar for Academic Success
LSUA 1001 is a for-credit, 3-hour elective course that is open only to freshmen and designed to connect students to campus and community through activities, service-learning opportunities, and lectures that help students become successful college students. On average, students that complete this course have higher GPAs and are more successful in their subsequent courses.
Each LSUA 1001 course has a primary professor along with a Peer Mentor. The Peer Mentors are upperclassmen who help develop course activities, attend campus events with their students, and serve as a primary resource for any questions or issues that may arise in a student’s first year.
“This was one of the best classes I took! To any future freshman…take this class”
“Overall, I truly enjoyed this course and my first semester in college. I don’t think my experience would have been as rewarding or enjoyable without the friendships and relationships I gained from LSUA 1001.”
“This course not only helped me become a better student all around, but I became a better version of myself. My first semester of college is something that I was so nervous about but I soon learned that if I just do what needs to be done and use what I was taught in class, I’ll be alright.”
“At first, this class seemed like a waste of time, but as time went on, I learned so much! I would definitely tell any future freshman to take this class seriously because they will get a lot of useful information from it. This class definitely helped me become more prepared for the upcoming semesters.”
