First Year Experience

As a new Franklin student, you will join the First Year Experience, a transition program designed to help you adjust to life at Franklin University. This program introduces you to the University and supports your transition from secondary school or another institution.

The First Year Experience includes a variety of activities reflecting Franklin's liberal arts foundation and its multicultural, international academic environment. The specific components of the program vary based on your student profile (freshman, transfer student, or study abroad) and include the following:

New Student Orientation

Life at Franklin is a distinctive blend of American and European culture, and during Orientation, you will see what you need to succeed as a student while getting the most out of the experience of living in Europe. This year, Orientation activities will be held online, and we are excited to get started. 

Participation in all components of Orientation is mandatory. During Orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet other students, learn more about Franklin and what it means to live here, discuss your academic options with University advisors, and discover the services and resources that Franklin offers. Orientation information and activities are crucial to your success at Franklin.

The Undergraduate Fall Orientation will take place on campus between Tuesday, August 20, and Saturday, August 24. Throughout Orientation, students will meet other new students, get to know some of the people and resources that will be part of their Franklin experience, and register for courses. First-year students will also participate in the first sessions of their First Year Seminars. We aim to help students feel prepared and informed and give them as solid of a start as possible. Each year, our orientation program culminates in a day trip to Valle Verzasca, a beautiful part of Ticino that we visit to mark the end of orientation.

Students are greeted by staff members and student leaders who work together to help make sure you have a strong start. Three teams of student leaders make up the student side of our Orientation Team: Orientation Mentors, Academic Mentors, and Resident Assistants.

What Student Leaders do

First Year Seminars

New first-year students and transfer students with fewer than 30 credits are assigned a First Year Seminar, a three-credit, semester-long course that reflects the specific research interests of the Franklin faculty members who lead it. First-Year Seminars cultivate the fundamental critical and academic skills necessary for university success.

The instructor of your First Year Seminar will also serve as your Academic Advisor, and the seminar provides an opportunity for you and your classmates to get to know them. A student with expertise in the subject matter of your First Year Seminar is appointed by the faculty member as an Academic Mentor for the course. An Academic Mentor participates in each section of the First Year Seminar to help new students manage the opportunities and challenges of university-level coursework. 

Academic Advising

Your First-Year Seminar professor will also be your Academic Advisor, assigned to you upon your arrival when your enrollment in your First-Year Seminar is confirmed. You will be able to work with your Academic Advisor both in and out of the classroom. Your Academic Advisor helps you choose courses and develop a full educational plan compatible with your academic and life goals.

Assignments in the First Year Seminars introduce you to academic resources, such as campus libraries, information technology (IT), and the Writing and Learning Center.

Academic Mentoring

Every Franklin student enjoys the support of an Academic Mentor, a third—or fourth-year student who follows your First-Year Seminar and provides academic assistance to the class. Professor Kate Roy coordinates the Academic Mentoring program and provides students with direct support from their peers. 

Tutte le Strade

“Tutte le Strade” means “all roads” in Italian, and the name captures the spirit of this comprehensive program of activities for the campus community in the first part of the fall semester. Events range from the intellectual to the experiential and include visits to local festivals, movies, hikes, and special guest lectures. You'll experience the warmth of our tight-knit community through this program aimed at fostering intercultural and social development in the First Year Experience. The Office of Student Life manages Tutte le Strade in collaboration with staff, faculty members, and student leaders.

For more information, see our FAQ or contact us at info@fus.edu.