First-Year Experience
Building upon what students already have accomplished through the Road to Xavier and Manresa, Xavier faculty and staff work closely with students during their first Academic Year to help them discover who they want to be, what good they want to do, and what plans they can make to realize their dreams. Students discover their potential to become people of learning and reflection, integrity and achievement, in solidarity for and with others, an overall perspective that can be summed up with the phrase, "One for All."
The First-Year Experience includes:
First-Year Seminar (FYS)
These courses (designated CORE 100 in the schedule) are designed to excite your intellectual curiosity in an intimate seminar setting. As a first-year student, you will engage in questions and problems that are both interesting and intellectually challenging. You will develop skills in critical and creative thinking, such as interpreting complex texts, employing effective library research skills, constructing an argument and supporting it with evidence, and critically assessing multiple perspectives on "the greater good." Xavier faculty who teach FYS courses are committed mentors, guiding you to think about the evolution of your vocation and your aspirations to contribute to the world. FYS integrates students into the community of scholars at Xavier and establishes a solid foundation on which your other Core Curriculum courses will build.First-year seminar course offerings
First-Year Journey Program (GOA)
GOA, Xavier's First-Year Journey Program, gets its name from Goa, India where St. Francis Xavier traveled to experience new opportunities, new cultures and new customs.
Xavier students come from all over the country and world with different backgrounds, traditions, and experiences. Through GOA, you meet new people, develop new skills, and create your own, individual plan for life aiming like St. Francis to go forth and set the world on fire.
GOA is a zero-credit course that meets six times each semester (CORE 101 in the fall and CORE 102 in the spring) and is required for graduation. In GOA, small groups of first-year students engage in discussion and hands-on activities. GOA instructors help you address two important questions:
- Who am I in this new environment?
- What do I want to accomplish at Xavier?
Road Through Xavier
For most students, college doesn't only represent new academic challenge; it represents myriad new life experience. During your first semester, the Road Through Xavier workshop series will help you discover within yourself the skills you need, and identify the resources to acquire still more. You will reflect on the importance of and means to good physical and mental health, healthy relationships and self-discipline. You will begin the lifelong process of discerning who you are and who you want to be. During the second semester, you will work with an adviser to craft a plan to get you there, with workshops on career-building, getting the most out of college, and lifelong financial literacy. These skills will ensure you reach your full potential in college and beyond.
GOA: Xavier's First-Year Journey program, a year-long endeavor which helps students successfully navigate through the unique challenges of university life.
An Introductory Theology Course, which introduces students to the discipline of Theology as well as to the distinct characteristics of Xavier's Jesuit Heritage. Students take this course during the semester when not enrolled in the First-Year Seminar.