Hello-

Welcome to week 9! Hope you are all doing well and finishing the quarter in good health. Only a few announcements this week- please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

**Dates to remember for FSEM Summer Training 2023!

All FSEM Faculty Info Session: Wednesday, August 30^th from 9:00–1:00 pm

Advising Training: Thursday, August 31^st from 8:00–12:00 pm (NEW TIME- Breakfast & check in at 8am, training begins at 8:30)

**FSEM Welcome Letters for Fall 2023 

We ask that faculty write a welcome letter to the students that register for your FSEM class. The admissions office sends them out for us in early August so all we need from you is your letter. Please check out our One Drive folder (click below) for examples and a folder to put your completed letter in. We ask that you please save it as a Word doc with the naming convention: Last Name, First Name. Letters Due by June 12^th please/thank you. 

 FSEM Welcome Letters 2023

**FSEM activities expenses due!

Final receipts into Concur for FSEM expenses by June 2^nd, 2023, please. Let me know if you cannot make this deadline. Thank You! 

Dear FSEM Instructors,

Happy week 8! As always, there are several students who have not yet been advised and cleared for spring registration, although registration opens today and we message that students should have taken care of this by the end of week 7. We’re reaching out to you to request that you make outreach to those who have not yet been cleared.

Attached is a list of all students who had their PINs remaining as of 7 am this morning (Monday 05/15). Please search for your name to see which students still have PINs remaining, if any. Feel free to use the below template to outreach to these students, or write your own.

Dear STUDENT,
I hope you are having a great quarter. As you know, registration for the Autumn Quarter opens this week. As of this morning, you have not been cleared for registration. I encourage you to schedule an advising appointment with one of your academic advisors via Inspire or visit the Office of Academic Advising during drop-in hours to receive advising and have your PIN deleted.

As always, feel free to reach out to studentsuccess@du.edu if you have any questions. Thank you for your partnership in our efforts to provide registration support to first year students!

Kind regards,

Office of Student Success  

*Please reach out to UAP directly to see the list.

5/10/23

Hello all:

Just a few announcements for you today. Please see the 3 bullet points below. Best, Monica

**FSEM Welcome Letters for Fall 2023 

We ask that faculty write a welcome letter to the students that register for your FSEM class. The admissions office sends them out for us in early August so all we need from you is your letter. Please check out our one drive folder (click below) for examples and a folder to put your completed letter in. We ask that you please save it as a Word doc with the naming convention: Last Name, First Name. Letters Due by June 12^th please/thank you. 

 FSEM Welcome Letters 2023

**FSEM activates expenses due!

Final receipts into Concur for FSEM expenses by June 2^nd, 2023, please. Let me know if you cannot make this deadline. Thank You! 

**Help Students Thrive: Take a Coach Approach!

Tuesday, June 13th – Wednesday, June 14th

9:00am – 3:30pm

Community Commons 2600 (In-person only)

Register here

This two-day interactive training provides DU faculty and staff with effective coaching strategies to help students overcome setbacks, navigate challenges, and achieve their goals. Coaching centers the student as the expert in their own life and supports the development of accountability and self-management. You will build foundational coaching skills, such as asking powerful questions to inspire self-awareness, problem-solving, and action. Flyer attached with info. 

Please register only if you will attend both days. The next session will be offered in December. Questions? 

Contact: Allison.Weihrauch@du.edu

---

5/12/23

Hello All-

Please see an announcement from our partner office working with students for scholar development & fellowship advising.  Please reach out to Lindsay for questions. Stay dry and have a lovely weekend! Best, Monica

Recommendation Letters Made Easy and Equitable

May 23 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT

Recommendation Letters Made Easy and Equitable: When and How to Write a Persuasive Letter (and when to say “no.”)

Interested in writing better letters of recommendation for your students or peers – and wondering how to do this effectively and efficiently? Join Dr. Juli Parrish, Director of the Writing Center and Teaching Professor of Writing, and Dr. Lindsay Lawton, Director of Scholar Development and Fellowship Advising, and Alison Staudinger, Director of Faculty Development and Career Advancement for a practice-based workshop on writing letters that are better and easier. We’ll also look at common ways that implicit bias can sneak into letters and harm students. We’ll also think about the workload issues related to letters and how you might navigate them as a department or individual.

Bring something to write with, digital or paper and, if you have one, a recommendation letter you have written or a prompt for one that you expect to write.

Details and registration can be found here. 

Thanks for spreading the word! 

Best,

Lindsay

Lindsay Lawton, PhD (she/her)

Director, Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising 

University of Denver | 2055 E Evans Ave., Suite 3100 | Denver, CO 80210 | USA

Hello all:

Hope your week is going well!  I am sending you an invite from UAP to stop into our Interterm Open House next week. We would love to see you there. Best, Monica

Hello DU Faculty-

I want to invite you to stop by your DU Faculty Lounge (2800 Community Commons) on May 10^th between 10-2pm to learn about teaching an undergraduate travel class in the Interterm.

We will have free lunch available starting at 11:45, the UAP office team answering logistic & operations questions, and most importantly faculty ambassadors who have led amazing classes will be there (at times noted below) to share and discuss their experiences.

Mike Kerwin & Helen Hazen – presentation @ 10:15am 

Helen Hazen & Julie Morris- presentation @ 1pm

**These faculty members facilitate engaging courses for exploring focused topics at top international destinations. They will discuss their expertise in incorporating leadership, health and the environment, physical and cultural geography, indigenous knowledge, sustainability, bio conservation, international partnerships, and service learning in their courses.

Let me know if you have any questions- hope to see you there. Best, Monica

Hi all,

Please see the attached invitation to participate in debate across the curriculum program from Darrin Hicks. If you are planning on joining us for the FSEM Town Hall today, you will hear him speak on this a bit more. See you all soon! Below you can also find the PPT presentation from the 4.28 Town Hall re: debating across the curriculum with Darrin Hicks.

Best,

Grace

Hello all, 

Reminder to register for the FSEM Town Hall on Friday please- hope to see on Zoom. Best, Monica

 Information on the FSEM Town Hall and Civic Debate on April 28^th from 12-2pm.  

Join us on Zoom for our spring FSEM professional development event! We will open with a town hall discussion/reflection on the advising approach we piloted in 2022-2023. And Senior Vice Provost Jennifer Karas will discuss budget changes impacting FSEM in 2023-2024. 

Later, Professor of Communication Darrin Hicks will discuss the Debate Across the Curriculum program, which features in-class, non-competitive debates that involve students on topics related to course content. To date, Darrin has facilitated 40 debates across campus, with nearly 1000 student participants. Following debates, participating faculty reported increased class engagement, deeper class discussion, and more critical and caring classroom interactions.

Link for registration: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0VzoioZzCFxw0Xc

Please register and we will send you the zoom link in a meeting invite. Thanks, Monica 

Hello All-

Hope your Spring Quarter is going well. I just wanted to send a save the date for an FSEM meeting that we will be having on April 28^th from 12-2pm.  I will send out the registration link next week.  Hope you can make it. Best, Monica

---

Hello all, 

2 Announcements today- please see below. Thanks, Monica

Information on the FSEM Town Hall and Civic Debate on April 28^th from 12-2pm.  

Join us on Zoom for our spring FSEM professional development event! We will open with a town hall discussion/reflection on the advising approach we piloted in 2022-2023. And Senior Vice Provost Jennifer Karas will discuss budget changes impacting FSEM in 2023-2024. 

Later, Professor of Communication Darrin Hicks will discuss the Debate Across the Curriculum program, which features in-class, non-competitive debates that involve students on topics related to course content. To date, Darrin has facilitated 40 debates across campus, with nearly 1000 student participants. Following debates, participating faculty reported increased class engagement, deeper class discussion, and more critical and caring classroom interactions.

Link for registration: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0VzoioZzCFxw0Xc

Please register and we will send you the zoom link in a meeting invite. Thanks, Monica 

**From the office of New Student Experience & Family Programs

Our spring First Ascent trips are quickly approaching – May 5-7 & May 12-14. This is the last chance for our first-year students to participate in the program at KMC. Flyer attached.

Last Chance First Year & Transfer Students: Register Today for a Free Trip to KMC!

Spring First Ascent trips are around the corner! If you are interested in participating in this experience, please register immediately on the First Ascent website. Select the trip date you would like to participate in, May 5-7 or May 12-14. The registration form will collect important information related to your housing and dietary preferences, as well as any essential medical history or accommodation requests.

Check out the First Ascent Websitefor full details including a copy of the Spring First Ascent Schedule and Packing List! Students who are registered will receive email reminders starting two weeks prior to the trip date. Register today!

New Student & Family Programs

firstascent@du.edu

303-871-7599

Hello all-

Happy Week 10!!! 

Hope everyone is well and ready for finals.  I only have 1 announcement this week and it is a flyer from CAHSS about summer classes offered to share with your students.

Best, Monica

Dear FSEM Instructors,

Happy week 9! As always, there are several students who have not yet been advised and cleared for spring registration, although registration opened last week and we message that students should have taken care of this by the end of week 7. We’re reaching out to you to request that you make outreach to those who have not yet been cleared.

Attached is a list of all students who had their PINs remaining as of 7 am this morning (Monday 02/27). Please search for your name to see which students still have PINs remaining, if any. Feel free to use the below template to outreach to these students, or write your own. (Please contact Academic Programs to see the list).

Dear STUDENT,
I hope you are having a great quarter. As you know, registration for the Spring Quarter opened last week. As of this morning, you have not been cleared for registration. I encourage you to schedule an advising appointment with one of your academic advisors via Inspire or visit the Office of Academic Advising during drop-in hours to receive advising and have your PIN deleted.

As always, feel free to reach out to studentsuccess@du.edu if you have any questions. Thank you for your partnership in our efforts to provide registration support to first-year students!

Kind regards,

Office of Student Success  

Hello all-

Hope you are staying warm today.  Just 1 announcement today please see below. Best, Monica

Dear FSEM faculty,

I wanted to share that the posting for the Director of Faculty Advising position is now live. Please consider applying, and let me or Kateri know if you have any questions about the position. 

https://careers.pageuppeople.com/885/ci/en-us/job/496034/director-of-faculty-advising

Thank you!

Kristy Firebaugh

Dear FSEM faculty, 

This is a reminder to please encourage eligible students to sign up for the Path Forward Program before the February 24 deadline. Attached to this email is a list of eligible students who have not yet registered for the Path Forward Program (as of yesterday), with a column listing FSEM faculty, so you can filter by your name to see which of your students have been invited and not yet registered. I’ve also reattached the flyer and FAQs here. If students have any questions about the program, they can contact studentsuccess@du.edu. 

Here’s a quick note that you could send or adjust as needed:

Dear STUDENT,

I hope you are having a great quarter. You should have received a reminder to join the Path Forward Program on Monday, February 6. I encourage you to enroll before the deadline on February 24 in order to connect with DU resources that will support your academic success and to receive the financial benefits and the opportunity for priority housing. Please reach out to studentsuccess@du.edu with any questions.

Thank you for your partnership in getting the word out to students about this opportunity! 

Thank you,

Kristy

*Please contact University Academic Programs for the nudge list that was originally attached to this e-mail. It includes student information so we will not post it on this site.*

Hi All-

Happy Tuesday!  3 announcements today to check out.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Best, Monica

**It is time to recruit those fabulous students to be 4D-Discoveries Orientation peer mentor leaders for next year!  The job posting is open, and a flier is attached to send to all your students. If you have any questions, please reach out to Liz Spooner in New Student and Family Programs.

**School of Art & Art History Advising day- Feb. 10^th– See flier for info and distribute to students

**Request from Associate Vice Provost for Public Good Strategy & Research

Hello FSEM Instructors,

As you may know, DU was among the inaugural higher education institutions to receive the prestigious Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement in 2007. This year, the University is pursuing re-classification. For more on the classification and application process, click here.  

The reclassification application includes a section on how community engagement is integrated into various curricular structures. In DU’s prior application, we highlighted FSEM courses with community-engaged components – and we’d like to do so again for this application!

If you taught an FSEM during AY 21-22 that included a community-engaged component, could you let us know by replying to anne.deprince@du.edu with the following information: 

·       Title of your course

·       Community partner/organization 

·       1-3 sentences about the community-engaged component of the course

Thank you! 

Best,

Anne

 _______________________________________________________________________

Anne P. DePrince, Ph.D.

Distinguished University Professor of Psychology

Associate Vice Provost, Public Good Strategy & Research

1/20/23

Dear FSEM faculty, 

The Office of Student Success is pleased to share that we are again running the Path Forward Program, which provides additional support to eligible first-time, first-year undergraduate students as they plan for their academic paths into their second year and beyond. The program pairs positive academic behaviors with financial incentives to encourage success in their academic journeys.  

Audiences for this program are those who may benefit from additional academic support to support persistence into their second year, including students who are: undeclared; on academic warning or academic probation; or received below a C, Incomplete, or withdrew in FSEM or a common curriculum course in fall 2022. 

Eligible first-time, first-year students have received invitations to the program today, and students can sign up until February 24. Attached are a flyer with program information and a link to sign up, and a list of FAQs. This year, in addition to grant and/or scholarship eligibility, one of the incentives is priority housing for the first 150 students who meet certain milestones in the program.

I’ve also attached the full list of invited students, with a column listing FSEM faculty, so you can filter by your name to see which of your students have been invited. You’ll be able to see eligible students’ invitations to join Path Forward in the notes in their Inspire student record. — *Please message UAP directly for access to this list at uap@du.edu.*

I would be grateful if you could encourage your students to sign up. Here’s a quick note that you could send or adjust as needed:

Dear STUDENT,

You should have received an invitation on Friday, January 20^th to join the Path Forward Program. I encourage you to enroll – in addition to financial benefits and the opportunity for priority housing, the program helps connect you to many resources at DU that will support your academic success. Please reach out to studentsuccess@du.edu with any questions. I hope you’re having a great quarter so far.

Please let me know what questions you may have about the program, and thank you for encouraging students to enroll and benefit from additional academic and financial support!

Best wishes, 

Kristy 

Kristy Firebaugh, PhD

Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success

Mary Reed 302A

303.871.3795  |  Kristy.Firebaugh@du.edu

---

1/24/23

Hello all-

Wanted to send out several announcements today. If you attended the January professional development session on 1/13 and/or completed the faculty FSEM survey, you will receive your payments in your Feb 1 paycheck. Please be on the lookout. Hope you are all having a great week. Best, Monica

**Here is the link to the resources from the 1/13 professional development on mentoring. It was too large to send so Grace has pulled together all the info wonderful information from the panelist and put it in the FSEM resource page. Please check out the link below.

Mentorship

**Announcing Undergraduate Teaching Diversity Award!***

The Warren and Judy Self Awards for Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusivity in Undergraduate Teaching 

Thanks to a generous gift from the Hatherly family, the University Writing Program is offering two Warren and Judy Self Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusivity in Undergraduate Teaching Awards. These awards are designed to recognize faculty (tenure, tenure track, and/or teaching and professional faculty) who have demonstrated excellence in creating diverse, accessible, and inclusive undergraduate classrooms through course content and materials, writing assignments, and pedagogical practices. 

There are two Warren and Judy Self Awards for Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusivity in Undergraduate Teaching. One award will recognize a faculty member within the University Writing Program. Another award will recognize a DU faculty member outside of the Writing Program who teaches undergraduate courses. Recipients will be awarded $2500.00 and will be featured in the University Writing Program and Office of Teaching and Learning publications.  

To be considered for the award, faculty must be nominated by their department chair/head or program director. Nominees will then be asked to create a packet that demonstrates how their teaching, pedagogical practices, and writing assignments embrace diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity. Evidence of such practices should be presented from multiple perspectives — the nominees’ perspective, observations or letters by other DU faculty, and information from students.  

The department chair/head or program director should notify the nominees of their nomination, and nominees should upload their packets to the following Qualtrics link: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3fynCQVzlEvwTjg

The deadline for nominee submission is February 26, 2023. Only completed packets will be considered. Award recipients will be announced in April 2023.  

In their packet, nominees should include the following materials:

1. A 250–300-word cover letter with a narrative that explains the packet’s contents.

2. A letter of support from a DU faculty member.

3. Materials that exemplify diverse, accessible, and inclusive teaching practices. Nominees may include brief annotations that supplement the cover letter and explain how and why the teaching materials fit the award.

4.  Any student feedback/comments/letters that support the nomination.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of DU faculty and administrators.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of DU faculty and administrators. Please direct any questions to Sheila Carter-Tod (sheila.carter-tod@du.edu), Executive Director of the University Writing Program, or Richard Colby (richard.colby@du.edu), Director of First-Year Writing, University Writing Program.

Monica Kosanovich, PhD

Associate Director, Academic Programs

Mary Reed Building

Denver, CO 80208

Monica.Kosanovich@du.edu

We have compiled resources from the1/13/23 FSEM Training on Mentorship. Please feel free to use them as you see fit to assist your students. You can access them at the top of this page: https://dufsem.com/mentorship/. Please let us know if you have any questions or cannot access the materials on the listed site.

Best,

University Academic Programs

Office of the Provost
303-871-2804 | uap@du.edu

1/13/23

Hello all-

So nice to see so many of you at the FSEM professional development session on mentoring today. Hope you enjoyed it! We have one announcement that came from the Faculty Affairs group- please see below. Have a lovely long weekend all! Thanks, Monica

**Looking for a way to “warm up” before the Provost Conference on Thursday, February 2, and Friday, February 3? Join us for three think-and-drink events in January—bite-sized engagements led by faculty and staff facilitators. And don’t forget to register for the Provost Conference!

Think & Drink: How to Learn from Your Students

Wednesday, January 18, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. 

Hyflex – Join us online via Zoom or in the OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)

Facilitated by Dr. Kayoung Kim, Director of Scholarship of Teaching & Learning and Faculty Learning Communities

Effective classroom learning is multidirectional, where students are actively engaged partners in the learning process. What can we learn from our students about effective teaching and learning? How do we facilitate meaningful connections between classroom learning and the outside world? Join your colleagues in thoughtful conversations around teaching, learning, and beyond.

---

1/17/23

I am sharing with FSEM faculty the WRIT course descriptions and advising info for the Spring term. Feel free to forward this to your FSEM students or share it if advising them this term. Most first-year students will take WRIT 1133 in the Spring term, and we offer a wide selection of topics to choose from.

If you have any questions (or if students have questions), please send them to me.

Richard

Richard Colby, Ph.D.

Teaching Professor

Director of First-year Writing

University of Denver

Anderson Academic Commons 282A

richard.colby@du.edu 303.871.7702

---

1/18/23

Happy snowy Wednesday!

2 Announcements today- Please stay warm! Best, Monica

**Please see the flyer below for Winter Workshops on faculty support for teaching writing. All are invited!

**Please send the below flyer to all your FSEM students:

Full details related to the First Ascent trips for Winter 2023 and Spring 2023 can be found at https://studentaffairs.du.edu/orientation/first-ascent. Additional questions can be directed to firstascent@du.edu.

Thank you for your support in encouraging student participation.

Amber

Amber L. Cardamone | She, Her, Hers  

Executive Director

New Student Experience & Family Programs

https://studentaffairs.du.edu/new-student-family

Hello FSEM faculty-

Hope all is going well. Please see the message below and the attachments about a new 2^nd year LLC opportunity to help get the word out. Lastly, fall 2023 FSEM proposals are due this Friday. Take care- Best, Monica

**Fall FSEM 2023 proposals due date has been extended by 1 week and are now due by January 13^th.  The link to apply is below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Hope you are all going to be teaching for us again next fall. 

Qualtrics link to apply:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuSyxQQI5fbkVbU

**Dear FSEM Faculty, 

My name is Betty Hamilton, and I am the Assistant Director of the Living and Learning Communities here at DU. I wanted to let you know that we’re piloting new second-year Living and Learning Communities in AY 23-24 around two themes: 1) Social Change and 2) Health Promotion. Since you are the director of the first-year seminar program, I wanted to let you know about the opportunity and see if it would be possible to share with FSEM instructors as they continue to advise our rising second-year students. If so, flyers are attached. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to let me or my colleague Anne DePrince (copied here) know.

Sincerely,

Betty Hamilton

Assistant Director, Living and Learning Communities

PHONE: (303) 871-2464 | WEB: LLCs

Pronouns: they/them/theirs What’s this?

In the spirit of healing, I acknowledge and honor the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, and all of the original Indigenous peoples of the land upon which the University of Denver stands. Whose land are you on? 

Hello-

Happy New Year and I hope everyone had a lovely Winter Break! Just 3 things for your attention this week. Have a great Winter Quarter and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

**FSEM Faculty 2022 Survey! Please complete this by January 10^th and you will receive $150 in your Feb 1 paycheck. Thank you! Link to FSEM Faculty survey:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kMaKh7jiExzNiu

**In order to provide guidance on our relatively new roles as primarily mentors in Winter and Spring Quarters, our Winter Quarter professional development will be a mentorship panel. This will be held Friday, January 13, 2023 from 12-2 pm in Sturm 151. Please RSVP here. Lunch will be served, and those who attend will be paid $150 for their time.

**Lastly, the RFP call for Fall FSEM 2023 proposals due date has been extended by 1 week and due by January 13^th.  The RFP is attached and the link to apply is below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Hope you are all going to be teaching for us again next fall.

Qualtrics link to apply:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuSyxQQI5fbkVbU

Save the Date/More on FSEM mentorship in Win/Spr 2023

FSEM instructors,

Thank you all for your flexibility and feedback on the changes to FSEM advising this autumn quarter. As a reminder, you will continue to serve as part of FSEM students’ “core constellation” of mentors/advisors for the rest of the year. For some of you, you will continue to provide advising at the level of feedback on course selection and PIN deletion. For others, you might shift into a broader mentor role without advising.

We expect that all FSEM faculty will do the following during BOTH Winter and Spring Quarters:

• Communicate with FSEM students about how to get advising and mentorship for the rest of their first year
• Offer a quarterly meeting (group or individual), which can occur at ANY time during the term
• Ascertain whether each student is connected to a DU faculty or staff member who can support their academic experience moving forward
• Communicate how advising will transition into the second year (laying groundwork in Winter, encouraging connections at Spring Quarter events meant to welcome students into their majors – more on these later)

For the third bullet above (ascertain whether the student has made a connection), this faculty or staff member could be you, a professor in another course, a faculty advisor for their major, an academic or LEP advisor, a residence director, or anyone else they have made a personal connection with. If students do not volunteer this information, we encourage you to ask directly, “Have you found someone who works at DU that you’ve made an ongoing connection with? If you haven’t, let’s see how we can get you connected.”

In order to provide guidance on our relatively new roles as primarily mentors in Winter and Spring Quarters, our Winter Quarter professional development will be a mentorship panel. This will be held Friday, January 13, 2023, from 12-2 pm in Sturm 151. Please RSVP here. Lunch will be served, and those who attend will be paid $150 for their time.

If you cannot attend this event, see attached and below for some quick hints on FSEM mentorship in Winter and Spring Quarters. For those of you who also prefer to continue doing academic advising, please review the first-year advising outcomes for Winter and Spring Quarters (attached and below). As a reminder, mentorship meetings can happen at any time during the quarter.

Kateri 😊

Suggestions for group activities:

• Class reunion pizza party
• Meal near campus (Snarf’s, Illegal Pete’s, and Tacos el Metate are all popular). 
• Ice skating at the Richie Center (reservations required)
• Ice cream truck party 
• Movie party (Reserve a classroom with a large screen and show a movie related to your class, or not. Bring fun snacks!)

Suggestions for individual meetings:

• Post appointments in Inspire (we suggest you make some of these available even if you employ other ideas)
• Block of an afternoon when you have time and invite students to drop by as individuals or in groups; consider holding these meetings in the Community Commons or somewhere the students frequent 
• Send more than one invitation/reminder to students, and consider asking your 4D peer leader to remind the class in raftr

Suggested mentorship conversation prompts:

• How is your major/major exploration going? 
  • Have you taken any risks in your major/minor exploration?
  • What has been unexpectedly interesting or underwhelming in your classes?
  • Based on what you were surprised by, is there a topic or question you want to more deeply explore?
• What connections have you noticed between the various things you’re drawn to (courses of different types, out-of-the classroom learning experiences)?
  • Have you noticed themes in terms of skills, interests, and values that cut across multiple aspects of your time at DU?
  • What kinds of things are emerging as important to you?
• Are there any resources on campus that are helping you engage in self-care? Can I help you find resources that might help with that?
  • Are there any experiences in which you find yourself being completely absorbed? Can you make more space for those?
  • How is your constellation of support (advisors, mentors, staff, RAs, peers) helping support your well-being?
• Have you identified any long-term goals? 
  • If yes:
    • Is there a single, actionable next step you could take to be on the path to your long-term goals? What short-term goals will move you toward them?
    • Have you started to think about career options? Have you connected with anyone in career and professional development?
  • If not quite yet (that’s OK! It’s quarter #2):
    • How are you thinking and feeling about exploring to discover potential goals? 
    • Would you be interested in working with someone to explore your interests or see if any long-term goals spark your curiosity?

Winter Spring 2023 Advising Learning Outcomes

Winter 2023 – focusing on 2,3,4,6 

At the end of the first year-

1. Students will understand the value of the Common Curriculum and display the ability to select courses that satisfy core requirements.

2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of degree program requirements and the ability to select courses each quarter toward degree progress.

3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of DU’s academic policies and procedures and how these policies and procedures impact their educational progress.

4. Students will effectively utilize technological resources to assist in degree planning and course registration.

5. Students will select majors based on their interests, abilities, and career goals.

6. Students will be able to identify campus resources and services that can be used to assist them in achieving their academic, personal, and career goals.

7. Students will understand the importance of co-curricular programs for supporting and promoting their educational and life goals.

— 
Kateri McRae, Ph.D., she/her
Professor, Department of Psychology  

Director of Faculty Advising  

Co-host of The Actor’s Mind podcast  

Make an individual advising appointment   

The University of Denver on Cheyenne and Arapahoe land
Frontier Hall, 2155 S. Race St
Denver, CO 80208 
(tel) 303-871-3632
(fax) 303-871-4747  

12/13/22

Dear FSEM faculty,

If you haven’t sent your FSEM students a note already, please consider sending one this week.  We’ve drafted a few different ones that you can adopt or adapt to suit.  Attached to this email you’ll find a list of FSEM students with names, emails, current GPA, and winter registration status. Please find your students by filtering for your name.   

Thanks,

Jennifer, Kateri, and Kristy

…

High Achieving

Hi (NAME),
As I was reviewing grades this morning, I was thrilled to find that your determination and hard work paid off – Congratulations on your outstanding academic performance! I hope you can celebrate your successes over the winter break, get rest and renew your energy as you prepare for your second quarter.

I look forward to seeing you during Winter Quarter, when I will continue to be a faculty mentor for you!

xxxx

Middle of the pack

Hi (NAME).,

 As I was reviewing grades for the fall quarter, I was happy to see that your determination and hard work paid off – Congratulations on successfully completing your first quarter at DU!  I hope you can celebrate your successes over winter break, get rest, and renew your energy as you prepare for you second quarter.

 I look forward to seeing you during Winter Quarter, when I will continue to be a faculty mentor for you!

xxxx

Under a 2.3

Hi (NAME).

As I was reviewing grades for the quarter, I was concerned to see that you struggled last term.  I hope that over break you can rest and renew your energy as you prepare for your quarter.  I look forward to a conversation with you to understand how the University can better support your academic success in the future — as we discussed in class, there are many resources that can help support you, and I’m happy to help you find the ones that are the best fit.  Many students are able to recover from a rough quarter or two, and the ones who are most likely to succeed are the ones who stay engaged and in touch. Please let me know how I can help!

I look forward to seeing you during Winter Quarter, when I will continue to be a faculty mentor for you!

xx.x.x.x

If not registered for winter 2023, could add the line below:

I noticed that you’re not yet registered for winter quarter. Is there anything I can do to help make that happen? Let me know what might be preventing you from registering so I can help point you in the right direction.

---

12/14/22

Hello all- 

Hope you are having a good Winter Interterm break.  

We have the FSEM Faculty Survey for you to fill out to let us know about your experience teaching in the FSEM this fall. Please complete this by January 10^th and you will receive $150 in your Feb 1 paycheck. Thank you! 

Link to FSEM Faculty survey:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kMaKh7jiExzNiu

Also, the RFP call for Fall FSEM 2023 proposals is attached and the link to apply is below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Hope you are all going to be teaching for us again next fall.  Best, Monica

Qualtrics link to apply:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuSyxQQI5fbkVbU

Hello All-

Happy Finals!! I hope you are all hanging in there and finishing up the Quarter so that you can enjoy some time off at the end of the week. The RFP call for Fall FSEM 2023 proposals is attached and the link to apply is below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

Qualtrics link to apply:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuSyxQQI5fbkVbU

Hello-

Just as you are nearing the finish line for the quarter, I wanted to make sure you have the RFP for teaching FSEM in the Fall of 2023 (it is attached).  Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks, Monica & Grace

Qualtrics link to apply:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuSyxQQI5fbkVbU

11/4/22: Please share your feedback on advising your FSEM students this quarter!

Dear FSEM faculty,

As we near the end of fall quarter, Student Success and the Office of Academic Advising would love your feedback on your experience of advising your FSEM students this quarter. As we’re in the first year of implementing the new first-year advising model, your input is critical to making sure we are collectively providing excellent advising experiences for our first-year students.

The survey has three questions and should take just a couple of minutes to complete. Please share your feedback by Friday, November 18.

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5onwcMQIMwsF7M2

Thank you in advance!

Best wishes,

Kristy Firebaugh and Tonnett Luedtke

---

11/8/22: FSEM Info & Announcements

Hello-

Hope everyone is hanging in there. Only one announcement this week- see below. Best, Monica

Message from New Student & Family Programs:

New Student and Family Programs thanks you for your hard work with our students during their first quarter. We are appreciative of your role in student transition through Discoveries, supporting their registration to participate in First Ascent, and all else you do both inside and outside of the classroom. We hope that you have had a wonderful time getting to know your students as well as the 4Discoveries Leader that supported your class. 

As the quarter wraps up, we are beginning to think about the next quarter, and even next year. With this, we turn to you for your support in recruitment of students both for future First Ascent Trips as well as to join our 4Discoveries Leader team, as well as feedback on our fall programming. 

First Ascent: 

For any of your students who did not join us for our fall First Ascent trips, there is still an opportunity for them to attend. If you have a student that is interested, please encourage them to visit our website to sign up for the spring trips. Additionally, we’ve built a new email specifically for all First Ascent inquiries. See contact information below. 

Website: https://studentaffairs.du.edu/orientation/first-ascent

Email: firstascent@du.edu

4Discoveries Leader Nominations:

As I previously shared, this winter and spring, we look forward to turning our attention to recruitment of new 4Discoveries Leaders. While we do not have the job posted yet, we are hoping to begin to gather names of students that you believe would be great leaders for our incoming students. By way of the below survey, we aspire to generate personalized emails for each recommended student, using quotes from your submission encouraging them to apply to be a Discoveries Orientation Leader. As you write, please keep in mind that the verbiage shared should be something you would feel comfortable with the mentioned student reading: 

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_enEyliEDh63EiB8

We always encourage you share with the student that you are nominating them. While we will send out a nomination to the student alerting them of their nomination – it always means more coming directly from you! 

Discoveries Feedback

We look forward to hearing more direct feedback about your experience with the 4Discoveries Leaders, First Ascent planning and future collaborations and support of our new students. Please be sure to provide us your thoughts and insights in the end of quarter FSEM Faculty survey distributed in the coming weeks.

Again, thank you so much for your support of our first year students! 

10/31/22

Dear FSEM Instructors,

Due to technical difficulties, an attachment was not included on an email sent earlier today regarding the remaining registration PINs. Please see the original email below and the file attached to this email:

Happy week 8! As always, there are several students who have not yet been advised and cleared for registration, although we message that students should have taken care of this by the end of last week. We’re reaching out to you to ask you to leverage your potential in-person interaction with your student in class this week to make outreach to those who have not yet been cleared.

Attached is a list of all students who had their PINs remaining as of 7 am this morning (Monday 10/31). Please search for your name to see which students still have PINs remaining. If you are able to approach any students in your class personally before or after class and remind them of the importance of being cleared for registration before their registration time comes, that would be great. You can remind them that the Office of Academic Advising has drop-in availability all week long (see here for exact hours and link for Zoom drop-ins).

I apologize for the serial emails. As always, let us know if you have any questions about advising or need to consult on how to best advise a particular student.

Best regards,

Allyson Mackender (she/her)

Student Success Coordinator

University of Denver

2199 S. University Blvd.

---

11/1/22

Hello all-

Hope the end of the quarter is going well for you. Please see the attached info from Anne Penner about a great event happening on campus. Please pass this along to your students. Best, Monica

Dear FSEM Colleagues,

I have had the honor of directing 15 student actors at DU in a production of Sophocles’ Antigone. This ancient Greek play, which Sophocles wrote for the Festival of Dionysus in 441 BC, has held a particular power over me the past few months. It has been performed thousands of times, in dozens of countries and languages over the past 2,500 years. It remains startlingly relevant, as it tells the story of an individual—Antigone, a very young woman—pushing back against the rule of law. How many of us have, at least once in our life, chosen to disobey the law because it disagreed with our innate sense of moral justice? How many of us have witnessed excessively proud leaders refuse to listen and take the good advice of their colleagues and citizens?

Here’s a short plot summary:

Ancient Thebes survived a civil war but at a terrible cost. The sons of Oedipus—Eteocles and Polyneices—fought each other for the throne and ultimately killed each other. Their uncle, Creon, has declared himself king and ordered that the body of Polyneices, whom he regards as a traitor, be left unburied outside the city walls. Anyone who defies Creon’s orders will be put to death. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, is outraged by the decree’s cruelty and believes it insults the gods as well as the memory of her brother. She resolves to bury her brother’s body, even if it means she will die. Sophocles’ Antigone dramatizes the moral struggles and civil disobedience following war. Originally performed in Ancient Athens during a time of rising national pride, the play exposes the dangers of a leader clouded by their own hubris and praises the devotion of one woman’s fight for justice.

The play will be performed in the Byron Theater, located in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the DU campus, at the following times:

Thursday, November 3 @ 7:30pm

Friday, November 4 @ 7:30pm

You can purchase tickets here.

Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission

Appropriate for ages 12+

Director:                                  Anne Penner

Scenic Designer:                     Brian Mallgrave

Costume Designer:                 Janice Benning Lacek

Lighting Designer:                   Shannon McKinney

Sound Designer:                     Almeda Beynon

Technical Director:                  Steven McDonald

Stage Manager:                      Adara Baltazar

Assistant Stage Manager:      Annie Mulvihill

Movement Choreographers:  Diana Dresser + Anne Penner

Movement Captain:                Kate Hebert

Fight Choreographer:             Dale Girard

Translator:                              Don Taylor

 Cast:

Cooper Atchison, Jenna Clements, Hannah Girgis, Sam Werkema, Ryan Thomas, Erin Kubat, Haley Barth, Mo Fine, Libby Williamson, Andrew Sawyer, Ruby Gregerson, Kate Hebert, David Keenan, Kolbe Maksym, and Donovan Cates

Monica Kosanovich, PhD

Associate Director, Academic Programs

Mary Reed Building

Denver, CO 80208

Monica.Kosanovich@du.edu

(office) 303.871-2448

(website) http://www.du.edu/uap/

Pronouns: she/her/Dr.

Hi all,

It looks like the bookstore sent an email by mistake. We only have one FSEM faculty teaching in the Winter, and she is all set already. Please disregard that e-mail.

Best,

Grace

Hello-all-

Only a few announcements today. Bs Well! Best, Monica

*The Writing Center has sent over some course descriptions for your advising sessions for their WRIT 1122 & WRIT 1133 classes in Winter 2023. See below :

**Wanted to let you know that we will be moving up the deadline for the FSEM class proposals to teach in the FSEM for Fall 2023.  The proposals will now be due in early January to align with the registrar course creation process.  Be on the lookout for the RFP next week.

Hello all-

Admissions has just let me know that we have students starting at DU in the Winter Quarter and they wondered if we could offer an FSEM section. I am currently looking to see if there is any interest for someone to teach their FSEM again in the Winter quarter. Right now, we are looking for 1 class and you could select the day/time that works best for you. We will pay the standard overload rate for the class. This email is just to gauge interest so please respond back and let me know if this is something you would consider. Best, Monica

Winter 2023 WRIT Course Descriptions

OAA has this information, but I wanted to make sure FSEMers had this document as well. Feel free to share with students in your classes or in advising as they consider their Winter schedules.

The majority of students will take WRIT 1122 in the Winter, and the Writing Program offers a variety of different options and themes for students to consider.

As always, if you or your students have questions, email me (richard.colby@du.edu)

Richard

---

Hello all- Please see the 2 announcements below. Best, Monica

*Hello FSEM faculty,

I hope the fall quarter is going well for you so far! As we approach the middle of the quarter, I wanted to send along another reminder about the faculty alerts system. When a student struggles in FSEM, this is often a strong indicator that the student may benefit from additional support to succeed in college. To that end, we ask that if you have a student who may be at risk of not passing your FSEM course at any point in the quarter, please submit an alert. (More details were sent to all faculty on Monday.)

Thank you for your partnership in supporting your students in this way!

Best wishes,

Kristy Firebaugh

**You are Invited: Celebrating Teacher Scholars: An Evening with Provost Mary Clark and Professor of Law Roberto Corrada

Being a teacher and a scholar are not mutually exclusive, rather, these identities complement one another.  When we cultivate a teaching practice informed by research and the available teaching literature in our field, we are engaging in scholarly teaching. At DU, the teacher-scholar model has been described as the heart of our identity. While being a teacher-scholar blends research, theory, and practice, some faculty go beyond classroom applications and empirically examine their teaching practice. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a systematic inquiry into changes to teaching practice, the resultant outcomes for students, and the publication of the findings. 

Join us Tuesday, October 18 at 5:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge, CCOMS 2800, for an evening with Provost Clark and Roberto Corrada, Mulligan Burleson Chair in Modern Learning and Professor of Law at Sturm College of Law. Corrada will share his journey through developing innovative approaches to teaching challenges and how he parlayed his creative solutions into scholarship. Please register here to attend: http://otl-events.du.edu/public/registration/6332

Hi all-

Just a few things today. Hope your quarter is going great. Best, Monica

*Please remember to get your Destinations trip receipts/reimbursements into Concur for September close of month- thank you! 

** The School of Art & Art History is holding our open house in-person Advising Day on Friday, Oct 21. Please share the attached flyer with your students.

***Remember to RSVP for the FSEM faculty reception on Oct. 10^th.

Hello all-

We have been informed by the shared services about the Travel & Expense Concur processing change and unfortunately, they will no longer allow Grace and I do a reimbursement for you in Banner. They require you to enter everything in Concur. The link to the website is below to help you-

https://www.du.edu/sharedservices/employees/paying-goods-and-services

I have attached the directions to charge your Destinations trip expenses to our org and the org info is below. I do approve every purchase so please make sure your FSEM class expenses are broken out correctly if you have more than one expense listed.  Best, Monica

· Division: 1253 University Academic Programs

· Org/Department: 328262 Destinations

Lastly- here are the directions from Shared Services to sign up for Concur training if you feel you need that:

If you navigate to Pioneer@Work under Employee Tools via my.du.edu/dashboard and select “View Training Calendar”, you can select the relevant training you would like to register for.

FSEM Info- please distribute ASAP

Good morning-

Please get this information out to your FSEM classes ASAP. You may want to consider printing it and handing it out.  Many of our first years do not know how to get tested on campus.  Thanks for your help. Best, Monica

---

First Ascent FSEM Faculty Guide

Hello FSEM Faculty,

We hope that your first week of classes went well. I am emailing to pass along our First Ascent FSEM Faculty Guide that will hopefully support questions regarding the First Ascent trip.

Here is also a gallery of photos from our trip last weekend to provide a visual of KMC and programming. First Ascent Weekend September 16th-18th

Please review the document attached or the information copied below (both the same material) and reach out with any questions. Amber, Matt, and I (Liz) are all continuing to support on mountain programming throughout the fall, limiting our time on campus, but will work to support any questions that come up for you and your students alike.

Thanks for all your support with this program.

First Ascent FSEM Faculty Guide

Resources

First Ascent Website: https://studentaffairs.du.edu/orientation/first-ascent

• FSEM Assignments
• Schedule Overview
• Packing List
• Mountain Campus Map

What is First Ascent?

During the 2021-2022 academic year, the University of Denver acquired the Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC). This upcoming year, we are excited to begin to build a new DU tradition, First Ascent! First Ascent is an experience that is personalized to our first-year students, allowing them to embark on self-reflection, connect with their peers through team building as well as exploring the breathtaking Kennedy Mountain Campus and the outdoors. 4Discoveries Orientation Leaders will accompany their classes on a 2-night weekend getaway that will be transformational in their time at DU.

The weekend at KMC will provide students with new immersive 4D opportunities for exploration, challenge, and connection. A variety of activities ranging from wilderness hikes, rock climbing, and challenge courses to personal and leadership development workshops will be offered. It will be a great opportunity to make new friends, challenge oneself by participating in outdoor recreational activities, relax, and simply enjoy the beauty of nature.

FSEM First Ascent Date Assignments

There will be seven (7) weekends in fall quarter and two (2) weekends in spring quarter. The spring dates are back up options for students unable to participate in the fall quarter or later decide that they would like to participate. Please see the FSEM Assignments document for these details.

Fall Quarter Dates

• September 9-11 (transfer/exchange)
• September 16-18    
• September 23-25 
• September 30-Oct. 2 
• October 7-9  
• October 14-16    
• October 21-23   

Spring Quarter Dates

• May 5-7 
• May 12-14

Unfortunately, we cannot modify the currently assigned date for the entire FSEM class at this time due to logistical coordination and communication that has already occurred. In the future we will work to support the coordination of FSEM faculty in this experience as well as debrief the overall experience for this academic year. We apologize for any challenges and conflicts that have occurred up to this point. We recognize that this year is not perfect, but we are working to provide the best experience for students and faculty as we can given the current logistical coordination and maintenance needed at the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC).

Student Participation, Date Change Requests & Exemptions

Please remind your students that they must complete the First Ascent Participation & Exemption Form even though they have been assigned a weekend based on their FSEM course. This form allows us to collect critical data related to allergies, dietary preferences/needs, ADA accommodations, gender identity for housing accommodations and preferences as well as data on why students are not able to participate or do not want to participate. It also allows students to change their assigned weekend.

All students must complete this form immediately. Students who do not complete the form at least 2 weeks prior to their weekend may not be guaranteed the housing, ADA and dietary accommodations they need due to the necessary lead time in coordinating these components. If students are unsure if they completed the form or need to modify their submission, they can resubmit and we will utilize their most recent submission.

Students can change their weekend experience when they complete the participation form. We are finding that for a multitude of reasons, students need to modify their experience date to accommodate their respective schedule. This is not a problem, but we must know immediately to include them in the correct weekend experience.

Faculty Expectations

• Faculty are welcome to join their students on their First Ascent Experience with their FSEM class but are not required. We will have a full team of professional staff members including 4Discoveries Orientation Leaders supporting this experience. Please see the First Ascent Schedule Overview for those details. Note: Due to feedback of class conflicts, jobs/work, and other commitments we have recently moved the departure time of the trip back to 4pm to accommodate student schedules and participation.
• The role of the faculty participation during this program will be limited due to the experience capacities we have in place at this time at the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC).
  • Due to limited housing capacity and the priority to house students, faculty are encouraged to join students on Saturdays of the experience. Given the volume of our incoming class, we only have enough space for students. If faculty are requesting to stay overnight and/or travel on the bus, please indicate this in the FSEM Participation Form. We will work to accommodate requests on a case-by-case basis but cannot guarantee travel or housing for faculty.
  • For liability and risk management purposes, only faculty can join their students during First Ascent. We are unable to accommodate spouses, partners, children, or pets at this time. No pets are allowed at KMC.
  • Faculty will not be guaranteed participation in the outdoor adventure activities of the First Ascent experience given the program capacities to prioritize student participation. These activities include Challenge Course, Cliff Lake Hike & Climb and Guided Hikes
  • We encourage faculty participants to engage with their students during the other various components of the experience which include The 4D Experience Lab, Arts & Crafts, Free Time, Meditation & Reflection, and Choose Your Own Adventure @ the Activities Center.

FSEM Faculty Participation Form

If you are planning to join your students for their First Ascent experience, we ask participating faculty to complete this FSEM Faculty Participation Form so that we can gather some essential information and prepare accordingly to provide you with appropriate details for preparation, reminders, travel in addition to ensuring proper dietary and housing accommodations should those be needed.

Hello all-

Hope everyone had great Destinations trips last Friday and your quarter is off to an awesome start.  I have several announcements listed below so please check out all the highlighted areas.  Concur has had some updates so if you have not been in the system recently, they are having a session for training that you can attend. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

Concur Info

If you have trouble with our Concur website for Pioneer Travel and Expense, you may want to attend the upcoming training session

Wed Sep 14 at 10am via Zoom.

Theater Department Announcement

Dear FSEM Faculty

Good morning. My name is Anne Penner, I teach in the Theatre Department, and I also teach an FSEM. DU Theatre is holding Fall quarter auditions this coming Wednesday evening. If you can, please email the info below to your FSEM students. There are tons of high school theater students at DU who aren’t Theatre majors, and we’d love to get them involved as actors and in other capacities. If your students have any questions about these auditions or getting involved in other ways (Theatre classes, working backstage crew for a show, working in the scene and costume shops, etc.) please encourage them to email me: Anne.Penner@du.edu.

Thanks.

Anne

Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Request

Hello FSEM professors,

I hope the Fall quarter is off to a good start for everyone! As the incoming Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) Director, I would like to introduce myself (virtually) to all of you. I am Dr. Reggie Byron and in addition to my role as CRES Director I am also a tenured professor in the Sociology and Criminology department here at DU. 

I am writing with a request. If there is any time within the next couple of weeks that I could stop by your FSEM class to give a three-minute advertisement about the CRES minor (and soon to be major), I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to get the word out to first year students. Please let me know if this is an option and we can coordinate an appropriate time. (Reginald.Byron@du.edu) 

If your classes are already full of activities, but you believe that your students would be interested in the CRES minor, can you please point them to the CRES website? https://liberalarts.du.edu/critical-race-ethnic-studies It will be updated with my new “Director’s Message” shortly.

Thank you very much in advance for supporting CRES,

Dr. Reggie Byron

HCC Fall ’22 Group Therapy opportunities

9/7/22

Hello All-

Hope everyone is great and ready for the week.  We do have a few sick faculty and OL’s so we are doing the best we can when these unforeseen things pop up and shifting around accordingly- FYI.

If I have any immediate info that you all need these next few days, I will send an email to this group. Otherwise, assume all is well if you don’t hear from me.

The only item to check currently:

If you are going on a Destinations trip on Friday using RTD please make sure your students have their RTD pass. They should have gotten it with their DU ID. If not tell them to go get it at the ID office ASAP.

Remind them all to bring it with them on Friday!!!!

---

Hope all is fantastic, and you have a wonderful week. Best, Monica

Hello all-

In case any of your students did not get their RTD pass, and they were told they would not be ready until Friday- the problem has been fixed!! 

I personally drove to RTD headquarters in downtown and got extra cards to be printed out for our Destinations trips. The DU ID office is printing away as we speak. They will be ready starting tomorrow at 8:30am and your students can swing by the ID office (below the bookstore) to pick them up if they don’t have them already. Best, Monica

9/8/22

Hello all-

Please have safe and awesome adventures with your students tomorrow. I am running the on-campus Carillion tour in the Ritchie Center, but please email if you need to reach me.  I did have one question from several faculty about students who need to re-schedule their KMC Ascent weekend. I received the info below for the Orientation team tonight.  Best, Monica

***Please share with the student the First Ascent website. Linked here. It will also indicate a form which the student should fill out indicating that they are interested. However, are unavailable to attend their scheduled weekend. 

Website Link

Participation & Exemption Form

8/31/22- FSEM Logistics Training

---

Hello all-

Thank you for joining us yesterday for the FSEM training. We did record the session so if you missed it, please reach out and Grace can send you the link. The PPTs from Heather’s & Kateri’s presentations are below, as well as the handouts and helpful links. These will also be posted in the appropriate sections of the dufsem.com site.

You can see the schedule overview on these websites:

1. New Student Discoveries Schedule
2. Parent & Family Orientation
3. This is the Discoervies teams’ live Discoveries Orientation Schedule document. It is not a PDF as it is still semi-evolving with minor details. Please reference it for any Discoveries-related questions you may have.

---

9/01/22- Advising Training

---

Good Morning & Happy Friday. Here are the presentations from the Thursday Advising training meeting. Grace has recorded the zoom session so please reach out if you need that. Next week will be wonderful, fun, & chaotic like it always is.  Have a restful weekend but know I am on email if you need anything urgent.  Best, Monica 

Hello all-

See you all tomorrow at FSEM training in the Sie Complex on the 5^th floor in the Maglione Room.  We have had a few people come down sick, so Grace has created a zoom link for the meeting. Please email if you need it.  See you soon. Best, Monica

Monica Kosanovich, PhD

Associate Director, Academic Programs

2199 S. University Blvd.

Mary Reed Building

Denver, CO 80208

Monica.Kosanovich@du.edu

Hi all-

Remember that FSEM & Advisor training is a week away!! See the link below to register. Also, please see the message from the new program coordinator of the CAHSS First-Generation program. See you all in person next week.  Best, Monica Kosanovich

**Required FSEM Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at each session

FSEM training- Wednesday, August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided) 

Advising Training- Thursday, Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex (snacks provided)

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebQuHooLwtpCjYi

***Note from Renissa:

Hello FSEM faculty,

My name is Renissa Gannie, and I am the Program Coordinator of the CAHSS First-Generation program. Could you allow me 3-5 minutes to speak to your class on the first-generation mentorship program? The presentation will be quick and will not take up too much time. Please let me know if this is possible.

Hoping you are well,

Renissa

Renissa Gannie (She/Her/Hers) 

CAHSS First Generation Program Coordinator 

College of Arts Humanities & Social Science 

University of Denver 

Renissa.Gannie@du.edu

Telephone: 7208400609 

Sturm Hall 376

*****

Monica Kosanovich, PhD

Associate Director, Academic Programs

2199 S. University Blvd.

Mary Reed Building

Denver, CO 80208

Monica.Kosanovich@du.edu

8/9/22

Dear FSEM Faculty,

As the new academic year approaches, I hope that this email finds you healthy and looking forward to your FSEM courses. 

I’m writing to ask for your help in making the Writing Center and its resources and offerings visible to your FSEM students by sharing information on your course management site or syllabus and by integrating us into your courses. 

As many of you know, the Writing Center is for everyone: it is a learning and support site for students, staff, and faculty, offering in-person and online writing consultations, peer reviews, drop-in hours, and resources that help individual writers and groups to navigate the complexities of writing in college and in life. All writers—more and less experienced, more and less confident—can benefit from talking through their work with a peer consultant, learning new strategies and habits, identifying and using resources, and making informed choices about their language and literacy practices. 

The document linked here includes several important kinds of information for you:

• A syllabus statement you can add to your course management site or adapt for your syllabus. 
• Options for integrating the Writing Center into your courses: class visits, studio hours, peer reviews, and more.
• Language for incentivizing your students to visit the Writing Center. 

I hope that you will encourage your students to make an appointment at the Writing Center and/or that you request a class visit, peer review, or other support. I also ask that you let us know if you plan to require or incentivize a whole class to visit us. Required visits work better when the consultants have some context, so please get in touch in advance!

You can click here to be taken directly to our support request form or write to me at juli.parrish@du.edu or Assistant Director Prof. Megan Kelly at megan.j.kelly@du.edu to discuss options.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Juli Parrish

Juli Parrish, PhD

Director, University Writing Center

Teaching Professor, University Writing Program

University of Denver

Co-Editor, Literacy in Composition Studies

President, Rocky Mountain Writing Centers Association

---

8/17/22

Hello FSEM Faculty-

We are getting closer to the start of the quarter. Destinations tickets are being bought as we speak (thank you Grace) and I am sending times out to those of you staying on campus for activities.

As always, I reached out to our friends in DSP to see if any students have put in for a mobility accommodation request that we needed to know about.  Our new Director of DSP Dr. Catherine Wharton (Welcome) said she has not received any requests but did ask if I could share some language with you that should be in your syllabus and/or Canvas into the page.  Please see the blurb below:

At the University of Denver, we take accessibility very seriously. For our FSEM Discoveries Trip, I have planned <insert description>. If you believe you may have difficulty with access because you use a wheelchair or have other mobility needs, please contact the Disability Services Program as soon as possible so they can assist you in planning and accommodating your access.

Also, remember:

Required FSEM Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at each session

FSEM training- Wednesday, August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided) 

Advising Training- Thursday, Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex (snacks provided)

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebQuHooLwtpCjYi

Monica Kosanovich, PhD

Associate Director, Academic Programs

Monica.Kosanovich@du.edu

07/22/22

Hello all, Happy Friday!  

SURG registration is coming up next week July 25^th-29^th. First-year students are excited to register!  

FYI…..We open FSEM classes at 5 slots per day (Mon-Thur) to give everyone an equal shot during registration because we have no waitlists.  If you receive personal emails begging to be let in to your class please tell the student you cannot override the system to let them in. They have to wait until a spot is available. If you have any problems with a student or parent email please forward them to me. Thanks, Monica

Upcoming FSEM Trainings:

Required FSEM Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at each session

FSEM training- Wednesday, August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided) 

Advising Trainings- Thursday, Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex (snacks provided)

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebQuHooLwtpCjYi

**NEW Summer Optional Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at session

UDL Your Course Overview– 

On August 10th, from 12-2 pm, we welcome you to join Becca Ciancanelli, the OTL’s Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices, and Ellen Hogan, the Accessibility Technologist for Learning and Instruction, to engage in a UDL Your Course Overview. This particular workshop will introduce the important components of infusing UDL into your course with some highlights from each workshop topic. These strategies aim to center the needs of students with disabilities but can also enhance learning experiences for all learners. Please be prepared to focus on a certain aspect of your course, whether that be materials, using canvas, classroom participation, or assessment. Participants should expect to take away some new strategies for enhancing inclusive teaching practices for their FSEM students!

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQkWw6sHuPkrdZA

**New 4D FSEM Optional Training Studio

Please see the invite below.

Dear FSEM faculty,

The 4D Experience team invites faculty registrants for an in-person 4D FSEM Training Studio on Tuesday, August 30^th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Community Commons 2600. The studio will be led by Dr. Laura Perille, Co-Director of the 4D Experience, and Dr. Virginia Pitts, Director of University Teaching in the Office of Teaching and Learning.

Through interactive activities, this studio seeks to provide participants with the frameworks, mindsets, and tools to further advance their commitment to holistic learning and development in line with the 4D Experience. First, the studio will offer greater insight into how the 4D Experience is being conceptualized and made real for students and the larger DU community in the coming years. In addition, and most critically, the studio will support participants in designing for greater belonging and purpose, both in the classroom and in individual interactions with students. Participants will come away with actionable strategies for setting the stage for belonging to emerge in their work, thereby not only enhancing and invigorating our students’ 4D Experience but also gaining tools that may be applied across their professional work.  

Please register by Tuesday, August 9^th for the studio by using this Qualtrics form. An email from the 4D Experience team will then be sent to confirm your participation. Participants will receive $250 for attending the entire three-hour training.  

If you have any questions about the studio, please email laura.perille@du.edu.

We hope that you will join us! 

Best wishes, Dr. Laura Perille and Dr. Virginia Pitts 

**Lastly remember this is the Official Discoveries Schedule for FSEM responsibilities, so you can start to plan for the beginning of Fall quarter. The Lunch & Learn session information from Thursday is attached in case you could not make the session the Orientation team provided.

Wednesday, September 7^th

Convocation – faculty should plan to attend 10am

Lunch- Faculty invited to have lunch with their FSEM class

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-3pm

Thursday, September 8th

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-2:45pm

Friday, September 9th

FSEM Destination trip 9am to 3pm

---

8/2/22

Happy August! 

Hope you are all well.  SURG went great and we currently have 1516 students registered across the FSEM classes.  Most of you have room to take 1 more student, you are at 18 out of 19 seats, so hopefully, you will not have many pleading emails to be let into your class coming your way. However, I am happy to help if you get any of those. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

Dates to remember:

Required FSEM Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at each session

FSEM training- Wednesday, August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided) 

Advising Training- Thursday, Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex (snacks provided)

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebQuHooLwtpCjYi

**NEW Summer Optional Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at session

UDL Your Course Overview– 

On August 10th, from 12-2 pm, we welcome you to join Becca Ciancanelli, the OTL’s Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices, and Ellen Hogan, the Accessibility Technologist for Learning and Instruction, to engage in a UDL Your Course Overview. This particular workshop will introduce the important components of infusing UDL into your course with some highlights from each workshop topic. These strategies aim to center the needs of students with disabilities but can also enhance learning experiences for all learners. Please be prepared to focus on a certain aspect of your course, whether that be materials, using canvas, classroom participation, or assessment. Participants should expect to take away some new strategies for enhancing inclusive teaching practices for their FSEM students!

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQkWw6sHuPkrdZA

**New 4D FSEM Optional Training Studio

Please see the invite below.

Dear FSEM faculty,

The 4D Experience team invites faculty registrants for an in-person 4D FSEM Training Studio on Tuesday, August 30^th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Community Commons 2600. The studio will be led by Dr. Laura Perille, Co-Director of the 4D Experience, and Dr. Virginia Pitts, Director of University Teaching in the Office of Teaching and Learning.

Through interactive activities, this studio seeks to provide participants with the frameworks, mindsets, and tools to further advance their commitment to holistic learning and development in line with the 4D Experience. First, the studio will offer greater insight into how the 4D Experience is being conceptualized and made real for students and the larger DU community in the coming years. In addition, and most critically, the studio will support participants in designing for greater belonging and purpose, both in the classroom and in individual interactions with students. Participants will come away with actionable strategies for setting the stage for belonging to emerge in their work, thereby not only enhancing and invigorating our students’ 4D Experience but also gaining tools that may be applied across their professional work.  

Please register by Tuesday, August 9^th for the studio by using this Qualtrics form. An email from the 4D Experience team will then be sent to confirm your participation. Participants will receive $250 for attending the entire three-hour training.

If you have any questions about the studio, please email laura.perille@du.edu.  

We hope that you will join us!  Best wishes, 

Dr. Laura Perille and Dr. Virginia Pitts 

**Lastly remember this is the unofficial Discoveries Schedule so you can start to plan for the beginning of Fall quarter. The Lunch & Learn session information will be shared at the FSEM Professional Development on August 31^st if you cannot attend on July 21^st. 

Wednesday, September 7^th

Convocation – faculty should plan to attend 10am

Lunch- Faculty invited to have lunch with their FSEM class

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-3pm

Thursday, September 8th

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-2:45pm

Friday, September 9th

FSEM Destination trip 9am to 3pm

Hello all- 

Hope you are all staying cool and are ready for the next heatwave!  We have several dates to have you put on your calendars and new invites to trainings. Please see below and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

SURG registration is the week of July 25^th-29^th. First year students are excited to register!  

Required FSEM Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at each session

FSEM training- Wednesday, August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided) 

Advising Training- Thursday, Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex (snacks provided)

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebQuHooLwtpCjYi

**NEW Summer Optional Professional Development- Paid $150 for attendance at the session

UDL Your Course Overview– 

On August 10th, from 12-2 pm, we welcome you to join Becca Ciancanelli, the OTL’s Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices, and Ellen Hogan, the Accessibility Technologist for Learning and Instruction, to engage in a UDL Your Course Overview. This particular workshop will introduce the important components of infusing UDL into your course with some highlights from each workshop topic. These strategies aim to center the needs of students with disabilities but can also enhance learning experiences for all learners. Please be prepared to focus on a certain aspect of your course, whether that be materials, using canvas, classroom participation, or assessment. Participants should expect to take away some new strategies for enhancing inclusive teaching practices for their FSEM students!

Register here: https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQkWw6sHuPkrdZA

**New 4D FSEM Optional Training Studio

Please see the invite below.

Dear FSEM faculty, 

The 4D Experience team invites faculty registrants for an in-person 4D FSEM Training Studio on Tuesday, August 30^th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Community Commons 2600. The studio will be led by Dr. Laura Perille, Co-Director of the 4D Experience, and Dr. Virginia Pitts, Director of University Teaching in the Office of Teaching and Learning.  

Through interactive activities, this studio seeks to provide participants with the frameworks, mindsets, and tools to further advance their commitment to holistic learning and development in line with the 4D Experience. First, the studio will offer greater insight into how the 4D Experience is being conceptualized and made real for students and the larger DU community in the coming years. In addition, and most critically, the studio will support participants in designing for greater belonging and purpose, both in the classroom and in individual interactions with students. Participants will come away with actionable strategies for setting the stage for belonging to emerge in their work, thereby not only enhancing and invigorating our students’ 4D Experience but also gaining tools that may be applied across their professional work.  

Please register by Tuesday, August 9^th for the studio by using this Qualtrics form. An email from the 4D Experience team will then be sent to confirm your participation. Participants will receive $250 for attending the entire three-hour training.  

If you have any questions about the studio, please email laura.perille@du.edu.  

We hope that you will join us! 

Best wishes, 

Dr. Laura Perille and Dr. Virginia Pitts 

**Lastly remember this is the unofficial Discoveries Schedule so you can start to plan for the beginning of Fall quarter. The Lunch & Learn session information will be shared at the FSEM Professional Development on August 31^st if you cannot attend on July 21^st. 

Wednesday, September 7^th

Convocation – faculty should plan to attend at 10am

Lunch- Faculty invited to have lunch with their FSEM class

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-3pm

Thursday, September 8th

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-2:45pm

Friday, September 9th

FSEM Destination trip 9am to 3pm

Hello all- 

Hope summer is treating you well!  I wanted to send the unofficial Discoveries Schedule we have received so you can start to plan for the beginning of the Fall quarter. We believe it will not change dramatically at this point, but I would like to encourage you to attend the info session below if you can. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

Wednesday, September 7^th

Convocation – faculty should plan to attend at 10am

Lunch- Faculty invited to have lunch with their FSEM class

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-3pm

---

Thursday, September 8th

Meeting with FSEM class 1pm-2:45pm

---

Friday, September 9th

FSEM Destination trip 9am and 3pm

Hi all-

One announcement today from the Student Success team today. Hope all is well.  Best, Monica

Dear FSEM faculty,

Thank you so much for your engagement and conversation at the FSEM town hall on DATE to discuss the Enhanced Advising Model and changes to first-year advising. Please see attached for the FAQ document, which includes answers to several of the questions that arose at the town hall. 

If you have additional questions, please let Heather, Kateri, or me know!

Best wishes,

Kristy

Hi all-

Hope your summer is off to an amazing start. This is a quick reminder that Welcome Letters are due by tomorrow Wednesday, June 15th. Thanks, Monica & Grace

Please upload them here: 

 FSEM Welcome Letters 2022

6/7/22

Hello all-

One last email reminder before the quarter ends so, please check out all the info below.  As soon as the Discoveries Orientation schedule info comes to us, we will be sure to send it to you ASAP.  Hope you can check email a little this summer and I promise I will only send important updates as needed. Grace and I are here all summer so please reach out if you have any questions. Thanks so much and best wishes for wonderful summer.  Best, Monica

FSEM activities reimbursements for Spring are due ASAP! Thank you for getting them into Concur and let us know if you have any questions. 

Important Dates for Fall:

FSEM training- Wednesday August 31^st. 9-1pm Sie Complex (lunch provided)

Advising Trainings- Thursday Sept 1^st. 9-12pm Sie Complex

FSEM Welcome letters due- June 15^th.  Please submit to the link below.

 FSEM Welcome Letters 2022

Destinations Trips Friday Sept 9^th from 9-3pm

Be on the look out of an email from Grace to confirm your Destinations plans if you submitted them in your FSEM proposal. We will be buying bulk rate tickets this summer so we will need to confirm if your still plan to go there. Remember all travel to Destination locations needs to be on RTD. Thanks

---

5/31/22

Hello FSEM faculty,

We are going to move forward with collecting FSEM Welcome letters for the fall. Please note that only FSEM faculty who will be teaching this Fall 2022 need to complete this. A few sample letters from past FSEM faculty can be found in the folder labeled EXAMPLES. If you do not write your own letter, the boilerplate option in the EXAMPLES folder will go out on your behalf. You will only be able to access the welcome letter folder using your DU e-mail address. Please save your letter using this format: Last name, First name. You will need to upload your letter to this link:

 FSEM Welcome Letters 2022

Please let me know if you have any questions or complications with access to the folders.

Best,

Grace

Hi all-

Reminder that we have the last FSEM training payment opportunity for the year on Friday this week- see the info below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Best, Monica

Virtual Spring Town Hall meeting May 27^th from 3-4pm. Mark your calendars & you will receive $150 for your attendance. 

Zoom Link: https://udenver.zoom.us/s/87604647197

Topic to be discussed:

Dear FSEM faculty, 

Over the past several months, several people across Academic Affairs have been discussing how best to support the strengths of our current first-year advising model and provide students with a well-supported transition to their second year. We have met with every undergraduate academic unit and the FSEM committee to gain a sense of what works well and where we might best target additional advising resources to support students in their first and into second year. Based on these conversations, we would like to share the following updates to academic advising for first year students:

Highlights of updates (more details below!)

1. FSEM faculty will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA).
2. OAA will be responsible for quarterly registration PIN deletion.
3. FSEM faculty will continue to meet quarterly with their students to discuss course selection as it relates to academic trajectory.

Additional details

• Each FSEM faculty member will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) for the year. OAA advisors will be available throughout the year to their FSEM faculty partner to help with challenging student questions or situations related to advising.
• The Office of Academic Advising will be responsible for coordinating/managing first-year student advising, in partnership with FSEM faculty. (OAA already manages new student advising over the summer for fall registration.)  

• OAA advisors will be responsible for PIN deletion each quarter. FSEM faculty will still meet with students to discuss their academic plans and provide mentoring to students. If FSEM faculty provide complete advising for a first-year student, they can still delete registration PINs, but this is no longer required.
• FSEM faculty should communicate to students that whoever provides advising will delete their PIN. OAA will be responsible for this, but will also coordinate with other advisors for quarterly advising and PIN deletion in areas where first-year advising needs in those majors are highly specific (such as Music, DCB, or Engineering). 
• FSEM faculty should encourage students to visit advising early in the quarter. Individual appointments will be available weeks 1-6 of the quarter. In fall quarter, OAA advisors may be available to visit FSEM classes or offer group advising sessions. In winter and spring quarters, OAA advisors will encourage FSEM students to have advising conversations with their FSEM mentor throughout the quarter, rather than just being limited to advising weeks. OAA will manage PIN deletions in cases where students have been adequately advised for the next quarter prior to the official advising period. Weeks 7-8 will continue to be primarily drop-ins in OAA.  
• FSEM faculty will be asked to be available each quarter for discussing long-term plans, encouraging reflection on academic progress, and providing meaning for requirements in the context of liberal arts education. These conversations relate to course planning and registration, but ideally, will be more holistic conversations about the student’s overall academic progress and experience at DU, an opportunity to reflect on their academic experiences so far at DU and discuss bigger-picture goals, and how the common curriculum and other experiences can support their progress. There is potential here for additional integration into 4D experiences as this component evolves. 
• To reinforce the student connection to their FSEM faculty, we are developing a short checklist for all first-year students that describes what they should be doing each quarter to prepare for the next quarter. This list includes items like checking holds and making a course plan, but at the top of the list is that students should be meeting with or talking to their FSEM faculty about progress and planning in their first year. 
• To support a strong transition from first to second year, OAA will coordinate major-specific advising meet-and-greet sessions in spring quarter. Additionally, Student Success Coaches from OAA will be introduced to first-year students and will support students into their second year and beyond (if desired).

What happens next?

• In the coming weeks and months, we will be developing the more specific components mentioned above as well as additional communications (for FSEM faculty, as well as for incoming students and other colleagues across campus).
• We will be holding a meeting on Friday, May 27, 3-4pm to discuss the first-year advising model with FSEM faculty, including these updates. Please stay tuned for an invitation.

In the meantime, please share any questions you may have with us. Thank you for your commitment to first-year students!

Best wishes,

Kristy Firebaugh, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success

Tonnett Luedtke, Executive Director of Academic Advising

Heather Martin, FSEM Faculty Director

Kateri McRae, Director of Faculty Advising 

Hello all-

Hope this email finds you well. 2 announcements today about upcoming meetings- please see below. Thank you, Monica

Spring professional development meeting– please see the welcome message below from the facilitator. You will receive $150 if you attend. Please RSVP to attend the workshop by May 6^th. Register at the Qualtrics link here:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVRpWkYkKCob4y

Greetings FSEM Faculty, 

You are invited to attend “A Heart to Hold,” an arts-based community workshop focused on making space for faculty experiences of COVID-19 grief and loss. The workshop will be held in person on Friday, May 13^th from 10:00-11:50 a.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 290.

Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty have struggled to support grieving students, while also grieving themselves. Faculty have experienced several losses, including the loss of loved ones to COVID-19, work-life balance, and opportunities for connection. These difficulties have been associated with mental health challenges, burnout, and the desire to change careers. 

Through making “A Heart to Hold” pillow during the workshop on May 13^th, faculty will creatively and collectively reflect on their COVID-19-related losses. Being “good” at art is not required! Dr. Erin Willer, Associate Professor in Communication Studies, will facilitate the workshop. Dr. Willer’s research and teaching answer the question: How do we cultivate communication, compassion, community, and creativity in the face of illness, death, and loss? Dr. Anand Desai from the DU Health and Counseling Center will also attend the workshop to provide support.

Save the Date: Virtual Spring Town Hall meeting May 27^th from 3-4pm.

You will receive $150 for attending. Registration coming soon. Topic to be discussed:

Dear FSEM faculty, 

Over the past several months, several people across Academic Affairs have been discussing how best to support the strengths of our current first-year advising model and provide students with a well-supported transition to their second year. We have met with every undergraduate academic unit and the FSEM committee to gain a sense of what works well and where we might best target additional advising resources to support students in their first and into second year. Based on these conversations, we would like to share the following updates to academic advising for first year students:

Highlights of updates (more details below!)

1. FSEM faculty will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA).
2. OAA will be responsible for quarterly registration PIN deletion.
3. FSEM faculty will continue to meet quarterly with their students to discuss course selection as it relates to academic trajectory.

Additional details

• Each FSEM faculty member will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) for the year. OAA advisors will be available throughout the year to their FSEM faculty partner to help with challenging student questions or situations related to advising.
• The Office of Academic Advising will be responsible for coordinating/managing first-year student advising, in partnership with FSEM faculty. (OAA already manages new student advising over the summer for fall registration.)  

• OAA advisors will be responsible for PIN deletion each quarter. FSEM faculty will still meet with students to discuss their academic plans and provide mentoring to students. If FSEM faculty provide complete advising for a first-year student, they can still delete registration PINs, but this is no longer required.
• FSEM faculty should communicate to students that whoever provides advising will delete their PIN. OAA will be responsible for this, but will also coordinate with other advisors for quarterly advising and PIN deletion in areas where first-year advising needs in those majors are highly specific (such as Music, DCB, or Engineering). 
• FSEM faculty should encourage students to visit advising early in the quarter. Individual appointments will be available weeks 1-6 of the quarter. In fall quarter, OAA advisors may be available to visit FSEM classes or offer group advising sessions. In winter and spring quarters, OAA advisors will encourage FSEM students to have advising conversations with their FSEM mentor throughout the quarter, rather than just being limited to advising weeks. OAA will manage PIN deletions in cases where students have been adequately advised for the next quarter prior to the official advising period. Weeks 7-8 will continue to be primarily drop-ins in OAA.  
• FSEM faculty will be asked to be available each quarter for discussing long-term plans, encouraging reflection on academic progress, and providing meaning for requirements in the context of liberal arts education. These conversations relate to course planning and registration, but ideally, will be more holistic conversations about the student’s overall academic progress and experience at DU, an opportunity to reflect on their academic experiences so far at DU and discuss bigger-picture goals, and how the common curriculum and other experiences can support their progress. There is potential here for additional integration into 4D experiences as this component evolves. 
• To reinforce the student connection to their FSEM faculty, we are developing a short checklist for all first-year students that describes what they should be doing each quarter to prepare for the next quarter. This list includes items like checking holds and making a course plan, but at the top of the list is that students should be meeting with or talking to their FSEM faculty about progress and planning in their first year. 
• To support a strong transition from first to second year, OAA will coordinate major-specific advising meet-and-greet sessions in spring quarter. Additionally, Student Success Coaches from OAA will be introduced to first-year students and will support students into their second year and beyond (if desired).

What happens next?

• In the coming weeks and months, we will be developing the more specific components mentioned above as well as additional communications (for FSEM faculty, as well as for incoming students and other colleagues across campus).
• We will be holding a meeting on Friday, May 27, 2:30-3:30 pm to discuss the first-year advising model with FSEM faculty, including these updates. Please stay tuned for an invitation.

In the meantime, please share any questions you may have with us. Thank you for your commitment to first-year students!

Best wishes,

Kristy Firebaugh, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success

Tonnett Luedtke, Executive Director of Academic Advising

Heather Martin, FSEM Faculty Director

Kateri McRae, Director of Faculty Advising 

Hi all-

Please remember that Grace has sent you the course details to review for FSEM Fall 2022 classes (if you are teaching for us). Please review them but you only need to contact us if something is incorrect by Friday, April 22^nd. Thank you!

Spring professional development meeting- please see the welcome message below. You will receive $150 if you attend. Please register at the Qualtrics link here:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVRpWkYkKCob4y

Greetings FSEM Faculty, 

You are invited to attend “A Heart to Hold,” an arts-based community workshop focused on making space for faculty experiences of COVID-19 grief and loss. The workshop will be held in person on Friday, May 13^th from 10:00-11:50 a.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 290.

Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty have struggled to support grieving students, while also grieving themselves. Faculty have experienced several losses, including the loss of loved ones to COVID-19, work-life balance, and opportunities for connection. These difficulties have been associated with mental health challenges, burnout, and the desire to change careers. 

Through making “A Heart to Hold” pillow during the workshop on May 13^th, faculty will creatively and collectively reflect on their COVID-19-related losses. Being “good” at art is not required! Dr. Erin Willer, Associate Professor in Communication Studies, will facilitate the workshop. Dr. Willer’s research and teaching answer the question: How do we cultivate communication, compassion, community, and creativity in the face of illness, death, and loss? Dr. Anand Desai from the DU Health and Counseling Center will also attend the workshop to provide support.

Please RSVP to attend the workshop by May 6^th. Thank you! https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVRpWkYkKCob4y

Hello All-

Wanted to let you know that Grace has sent you the course details to review for FSEM Fall 2022 classes (if you are teaching for us). Please review them but you only need to contact us if something is incorrect. Thank you!

As promised info on the Spring professional development meeting- please see the welcome message below. You will receive $150 if you attend. Please register at the Qualtrics link here:

https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVRpWkYkKCob4y

Greetings FSEM Faculty, 

You are invited to attend “A Heart to Hold,” an arts-based community workshop focused on making space for faculty experiences of COVID-19 grief and loss. The workshop will be held in person on Friday, May 13^th from 10:00-11:50 a.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 290.

Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty have struggled to support grieving students, while also grieving themselves. Faculty have experienced several losses, including the loss of loved ones to COVID-19, work-life balance, and opportunities for connection. These difficulties have been associated with mental health challenges, burnout, and the desire to change careers. 

Through making “A Heart to Hold” pillow during the workshop on May 13^th, faculty will creatively and collectively reflect on their COVID-19-related losses. Being “good” at art is not required! Dr. Erin Willer, Associate Professor in Communication Studies, will facilitate the workshop. Dr. Willer’s research and teaching answer the question: How do we cultivate communication, compassion, community, and creativity in the face of illness, death, and loss? Dr. Anand Desai from the DU Health and Counseling Center will also attend the workshop to provide support.

Please RSVP to attend the workshop by May 6^th. Thank you! https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVRpWkYkKCob4y

Hello ALL-

Please see the message below from our student success team. Thank you- Monica

Dear FSEM faculty, 

Over the past several months, several people across Academic Affairs have been discussing how best to support the strengths of our current first-year advising model and provide students with a well-supported transition to their second year. We have met with every undergraduate academic unit and the FSEM committee to gain a sense of what works well and where we might best target additional advising resources to support students in their first and into second year. Based on these conversations, we would like to share the following updates to academic advising for first-year students:

Highlights of updates (more details below!)

1. FSEM faculty will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA).
2. OAA will be responsible for quarterly registration PIN deletion.
3. FSEM faculty will continue to meet quarterly with their students to discuss course selection as it relates to academic trajectory.

Additional details

• Each FSEM faculty member will be paired with an advisor partner from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) for the year. OAA advisors will be available throughout the year to their FSEM faculty partner to help with challenging student questions or situations related to advising.
• The Office of Academic Advising will be responsible for coordinating/managing first-year student advising, in partnership with FSEM faculty. (OAA already manages new student advising over the summer for fall registration.)  

• OAA advisors will be responsible for PIN deletion each quarter. FSEM faculty will still meet with students to discuss their academic plans and provide mentoring to students. If FSEM faculty provide complete advising for a first-year student, they can still delete registration PINs, but this is no longer required.
• FSEM faculty should communicate to students that whoever provides advising will delete their PIN. OAA will be responsible for this, but will also coordinate with other advisors for quarterly advising and PIN deletion in areas where first-year advising needs in those majors are highly specific (such as Music, DCB, or Engineering). 
• FSEM faculty should encourage students to visit advising early in the quarter. Individual appointments will be available weeks 1-6 of the quarter. In fall quarter, OAA advisors may be available to visit FSEM classes or offer group advising sessions. In winter and spring quarters, OAA advisors will encourage FSEM students to have advising conversations with their FSEM mentor throughout the quarter, rather than just being limited to advising weeks. OAA will manage PIN deletions in cases where students have been adequately advised for the next quarter prior to the official advising period. Weeks 7-8 will continue to be primarily drop-ins in OAA.  
• FSEM faculty will be asked to be available each quarter for discussing long-term plans, encouraging reflection on academic progress, and providing meaning for requirements in the context of liberal arts education. These conversations relate to course planning and registration, but ideally, will be more holistic conversations about the student’s overall academic progress and experience at DU, an opportunity to reflect on their academic experiences so far at DU and discuss bigger-picture goals, and how the common curriculum and other experiences can support their progress. There is potential here for additional integration into 4D experiences as this component evolves. 
• To reinforce the student connection to their FSEM faculty, we are developing a short checklist for all first-year students that describes what they should be doing each quarter to prepare for the next quarter. This list includes items like checking holds and making a course plan, but at the top of the list is that students should be meeting with or talking to their FSEM faculty about progress and planning in their first year. 
• To support a strong transition from first to second year, OAA will coordinate major-specific advising meet-and-greet sessions in spring quarter. Additionally, Student Success Coaches from OAA will be introduced to first-year students and will support students into their second year and beyond (if desired).

What happens next?

• In the coming weeks and months, we will be developing the more specific components mentioned above as well as additional communications (for FSEM faculty, as well as for incoming students and other colleagues across campus).
• We will be holding a meeting on Friday, May 27, 2:30-3:30 pm to discuss the first-year advising model with FSEM faculty, including these updates. Please stay tuned for an invitation.

In the meantime, please share any questions you may have with us. Thank you for your commitment to first-year students!

Best wishes,

Kristy Firebaugh, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success

Tonnett Luedtke, Executive Director of Academic Advising

Heather Martin, FSEM Faculty Director

Kateri McRae, Director of Faculty Advising 

Hi all-

Happy Monday. Please see the important info below about an upcoming PD opportunity and orientation leader recruitment info for fall 2022 from Liz Spooner (Liz.Spooner@du.edu) in Student Affairs.  Hope all is well- take care. Best, Monica

Spring FSEM Professional Development– May 13^th 10-11:50am. More information coming soon but please hold the time on your calendar.

Orientation Leader Information

For FSEM Professors: 

Thank you so much for your work to support our first-year students in your role. We value your work and nominations for those of you that previously nominated students as we expand this partnership. We have worked to reach those nominated students via email a number of times this year encouraging them to apply. However, we are still looking for incredible student leaders! With this, if you have time we would greatly appreciate you sending out the following messaging and or promotional flyer to your current and former students. Again, thank you for the time and consideration! 

Message for Students: 

Discoveries Orientation is now searching for emerging leaders to join us to be Discoveries Peer Leaders/4D Mentors (formerly known as Orientation Leaders)  

This is a great position for students who are looking to build their leadership skills, welcome new students to campus, meet other DU students and so much more! 

Our team leaders will work 40 hours the two weeks before classes start and continue through Fall 2022 working 10 hours/week. This is a paid position! (work-study funding not necessary!)

Apply here:  https://du.12twenty.com/job-postings/35006701409679

I received 60+ nominations for first-year students this year and have been continually reaching out to those students to promote this role. Again, am always thankful for our FSEM faculty for their work in the classroom and in promoting this role. 

Please let me know if there is anything further!  Liz

Hi all-

Happy Monday & I hope you have an awesome start to the Spring Quarter. Only 1 announcement today from the Writing Center about a roundtable conversation for faculty research and writing practices. Be well. Best, Monica