MISENHEIMER ó Pfeiffer Universityís Misenheimer campus recently welcomed more than 100 incoming freshman and transfer students during separate events that overlap a month or so prior to their official arrival for the fall 2011 semester.
The First Year Experience, an established Pfeiffer program that operates in cooperation with the Office of Student Development, is offering for the first time a week-long summer opportunity called Keys to Success, designed to enhance the freshman experience.
It is funded by a grant from the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), a group that supports, represents, and advocates for North Carolina independent higher education. The grant is supporting participation of 25 incoming freshmen who were accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
ěFor many students, a successful transition to college life is a major contributor to overall college success,î said Deborah Burris, chair of Pfeifferís Communications Department and director of the First Year Experience program. ěWe are eager to learn as the academic year progresses how this experience influences the participantsí study habits, grades, campus life involvement and retention.î
While living on campus all week, students participate in workshops to learn time and stress management as well as assess their learning styles and discover study strategies that complement them.
They will also have a chance to meet faculty members and become familiar with clubs and student organizations available on campus.
When classes begin in August, they and their fellow classmates, as part of the First Year Experience/Pfeiffer Journey program that is integrated into the schedule of every Pfeiffer freshman, will choose from a series of themed courses designed to spark a successful start to college life. These courses, developed around literary, music, science, media, and service topics, include Of Hobbits and Habits: The Freshman Experience According to J.R.R. Tolkein, The World in Six Songs, Media Mayhem, The Hot Zone, College Life, and Ignite the Servant-Leader Within.
Pfeiffer hosted approximately 80 new and transfer students and their parents during Accepted Students Day last week, supplementing a similar event held earlier in the spring.
While the main focus of the day was course registration, students also received their housing assignments, met faculty and staff, visited the bookstore, learned about campus activities, and attended a reception hosted by President Mike Miller.
Pfeiffer continues to accept applications for the fall 2011 semester, which begins on Aug. 22.
For information, contact the Office of Admissions at 704-463-3060, or visit www.pfeiffer.edu.