FYE programs often foster the participation of students in co-curricular events such as common reads, concerts, art exhibits, guest lectures, and organic leadership development initiatives.
In 1983, Carolina's University 101 faculty director, John N. Gardner, organized the first Annual Conference on the Freshman Year Experience.
Through its work with conferences and continuing education, a full complement of publications, the pursuit of a research agenda, and the creation and dissemination of online resources, the Center has grown to become the trusted expert, internationally recognized leader, and clearinghouse for scholarship, policy, and best practice for the first-year experience and all post-secondary student transitions.
From orientation, students enroll in the course, which gives them a variety of college experiences, from tours of the campus to a breakdown of how to study for tests.
[4] In 1991, Norman Adler initiated the Penn Reading Project at the University of Pennsylvania, an integrative introduction to liberal learning for college freshmen newly arriving on campus.
Subsequently, Freshman Reading Projects have been adopted widely as part of the first-year experience at many college campuses.
Gardner, member of The Journal of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and author of The freshman-year experience, emphasized the importance of having courses that focus on the first few weeks of college.
During this time is most likely when students will make the decision to drop out, due to the increase of feeling personal independence and habit-forming, as well as forming relationships that they will continue throughout their college careers.
Gardner also suggested that things such as curriculum modifications, academic advisement, faculty led freshman-level courses instead of graduate student-led, living/learning environments, peer counseling, and special freshmen administrative units improve the student's freshman year.