Conference focuses on first-year students

UW–Madison faculty and staff who teach and work with first-year students will gather on Friday, Oct. 14, to discuss ways to engage students and set them on the path for a successful academic career.

“Engaging First-Year Students: Strategies for Academic Success” will be held from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Pyle Center. The session is free and includes lunch.

The session’s keynote speaker is Barbara Clayton, director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Theatre and Drama. Other presenters include faculty and staff from a variety of campus departments committed to the academic success of first-year students.

Breakout session topics include faculty and teaching assistant discussions, a look at first-year students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and University Residence Halls, development of large first-year courses, and student development in the first year.

Wren Singer, director of Orientation and New Student Programs, also hopes to broaden the awareness of the First Year Experience, a campuswide effort to enrich the first year by identifying shared goals, conducting first-year research and assessment, and engaging in dialogue on first- year issues.

To register, visit https://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/.