First-Year Experience (FYE)

Mission of the First-Year Experience Program

The First-Year Experience (FYE) Program at the University of North Alabama is dedicated to fostering academic enrichment and holistic student development. Housed within Academic Affairs, FYE helps students build the tools, connections, and confidence they need to thrive in their academic journey and beyond.

Through intentional instruction, meaningful connections, and community engagement, the FYE Program supports students as they transition into college life, explore their goals, and become active members of the UNA community.

What FYE Supports

Academic Success
FYE empowers students to build strong learning habits, develop critical thinking skills, and gain confidence in their academic pursuits.

Personal Growth
The program encourages self-awareness, resilience, and responsible decision-making that supports lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Campus Connection
FYE helps students engage with campus resources, faculty, staff, and peers while cultivating a sense of belonging and shared community responsibility.

FYE Seminar Experience

FYE seminars are designed to help first-year students connect their academic work with meaningful questions, shared experiences, and real-world learning. Each seminar is built around a common theme, question, or concern and encourages students to explore that theme through coursework, reflection, and community engagement.

Each FYE seminar includes:

• A common theme, question, or concern
• Coursework that addresses the common theme
• Integrative learning through a shared experiential learning project and/or service activity
• Course content focused on student belonging and building student relationships
• A reflective assignment or group capstone project

Teaching in the FYE Program

FYE instructors play an important role in creating encouraging, transformational spaces for first-year students. Through FYE seminars, instructors help students build relationships, explore academic and career pathways, and find their place within the UNA community.

Participating FYE instructors are expected to:

• Attend FYE instructor workshops
• Encourage students to participate in the post-FYE survey and support data collection
• Work with ETS to ensure course design is consistent with QM and UNA online course design standards
• Provide an encouraging and transformational space for students
• Help students consider unique career pathways by exploring and finding their niche

FYE Seminar Proposal Criteria

FYE seminar proposals are reviewed using the following criteria:

• Relevance: The topic relates to inclusive, creative, and innovative teaching practices for first-year students and meets FYE seminar requirements.
• Applicability: The seminar is likely to appeal to a wide range of first-year students from different disciplines.
• Utility: The seminar is likely to generate ideas, strategies, or techniques that will benefit members of the first-year learning seminar.

Teaching Opportunities

First-Time Instructors
First-time instructors should complete the Adjunct Instructor application and the FYE Seminar application.

Returning Instructors
Returning instructors should complete the FYE Seminar application.

Application due date to be announced soon.

UNA note: Confirm whether the application deadline should remain on this consolidated page or be updated/removed after the 2026 cycle.

The Shine

Developed by the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Advisory Board, The Shine is a podcast and one-hour course that offers a unique learning experience for first-year students at the University of North Alabama.

As part of the First-Year Experience Program, The Shine helps students acclimate to academic life and campus support resources while gaining specialized skills in podcasting. The course is limited to 12 participants and teaches students how to interview, edit, produce, and create audio for a 25-minute podcast episode.

Students in The Shine gain hands-on experience while building communication skills, creative confidence, and a deeper connection to the UNA community.

The Shine highlights meaningful stories from the UNA community. If you know a UNA alum who would be an engaging feature for the podcast, you can submit their name for consideration.

UNA note: Add final CTA language and destination if the alumni submission form will remain available on the new page.

Contact Information

Ms. Tammy D. Rhodes, Director
Office of First-Year Experience
tdrhodes@una.edu
256-765-4683