History

The College of Charleston has a long tradition of academic experiences aimed specifically at first-year students. The Freshman Seminar has been a valuable tool for new students to learn study skills and techniques and about the resources of the college since the mid-1990s.

In the Spring of 2007, the Faculty Senate passed a proposal that would create a required academic experience for all first-year students, consisting of First-Year Seminars and residential and non-residential Learning Communities. To that end a Director of the First-Year Experience was hired and new college committee constituted.

Currently, the college is instituting the relevant courses and infrastructure, and the plan is to have the first-year experience required for all incoming students with fewer than 30 credits by Fall of 2011.