In accordance with the financial plan for the next fiscal year, there have been significant budget cuts to departments and offices around campus, one of them being the Office of First-Year Experience. The cuts to FYE will lead to program changes, and rumors that have been circulating around the campus have upset students who fear that FYE might change and not offer the same programs it offered to them as incoming freshman. Senator Daniel Horvath ’08, a past Student Orientation advisor, said, “Anytime we hear about the accomplishments of the current administration in the field of student life, FYE and its excellent SO and Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond programs are at the top of the list. However, there now seems to be a disconnect because these headline programs are the victim of budget cuts, when the administration is so fond of touting them and when very many people are aware of the great benefits that they provide.”
Unfortunately, programs run during NRB are expensive, and the budget cuts have forced FYE to get creative. However, as Dean Lisa Trahan expressed, FYE wasn’t targeted directly by the cuts; everyone’s budget has been tightened to implement change. This has given FYE an opportunity to reevaluate programs that are not working, get rid of them, and focus on improving and maintaining high impact programs.
In essence, according to Dean Trahan, FYE is embracing the change through budget cuts gaining a new perspective on its programs and operations. One of the major rumors was that NRB was not going to exist anymore and that all trips would be done away with. Dean Trahan quelled those rumors by saying, “There will be NRB programming changes, but we will still maintain a high level of programming.” There will be some changes in response to the cuts, but alternatives were researched and FYE plans on implementing them. Some of those alternatives include having more activities on campus. Overnight trips are still going to be offered and, if anything, more heavily promoted because they are high-impact activities. However, there might be a cost differential to offset the overnight fee. “It will be as transparent as possible,” said Dean Trahan.
The NRB shirts that each new student receives are going to be continued and possibly even paid for by, the Rensselaer Alumni Association because they foster and maintain a sense of class identity, which FYE feels is very important to the incoming class. In addition to that, FYE is seeking to continue to offer affinity group programming for all students, which in years past has been successfully accomplished through NRB.
With the onset of changes Senator Donald Pendagast III ’07 said, “The Office of the First-Year Experience has been defining the Rensselaer experience for a few years now. I am in full support of its mission. But as student leaders I sincerely hope that before we begin to criticize Institute decision-making we take a moment to fully understand the situation. Our administration and leaders clearly comprehend the road ahead, and we should acknowledge that fact.”
Other activities integral to NRB that FYE hopes to maintain are the downtown welcome festival, convocation, and the video at convocation. Student Orientation will not suffer as many changes as NRB; it will only be reduced by one session offering four instead of five sessions. In the end it’s going to come down to the value and high impact of the overnight trips and quality versus quantity for the day trips. However, what is important is that the programs are being supported and sustained by FYE, the students of Rensselaer, the alumni, and the administration. This point was reiterated by Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles when he commented on the changes being implemented in FYE programs, “It was an opportunity for us to step back and look at a very successful initiative and try to decide what we could to do shore up the program so it’s successful in the future.”
FYE has come a long way since its inception and over the past five years there has been an increase in the number of volunteers. In FYE’s first year of operation they had 43 volunteers, and this past summer there were 220. This increase in student engagement is core to The Rensselaer Plan.
A senior survey conducted by the Class of ’05, which was the first class to take part in NRB said the program gave them a sense of community. The satisfaction rate with the programs has increased 14 points since 2001 as well. FYE and its exceptional programs have made Rensselaer stand apart. In the past five years, FYE has been recognized with eight national awards and six regional awards. Apart from those other forms of recognition, the retention rate of first and second year students on campus has been at an average of 92 percent. “I’m so glad future classes will have the ability to experience everything FYE has to offer. I know it began and solidified my freshman year experience at Rensselaer,” said Sara Finkbeiner ’09.
FYE is not letting the budget cuts suppress all the potential the office still has. They are looking to expand the FYE Pilot courses and work on the living and learning communities. NRB will also continue its strengthening by being innovative and engaging. In addition to that, the office is looking to incorporate historical and cultural components to their programs. FYE will continue to be an important part of the Rensselaer experience.
FYE is looking to sustain the enthusiasm and commitment from clubs and groups and the only way to do that is to let FYE know. They are looking for new program ideas that are creative and engaging.
Dean Trahan said, “The Office of FYE will begin gearing up for SO and NRB. We appreciate all of the student support and look forward to working with many upperclassmen as we plan for the Class of 2010—we can’t do it without you! I appreciate all of the support the students have given FYE student initiatives.”
