Looking back, almost every college student can agree that the transition from high school to college was a major adjustment. With Stevens specifically, its rigorous academic curriculum on top of its overwhelming amount of opportunities can make the school extremely daunting to navigate. In an interview with the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Sara Klein, The Stute investigated the introduction of a new course that will aim to make this transition much easier for incoming students.
Surprisingly, Klein’s efforts to offer a First-Year Experience (FYE) course started all the way back in 2015 when, according to Klein, “along with a group of interested faculty and staff, [she] drafted an initial rational proposal and outline for the course,” but, unfortunately, at that time they did not have enough support to continue with the project. Thankfully, a few years later Klein proposed the idea again during a meeting with the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, and this time it generated a lot more “interest and excitement.” Therefore, the creation of the course was included in the plans for Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology.
When it was time to start developing the course, Klein joined forces with Vice Provost, David Zeng, for a year’s worth of work consisting of “developing the course content, syllabus, and materials; securing resources; and planning for the logistics of eventually offering nearly 60 sections of the course.” As of now, the content is almost final and the course has been approved by all the necessary committees.
In her role as Vice President of Student Affairs, Klein is responsible for overseeing all of the offices within the Division of Student Affairs, including the Career Center, Undergraduate Student Life, Student Support, and much more. In the detailed summary of her role on the Stevens website it mentions that “she is passionate about student learning and development and maintains an unwavering commitment to nurturing a safe, healthy, inclusive, and welcoming campus community,” explaining her hard work and dedication when it came to the creation of this new course.
Klein explains that, “Each section will be jointly taught by a faculty and a staff member with enrollment capped at below 20” and “ a pilot section of the course will be co-facilitated by Dr. Zeng and me in [the] fall of 2023.” Starting in fall of 2024, the class will be required for all first-year students for their first semester, and those who cannot take or finish it in their first semester will be required to take it in their second semester.
When asked what the course will cover, Klein detailed that, “It [will create] an opportunity for dialogue and discussion amongst peers, faculty and staff in a small group setting as students learn about themselves in the context of the Stevens experience. […] Students will learn essential skills for success in college, including leadership skills, cultural competence, ethical decision-making, academic and career development skills, personal wellness, and how to access campus resources.”
Overall, Klein’s aim for this course is that it will help incoming students make a connection between Steven’s history and opportunities as well as individual students’ personal goals and vision for their next four years and beyond. Even though this change will not affect Stevens’ current students, it is important that we recognize how it can improve new students’ wellbeing, therefore impacting the future of this university.
