First Year Experience
The Four Points Of Entry For First Year Students:
First Year Academic Programming at Landmark College is committed to supporting new students through a welcoming community and integrated academic experience. Transitioning students, especially those with LDs and ADHD, benefit from an intentional approach to education that acknowledges the differing needs of developing learners. Through curricular offerings and academic advising, we provide an intellectual framework that introduces students to the cognitive, physical, and affective dimensions of learning. We inform our best practices through current research and practical experiences in order to provide this exceptional collegiate environment.
Because all students at Landmark experience some type of learning difficulty, we strive to accurately place students based on their skill levels and academic abilities. All incoming students are placed in one of four entry points (Points of Entry): the Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC), the Partial Credit Curriculum, the Credit Curriculum, or the Executive Function Credit Curriculum.
The First Year Program offers an integrated experience through all First Year courses designed around guiding principles and best practices for transitioning students. The Program:
- fosters metacognition and self-knowledge by deliberately connecting course instruction to advising.
- introduces students to the cognitive, affective and physical dimensions of learning.
- provides a rich academic program that is collegiate and intellectually stimulating.
- helps students understand brain function, learning issues and executive function demands.
Guiding Principles
- Assignments are relevant and meaningful to our students.
- Objectives and purpose of assignments are clear.
- Feedback on assignments is prompt.
- Academic policies, course work, and expectations are explicit.
- Multiple opportunities exist to demonstrate attainment of course objectives.
- Orientation begins with the First Year Welcome and New Student Course Registration and continues throughout the first semester.
- Consultation and Coordination team (C&C), an early intervention system, identifies and supports struggling students.
- Classroom instruction and advising are scaffolded to optimize effective transition.
- Study skills and learning strategies are integral to classroom instruction, assignments, and assessment.
|
