The First Year Seminar at Newbury College is a required course designed to welcome and incorporate new students with Newbury’s mission and culture. In a small classroom setting, FYS allows new students to build relationships with their fellow classmates and their instructor who also acts as their academic advisor throughout the first year. The connections made and resources utilized throughout this course significantly aid new students in successfully navigating their first year at Newbury.
Some topics covered in the First Year Seminar are Time Management, Financial Planning, Study Skills, Ethics and Integrity, Current Events, Community Service, and Social Justice. The interactive and open classroom atmosphere is designed to benefit students by helping them get to know each other as well as their instructor.
We are pleased to announce that WesMoore's, The Other WesMoore: One Name, Two Fates will be the First Year Seminar Common Reader for the Fall 2011.
The book explores the upbringing and influences of two men with the same name. Themes of family, sacrifice, mentorship and self esteem are explored throughout the book.
A call to action at the end of the book by Tavis Smiley, talk show host and author, states, "Fundamentally, this story is about two boys, each of whom was going through his own personal journey and searching for help. One of them received it; the other didn't. And now the world stands witness to the results. Small interactions and effortless acts of kindness can mean the difference between failure and success, pain and pleasure- or becoming the people we loathe or love to become. We are more powerful than we realize, and I urge you to internalize the meaning of this remarkable story and unleash your own power."
If you have any questions please contact Amy Shirley, Dean of Student Affairs.