The First-Year Experience

The commitment to the first-year experience is evident in the creation of a new Office of the First-Year Experience that will provide programming and support for new students through their first year at Rensselaer, with special emphasis on exciting new orientation programs for incoming freshmen and transfer students.

“We want to have students love it here,” says Lisa Trahan, the dean heading the new office. “And we want our students to stay connected to Rensselaer after they graduate.”

President Jackson agrees. “If we are going to bring in young people who are talented and excited about being here, we need to take care of them. Nurturing our students is not inconsistent with demanding excellence.”

Orientation will move to a new dimension, with choices that include an outdoor/wilderness option at Silver Bay on Lake George or Camp Sloane in Lakeville, Conn.; a historical/cultural option that will include trips to nearby museums and performances or an opportunity to explore the history of the region; or a community service option in collaboration with the City of Troy.

Anne Marie Lisuzzo ’04, a management major, is sophomore class president. “I think these programs will be very helpful, especially for people who tend to be shy and who are in big classes like engineering. It can be very hard for some people to feel at home here.”

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