Contact Information
Edesa Scarborough
Senior Director, First-Year Studies
Gianna Nicholas
Associate Director, First-Year Studies
Emily Bridges
Coordinator, First-Year Community Engagement, First-Year Studies
Phone: (813) 257-3686
·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô:Ìýutampafys@ut.edu
Resources
First-Year Studies (FYS)
First-Year Studies is designed to help students build a connection with each other, faculty, peer mentors and the surrounding community. Recognizing the importance of this life transition, the goal is for each new student to make the best academic, co-curricular and social choices while acquiring the skills needed to excel in their chosen area of interest. All students entering ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøampa are required to take a first-year studies course. Classes are small – usually no more than 24 students with similar interests.
First-Year Studies is the University's largest required undergraduate course, offering over 100 sections. More than 90 instructors, drawn from faculty across all four colleges, teach these essential courses. Additionally, staff from every student-facing division and two members of the President's Cabinet actively contribute to the classrooms, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative educational experience. Each course is designed to ensure students have the information they need to successfully navigate ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøampa’s systems, policies and resources. The course also introduces students to the University'sÌýSpartan Ready® competencies. Learn more about FYS courses.Ìý
Let’s get you Spartan Ready®!
Becoming Spartan Ready®
Benefits of the First-Year Studies Program
Students today need more than what is learned in a classroom to plan their future. The quickly changing demands of the professional world require that students be more sophisticated about personal strengths, setting realistic goals, and adapting to changes in society. First-Year Studies is designed to give entering first-year students the tools to make intelligent decisions about personal matters and academic direction with topics like financial and digital literacy.Ìý
The First-Year Studies team consists of first-year instructors who serve as academic mentors offering guidance to their students on adjusting to college including how to successfully accomplish their personal and academic pursuits. The instructors who teach in First-Year Studies do so in addition to their required academic load or administrative duties, making these individuals an especially dedicated group of educators who are committed to helping students adapt to and succeed in college.
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There are opportunities for students to be part of aÌýLiving Learning Community, select aÌýthemed first-year courseÌýand participate inÌýout-of-class experiences.
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Each First-Year Studies instructor is paired with a student mentor. These are highly engaged and successful upper-division students who provide additional support both academically and socially as they help new students connect to the ÌÒñ«ÉçÇø community. All peer mentors are required to take ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøAMPA 250: Peer Leadership, a course designed to further develop their mentoring skills and counts as elective credits toward the leadership minor.
Phi Eta Sigma (ΦΗΣ)
ΦΗΣ is a prestigious freshman honor society, founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923. As the oldest and largest organization of its kind, it has chartered 386 chapters across the United States and inducted over 1,250,000 members. Eligibility for membership is open to first-year students who achieve a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or rank in the top 20% of their class at the conclusion of a full academic period, provided they have completed a standard course load. Once inducted, members are honored with lifetime membership and are not required to maintain a 3.5 GPA.
We are proud to have ΦΗΣ on campus here at ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøampa. The ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøampa chapter seeks to promote a higher standard of learning and to encourage high scholastic attainment among first-year students. By providing opportunities for personal growth and leadership development as well as campus and community service, members benefit through recognition, scholarships, programming, and community.
FYS Data for 2023-2024
2,333 Students in the 2023 FY CohortÌý
FYS Hosted and Co-Sponsored
Events and Experiences
Signature Events
- Circle of Change First-Generation Conference
- Hollywood Night at Tampa Theatre
- Movie on the Lawn at Armature Works
- Tampa Bay Rowdies Game
- ÌÒñ«ÉçÇøampa Night at the Lightning
Co-Sponsored Events and Activities
- De-Stress Kits (Wellness Services)
- FSL House of Pancakes (Fraternity and Sorority Life)
- Pirate Fest (Wellness Services)
- Part-Time Job Fairs (Career Services)
Unique Out of Classroom Experiences
- ADLC Workshops
- Custom Group Fitness Classes
- FabLab Workshop Tours
- Minaret Climbs
- Tampa Bay Boat Tours
