General education is the core of the undergraduate experience. It provides a lasting foundation for students' future academic, civil, cultural, economic, and social lives. Additionally, as part of most general education curricula, general education as well as first-year experience programs are becoming virtually universal in colleges and…

The development of a freshman seminar at Ohio State University over 70 years is chronicled, looking at the impact of historical influences and the changing values of higher education on the character of the course. The structure and content of the current course are also outlined. (MSE)

One institution's experience in developing and implementing a freshman program is translated into suggestions for others, addressing such issues as faculty involvement, openness of discussion, program objectives, costs, faculty development, experimentation, and mistakes. (MSE)

A discussion of the transition from high school to college outlines three principles of program planning for this group: helping first-year students see college as the beginning of a discovery process; exposing them to intellectual issues and experiences; and helping them accept responsibility for their own future. (MSE)

This paper describes the development of the University of Georgia's Division of Developmental Studies--a program providing special developmental instruction to students who otherwise would not have been admitted to the school. It consists of four components: English, mathematics, reading, and counseling. The objectives of each of these components…

The University of South Alabama addressed a rapid increase in the population of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in its freshman composition classes by developing classes in writing in English as a Second Language (ESL). These students were having difficulty in mainstream freshman composition classes, both with the proficiency level…

Guidelines to enhancing the freshman year experience are presented in the following chapters: (1) "A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Freshman Success" (M. Lee Upcraft, John N. Gardner); (2) "Who Are Today's Freshmen?" (Arthur Levine); (3) "A Historical Look at the Freshman Year Experience" (John Orr Dwyer); (4) "Understanding Student…