Starting Strong: The Impact of First Year Seminar on Adelphi Students

Although the Spring '25 Semester is just wrapping up and the bell is about to ring, the Faculty Center for Professional Excellence (FCPE) is already looking ahead. Now is the perfect time-to not only recognize and celebrate our First Year Seminar (FYS) program and its faculty-but for you to start thinking about how your own course could be part of this transformative program.

…A First Year Seminar isn't just a class, it's a pathway, it's a journey into a world of ideas, into a world of engagement and dialogue and I think also discovery.

At Adelphi University, the First Year Seminar (FYS)is more than an introductory course-it's a launchpad for transformative learning, academic discovery, and personal growth. To spotlight the profound impact of this program, the FCPE recently sat down with four passionate faculty members-Christopher Davis, Sarah Eltabib, Nathan Ross, and Clara Vaz Bauler. Their insights, captured in this video, reveal how FYS inspires studentsto tackle big ideas, build essential skills, and form meaningful, lasting connections with their professors.

Rooted in the liberal arts and fueled by innovation, FYS helps students step confidently into the intellectual life of the university. From its beginning, the program has prioritized small, discussion-based classes that cultivate curiosity, collaboration, and a deep sense of belonging.

FYS also gives faculty the freedom to design courses around their own scholarly passions-resulting in dynamic, engaging classrooms where creativity and critical thinking thrive. By fostering a shared academic journey in students' first semester, FYS lays a strong foundation for interdisciplinary exploration, academic confidence, and lifelong learning.

Discover how this distinctive program continues to shape the Adelphi experience-for both students and educators!

Interested in being featured?

Contact Leeann Mello at FCPEto learn how you can be part of an upcoming Faculty Fridaysissue.