Skip to main content
Sign In

Resources For: Prospective Students | Current Students | Parents | Faculty & Staff | Alumni & Friends | Patients

University of Colorado Denver

Office of Undergraduate Experiences
  • Home
    • >
  • First Year Experience
 

First-Year Experience

First-Year Seminar Program
Tagxedo UE 3.jpg

The First Year Experience (FYE) is a comprehensive approach to ensure first year students make a successful transition to college.  Through participation in the First Year Experience, CU Denver has the following primary goals for students.

  • Become actively engaged with the CU Denver Downtown Campus community
  • Develop relationships with peers, faculty and staff members 
  • Demonstrate high levels of academic performance 
  • Develop appropriate study and time management skills  

 

First Year Seminars    

CU Denver offers an optional program of First-Year Seminars (FYS) designed to assist first-year students to successfully make the transition from high school to college, improve student retention, and boost new student confidence.  The FYS courses integrate rigorous academic content with academic skills such as library usage, campus resources, information literacy, time management, communication skills, and career counseling. 

Class size is capped at 24 students to encourage interaction between student and instructor, and to allow the instructor to serve as a mentor in the student’s first semester of college.  Students are restricted to one FYS course.  All of the FYS courses are 3 credit hours and count in the required Core Curriculum.  Course content varies, but students should expect weekly writing and reading assignments.  FYS students are also engaged outside the classroom, service learning activities, campus engagements, and skills workshops.            

Fall 2011 First-Year Seminar Course Brochure 

University of Colorado Denver Core Status for First-Year Seminar Courses

Beginning with the Fall 2009 semester, the CU Denver Core Curriculum Oversight Committee (CCOC) approved using one First-Year Seminar (FYS) course towards Core Curriculum requirements.  The FYS courses are individually reviewed by the CCOC for knowledge area content, critical thinking and writing requirements of the Core.  FYS course may only be applied toward a specific Knowledge Area of the Core, which excludes using a FYS course towards writing/mathematics proficiency in Intellectual Competencies, International Perspectives, or Cultural Diversity areas of the Core.  The following table outlines the FYS courses by department/program, title, and instructor for official Core Status.

 

FYS Workshop Office Contact and Registration Information:

- please check the office website before calling to register for a workshop!
 
FYS Workshops by Theme:
Financial Fitness
This workshop will cover a series of simple and powerful personal finance topics such as credit, spending and budgeting. These topics will enhance your ability to plan and pay for short and long term goals you hope to achieve. During the workshop the instructor will share a list of innovative resources available to anyone, for free, as long as they have access to the Internet. This workshop is a great opportunity for students interested in learning more about money and creating the path for a healthy financial life.  All sessions will be located in North Classroom room 1501, with a limit of 15 students per session.   Register via:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S6D8XGV.
Tuesday, October 4th          11am-12pm                North Classroom 1501         Financial Aid Office 
Tuesday, October 11th        9am-10am                  North Classroom 1501         Financial Aid Office 
Tuesday, November 8th        1:30pm-2:30pm          North Classroom 1501         Financial Aid Office 
Tuesday, December 6th      9am-10am                  North Classroom 1501          Financial Aid Office 
 
Paying for College with Scholarships
This workshop will address the scholarship process, and how to search for scholarships.  We will also cover how to make your scholarship application competitive.  No registration required.
Friday, September 2nd         1pm - 2pm                Tivoli 640                           Scholarship Office
Friday, October 14th            1pm - 2pm                 Tivoli 640                           Scholarship Office
Friday, November 4th          1pm - 2pm                 Tivoli 640                           Scholarship Office
​
Getting into the Health Program of Your Choice with Dr. Charles Ferguson
This talk is designed as a general overview of the process for getting into ANY health professions graduate program.  This is especially good for freshman students!  No registration is required.
Wednesday, September 7th                     7pm – 9pm             TBD               UCD Health Careers
Wednesday, November 16th              7pm – 9pm             TBD               UCD Health Careers
 
How to Choose your Major
A well-chosen major can be the beginning of a successful future!  Trained Career Counselors will assist you as you learn a process that works for selecting a college major that fits who you are, plays on your natural strengths and skills, encourages your interest patterns, and helps you find meaning in your studies.  A helpful booklet is also provided which is packed with ideas and exercises.  No registration is required.
Thursday, October 27th        2pm-3:15pm                   Tivoli 267                  Career Center
Tuesday, November 1st       9:30am-10:45am             Tivoli 267                  Career Center
 
Writing Your First Résumé
A well written résumé is essential for grabbing the attention of employers, scholarship boards, part time employment, internships, summer jobs, and volunteer opportunities. Learn the basics of resume writing, identify your best skill sets, and discover how to articulate your experiences to spark the interest of the reader.  This workshop is best suited for first time résumé writers.   It’s not too soon to learn this important skill.  No registration is required.
Monday October 3rd             11am - 12:15pm              Tivoli 267                Career Center
Friday, October 21st              3:30pm - 4:45pm            Tivoli 267                Career Center
​
***All Writing Center workshops require registration so please register at http://clas.ucdenver.edu/writing/workshops.html ***
Academic Integrity for Students
This is an on-line workshop containing 4 modules that cover intellectual honesty and ethical conduct required of students and faculty.  Learn about all aspects of academic integrity with a focus on how to avoid plagiarism and cheating at the university level.   
TBD – September          TBD             Online               Advanced Technology and Extended Learning
 
APA Citation
In this session, participants will be shown the basics of citation in APA (American Psychological Association) style. This workshop is designed for students from all majors who would like to have a better understanding of how to cite references. Page format, in-text citations, and bibliographies will be covered.
Tuesday, September 20th          4pm-6pm            North Classroom 4014            Writing Center
Tuesday, October 11th               5pm-6pm            North Classroom 4014            Writing Center
 
Argument and Analysis
In this workshop, participants will learn the purpose of and approaches to writing complex argumentative and analytical papers, such as term papers and theses. The workshop will focus on the importance of assessing evidence to support an argument. Workshop participants will review samples of analytical writing from a multidisciplinary perspective and practice melding evidence and analysis to support an argument.
Tuesday, September 27th       4pm-6pm               North Classroom 4014            Writing Center
Friday, October 28th               12pm-2pm              North Classroom 4014            Writing Center
 
Cite it, don’t steal it.
Make your “writing term papers” life 10 times easier by learning how to use EndNote Web, a powerful and free program for creating, managing and organizing your research citations. In this workshop you will create your account and start building your personal research library.  No registration required.
Wednesday, October 12th         9am-10am      Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)      Auraria Library
Tuesday, October 25th              3pm-4pm        Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)      Auraria Library

Composing a Thesis
In this workshop, participants will learn the essential elements of writing three types of papers: analytical, descriptive, and argumentative. The workshop will focus on methods of creating a strong thesis statement for these three types of papers. Workshop participants will review sample papers from a multidisciplinary perspective to learn numerous practices for how to structure papers as well as how to use evidence for analysis, description, and argument. 
Tuesday, September 13th          4pm-6pm          North Classroom 4014                Writing Center
Friday, October 14th                  12pm-2pm         North Classroom 4014                Writing Center
Wednesday, November 2nd        6pm-7pm          Campus Village                          Writing Center
 
Effective Revision
This workshop focuses on the process of revision to enable participants to revise effectively. Unlike editing, where the writer merely fixes surface errors, revision means to see the work again. In this workshop, we will explore how to revise a piece, seeing it again in a new way. The first part of the workshop will focus on global revision, while the second half will explore paragraph and sentence level revision.
Monday, September 19th            5pm-6pm             North Classroom 4014             Writing Center
Friday, October 21st                   12pm-1pm            North Classroom 4014             Writing Center
 
I can’t find anything on my topic!
Can’t find what you need to write your paper? You may not be looking in the right place, using the best terms, or even have a searchable topic.  This workshop will cover strategy and challenges students face in the modern research environment.  Bring your most difficult questions.  We will explore some great resources in a fully hand-on and dynamic workshop.  No registration required.
Wednesday, October 26th        9am-10am      Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)       Auraria Library
Tuesday, November 8th           3pm-4pm        Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)       Auraria Library
 
MLA Citation
In this session, participants will be shown the basics of citation in MLA (Modern Language Association) style. This workshop is designed for students from all majors who would like to have a better understanding of how to cite. Page format, in-text citations, and bibliographies will be covered.
Friday, September 16th          12pm-1pm           North Classroom 4014          Writing Center           
Monday, October 10th              5pm-6pm           North Classroom 4014          Writing Center
 
Professional Development: Resumes & Cover Letters
Wednesday, November 9th         6pm-7pm           Campus Village                Writing Center
 
We’re not your parents’ library!
YOUR library has books online as well as books to check out, journal articles in electronic databases, and more information than you can possibly download. It can be overwhelming, but not after this workshop. We will practice some searching strategies, collecting and citing the vast resources at Auraria Library.  No registration required. 
Monday, October 17th               9am-10am         Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)         Auraria Library
Thursday, November 3rd           3pm-4pm           Enhanced Learning Center (ELC)         Auraria Library
 
Writing Basics: Argument & Grammar – Campus Village
Wednesday, November 2nd          8pm-9pm          Campus Village             Writing Center
​***All workshops in the Learning Resource Center require online registration at www.ucdenver.edu/lrc.  ***
Test Anxiety
The Learning Resource Center and the UCD Student & Community Counseling Center are collaborating to offer a Test Anxiety Workshop that emphasizes study strategies and planning for tests as well as practical techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.  You will leave this workshop with tools you can use to reduce your test anxiety and study more effectively.    Register online at ucdenver.edu/lrc.
Wednesday, October 12th            12:30pm-1:30pm      Tivoli Room 440                                                       Learning Resource Center and the UCD Counseling Center
Thursday, December 1st                3:30pm-4:30pm        Tivoli Room 440       
Learning Resource Center and the UCD Counseling Center
 
Timing Is Everything!  How to Better Manage the Time You Have
Wednesday, August 31st           1pm-2pm           North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
Thursday, September 1st           1pm-2pm          North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
Wednesday, October 12th         1pm-2pm           North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
Thursday, October 13th             1pm-2pm           North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
 
Learning Styles and Intelligence: Discover Yours!
Wednesday, September 7th        1pm-2pm           North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
Thursday, September 8th            1pm-2pm           North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
 
Learn All that You Can Learn:  General Study Tips
Wednesday, September 14th        1pm-2pm         North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
Thursday, September 15th             1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
Wednesday, November 30th          1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
Thursday, December 1st                1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
 
Reading to Learn:  Learning to Read Academically
Wednesday, September 21st          1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
Thursday, September 22nd             1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501         Learning Resource Center
 
Notes Worth Taking
Wednesday, September 28th        1pm-2pm          North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
Thursday, September 29th             1pm-2pm         North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
 
Testing Smarter—General Strategies for Taking Tests
Wednesday, October 5th               1pm-2pm         North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
Thursday, October 6th                   1pm-2pm         North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
 
Choosing Wisely:  Multiple Choice Testing
Wednesday, October 19th              1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center 
Thursday, October 20th                   1pm-2pm       North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center   
 
Becoming a Critical Thinker—It’s Not All Negative
Wednesday, October 26th               1pm-2pm       North Classroom 1501       Learning Resource Center
Thursday, October 27th                   1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501      Learning Resource Center
 
Remembering and Forgetting—Memory Techniques
Wednesday, November 2nd           1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
Thursday, November 3rd                1pm-2pm       North Classroom 1501        Learning Resource Center
 
Writing Under Pressure:  Essay Tests
Wednesday, November 9th          1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501           Learning Resource Center
Thursday, November 10th            1pm-2pm        North Classroom 1501           Learning Resource Center
 
To Cram or Not to Cram:  Taking Final Exams
Wednesday, November 16th         1pm-2pm       North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
Thursday, November 17th              1pm-2pm      North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
Wednesday, December 7th            1pm-2pm      North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
Thursday, December 8th                1pm-2pm      North Classroom 1501          Learning Resource Center
​
Beer Goggles and Bartending School
Join UCD Community Standards and Wellness Office to play with intoxi-goggles and pitchers.  We’ll teach you about standard drinks and how to calculate your blood alcohol concentration.  You’ll also get info on how to help a friend and the Good Samaritan policy at UCD.  Bring your cell phone! 
Thursday, October 6th          5:30pm-7pm    Tivoli Multicultural Lounge      Comm Standards and Wellness
Thursday, November 17th     7pm-8:30pm    Campus Village Theater Room    Comm Standards Wellness
 
Love Hurts? No, it doesn’t.
Have you ever wondered what a healthy relationship looks like? Are you unsure about your relationship or a friend’s and would like information on healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors? This session is an interactive workshop to help folks understand their intimate relationships and how to set boundaries as well as learning about how abuse can manifest itself differently for different people and relationships.  Please call to register 303-556-6011 at least 24 hours before the workshop.
Thursday September 8th       3pm-4:30pm        Tivoli, room 320A        The Phoenix Center at Auraria
Monday October 24th            2:30pm-4pm        Tivoli, room 320A        The Phoenix Center at Auraria
Friday November 18th           2pm-3:30pm        Tivoli, room 640           The Phoenix Center at Auraria
               
Step Up, Step In, Take Action
Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) is a leadership training program that motivates student leaders to play a central role in solving problems that historically have been considered “women’s issues”: rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.  The program views students not as potential perpetrators or victims, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers. The MVP approach does not involve finger pointing, nor does it blame participants for the widespread problem of gender violence. Instead it sounds a positive call for proactive, preventive behavior and leadership. Come and join us and learn how you can step up, intervene and take action to stop violence.  Please call to register 303-556-6011 at least 24 hours before the workshop. 
Thursday, September 1st          3pm-4:30pm       Tivoli, room 440          The Phoenix Center at Auraria
Friday, October 14th                 2pm-3:30pm       Tivoli, room 320A         The Phoenix Center at Auraria
Monday, November 7th             2pm-3:30pm      Tivoli, room 320A         The Phoenix Center at Auraria
 
Strengths Quest
Have you ever wondered how to access your true personal strengths and REALLY use them to your advantage?  Join this 2-part workshop to uncover your talents and optimize their use for your academic and personal success. Strengths Quest book with assessment will be provided by the Counseling Center and available for you to pick up 2 weeks before the workshops.  
Registration deadline for all SQ workshops is September 8th; please call the UCD Counseling Center to register (303) 556 4372. 
Thursday, September 22nd        3pm-4:30pm       AND        Thursday, October 6th       3-4pm                     North Classroom 4036                        UCD Counseling Center
Monday, October 3rd                  3pm-4:30pm       AND         Monday, October 17th      3-4pm                     North Classroom 4036                       UCD Counseling Center
Friday, October 14th                   10am-11:30am    AND         Friday, October 28th         10-11am                 North Classroom 4036                                UCD Counseling Center
 
Test Anxiety
The Learning Resource Center and the UCD Student & Community Counseling Center are collaborating to offer a Test Anxiety Workshop that emphasizes study strategies and planning for tests as well as practical techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. You will leave this workshop with tools you can use to reduce your test anxiety and study more effectively. Register online at ucdenver.edu/lrc.
Wednesday, October 12th            12:30pm-1:30pm        Tivoli Room 440                                                     
Thursday, December 1st                3:30pm-4:30pm        Tivoli Room 440      
 
Think Strong 101
This is a one-hour introduction our very popular ‘Think Strong’ life skills groups.  We are a wellness culture.  We workout our bodies, eat right, and try to live healthy.  Think Strong is a mind and emotion strength training course.  You will learn skills to strengthen your mind, your emotions and your interpersonal effectiveness.  If you like the introduction, you can sign up for other free group sessions open to all UCD students.  Call at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a slot (303) 556 4372.
Tuesday, September 20th            3pm-4pm            North Classroom 4036          UCD Counseling Center
Wednesday, October 12th            3pm-4pm           North Classroom 4036          UCD Counseling Center
 
Welcome to HIGH Country
Living in the Mile HIGH City comes with its own set of temptations.  We’re a hotbox of information in this interactive drug education workshop.  Bring your cell phone!  Wednesday, October 26th     7pm-8:30pm    Campus Village Theater Room    Comm Standards Wellness
Monday, November 7th        3pm-4:30pm     Tivoli Multicultural Lounge            Comm Standards Wellness

Office of Undergraduate Experiences

Phone: 303-315-2133 • Fax: 303-315-5829

Street Address: 1380 Lawrence Street, Ste 300

Denver, CO 80204

University of Colorado Denver

© 2008 The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.

All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.