Initiative Five: First-Year Experience

The First-Year Experience initiative aims to provide first-year students at Curry College with an experience that promotes student success and growth through meaningful guidance and support for academics, co-curriculars, and extra-curricular activities. The focus will be on fostering self-discovery, building community connections, and enhancing academic engagement. By partnering with faculty, staff, alumni, peers, families, and external thought leaders, the first-year experience will create opportunities for students to define how they engage, learn, and thrive at Curry College. This initiative aligns with our mission of promoting student success and aims to increase the retention of first-year students by improving their overall experience in a manner that is consistent with Curry’s reputation as a caring and supportive community.

Implementation Team

Erik Müürisepp, Vice President of Student Affairs
Bob Shea, Provost
Keith Robichaud, Vice President of Enrollment Management
Jim Keane, Associate Provost for Student Success and Retention
Marshall Lancey, Assistant Dean of Campus Life & Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Sarah Shane, Director of Advising & Academic Success & Special Assistant to the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
Kyle Nolan, Director of Admission Marketing
Mike Bosco, Associate Provost for Academic Administration
Lisa Rodrigues, Associate Vice President, Student Affairs
Jeannette Buntin, Assistant Vice President of Engagement and Diversity
Bridget Green, Associate Director, Residence Life
Pat Kelley, Director of Student Engagement
Sara Hannigan, Speech and Language Pathologist & SAIL Coordinator
Kathy Joyce, Director of Health Services
Maura Donovan, Director of Constituent and Alumni Engagement
Jennifer McNally, Mathematics Coordinator, Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Lindsay Illich, Coordinator and Professor, Writing Program
Jennifer Hart, Coordinator, First-Year Studies, Professor, General Education

Advisory Committee

Jennifer Balboni, Professor, Criminal Justice
Erica Humphrey, Associate Director of Advising & Academic Success
Pete Mendel, Assistant Athletic Director for Recruitment & Retention and Student-Athlete Leadership & Head Men’s Soccer Coach
Ryan Theroux, Professor, General Education
Marie Turner, Professor, Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Strategic Priorities

• Academics: Faculty are dedicated to enhancing the curriculum through thoughtful redesign and improvements, actively building vibrant communities of practice, and better leveraging existing first-year academic transition programming to drive success.
• Engagement: Establish dedicated best practices for overseeing and enhancing transition programming like Orientation, Welcome Weekend, the First-Year Experience Curriculum Liaison, and family engagement.
• First-Year Advising and Student Success Center: Expand advising capacity and revamp our approach through the Center to more efficiently coordinate the delivery of academic and other support.
• Expanded Mental Health and Wellness: Collect data on student needs and best practices to enhance mental health and wellness support while upgrading the mental health and medical services platform for improved access.
• Peer Mentoring: Strengthen and expand peer mentorship programs across campus.
• Summer Bridge: Create summer programming to assist students in transition to College, including programs tailored for neurodivergent individuals.

Fiscal Year 2025 Key Action Items

• Increase First-Year Experience support staff (new program coordinator)
• Bolster and streamline advising capacity