First Year Experience Requirement

The First Year Experience (FYE 100_) provides students with a basic platform from which they can plan their growth and development while at WCU. First Year Experience courses are offered in a variety of areas, but they share common content across all sections, including:

• An overview of the liberal arts tradition in higher education and an explanation of the structure of WCU's General Education curriculum
• An introduction of the e-portfolio and its use across the undergraduate degree
• Research about brain development, psychology of learning, and metacognitive, affective, and social dynamics; information intended to help students understand the learning process and the factors important to a successful college experience
• An opportunity for experiential learning
• Information pertaining to university policies and campus life 

The First Year Experience is a four-credit requirement and applies to incoming first-year students, as well as transfer students with fewer than 24 college-level credits.

For transfer students with 24 college-level credits, the FYE requirement is waived.

The FYE requirement can be transferred in from another institution if the student took an FYE course elsewhere prior to enrolling at WCU. If a student completed a 3-credit FYE course at another institution, this course will fulfill WCU’s FYE requirement. A student that receives FYE credit for a 3-credit course will need to make up the extra credit with additional coursework. Any FYE course from another institution that is less than 3 credits will not satisfy this General Education requirement.

Students should complete their FYE requirement within their first 30 credits at WCU.

Students receiving a grade of C- or lower in the FYE will be provided an opportunity to further develop their mastery of course competencies via additional instruction no later than the beginning of the second subsequent regular (fall or spring) semester. The instructor of record for the additional instruction will have the ability to increase the original grade to no higher than a “C.”