Some students come to college with a specific major and/or career path in mind. But for the many students who don’t know exactly what they want to study, FRCC has created a new way to help them to find their path.
The college is focused on building communities on each of our campuses that:
- Bring like-minded students together to get to know others who share their interests.
- Connect students with teachers and staff who have expertise in their general field of interest.
- Provide opportunities to explore academic majors and careers within a broad field.
- Give students a sense of belonging and support as they define their goals.
- Guide students toward a clear path that will help them reach those goals.
Communities Centered on Learning
When a new student comes to FRCC, if they’re not sure where to start, our academic advisors can help. Advisors work with undecided students to identify a broad field of subject matter that interests them. Based on those interests, advisors help each student to choose one of six broad communities:
- Business & Information Technology
- Health Sciences & Wellness
- Liberal Arts, Communication & Design
- Manufacturing, Automotive, Construction & Design Technologies
- Math & Science
- Social Sciences, Education & Public Service
By joining one of these Career and Academic Communities, students get connected with an advisor who focuses exclusively on their chosen area. They get to meet other students who have similar interests—and together they can participate in activities organized for their community. Once a student is in the right community, they get the chance to work and play with a group of people who have a lot in common.
Make Connections, Explore Your Options
Everyone in a given community is focused on the same general career or academic field. The different programs within each community often have similar first-semester courses, so new students get a chance to get to know their peers who are studying similar disciplines.
Faculty and staff in this community organize events that help students learn about different areas of study and career options. Throughout the year, each community plans activities—such as hosting expert speakers, taking students on field trips, supporting student clubs and more.
Events like these build a sense of belonging and connection to a supportive community of learning. Our aim is to help students feel at home—but also to help them figure out what specific subject matter they’re interested in studying. Clearly defining that direction helps students develop a roadmap for how they can reach their own unique goals.
Staying on Course
Academic advisors at FRCC are now assigned to students in a particular community. This allows the advisors to specialize in specific programs, and to help students make course choices that keep them on track to reach their goals.
Our college’s new community structure is designed to give students the additional guidance and support they need to stay on their path to completion. And when they’re ready to leave FRCC, we also connect students to four-year schools and career opportunities.
What’s Next?
Each semester, faculty and staff are finding new ways to bring students together and get them actively engaged in their shared field. As the six communities take root and grow at each FRCC campus, eventually even more events and educational programming will take place outside the classroom.
Stay tuned for updates as FRCC’s communities continue to grow and develop. These efforts don’t just help our students reach their college goals—they give them a strong foundation on which to build successful lives and strong futures.
