What is a First Year Student?

First Year Advocacy:  The First Year Student Coordinator is the advocate for first year students and the point person for both first year students and their parents when there are questions or concerns.  Nearly half of the First-Year students and/or their parents interact with the Coordinator in an average school year.

First Year Advising:  Each first year student is connected to a faculty member for academic advising.  In the first year, the First Year Programs Office handles this process.  Also, all students at LTU are linked to their advisors in an advising Web site.

First Year Mentor Program:  Each first year student is connected to a returning LTU student.  Mentors meet the first year students at Discovery, stay in contact with them for the first year and are valuable resources.

Midterm Grades:  Midterm grades are mailed to first year students at their permanent addresses at roughly the 10^th week of the fall and spring semesters.  They are also posted on BannerWeb, an LTU specific Web site. (Final grades are not mailed home but are available on BannerWeb; copies can be requested from the Registrar’s Office.)

Parent Communication:  The First Year Student Coordinator communicates with parents of first year students under the age of 21 several times over the course of the first year.  Letter topics include identifying the First Year Programs Office as a resource for parents and notifying the parents that midterm grades have been posted.

• Orientation and Registration (O&R) – held in summer in preparation for the first year.
• Discovery – a welcome program for first year students just prior to the start of classes.All-freshmen floors in University Housing – in both North and South Housing; staffed with Resident Mentors who support academic achievement.  
• University Seminar – a freshman seminar course.