Introduction to College Success Rolls Out with Refresh

September 18, 2024

Thank you to Dr. Desiree Vannatta, who led the refresh of Motlow’s First Year Experience course this year, which resulted in the newly launched Introduction to College Success (ICS). 

The updated curriculum fosters both student success and student retention. Learning objectives include ensuring each student’s early engagement in the wealth of student support resources Motlow offers. 

According to Dr. Vannatta, new assignments cultivate students’ multimodal skills for today’s digital culture. The course includes lessons on creating flyers, slide decks, personalized planners, and more. Students gain new skills in Canva, podcasting, and Microsoft tools like PowerPoint. She added, “Most people agree that when we are allowed a space for creativity, we are more likely to engage, produce, and retain.” 

The course maintains critical thinking as its core focus. The new textbook for the class is Think Again by Adam Grant. That text provides a framework for addressing concepts such as rethinking, standing firm, and/or remaining neutral after considering all aspects of a topic, belief, or habit. The updated curriculum features eight units that cover topics such as Getting to Know Your College, Learner Health, and Problem Solving Skills. It also integrates mandatory Title IX Training and D2L Learner certification to help students navigate Motlow’s Learning Management System successfully.

Dr. Vannatta kicked off the new launch with an in-service session for ICS faculty that was well-attended. She found that ICS faculty are some of our greatest student champions, adding that she hopes that the collective work resulting in the course redesign “Will inspire students to join clubs, submit their work for publication, and begin and sustain self-created portfolios that fuel their future.”