Helping Dietrich School Students to Start Smart
Imagine yourself an entering Pitt freshman. You chose the University for two main reasons: its academic reputation and a well-regarded program in your field of interest. You are excited to live and study on its city campus, nestled just east of downtown Pittsburgh.
But, truth be told, you also feel a bit overwhelmed. You view Pitt’s size, with a freshman class reaching nearly 3,000 students strong, as both a blessing and a curse. You know a university this large offers substantial resources and opportunities, but you fear you might get lost, both literally and figuratively.
Luckily, you entered the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, which offers a comprehensive Office of Freshman Programs, specifically designed to help students just like you.
“There’s something wonderful about being a new student,” says Office of Freshman Programs Director Laura Dice. “We do our best to provide an especially welcoming environment with lots of perks that freshmen will only be able to experience their first semester in college.”
Dice explains that Freshman Programs helps incoming freshmen make a smoother academic and social transition from high school to college, offering an impressive total of nearly 100 courses just for freshmen.
The optional but highly recommended Introduction to Arts and Sciences (IAS) functions as a fun and informative overview of the University, the Dietrich School, and the city. Small classes of 19 students give freshmen the chance to interact and get to know each other. And, highly practical content—how to use the resources at Hillman Library, appropriate communication skills and interactions with faculty, academic integrity, and the goals of a liberal arts and sciences education—gives students the basic toolbox of skills they will need over and over again throughout their academic careers.
Two other popular options within the Office of Freshman Programs are the Freshman Seminar and Academic Communities. Picture the seminar as IAS+. It includes IAS, as well as fulfilling the Seminar in Composition requirement. Seminar students also get to take part in Explore Pittsburgh, which takes students into the city’s diverse neighborhoods and cultural institutions. Students who choose an Academic Community get a special treat—they can select from varied offerings that fit their interests, and they have the chance to form even closer bonds with fellow freshmen, as the communities meet more frequently and often offer built-in social opportunities. Each Academic Community includes Introduction to Arts and Sciences (as either a stand-alone class or as part of the more in-depth Freshman Seminar).
Jessica Hatherill, senior administrative officer in the Dietrich School, explains Academic Communities: “If a student plans to major in chemistry, they might be interested in Molecules and Morals, which includes General Chemistry and the Morality and Medicine course. Perhaps you are fascinated by film, so the How to Make A Film community might appeal to you, which includes the Motion Picture Fundamentals course.”
Dice is particularly excited about some new programming for Fall 2015 she and Assistant Director Russ Maiers created. Her office will offer new internationally based Academic Communities: Asian, European, Latin American, and Global Studies communities, which will include a related area course, IAS, and their choice of language study. Freshman programs will also debut another new, interdisciplinary Academic Community, The Beautiful Mind, which pairs an introductory neuroscience course, Brain and Behavior, with an introductory Studio Arts course, Drawing Studio I.
English Writing (fiction) major Olivia Lapinksi just completed her freshman year at Pitt and liked her Academic Community so well, she signed up to be an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for next year. As a teaching assistant, Lapinski will assist the course instructor of either an IAS or Seminar course and act as a peer mentor who can speak from her own personal experiences.
“I knew the University of Pittsburgh would be my choice when I had the opportunity to visit campus,” reflects Lapinski, a Massachusetts native, “though I was a little unsure of attending such a huge university... . I remember getting a flyer for the Academic Communities in the mail after I’d been accepted, and it seemed like a really interesting way to find a small group of people you'd see more than once a week.”
Lapinski chose the the Gods and Androids community—which included the Freshman Seminar on Science Fiction and Myth, as well as the Mythology in the Ancient World course—and found some of her best friends there. She also took advantage of the Office of Freshman Programs’ other perks, like a trip to the Waterfront movie theaters, complete with free admission, popcorn, and a drink. For more information about the Office of Freshman Programs, visit them online.