By Mary Ann Schwindt
schwindt@grinnell.edu
A faculty vote on May 4 will decide if the First-Year Experience (FYE) course will become a requirement for graduation at Grinnell College. But some students who’ve taken the course are questioning how useful it really is.
The course, directed towards first-year students, was created on a recommendation from the
residential learning task force, which is comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees. The goal for the course was to have students gain a common language and understanding of topics ranging from identity to sexual respect.
The task force’s recommendation first resulted in staff members, such as Jordan Brooks in Intercultural Affairs and Adam Gilbert, a residence life coordinator (RLC), visiting five first-year tutorials to deliver class information sessions in the 2017-2018 academic year.