FIGs in the Media- IU Home Pages 2004

FIGs spells friends for first-year students
Living-learning program takes holistic approach to student retention
By John R. Hughey

Reality television. Criminal behavior. Fashion trends.

Nearly 400 IU Bloomington freshman will explore these not-so-everyday classroom topics—and other interests—during their first semester. More importantly, they’ll make the transition from high school home room to college dorm room with a network of like-minded friends.

That’s the mission, at least, behind the highly praised Freshman Interest Groups (FIGS). The program, launched in 1998 by University Division, and Residential Programs and Services, gives first-year students a chance to live and study with a small group of students, all sharing the same interest. The program is frequently cited as a contributing reason behind Time magazine’s recognition in 2001, granting IU Bloomington the title “College of the Year.” It generally attracts 6-8 percent of incoming freshman.

Maybe it’s a career in business, an inkling to explore filmmaking, a jones for pop culture, or the chance to make friends—fast—on a large campus.

“The whole idea behind FIGs is to help transition from home to campus, not just high school to college. It’s a holistic approach,” said FIGS director Jacek Dalecki. “They’re not just taking classes, they’re also living their lives in a totally different environment that offers them much more freedom than the corralled environment of high school. How they use this freedom is up to them. We are trying to help them out, to be successful students, and perhaps, successful individuals as well. But again, the transition from home to a totally new environment is critical.”

There are several elements that make FIGs different than other IUB freshman-targeted programs. Mainly, it is the only freshman retention program based in the student’s first semester on campus. Students take classes together, matched up by a shared interest. They select among 35 different interest areas, taking 7-9 credit hours as a group. At the same time, they live in close proximity, usually in the same residence hall, on the same floor for most.

The cornerstone to the program, according to Dalecki, is the FIGs seminar, a semester- long course taught by junior- and senior-level students, known as peer instructors.

Heather Winter, a FIGs graduate assistant and a sixth-year peer instructor, takes her role seriously, explaining that peer instructors live in the residence hall with students and are “not just someone they see once a week.” As upper-level, successful students—all peer instructors are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA—the peer instructors give incoming freshmen an immediate contact in learning how to navigate campus life.

“They are examples of successful students…peers for freshmen so they see that they can succeed here, too,” said Dalecki, adding that the peer instructor selection process is highly competitive (more than 100 students apply for 20 positions) and includes rigorous training (50 class hours) combined with classroom observations. Peer instructors also take tours of campus resource centers and gather information to pass along to freshman.

For Winter, who came to IU as a freshman before FIGs was launched, making the first year successful is one of the best approaches any university can take to boost retention.

Excerpted from IU Home Pages, September 10, 2004.

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