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First Year Learning & Engagement

First-Year Learning & Engagement


Courses and programs offered through First-Year Learning and Engagement focus on developing students into learners and leaders. Transition courses are designed to assist students in successfully transitioning from high school to university learning. University Seminar courses provide opportunities for students of all classifications to learn how to learn through in-depth discovery of a topic of interest. 

Students are trained to serve as peer leaders in these courses through FYLE's Peer Teaching Assistant program. In addition, FYLE offers leadership development through this and other programs including OU's award-winning Alpha Lambda Delta chapter.

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Hours of Operation

Location: Lissa & Cy Wagner Hall, Room 170

Schedule:  

  • Monday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
  • Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
  • Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
  • Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
  • Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST 

For additional information, email First Year learning and Engagement at fyle@ou.edu.

Phone: (405) 325-8216

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Developing Learners and Leaders

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Peer Teaching Assistant Program

Undergraduate students are selected and trained to serve as Peer Teaching Assistants in UNIV courses. These student leaders serve as mentors, peer educators, and campus connectors for first-year students taking transition and other UNIV courses.

PTAs learn leadership skills, teaching methods, receive mentorship, and earn a tuition waiver.

 

PTA Application

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Alpha Lambda Delta

Established in 1927, the OU chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society recognizes academic achievements of first-year students. ALD members receive opportunities that enhance the college experience!

First-year students who earn a 3.5 or higher OU GPA and complete 12 hours or more in their first semester at OU will receive an email invitation to join Alpha Lambda Delta.

ALD Honor Society

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Our Courses

We offer OU's transition to college course - Foundations for College Learning (UNIV 1002)  which aids first-year students in a successful transition to OU and University Seminars (UNIV 1022) which provide students from all classifications the opportunity to explore the learning process through a specific topic of interest. Grow as a learner and develop skills essential to success at OU and beyond through these UNIV courses.

 Our Courses 



Apply to teach Foundations for College Learning, UNIV 1002! This course has a long history in helping first-year students thrive in their transition from high school to college and our dedicated instructors are vital to the course's success. If you have a passion for supporting first-year students and have earned a master's degree or higher, click the button below to learn more. 

 

Applications are closed at this time.

Check back again in Spring 2027 for the opportunity to apply. 

 

First Year Student Mentoring

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FACULTY MENTOR BIOS

Autism and ASD

Prior to joining the faculty at Price, Kim served as co-editor for Social ScienceQuarterly for the last 10 years. She received her Ph.D. from the Department ofCommunication at the University of Oklahoma and Masters’ degree in Advertising fromthe Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has served on thefaculty for Oklahoma City University, teaching for the Meinders School of Business andthe Department of Mass Communication. Her teaching background includes courses inadvertising and sales promotion, integrated business communication, advertisingstrategy and campaigns, new media and political advertising. She has also a taught arange of courses for the University of Oklahoma including study abroad in Ireland andScotland.​


Brand Management / Consumer Package Goods

Sherad Cravens brings more than 20 years of front-line brand management experience to Price College. He received his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Texas His areas of expertise include innovation, marketing communications, consumer insights, and strategic partnerships. He has taught graduate and undergraduate level courses at New York University and The Fashion Institute of Technology.


Marketing Majors

Laura Daly is an instructor of digital marketing and social media marketing at the University of Oklahoma, bringing over 20 years of marketing experience spanning event marketing, project management, and digital strategy. She holds a Master's degree in Marketing with an emphasis in Public Relations and Marketing Communications from the University of Denver. 

Throughout her extensive career, Laura has developed expertise across multiple facetsof marketing, including event marketing, project management, and digital marketingstrategy. Her professional experience spans the evolving landscape of digitalmarketing, from traditional marketing approaches to cutting-edge social mediastrategies and platform-specific marketing techniques.​


First-Generation Students/Students Interested in Latinx Studies

Professor Davis-Undiano teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in theareas of American literature, American studies, Chicano studies, cultural studies, andliterary and cultural theory. At the undergraduate level, he focuses on American identity,community problems in America, gender relations in America, and Chicano studies. Atthe graduate level, he focuses on problems of criticism and theory as they relate to thepractice of American studies, cultural studies, and Chicano studies. His books andarticles are concerned with the history of criticism and cultural theory in America butalso with problems in the history of literary criticism more broadly.​


Veteran Students and Non-Profit Admin. Majors

A native of the great state of Oklahoma, Sidney T. Ellington returned to his home state bringing almost four decades of experience in military, education, and nonprofit service to the Department of Political Science.  He currently serves as a Professor of Practice in the field of nonprofit management.  His research and teaching interests span the fields of counterinsurgency, small wars, military policy, leadership, education policy, and nonprofit management.   


Out-of-State or Small Town Student

Dr. Johnson is currently a Lecturer at the University of Oklahoma. She is originally from South Dakota where she completed her bachelor’s degree in economics and finance at Black Hills State University. After that, she moved to Washington State University where she completed her master’s degree in applied economics and her PhD in economics. She is currently researching agricultural cartels and marketing orders but also has interests in agriculture, sustainability, education, labor, and environmental issues. 


Community Health: Professionalism and CareerReadiness​

Dr. Karabukayeva is a health services researcher with expertise in healthservices administration, health policy, and implementation science. Holding aPh.D. in Health Services Administration and an MPH in Healthcare Organizationand Policy, she combines extensive international experience in health systemmanagement and consulting with a focus on improving healthcare quality,access, and addressing disparities. Her research centers on theimplementation of evidence-based interventions, including patient decisionaids, and clinical decision support tools. Dr. Karabukayeva utilizes bothquantitative methods and qualitative approaches to address complex healthservices research questions. She is committed to advancing learning healthsystems and promoting equitable health outcomes through her work in bothresearch and teaching.​


Accounting or Business Majors

Jonathan earned a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from theUniversity of Oklahoma. He is a CPA and brings seven years of full-service accountingexperience, five years of experience in tax preparation and two years of experience inaudit and review.  During his time at OU, he worked as a tutor for algebra, businesscalculus, foundations of financial accounting, and foundations of managerialaccounting. Prior to returning to OU, he worked in public accounting at Gray, Blodgett &Company, an alliance firm of BDO. He has a passion for theatre and contributes byteaching and directing local productions.


Engineering Students

Dr. Javeed Kittur is an Associate Professor in the Engineering Pathways program withinthe Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. He earned his Ph.D.in Engineering Education Systems and Design from Arizona State University in 2022,following a Master’s degree in Power Systems (2014) and a Bachelor’s degree inElectrical and Electronics Engineering (2011) from India. At OU, Dr. Kittur leads adynamic research group comprising engineering education doctoral students andnumerous undergraduate researchers. Since 2022, he has mentored over 30undergraduate engineering students, many of whom have gone on to publish their workin renowned conferences and journals. He finds mentoring undergraduate researchersto be an enriching, transformative, and rewarding experience for both students andfaculty mentors.​


STEM Support

Deborah Moore-Russo has been a professor in the Department of Mathematicsand the First-Year Mathematics Director at the University of Oklahoma since 2017.She has over 30 years of experience teaching college mathematics andmathematics education courses. She is interested in how mathematicsdepartments support their first-year courses through tutoring centers, coursecoordination, and other efforts.​


Economics Support/Sports Business Majors

Brent Norwood attended Texas A&M for his Bachelor of Science in Economics, theUniversity of Delaware for his Master of Economics & Entrepreneurship, and theUniversity of Oklahoma for his PhD in Economics. He began at OU in 2021 as ateaching specialist. His research in applied public policy focuses on areas that impactlow- and middle-income families around education, housing and sports economics.Brent is the faculty advisor for three fraternities and various clubs. He serves as theAssessment Liaison for the Economic Department, University Relations Board memberfor Norman NEXT, and is apart of the 2024-2025 Leadership Norman cohort.​


Engineering Students

Dr. Anne Pate is the Director of the Public and Community Health Programs at theUniversity of Oklahoma. Originally from Michigan, she earned her bachelor’s degreefrom Taylor University in Indiana, and her master’s in public health from Yale Universitybefore moving to Oklahoma in 2004 and obtaining her PhD in EnvironmentalEpidemiology from OU. Before working in higher education, Dr. Pate spent over adecade as an epidemiologist for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She iscurrently the faculty sponsor for 4 different student organizations focused on publichealth issues and teaches Environmental Health and Introduction to Epidemiology.​


Education Students

Corey Peltier is an associate professor of special education in the department of educational psychology at the University of Oklahoma. Peltier's research interests include (1) identifying effective interventions and assessment procedures to improve the mathematical outcomes for identified or at-risk for disabilities, (2) methodological considerations when using single-case research designs (see #ScrdChat on Twitter), and (3) the use of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to inform the fields' understanding of effective interventions under specific contexts.


First-Generation Students/Any Student

Matthew Reyes is an associate professor in the Christopher Gibbs College ofArchitecture.  He holds a Master's in Construction Science as well as a PhD inEducational Psychology.  His research interests include Construction SafetyManagement and Safety, The Latino Workforce in the Construction Industry, andGaming and Other Novel Instructional Interventions.​


Engineering Majors​

Reza Saeed Kandezy, Ph.D., serves as a teaching faculty member in the School ofElectrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. His institutionalrole is centered on delivering high-quality instruction, mentoring students, andsupporting initiatives designed to enhance student success across academic andprofessional dimensions.​

Through his work in curriculum development, laboratory instruction, and academicadvising, Kandezy contributes meaningfully to shaping an inclusive and rigorouslearning environment. His focus remains on fostering excellence in engineeringeducation and strengthening student outcomes.​


Students Interested in Math​

Sepideh Stewart is a professor of mathematics with a Ph.D. in mathematics education,focusing on research on linear algebra education. She is currently the chair of theEducation Committee of the International Linear Algebra Society and the second LinearAlgebra Curriculum Study Group. She has numerous publications in linear algebraeducation and collaborates with mathematics educators and research mathematicians.She is the editor of And the Rest is Just Algebra (2017) and co-editor of Challenges andStrategies in Teaching Linear Algebra (2018). She is one of the guest editors of a specialissue of ZDM (2019) on Research on Teaching and Learning in Linear Algebra, the editorof Mathematicians’ Reflections on Teaching A Symbiosis with MathematicsEducation Theories (2023) and is also one of the guest associate editors of a special issueof PRIMUS, Linear Algebra Education: An International Perspective (coming soon).​


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Crimson Compass

Navigating Year Two with Confidence, the Sooner Way

Crimson Compass focuses on helping sophomore students feel supported and successful during their second year at the University of Oklahoma. Our program helps students navigate the unique demands of college by connecting them to campus resources to support their major selection, financial needs, and overall academic success. Crimson Compass students will receive a tuition waiver, one on one academic support meetings, and a variety of ways to build community to help them feel connected and equipped to find long-term success at the University of Oklahoma.

As part of the program, you’ll have access to:

- Academic support meetings to assist students with

    o Time management

    o Study skills

    o Motivation and general academic support

- Assistance navigating various campus resources including

    o Student Learning Center

    o MoneyCoach

    o The Writing Center

    o Career Center

- Community of peers

    o Crimson Compass has a variety of social activities built into the   programming to help students feel capable of connecting and building their  support network

- Access to the Dan Tankersley Suite in Lissa and Cy Wagner Hall – stocked with snacks and a Nespresso coffee bar!

- Financial Support through tuition waiver offered both Fall and Spring semesters

    o Spring tuition waiver contingent upon completion of select Fall programming

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