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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

Students Interested in Latinx Studies

Robert Con Davis-Undiano is Executive Director of World Literature Today organization and is also the director of the Latinx Studies Program at OU. He is dedicated to innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and is a mentor and role model to Chicano and other minority students and faculty. Students credit him with changing their thinking, their attitudes, and their lives. 


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.   


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.   


Autism and ASD Support

Dr. Kim Gaddie is a Lecturer for the Marketing & Supply Chain Division in the Price College of Business.  Her teaching focus is in Digital Marketing & Social Media Marketing.  Dr. Gaddie has been as long-time advocate for students with autism and autism spectrum disorders (i.e., Aspergers Syndrome) not only in her classroom but also in her role as an executive board member of the Oklahoma Autism Foundation. 


Sociology

Dr. Hill has been an Assistant Professor of Sociology since August 16, 2013. He currently teaches Criminology, The System of Criminal Justice, and Juvenile Justice. For 11 years prior to his appointment at the University of Oklahoma, he served in several research and administrative positions in all three branches of state government


Special Education Majors

Dr. Brittany Hott is an associate director of the Institute for Community and Society Transformation (ICAST), director of the RISE Research Group, and professor of special education at the University of Oklahoma. She is a board certified behavior analyst with doctoral distinction (BCBA-D). Her work focuses on instructional methods for students with learning and behavioral disabilities and research methods for developing and validating school-based interventions within rural contexts.


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. 


Leadership

Rusty was a PhD student in the Philosophy Department from 2004-2010. He returned home in 2019 as Associate Professor of Philosophy and, beginning 2022, as chair of the department. His primary work is in classical Greek philosophy, especially in the ethics and epistemology of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE (with publications centered on the authors Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle). He has taught at all levels (freshmen to PhD dissertations), primarily in the philosophy departments but also in the classics departments, at both Oklahoma and Harvard.


First-Generation Business Students

Professor Kellis is currently a lecturer at the University of Oklahoma in the Steed School of Accounting. She is originally from Arizona. She completed her Bachelor’s in Accounting here at the University of Oklahoma. After which she attended Oklahoma City University School of Law where she earned her JD. She then went on to become a licensed lawyer as well as a CPA. She has published papers over medical marijuana, cryptocurrency, accountant client privilege, stranded assets, tax issues during divorce, sustainability, and SEC case studies. Outside of teaching, she is the managing member of a law firm, has a short-term rental, and a mental wellness company. Besides work, her world revolves around her two children and two dogs. She also enjoys travel as well as home renovations. 


Accounting or Business Majors

Jonathan earned a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Oklahoma. He is a CPA and brings seven years of full-service accounting experience, five years of experience in tax preparation and two years of experience in audit and review.  During his time at OU, he worked as a tutor for algebra, business calculus, foundations of financial accounting, and foundations of managerial accounting. 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 by teaching and directing local productions.


Engineering Students

Dr. Kittur is an Assistant Professor in the Gallogly College of Engineering at The University of Oklahoma. He completed his Ph.D. in Engineering Education Systems and Design program from Arizona State University, 2022. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Master’s in Power Systems from India in 2011 and 2014 respectively.


Small Towns/Rural Communities, First Generation, Mental Health, Sports, or Psychology Students

Elizabeth Nelson earned a Clinical Master's degree in Counseling and is a practicing LPC supervisor for candidates.  She is currently a full-time faculty member of the Psychology Department and with 15 years of experience in the mental health field and additional training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) she helps children and families process their trauma for overall wellness. Professor Nelson serves on the Board of Directors for South Central CASA of Oklahoma and has been Governor-appointed to serve on the State Advisory Board for PARB and serves at the county level as well.  Helping undergrads discover their next steps post-graduation has become her passion and goal for many years to come.


ECON Support / Sports Business Majors

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


Pathways in Public Health

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


Community Engagement

Gracie Pearcy is a two-time graduate of the University of Oklahoma, holding a master's in public health with an emphasis on health promotion, and currently serves as an instructor in the Public Health Community Health program. Her passions lie in effective health communication, the science of hope, and advancing health equity to create meaningful community impact. In her free time, she enjoys adventures with her puppy Tripp, traveling to visit family, and cheering on the Sooners.


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.


Construction Science

Matthew Reyes is an associate professor in the Christopher Gibbs College of Architecture.  He holds a Master's in Construction Science as well as a PhD in Educational Psychology.  His research interests include Construction Safety Management and Safety, The Latino Workforce in the Construction Industry, and Gaming and Other Novel Instructional Interventions.


Engineering Students

Rebecca Scott is an assistant professor in the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Her areas of expertise are tissue engineering and engineering education. Her interests include outdoor activities, puzzles, and watching OU athletics.

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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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