First-Year Experience

At the heart of everything we do at OU is the student experience. To prepare our students to be the best leaders of tomorrow, we have crafted an intentional educational pathway that best equips them to enter society as leaders who understand the world around them and are able to navigate it with respect and dignity for all.

First-Year Experience houses the General Education courses now required for all incoming students. Students will be able to choose from among three courses to fulfill this requirement.Gateway to Belonging at OU - UCOL 1523, Global Perspectives - UCOL 1533, and Ethical and Intercultural Leadership - UCOL 1543.

Questions? Email fye@ou.edu, call (405) 325-0387, or visit Less and Cy Wagner Hall, Suite 270.

Gateway to Belonging at OU - UCOL 1523 This course teaches critical thinking skills and supports students in developing a true understanding of others, as well as a sense of belonging at OU and beyond. It offers students an opportunity to consider how they have formed their own beliefs and opinions and how they can listen, learn, and interact with one another to gain the most from their college experience in preparation for their future. The course is built around five core objectives:

• Cultural Fluency: Students will gain an understanding of diverse perspectives from people of different abilities, identities, cultures, and social backgrounds.
• Critical Thinking: Students will explore how they have formed their opinions and beliefs about themselves and others and determine the difference between beliefs, values, opinions, and facts.
• Civil Discourse: Students will master practical skills to interact with others of different beliefs and backgrounds and engage in civil discourse and learn that they can disagree with humility and integrity and a willingness to learn from one another.
• Citizenship: Students will study the important historical dynamics and legacies in the U.S., and the ways in which they shape our experience of belonging and community.
• Community Engagement: Students will discover ways to create a shared vision and values for an inclusive, equitable culture on our campus and beyond, and practice engagement on campus and in the wider community.

Global Perspectives  Similar to the 3Cs (cross-cultural competency) training our military and state department personnel undergo when deployed to a foreign country, this course promotes an intercultural awareness that will allow students to interact more effectively with others. It will teach core cultural fluency competencies, including an understanding of different cultural norms and practices, cross-cultural communication, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving, drawing upon diverse experiences and perspectives. The knowledge, skills, and tools students acquire in this course will assist them throughout their careers as they move in an increasingly global world.

Ethical and Intercultural Leadership This course will promote leadership skills through the study of virtues, focusing on nine key character traits that reflect the moral identity and the educational mission of OU. Focal virtues include the intellectual virtues of open-mindedness, curiosity, and intellectual humility; the executive virtues of self-regulation, perseverance, and honesty; and the civic virtues of civility, fairness, and compassion. These virtues are crucial for academic success and for the flourishing of students and the OU community.

All three courses will share the course objectives of cultural fluency, critical thinking, civil discourse, citizenship, and community engagement.