First-Year Experience

Dr. Christopher Cook

Director of First-Year Experience

First-Year ExperienceWelcome to Panther Tracks, Olive-Harvey's First Year Experience Program

Our Mission

At Olive-Harvey, First-Year Experience (FYE) is an office that creates a welcoming community for students in their transition to campus by engaging them in programs related to personal and academic growth, navigating campus resources, building meaningful connections with others, prioritizing students’ well-being, and ensuring students are “panther ready!”             
              
What We Do?                  
We understand transitioning to College can be extremely stressful and sometimes challenging to navigate this new environment. All first-year students are engaged with a supportive, inclusive, vibrant community where they have the foundational skills and resources they need to thrive at Olive-Harvey!                
              

Program Aspirants              

As you begin your journey at Olive-Harvey, we hope that you:             

  • Are aware of the college’s student resources
  • Develop a sense of belongingness
  • Connect with faculty/staff and make new friends
  • Take full responsibility towards your academic journey 

​Student Academic Success Framework:

FYE believes a successful student must experience the following journeys:              

  • Deepening Purposeful Choice
  • Cultivating Academic Mindset
  • Completing Critical Milestones
  • Heightened Academic Engagement
  • Increasing Momentum along Degree Pathways

This framework supports our focus on addressing Retention, Persistence, Progression, and Graduation (RP2G)               

Panther Tracks Programs:          

First-Year Experience (FYE) program will provide added support and engagement for new students. The goal of the First-Year Experience Program, called Panther Tracks, will be to increase retention of first year students. Panther Tracks includes a comprehensive onboarding process; designates a highly-trained academic advising/coaching professional to each student; offers an array of student support services; facilitates interactive and engaging activities; maintains small class sizes; and provides students with a graduation concierge to assist with the transition into the workforce or four-year college/university. The First-Year Experience program will launch initiatives that aligns with Academic Student Success Framework in effort to close achievement gap.​       

             
Panther Tracks Convocation                    

The Panther Tracks Convocation is the official opening of the academic year where the entire OHC community (Faculty/Staff, Students, Parents, and its surrounding communities) celebrate traditions, and welcome new students to Olive-Harvey College. Convocation serves as an official college ceremony designed to create a sense of responsibility towards students’ academic journey; celebrate new students’ entry into higher education; welcome new students to the college; develop a sense of belongingness to OHC; to welcome students as a cohort; to welcome students to their academic careers; to convey to students the importance of their educational work and to show the school’s commitment to supporting students as they pursue their educational journey at OHC.           

Convocation will inspire students to strive for academic success, encourage them to unite as an entering class, and help them feel connected to the academic community. Every first-year student participating will be pinned by a faculty or staff symbolizing their transition as a college student​.         

        
Panther Tracks Week            
The Panther Tracks Week is intentionally design assist student, rather incoming or transfer, navigate their first semester at OHC. The week of comprises of hieghten academic engagement events that foster academic momentum.         
        
One Book One Campus           

One Book One Campus is a campus-wide initiative led by the Office of Instruction to encourage a common reading experience and a sense of community at Olive-Harvey College. The goals of One Book One Campus are to foster a shared experience through reading, inspire and support community conversations, and encourage academic engagement.       

   

          
Panther Tracks Study Hall       
     
Study Hall encourages students to attend study hall and take advantage of on-the-spot tutoring services from identified Panther Tracks Study locations. This initiative will be supported by the Office of Academic Support by offering tutoring services.