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First Year Residential Experience Program - Building Experiences Among Residents (BEAR)

The purpose of the First Year Residential Experience program is simple: to get students involved in activities and learning outside of the formal classroom. By doing so, we believe that students will be better prepared for the challenges of not only their first year of college, but for the remainder of their college careers.

The goals of BEAR are:

To offer a program dedicated to the growth and learning of first-year students, by focusing on:

 • Social Development- helping students bridge the gap between the end of their high school careers and the start of new lives in college by finding new outlets for involvement and building relationships;

 • Intellectual Development- defining learning as a life-long pursuit that is inherent in everything we do;

 • Interpersonal Development- sharing experiences that allow for the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and appreciation that improve interactions with others;

 • Personal Development- encountering experiences that allow students to question and strengthen identity, acknowledge strengths and weaknesses, and work towards personal goals

To introduce students to the variety of different learning and involvement opportunities available to them and to encourage further exploration in those areas
 
To provide opportunities for students to develop both immediate and long-term connections to fellow classmates, members of the College community, and to the College itself.

Program Structure

• Students have one academic year to complete the BEAR program. It should not be completed in one semester. Events for the second semester will be published in January.
• Students complete a category by attending one program in each of the Areas of Exploration.
• Completion of each Area of Exploration earns the student points. Points are accumulated throughout the academic year and play a role in the sophomore housing process.
• In most cases, programs are pre-selected to provide a menu of choices to students and Residence Life staff.
• For most Areas of Exploration, the student may chose to participate through his/her residential floor (RA-supported programs) or individually. Some Areas of Exploration do require participation in an RA-sponsored program.

Sophomore Program

The development of a sophomore program for returning students was initiated in 2001 by the division of Student Affairs. Goals of the committee included: establish learning communities in sophomore housing develop a programming model for, and with, these students and modify components where appropriate promote collaborative programming through RAs working with sophomores in each area (LaRiviere, Plymouth, and Gateway) with an emphasis on learning connections implement a sophomore series of programs, focusing on various areas of Wholistic Student Development work in collaboration with the sophomore class officers and advisor. And host monthly meetings with the Sophomore Committee members to discuss pertinent issues, review initiatives and assist with implementation of change.

Senior Program

The Senior Series is an innovative program designed to assist seniors as they transition from their senior year at Western New England College. Within the Senior Series students are given the opportunity to participate in programs offered in the fall and spring semesters. Most recently, the Senior Series added Life After College Explained, which is a one-day conference for seniors, that is typically held on a Saturday in early March. At the Senior Conference, students are able to gather information by attending multiple sessions throughout the day. The Senior Series offers programs on topics such as dinner etiquette, apartment hunting, personal budgeting, resume writing, and other pertinent senior-related topics.