CSN faculty and counselor urge NSHE regents to reimagine first-year experience

Sandra Cosgrove, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), and Luis Ortega, a CSN counselor and chair of Counseling and Retention Services, spoke during the public comment portion of the NSHE Workforce Committee meeting and urged action on first-year experience (FYE) programs.

Cosgrove said CSN’s ad-hoc FYE committee believes reimagining first-year programming is urgent because students’ demographics and the economy have changed. “Our students coming directly from CCSD need a lot of focused attention in their first semester to connect them to our wrap around resources,” she said, and many students “need a better, more stable job right away before they can buckle down and get their first degree.”

Luis Ortega summarized findings from his recent dissertation study of FYE courses and Latinx/Hispanic-Serving Institution community college students. He said approximately 90 percent of study participants were first-generation students, 66 percent worked part time or full time, and about 50 percent wanted to transfer to four-year institutions. Ortega said his research shows FYE courses support social integration and persistence and that many participants recommended making an FYE course mandatory in the first or second semester.

Both speakers said the redesign should be collaborative, involving faculty, administrators and student voices. Ortega said the FYE course “provided confidence and changed the students' mindset to continue their academics” and urged the committee to consider workforce connections in early-semester supports.

No committee action resulted from these public comments; presenters said they would submit formal recommendations through CSN’s faculty senate.