University of Wyoming

Advising

i. Advising Services (Center for Advising and Career Services)

1. Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs) - FIGs is a university-wide effort and is a joint program between Academic Affairs and the Office of Residence Life and Dining Services. It is designed to ease students' transitions to the university, to get them more acclimated to university life, and to improve their academic experiences. Our aim is to accomplish this by encouraging interaction between students, faculty and staff, providing the students with the resources necessary for success and achievement, and giving them opportunities to enhance their college experiences. At UW, a FIG is a group of no more than 20 students who take three or four classes together and live on the same floor of the residence hall. FIGs are thematically based and students self-select according to interest. Each FIG has at its hub, the one-credit Freshman Seminar, a university required class. The other two courses vary according to the FIG, but all meet core curriculum requirements.

2. Honors Program - The Honors Program, which serves over 500 of our top students, offers the opportunity to live on designated honors floors of the residence halls or in an Honors House while taking the honors core. It is our most informal learning community and is the only one available throughout the baccalaureate career.

3. Power Groups (Engineering College) - The College of Engineering implemented "Power Groups" for its students in 1995. Students elect to participate. Those participating take all of their classes together for the first semester, and may or may not live on a designated Engineering floor in the residence halls. Students on the Engineering floors may or may not be in Power Groups, but the college provides extra computing and study resources for all. College of Engineering studies show that students in Power Groups have increased academic performance and are more likely to stay in Engineering than students not in Power Groups.

4. Project Synergy - The Synergy Project is designed for conditionally admitted students. Students participating in Synergy will take three linked courses as part of the program and one additional course. Extra resources are provided to promote their academic success.