First Year Seminar Resources for Faculty: FYS Workshop Descriptions

In Class Workshop, 10 minutes

Informational Presentation on the Office of Accommodations and Accessibility

A 10-minute presentation from the Office of Accommodations and Accessibility to explain the services offered through the OAA office as well as the process for eligible students to access accommodations.

Contact Information:
Susan Jenkins
Assistant Director, Accommodations and Accessibility
susan.jenkins@marist.edu
(845) 575-3000 ext. 3274

In Class Workshop, 10-15 minutes

The Center for Career Services welcomes the opportunity to provide your students with an overview of the resources and services of the Center.   Our goal is to communicate to the First Year students the importance of engaging with our office early and often.   Laying a foundation to set academic and career goals, identify skills that organizations seek and prepare for a successful internship experience.   A brief, 15 minute introduction, will include an overview of the Center for Career Services Four Year Plan, Career Services Online Resources, and the NACE Career Readiness Competencies.

Contact Information:
Laura Grevi
Associate Director, Career Development
laura.grevi@marist.edu
(845) 575-3000 ext. 2475

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

Understanding the Academic Planning Process: Equipping students with resources they need to plan their academic life at Marist is essential. The Center for Advising & Academic Services guides students through the academic planning process. We will show students the tools to become informed about the academic curriculum, how to get information about registration, and plan their academic career at Marist. We believe that if a student is prepared for academic life, their relationship with their advisor will be more meaningful. We want our students to be prepared by taking advantage of everything that is available to them. Proper planning can enable students to do this. The First Year Seminar really sets the stage for the Marist academic experience. Understanding the Academic Planning Process Workshop will put the plan in motion.

Contact information:
Dabby Hines
Director, Center for Advising and Academic Services
Dabby.Hines@marist.edu
845-575-3500

In Class Workshop, 30 minutes

MaristVOTES!

Learn about on-campus voter registration and important information for the upcoming election. This workshop is an opportunity to learn about the upcoming election and to register to vote.  This is a non-partisan effort, and students and staff will provide students will important information about local elections, local voter registration, registering in other places and the absentee ballot process.  The estimated time for the workshop is 30 minutes and will involve a hands-on component.  Ideally, these will be scheduled in the first seven weeks of the semester to allow for sufficient time for registrations to be processed.

Contact Information:
Melissa Gaeke
Director, Center for Civic Engagement & Learning
Melissa.Gaeke@Marist.edu
(845) 575-2914

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

This workshop will initiate the process of students becoming culturally aware by introducing diversity, identity, microaggressions, intent, and impact while introducing them to the services available to all Marist undergraduate students. The CMA Staff will engage students in exercises and small group discussions about these issues, help them relate these topics to current events, and hone their critical thinking skills.

Please encourage all FYS classes to ask their students to join the Welcome Week interactive event #SeenHeardValued on Wednesday August 28 at 7:00 pm, a collaboration with First Year Programs and open to all class levels from first year to fifth year at Marist.

Contact information: 
Iris Ruiz-Grech 
Director, Center for Multicultural Affairs 
Iris.Ruiz-Grech@marist.eduor multicultural@marist.edu
845-575 - 3204

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

The Science of Learning

Participants will explore the science behind effective learning strategies, focusing on metacognition and self-regulated learning. Students will gain insights into how the brain processes and retains information, and learn practical techniques to enhance their study habits. Through hands-on activities and classroom engagement apps, students will practice these skills and develop personalized strategies to improve their learning efficiency. By the end of the workshop, students will have a toolkit of evidence-based techniques to boost their confidence and academic performance, and become more self-aware, proactive learners. Key topics include:

• Defining metacognition and its role in the learning process
• Principles of self-regulated learning and how to apply them
• Effective notetaking strategies, including the Cornell method

Contact Information:
Christina Fojas
Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Director, Gross Anatomy Laboratory
Interim Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Christina.Fojas@marist.edu
(845) 575-3000 x6276

In Class Workshop, 15 minutes

Do More with the Core:

The Core/ Liberal Studies program is a vital and unique part of each student’s Marist experience. With Breadth, Skill-intensive, and Pathway courses, the Core/LS offers students the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the world, think logically and creatively, express themselves effectively orally, in writing, and through media, and synthesize and integrate methods and insights from a variety of disciplines. This workshop aims to inform students about these three aspects of the Core, answer student questions, and get them excited about the numerous Breadth, Skill, and Pathway offerings. It is 15-minutes long and available in common time slot F 11-12:15 (no other common times, unfortunately), or during your regular class at any time except slots TF 12:30-1:45 or W2-315/F3:30-4:45. It is only 15 minutes, so it can fit comfortably into a class period that is a little lighter on content.

Contact Information
Cathleen Muller
Director, Core/Liberal Studies
cathleen.muller@marist.edu
845-575-3000 x5095

In Class Workshop, 30-45 minutes

Stigma around mental health concerns leads us to believe that only certain people experience depression or anxiety, that we are only capable of feeling one thing at a time, and that emotions are scary and bad. This isn’t true! At some point in our lives, we all experience feelings like sadness and worry as an understandable reaction to life stressors. We’re capable of feeling and working through many things at once as emotions are data that give us information about our situation and how to proceed. During this session, students will learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Students will learn techniques on responding instead of reacting to stressors, what to do in a mental health emergency, and add coping techniques to their toolbelt. The session will close with information about what Counseling Services has to offer.  

Contact Information:
Kimberly Marsden, CMHC-LP
Clinical Counselor, Counseling Services
kimberly.marsden@marist.edu
counseling.services@marist.edu
(845)575-3314 

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Workshop aims to cultivate student awareness and foster a sense of belonging in community. This workshop is designed to be experiential and contextually driven, allowing participants to engage deeply with essential DE&I concepts. During the sessions, students will explore topics such as belonging, identity, group membership, intersectionality, and unlearning prejudice, all with the aim of fostering an inclusive and compassionate campus environment. The primary objective of the DEI workshop is to equip students with a shared language and understanding of essential learning outcomes, including:

• Knowledge of Social Structures: By exploring various social structures, students will gain insight into the complexities of our society, empowering them to make positive changes in their communities, be it here on campus, at home, in the world at large.
• Social and Personal Responsibility: Encouraging a sense of responsibility, the workshop will emphasize the importance of active engagement in promoting equity and social justice.
• Global Awareness and Empathy: Through experiential learning, students will develop a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and cultural sensitivity.

The DEI workshop is distinct from, yet complementary to, the CMA workshop. We encourage first-year students to participate in both workshops, as this will provide multiple exposure points for encountering and actively working with core DEI concepts throughout their academic journey.

Contact Information:
Sasha Biro
Coordinator of DEI Workshops in the First Year Seminar
sasha.biro@marist.edu
(845) 575-3000 ext. 2916

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

Advocacy Workshop

This workshop presents advocacy as an advanced form of communication that increases self-efficacy and citizen participation. In life we must learn to advocate for ourselves and others and often with those who see things very differently from us. Honing these skills in an integral part of our human development. Students will learn about: self-advocacy, the ability to independently represent one’s self and their views and needs; social advocacy, a form of citizen action that shows public support for an idea, plan, or way of advancing an issue; and how that can be applied to a variety of situations.

Contact Information:
Colin McCann
Associate Director, First Year Programs & Leadership Development
colin.mccann@marist.edu
(845) 575-3787

In Class Workshops, 60-75 minutes, asynchronous options available

Research as a Conversation:
In this session, students will be introduced to the research process and the information cycle through active learning. Students will begin to understand their place in the process and how to make appropriate choices in seeking resources and materials. Discussions and activities will explore the evolving nature of information from popular sources to specialized and academic ones.   The session will include consideration of topic, keywords, and basic search strategies.

Finding & Evaluating Information:
During this session, students will learn search techniques and strategies.  Students will explore and compare different search engines including FoxHunt, Google, and subject specific databases.  As part of this exploration, students will learn how to find sources beyond the Marist Library.  Emphasis will be placed on teaching the critical evaluation of sources to support college-level research. The session is organized around activities that allow students to apply the knowledge they gain during the session. 

OPTION 1: Primary & Secondary Sources in the Archives:
This session will bring students to the Archives and Special Collections and provide students with a hands-on introduction to primary sources using our materials.  They will be shown how to access these unique materials in person and using our online search tools.  The students will also learn more about our secondary sources and how all of this fits into the research process. 

OPTION 2 Primary & Secondary Sources: What are They? Where to Find Them? (ASYNCHRONOUS ONLY): 

This online workshop will provide students with an introduction to the differences between primary and secondary resources, and how they fit into the research process.  They will be shown specific examples of primary and secondary research materials, how to access these unique materials using the Library's catalog, and, finally, they will respond to review questions based on the online workshop's content.

Nothing But Citation:
In this session, students learn the fundamentals of citing sources.  Students will understand the value and purpose of citation and how their citations fit within the larger research conversation.  They will learn the mechanics of citations including identifying online sources, formatting reference list and in-text citations and the value of verifying citations.  Activities allow students to apply the knowledge gained in the workshops.  Instruction can be done in the citation style of your choice.

If you wish to customize any of the workshops, please contact us and provide a syllabus or assignment that is relevant to the customizations.

Contact Information
Elizabeth Clarke
Coordinator, Library Instruction
Elizabeth.Clarke2@Marist.edu
845-575-3000 ext. 2733

In Class Workshop, 60-75 minutes

Introduction to Mindfulness for College Students

This FYS workshop was developed by an interdisciplinary faculty/staff team to introduce first year students to the concept of mental self-care through mindfulness and offer focused learning on how college students can incorporate a mindfulness-based approach in their academic, emotional, and interpersonal lives. During this workshop, students will discover the scope of mindfulness, be guided through three specific mindfulness skill practices to experience the benefits, first-hand, and learn of various mindfulness-based resources on and off-campus. The workshop is designed to emphasize self-awareness, perspective taking, creativity, and reducing biases. 

This year, workshops will be led primarily by students. Students training to become future presenters may also observe these workshops. While we will attempt to staff every workshop request, we have a small (but growing!) group of student presenters and may not be able to accommodate every request.

Contact information: 
Kate Chaterdon
catherine.chaterdon@marist.edu
(845) 575-2693

Brian Loh
brian.loh@marist.edu
(845) 575-3000 ext. 2584

Marist Mindful Collective: Kate Chaterdon (English), Brian Loh (Religion), Mary Stone (Psychology), Ana Ortega-Johnson (Fashion).

In Class Workshop, 30-45 minutes

Consent 101

This workshop will provide a comprehensive breakdown of consent: ways to give it, ways to ask for it, and what to look for when asking. Consent goes beyond sexual interactions: we give and receive consent multiple times every day, and we might not even know it! We will discuss how crucial it is to begin consent education before children even begin going to preschool. In addition to this, we will go over what the Title IX office is, and how we can help.

Contact Information:
Eliza Benfer 
eliza.benfer@marist.edu
Title IX Outreach Coordinator
(845) 575-2216