First-Year Programs

Mission Statement

Keeping with the mission of Gardner-Webb University, the First-Year Experience course is designed to help students make a successful transition to university life by fostering a sense of community, nurturing development of faith, inspiring a love of learning and service-based leadership, and promoting success in academic and life skills.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate skill and competency in reasoning critically and creatively;
  2. Utilize skills in clear and effective communication;
  3. Demonstrate a mastery of Blackboard navigation and utilization;
  4. Participate effectively as a team member within a service-learning activity; and
  5. Identify and discuss self-assessment and skill development with regards to academics and employability.

All first-year students are required to take UNIV 111/UNIV 101 in their first semester of enrollment at Gardner-Webb University regardless of AP credit or advanced first-year status.

A traditional first-year student is one that is entering college within a one-to-three-year span after graduating from a high-school program.

An advanced first-year student (i.e., early college high school) is one who has completed high school and college-level studies concurrently.

Students with more than 15 hours of transfer work (non-AP credit or dual-enrollment credit) are not required to take UNIV 111/UNIV 101.

For academic advising purposes, a transfer student is a student with 15 hours or more that is not considered dual-enrollment or AP credit.