Getting a good start

Students walking by Lippitt Hall on the first day of the semester. Photo by Catherine Scott

First-year and transfer students, URI 101 is here for you.

A one-credit, transition-to-college and academic planning seminar, URI 101 sets the foundation for a student’s academic life, offering tools, resources, and the guidance of instructors and mentors eager to help.

A broad range of topics

Each fall, the University offers around 150 sections of URI 101. Students are generally grouped by major and taught by faculty and staff who work within that discipline. Undeclared students work with their instructors to help them in their decision-making as they explore majors. And while the goal is to plan, define, and develop the skills that contribute to each student’s academic success in their major, URI 101 covers a broad range of topics, including self-care, campus life and involvement, and technology tools.

Additionally, trained undergraduate student mentors, provide peer-to-peer advising and share their own firsthand experiences of campus life.

The best way to make the most of the URI 101 course is for new students to get to know their instructor and mentor and ask them for guidance. They want to help.

‘A space of caring’

At its core, URI 101 is about belonging and academic success. First-year and transfer students are new to their living and learning environment. Any number of situations, small and large, impact a student’s academic and social success. Our URI 101 instructors and undergraduate mentors want to ensure that students have the academic and campus resources they need to thrive at URI. The focus is on students’ holistic needs, says Kim Stack, executive director of URI’s University College for Academic Success.

“We’re creating a space of caring,” says Stack. “We care that our students feel a sense of belonging, they are creating a social network, and they have the academic resources necessary to succeed.”