Ithaca College

Each year we assess the First-Year Residential Experience program and make improvements to address the feedback received from students, Resident Assistant staff, and FYRE Associates. As a result of the feedback we received this year, FYRE will be piloting two new models (running concurrently) for 2015-2016.

All first-year students will continue to live in the First-Year Residential Experience (FYRE) located in all 11 quad buildings (including Clarke) and the East and West Towers.

FYRE will continue to focus on easing student transitions, developing strong, active communities, and stimulating intellectual curiosity.

Different from 2014-15, this year FYRE will not organize students by theme but will instead group students by floor… building upon students’ natural floor communities. Students will participate in FYRE in partnership with their floor-mates, Resident Assistant, and FYRE Associate.

While there are two different models running concurrently in FYRE, students across all First-Year residence halls will have similar core experiences (i.e. connections with the RA/FYRE Associate, opportunities for community engagement, etc.). The exception is six events a year that are informed either by the focus of “Engaging Perspectives” or by the focus of “Community Connections.”  

The Engaging Perspectives model focuses on developing community through an exploration of big questions posed by each of the Integrative Core Curriculum themes. Half of the first-year clusters will adopt this focus.

The Community Connections model focuses on individual students identifying their strengths and talents and identifying ways to contribute those strengths to community. The remaining half of first-year clusters will adopt this focus.

For 2015-16, students will continue to select housing as they have in the past. Students will select housing independent of either model; students will know which model they are living/learning in when they arrive in the fall.

Both models will create increased opportunities for students to have voice and involvement in shaping their own communities.

For further information about FYRE, please go to our website at https://www.ithaca.edu/reslife/specialty/firstyear/. If you are a full-time exempt faculty or staff member and wish to be a FYRE Associate or learn more about it, please email Jacqueline Robilotta at jrobilotta@ithaca.edu.