Freshmen Residential Experience
The Freshmen Residential Experience (FRE) seeks to provide a structured residential experience for freshmen to encourage success on our campus and to provide a smooth transition to college life. Similar models of programs have been beneficial on other university campuses throughout the United States.
The mission statement of the FRE program is:
“To aid the first year student in their transition to college life at Concordia University academically, socially, and spiritually, through empowerment, education, the development of critical thinking, and increasing their desire for learning and seeking out knowledge and new experiences.”
Through our efforts with the FRE students we work to address the following nine areas:
- Developing intellectual and academic competence.
- Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Exploring identity development.
- Deciding on a career.
- Maintaining health and wellness.
- Strengthen their Christian faith and educating on other spiritual dimensions of life.
- Developing multicultural awareness.
- Developing civic responsibility.
- Increase Concordia Pride.
Beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year, all freshmen living on campus will be part of the Freshmen Residential Experience. These FRE communities will be located in Kohn, Lindemann, Brohm and Krauss Halls. Living together in the same communities provides built-in support of peers with shared experiences in transitioning to college. Furthermore, these shared relationships become the foundation of possible life long bonds of friendship and support.
The FRE program is overseen by eight hand-selected resident assistants that live on the floors among the residents, the Kohn/Lindemann/Brohm/Krauss Resident Director, and the Director of Residential Life, under the direction of the Dean of Students. Student representatives are encouraged to be active in the planning and development process of their community throughout the year through monthly meetings. In these meetings participating students give feedback that will help guide the future direction of their FRE experience(s). Furthermore, campus faculty and staff play additional roles when their assistance is possible for programming and other events providing for important faculty and student interaction outside the classroom.
