The name of First Year Programs has recently changed to New Student & Transfer Programs. The updated name more accurately reflects the work of the unit and the full range of first-year and transfer students it serves at the University of Washington. The change aligns with a University-wide shift in language and provides clarity as the UW adopts more inclusive terminology around student populations.
New Student & Transfer Programs supports incoming Huskies through academic transitions and community-building programs.
For more than two decades, First Year Programs has played a central role in supporting new undergraduates as they transition into the UW. Through orientation, first-year and transfer seminars, peer-led programs and other efforts that help students find community and connect with campus resources, First Year Programs has helped thousands of Huskies navigate their academic and social pathways. The move to New Student & Transfer Programs recognizes both the continued evolution of the unit’s work and its long-standing commitment to all new undergraduates.
“Our new name makes it clear that every student’s entry point into the UW matters,” said LeAnne Jones Wiles, executive director of New Student & Transfer Programs. “Whether students are arriving straight from high school or transferring from another institution, we are here to ensure they feel seen, supported and connected from day one.”
In August 2025, the Office of Admissions formally shifted from using freshman to first-year, bringing UW terminology in line with peer institutions across the country. The change reflects national trends in equitable and inclusive language and clarifies how the University defines first-year and transfer students. As a result, the name First Year Programs no longer accurately represented the broad population the unit serves, including students entering directly from high school and students transferring from other colleges and universities.
New Student & Transfer Programs facilitates Advising and Orientation, Dawg Daze, First Year Interest Groups (FIGS), Transfer Seminars, and the Commuter and Transfer Commons (located in the Husky Union Building). These programs help students build relationships, understand academic expectations and establish a strong foundation for their time at the UW.
We are delighted to congratulate LeAnne Wiles on being named one of two recipients for the Thorud Leadership Award, the highest award for leadership at the University of Washington! Wiles is the executive director of First Year Programs and Strategic Initiatives in UAA’s Student Academic Services. Wiles began her UW career in First Year Programs in 2009, managing parent orientation, the First-year Interest Group program and other elements of First Year Programs. In the last 15 years, she has made an indelible mark on how new students are welcomed to campus and how they find a sense of belonging in their first year. To be effective in this work, Wiles and the First Year Programs team she leads reach out across campus, developing partnerships with academic and administrative units with the vision of creating a campus-wide welcome and culture of belonging for first-year students.
In this video, Student Academic Services and First Year Programs executive director LeAnne Wiles takes on the challenge of explaining the First-year Interest Groups (FIGs) in less than 15 seconds at a time. “15 Seconds at a Time” is a series in which various Undergraduate Academic Affairs programs explain their work in bite-sized bursts.
Undergraduate Academic Affairs is pleased to welcome Emily Kolby to her new appointment as director of First Year Curriculum and Engagement. Kolby identifies First Year Programs’ guiding principles of intentionality, collaboration, equity and access as essential to the work of serving students. She believes that with continuing the work of intentionally connecting with each student, that the program can create full and holistic first year experiences.
The pack is back! For the first time since the transition to mostly virtual learning in March 2020, Huskies are crossing Red Square on their way to class. These Dawgs include two classes who are completely new to campus: incoming first-year students and second-year students, in addition to upperclassmen who’ve spent more than 18 months away from campus.
Student well-being is top of mind as programs across Undergraduate Academic Affairs are welcoming back our students. This work involves building community so students feel connected and a sense of belonging. It’s recognizing and addressing the increased stresses students may be experiencing as a result of the pandemic and the transition back to in-person learning. It’s programs incorporating resilience and mindfulness work to give students the tools to care for their mental health. It’s the dedication to meeting students where they are at. Programs are also maintaining some virtual programmatic offerings this year to increase students’ access to services. Read on to learn more about how programs throughout Undergraduate Academic Affairs are orienting and supporting students this autumn.
Academic Support Programs: An academic home away from home
Academic Support Programs are free and available for all students. See the CLUE tutoring schedule, upcoming study skills workshops, online academic resources, and schedule a meeting with an academic success coach on their website.
Academic Support Programs runs CLUE, the largest late night, multidisciplinary tutoring center at the UW, and Academic Success Coaching, individualized meetings with a peer coach to develop skills for academic success.This year they are expanding these programs to reach more students in new and innovative ways.
CLUE: Tutoring center creates a sense of community
When Academic Support Programs Director Ryan Burt asked this year’s CLUE tutors why they were interested in becoming tutors, many shared that last year’s virtual CLUE was a space where they came to be together to navigate all that was happening around them. CLUE remains focused on creating a similar sense of community to the tutoring space for the 2021-22 school year. Student tutors play a big role in setting a welcoming tone, which starts with their own self-reflection.
In the autumn quarter training class Burt co-teaches with CLUE Program Manager Lizzy Harman, tutors check in about their own experiences returning to campus. They talk about how to navigate social and emotional challenges that they and other students might be experiencing. They focus on language and strategies to develop resilience and a growth mindset, both for themselves and the students they tutor. This emphasis on their mental state is intentional. When people are in a stressed state, it can be hard to focus on one’s studies or work. These weekly class sessions happen right before CLUE opens, preparing tutors to take a holistic approach to their work. This allows them to create a calm, safe and supportive space and helps them guide students to stay motivated as challenges or setbacks arise.
Above: A tutor provides free tutoring in 2018. This year, CLUE is offering in-person and virtual tutoring. Of course, all CLUE participants are following the UW’s current face covering policy. Photo: Bryan Nakata
This year, CLUE is offering tutoring both in-person and virtually. Both spaces are busy; tutors quickly switch between leading tutoring tables in the Mary Gates Hall Commons and leading online sessions. This hybrid approach increases students’ access to tutoring: Some students don’t want or are unable to stay on campus late, live too far away from campus to come back for evening tutoring, or want to limit exposure to others.
Academic Success Coaching: Setting goals and making plans to reach them
Academic Success Coaching Manager Alli Bothello oversaw the expansion of the Academic Success Coaching program, expanding from eight coaches last year to 14 coaches this year. Coaching sessions are open-ended and guided by what is on the student’s mind. Conversations can range from time management and study strategies to concern over disappointing test results — “I didn’t do well on my first test; now I’ll never get into my major…” to topics beyond academics. The coaches work with each student to guide them through these experiences, with a goal of helping students find resources, develop ways to move forward from setbacks and set and reach their goals. Coaches are available to meet at whatever frequency the student needs, be it weekly, quarterly or as needs arise. They are also hosting workshops on developing effective study strategies, time management, self-care and building a community, and finals exam prep.
Academic Support Programs are free and available for all students. See the CLUE tutoring schedule, upcoming study skills workshops, online academic resources, and schedule a meeting with an academic success coach on their website.
First Year Programs: Building community and wayfinding through the UW
Cornerstones of First Year Programs’ (FYP) work are helping students learn about campus resources, build their community and understand how to navigate the UW. This work is rooted in the knowledge that students who feel connected to campus socially and academically are more likely to persist through college and earn their degree.
First-year networks: Connecting Huskies with similar lived experiences and interests
First-year networks help students make connections with other Huskies who have similar lived experiences, interests and aspirations. Here, the peer network leaders share their group’s focus.
First-year networks are social groups run by peer leaders. The 14 networks’ themes range from shared interests, including mindful-living, foodies, to shared identities, such as East Asian and transfer students. Students are connected through a Discord (a group chatting platform), and are invited to various events and meetups, learn about academic support programs and most importantly meet a group of students with similar interests and shared identities, helping them establish a community at the UW. FYP surveyed students as they signed up for networks: 93% registered to make friends and 90% are seeking connections to students with shared interests.
First-year interest groups keep well-being at the forefront of their work
Mindfulness and self-care is incorporated into each General Studies 199 class meeting, taught by First-year Interest Group Leaders. The goals of this are to help students understand mindfulness and its benefits. They explore mindfulness activities like journaling, meditation, 3-minute dance parties and breathing exercises.
Each FIG Leader brings in a LiveWell peer health educator to lead a seminar on one of four topics: mental health, coping with clouds, Sleepy Husky or physical health. The peer educators explore the science of the given topic and discuss how it connects to physical, mental and emotional health. One past participant commented, “The mental health seminar project was important to me since the pandemic has taken a toll on me when it comes to being motivated and isolated.” There is also great power in hearing peers talk about similar experiences, with another participant sharing, “Being able to have guest speakers talk about research, mental health and admissions was extremely valuable because it gave me more understanding for how the areas work. I don’t feel alone in the process of college.”
Honors: Introducing a student-led mentorship program
The new, student-led Honors Peer Mentoring Program launched with a welcome event on October 21, 2021. Photo: Provided by Shannon Hong
The Honors Program’s new wellness-oriented program is student-led. Shannon Hong, a junior majoring in neuroscience, first experienced peer mentoring through the student-led Neurobiology Club Mentorship Program. Finding it valuable, she approached Honors to start a similar program for them. The Honors Peer Mentoring Program, launched this fall, creates a network of support within the Honors Program. Volunteer mentors are connected with mentees and focus to help them navigate the Honors requirements and their general Husky experience. “My peers and I initially created the Honors Peer Mentoring Program to help students feel more supported and engaged in the Honors community,” explains Hong. “But since then, it has grown into something bigger — a program that empowers students to become leaders and take initiative in their UW Honors experience.” These mentoring relationships are available throughout the entire year.
Applications for the Honors Peer Mentoring Program winter cohort will open on January 3, 2022. Check the website to learn more.
Office of Educational Assessment: Surveying students to best meet their needs
The Office of Educational Assessment is launching Husky Check-in surveys this year. Designed to gauge student needs in real time, these twice-a-quarter surveys will focus on timely issues related to the student experience. The first survey explored how students are accessing support services, their preferences for virtual versus in-person offerings, whether where they live impacts their preference and what additional unmet needs may exist. The research team will share the results with key stakeholders across campus who can use the feedback to adapt programs to match the needs of students. The first survey launched the week of October 11, 2021; approximately 1,300 undergraduate and 400 graduate students participated.
Resilience Lab: Working towards a campus culture of compassion and mindfulness
The Resilience Lab’s work centers on promoting well-being among students, faculty and staff at the University of Washington. Their Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes and Living), a program developed in collaboration with the Center for Child and Family Well-Being, has equipped more than 100 faculty and staff members with skills and tools to foster their own wellness and that of their colleagues and students. Be REAL participants learn mindfulness skills to manage stressful emotions, strengthen self-awareness and to foster community well-being and mental health. Because of that ripple effect, Be REAL reaches people far beyond those who signed up for the 6-week course. And the reach of this work will continue to deepen. For example, some alumni of Be REAL choose to participate in a community of practice where they can ask questions and brainstorm ways to bring these ideas into their work. “It’s really powerful to do this with colleagues,” explains Sasha Duttchoudhury, Resilience Lab graduate student assistant. “Doing this on ‘work time’ shows value, that the UW values our well-being.”
The Be REAL faculty and staff program grew out of the student Be REAL course. The current format allows for flexibility, allowing it to be a stand-alone class or taught as part of other programs. Be REAL is also offered as a one-quarter class for students. Be REAL recently created a video series covering the Be REAL concepts and practices.
Another way the Resilience Lab is bringing well-being practices to the campus community is through the “Well-being for Life and Learning” initiative. Students, staff and faculty collaborated on this work to create a vision for the classroom as a cornerstone of well-being. The resulting guidebook is organized into four main pillars: teaching for equity and access; nurturing connections; building coping and resilience skills; and connecting to the environment. The guidebook’s appeal is wide: with programs from STEM to social sciences ordering copies.
President Cauce talks about the benefits of Be REAL in her annual address:
UW News recently ran a story about the Resilience Lab’s work, including an interview with director Megan Kennedy. Read the article here.
Robinson Center: Intentionally bringing students to campus and creating community
Students sign blankets for one another as a community-building activity at this year’s orientation.
Preparing Transition School students to come to campus for the first time began in spring 2021. Transition School principal Lisa Scott recognized that for this group — students who spend what would be their ninth grade year preparing to fully matriculate into the UW the following year — knowing their way around campus and building a community was crucial to their emotional and physical well-being. Scott developed a plan to safely bring these students to campus in May 2021. They spent the day completing a campus-wide scavenger hunt and acclimating to the campus environment. “Many parents have told me that the May Activity Day was the highlight of their student’s year,” shared Scott. This group of students returned to the UW campus as first year Early Entrance Program students in autumn 2021.
To prepare Robinson Center students for the 2021-22 school year, the Robinson Center held orientations for the Early Entrance, UW Academy and Transition School students. Though each orientation was fine-tuned to meet the groups’ specific needs, common threads included building community, exploring campus and learning about campus resources.
Students are typically two to three years younger than most of their college peers, and student well-being programs remain a priority throughout the year. Students continue to meet with mentors and attend seminar classes on topics including majors and resources. The Robinson Center serves as a mini-HUB with places to relax, study, hangout with friends and eat outside.
When touring the space recently, an engineering colleague commented, “You can feel the community in this space.”
Student-Athlete Academic Services: Keeping the pulse on student-athlete well-being
Illustration: Burke Smithers
Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) has been checking on the well-being of the UW’s 650 student-athletes throughout the pandemic through their regular pulse surveys. These 10-question surveys asked about what’s going well to what’s been most challenging. SAAS adjusted their programs and outreach based on the feedback they received.
Throughout the pandemic, the SAAS team also discovered new ways of serving their students: virtual counseling and virtual tutoring. Pre-pandemic, these services were exclusively offered in person. Yet the effectiveness of these online programs means the SAAS team will carry them forward. For athletes who travel to meets, games and competitions, being able to continue to access tutoring and counseling uninterrupted is hugely beneficial.
Join the team and make your own wellness commitment with this printable. Print it, write your commitment on it and post it somewhere visible to you to continue to encourage yourself.
The SAAS team saw both first- and second- year students join their orientation. This year’s focus was building community — community within the 22 teams, within the student-athlete community and the broader UW community. Activities included a campus-wide scavenger hunt to find campus resources and a barbeque with coaches and staff from around campus to help students connect to the UW’s services. They also participated in the NCAA’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Students particularly embraced the wellness wall, where they anonymously wrote a commitment to personal wellness they are committing to for the 2021-22 year. Mental health services, team doctors and nutrition advising supports continue year round. In addition, SAAS provides advising, tutoring, career development, internships and academic coaching year round to best support our Husky student-athletes.
Undergraduate Research Program: Introducing undergrads to the what, why and how of research
The Undergraduate Research Program works with students to find research opportunities across all fields, including the humanities, arts and sciences.
The Undergraduate Research Program is building community within their 43 undergraduate research leaders (URLs) — student volunteers who help their peers get involved with research. Last year, the URLs spoke to more than 1,500 students about these opportunities. This work included a two-day orientation, which took a holistic approach to leadership development, with lots of time for reflection and conversation. There was an emphasis on empathy to help students slow down, reflect on the experiences of one another and and find commonalities with their own experiences. Mindfulness practices like deep breathing and other grounding exercises were included to help students center themselves.
Another key component of orientation was a diversity, equity and inclusion training on inclusivity and bias. The URLs learned about the experiences and potential barriers encountered by students from groups ranging from BIPOC students to first-gen to neurodiverse students to transfer students. Students then reflected on how this awareness will change their mindset in their work as a URL, explaining, “Our role is not just to promote research, and generally mentor undergrads entering research, but to help others to overcome the barriers that they may be facing in even entering a lab in the first place.”
The URLs are proactively thinking about ways to continue to support their peers and are pitching ideas — unprompted — to URP’s leadership team. We’ll share info about these new initiatives on our social media channels as they are launched.
In addition to their URL program, the Undergraduate Research Program expanded their advising offerings to include weekly virtual advising, in-person group advising and individual drop-in advising appointments. These sessions often focus on learning how to get involved with research and answer questions like, “I’m a first-year student. Is research for me?” (Answer: Yes!) Through the continued support, students grow their confidence and resilience as they navigate finding a research team and ultimately begin their research experiences.
Get involved with undergraduate research. Check the Undergraduate Research Program website for upcoming advising sessions, search for research opportunities and more.
This year’s entering class of undergraduates is the University of Washington’s largest group in history. Freshmen and transfer students arrive from all over Washington state, across the country and throughout the world. It may be their first time being away from home, taking college courses or living in the Pacific Northwest climate. Programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, specifically First Year Programs, work to welcome these students, support their transition and create a baseline from which they can begin to shape their academic journey. As they commence classes and befriend fellow Huskies, we hope to lay the foundation for a meaningful Husky experience both in and out of the classroom. When early challenges do come, new students can know they are not only supported, but welcomed and valued.
One of the first ways new students engage with campus resources and experience life on campus is through Dawg Daze, the UW’s week of welcome for new and returning students. Husky Kickoff is one of more than 270 Dawg Daze events, where thousands of new students gather at Husky Stadium for the first time together. They play welcome games, learn Husky traditions and watch performances by the cheer team before taking the iconic “W” photo.
Dr. Lovenoor Aulk presents his data to UAA staff at the 30-year anniversary celebration of Freshman Interest Groups. According to his team’s study, FIGS increase the graduation rates for undergraduate students, especially those in the underrepresented demographic. Photo by Bryan Nakata.
Among this year’s milestones for Undergraduate Academic Affairs is the 30th anniversary of First-Year Interest Groups, formerly known as Freshman Interest Groups. To mark the occasion, First Year Programs hosted an event marked by lively conversations between attendees led by FIG leaders, a faculty panel discussion and a presentation of a recent study that demonstrates the FIG program’s impact on undergraduate student persistence through to graduation.
First Year Programs created FIGs in 1987 as a way for students to find a smaller, more connected community within the large university. In FIGs, a cluster of courses are linked with peer instructors, who are typically upperclassmen who help guide the new students through the university setting. These 2-credit general studies courses have continued expanding since its inception, starting as four clusters and growing to more than 150 today: About 48% of first-year students enroll in a FIG.
For the anniversary, new data was released on FIGs by the UW DataLab, which demonstrated just how integral FIGs have been for the UW. The study was led by Lovenoor Aulk, a Ph.D. student in informatics science, and looked at an estimated 58,000 students between 1998 and 2018.
Results of the research showed that students who participated in FIGs have a higher chance of re-enrollment compared to their counterparts: 94% of students who participated in FIGs re-enrolled the following quarter, 3% higher than those not in FIGs.
This trend was also reflected in graduation rates; those who participated in the FIG program saw a 6% increase in the likelihood of graduating within 6 years. The greatest impact was shown with underrepresented student demographics.
“When looking at underrepresented students, the differences are huge,” Aulk said at the event while presenting his team’s findings. “There’s a 14% difference in graduation rates — [that’s] double digits.”
Archive photo of students gathering for their FIGs, circa 1997. Photo Courtesy First Year Programs at the University of Washington.
For the University of Washington, which is already 30% above the national average for six-year graduation rates, the impact FIGs have for underrepresented students is increasing in importance. Students from this demographic graduate at lower rates than their peers, and FIGs increase their chances greatly. In addition, since 2006 the enrollment of underrepresented and international students rose by 6% and 13%, respectively. This means that more students of color are coming to the school and will look to the program to help them navigate their first quarter.
For both international and minority students, it can be especially challenging to connect with others during their first year. Nearly half of students in the study said that FIGs succeeded most by helping them make friends and find community.
“There was a different energy because they were walking in [to class] together,” said panelist Dr. Andrea Carroll, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. “You can see that community feeling… that’s huge.”
On the other side, the program is an opportunity for older students to practice teaching skills and make valuable connections. One such student, Alyssa Eckroth, enjoyed teaching her FIG so much that she is already preparing for another one next fall.
“I had one student come up to me and say ‘this is the best class I’ve ever taken,” Eckroth said. “It made my heart feel warm.”
Whether the focus is on graduation rates, peer-led courses or student experience, the FIG program has positively shaped our university — and will continue to do so in years to come.
“First Year Programs’ mission is really to think about strategic programming for all undergraduate students: freshman, transfer, first generation, low income and international students,” LeAnne Wiles, director of First Year Programs said at the event. “To think about how they can strategically plug into the university and aim to have a smoother transition while they’re here.”
The FIG program is one way — and a successful one at that — to achieve that smooth transition for new students.
Students come from all across Washington state, the country and the world, but when they come here, they are all part of the same Husky family. Watch as they come together in one gigantic W. (Video)
This summer, thousands of freshmen and transfer students — 8,000+ of them — will participate in summer Advising and Orientation. With this year’s record-breaking numbers of freshmen, advisers, faculty, First Year Programs’ staff, student orientation leaders and campus-wide partners are busier than ever helping our newest students transition to the UW so they are able to take advantage of the UW’s boundless opportunities for undergraduates.
Advising and Orientation at the UW is done within an academic framework, helping students put down roots so, come fall quarter, they are ready to grow.
