Transitions

Transitions Overview + Learning Outcomes 

Through the Transitions course, Oregon State University commits to consciously and deliberately supporting students beginning their educational journey at our institution. Students formulate goals and strategies for their personal, academic, and professional growth; identify ways to engage in their communities; familiarize themselves with tools and resources for student success; and understand the common values that guide OSU’s undergraduate education. 

Transitions Lower-Division Learning Outcomes 

Students in lower-division Transitions will: 

  1. Construct goals and individualized strategies for personal well-being, academic success, and professional development. 

  1. Practice community-building approaches that allow one to engage in society. 

  1. Identify institutional resources and tools necessary for student success and well-being. 

  1. Reflect on how their plans connect to OSU’s general education and the institutional mission. 

Transitions Upper-Division Learning Outcomes 

Students in upper-division Transitions will: 

  1. Create and implement goals and individualized strategies for personal well-being, academic success, and professional development. 

  1. Evaluate community-building approaches that allow one to engage in society. 

  1. Identify institutional resources and tools necessary for student success and well-being. 

  1. Reflect on how their plans connect to OSU’s general education and the institutional mission. 

Which Transitions course should students take? 

Students entering OSU as their first postsecondary education after high school, including INTO OSU students, should enroll in the lower-division section, i.e “first year” or “first time in college” students. Students who have attended other higher education institutions should enroll in the upper division section, i.e. “transfer” or “readmit” students. 

Why Transitions? 

The most recent survey of first-year seminars by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition found that Transitions-type seminars have a positive impact on student success: 

  • Persistence to sophomore year and graduation 

  • Improved peer connections 

  • Greater use of campus resources and involvement in campus activities 

  • Increased academic abilities and grade-point averages 

  • Development of academic, interpersonal, and communication skills 

Transitions courses are where students rigorously consider their role as valued members and active participants in the academic community of the university, connect their participation in that community to a shared purpose, and explore their identity as learners. 

Faculty Development 

All academic and professional faculty and TAs teaching a Transitions course in any modality, including recitation sections, must complete the Transitions Teacher Training course. Learn more on the Required Trainings website. This is a self-paced Canvas course that supports the work of Transitions instructors to: 

  • Teach with the goals and learning objectives of the Transitions category 

  • Approach teaching the required learning materials in a similar manner across the university 

  • Enact specific best practices for teaching first-year students, transfer and readmitted students, and/or Ecampus students 

  • Prepare for Transitions teacher onboarding within your college 

Instructors should also check with their college's Transitions coordinator for additional teacher training or onboarding they may require. 

Resources for College Transitions Coordinators and Department Schedulers

Core Education Committee Policies

Policy from the Core Education Committee meeting(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) on October 10, 2024

Rationale: There is a need for a policy because the structure and content of the Transitions courses are required, by the Faculty Senate, to include centrally developed materials and to be similar across all experiences[1]. The Core Education Steering Committee proposed guidelines for how transitions would be provisioned, which are considered in this policy.

Policy: 

  • All Transitions courses will be titled “Transitions” 
  • The catalog description of all Transitions courses will match that of the centralized offerings (CORE 100 or CORE 300)
  • Transitions courses will not include course-specific learning outcomes outside of the Core Ed category learning outcomes; any course-specific Learning Outcomes will be placed in a separate co-req class 
  • Transitions courses will be exactly 2 credits 
  • Transitions courses must use learning resources that are freely available to students and may not require the purchase of any learning materials 
  • Centrally approved learning materials on mental health, financial literacy, and inclusive communities must be included in the course 
  • It is strongly recommended that mental health materials be provided in the first five weeks of the term 
  • Ten week-long modules have been centrally developed by subject experts for use in Transitions courses; inclusion of centrally developed modules is encouraged but not required

 

[1] LOCR Criteria for Transitions: Include centrally approved learning materials created by experts within those areas at OSU. a. e.g., mental health modules created by CAPS, and financial literacy. 

Steering Committee Guidelines

Please refer to Alix Gitelman's email sent on January 24, 2024 for context. 

The planning and implementation of Transitions has concluded. Committees developed policies, implementation requirements, and curriculum. 

  • The Core Education Implementation Steering Committee was delegated the task of defining and providing guidance and policies specific to the Transitions requirement. The content below outlined the pathway forward for the university. For questions, please reach out to the Director of Core Education, McKenzie Huber(Link sends email). 

  • The university will adopt a central designator, CORE, for Transitions, offered at both the 100 and 300 level. The College of Health will teach CORE 100 and 300 as a central offering.  
  • Some colleges created college-level designators along with the central university designator.
    • College of Business - BA 100 and 300
    • College of Education - ED 100 and 300
    • College of Engineering - ENGR 110 and 310
    • College of Liberal Arts - LA 100 and 300
    • College of Science - SCI 100 and 300 
  • There shall only be these college-level and university-level designators (i.e., no department/program designators).
  • All Transitions courses, regardless of college-offering are titled Transitions, are equivalent in the catalog, and have the same learning outcomes based on course level.

  • Colleges offering Transitions will be invited to join the Transitions Coordinating Committee, facilitated by the Director of Core Education, along with campus stakeholders to share ideas, troubleshoot, participate in the continual improvement process of Transitions, and ensure enough sections of Transitions with appropriate staffing are available each term, at each level, and in each modality.
  • Transitions courses may be offered in large lecture sections but must have recitation sections with no more than 35 students. Alternatively, Transitions can be offered in sections of no more than 35 students.
  • Content modules and course materials were created by experts on the Transitions task force. There is a minimum set of learning materials required for the following topics:
    • mental health, building inclusive communities, and financial literacy.
  • We strongly recommend course instructors also make use of the following modules:
    • Academic success
    • Healthy behaviors and personal well-being
    • Career exploration
    • Belonging
    • Purpose of Core Education and its connection to OSU and our mission

  • The instructor of record must be a member of the academic faculty.
  • Recitations can be run by instructional faculty or qualified professional advisors with appropriate training.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) may run or lead recitation sections with the required training (training will be obtained as part of the GTA regular load of responsibilities). 
  • If Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULA) are used to support recitation sections, they may do so only if an instructor (advisor, GTA) is in the “room” and only for the following elements of the course: clubs and activities, belonging, University resources, and relating successful strategies.
  • ULA may not grade or assess the work of other undergraduate students, and they also must have appropriate training.
  • Training to teach a Transitions course, including lectures and recitations, is required for all faculty, GTAs, and ULAs. 
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning developed the training in collaboration with the Transitions Task Force. 
  • Learn more about Transitions Teacher Training on the Required Training website(Link opens in new window).

  • No student shall be required to take more than one Transitions course.
  • No Transitions course offered through a college designator shall disadvantage students who transition between colleges. The course requires two credits of work directly related to university preparation. Any additional college-specific content should be taught through college-specific introductory courses (e.g., a 1-2 credit co-requisite).
  • All Transitions courses must be open to all OSU students at the appropriate level and in the appropriate location/modality, regardless of college or term.