Theme Descriptions

This is a designated Personal Success Plan Course, in which students outline the strengths and assets that will help them face challenges, identify obstacles, and form an action plan for college success. The mission of Roberts Wesleyan University as a liberal arts and faith-based institution will be discussed and understood. Students will explore who they are, what they believe, share, listen, and learn together. The professor will facilitate discussion and activities throughout the course.

Learn more about your faculty mentor, Kirby Trask, here. 

What we place our faith in matters. When we fly on a plane, we are using a degree of faith – faith that despite not completely understanding the entirety of physics, the avionics, and all the technology involved in making a plane fly, we trust that it will take us to our destination safely. We also have to place our faith in the pilots – without having met them, without seeing their resume or knowing their qualifications, etc. We simply know enough to trust that the plane will take us to a favorable destination. According to astrophysicist and professor Aleksey Filippenko “Scientists are only well aware of 4 percent of the universe – that is, we understand pretty well the nature of 4 percent of the universe. The stuff that is made of atoms.” So what about the other 96% that is unknown? How do our lives best play out amidst that narrative? Is it possible to know God’s will for our lives? How do we create preferred outcomes for ourselves and others amidst life’s challenges and mysteries? We will wrestle with these and other questions. As part of this course, we will have some great discussions...some fun in the process of discovery…and perhaps find some answers.

Learn more about your faculty mentor Joel Hoomans.

Have you considered how you can worship throughout your college experience? How can you grow in your faith during college?  What motivates you?  Have you ever taken time to reflect on your purpose for attending college?  What role does faith play in making sense of your educational journey?  We will learn how to answer questions about our faith and how we can worship through our college experience. While drinking a nice cup of coffee, we can grow in our faith and make our time at Roberts more productive.

Learn more about your faculty mentors, Katherine Allkofer & Kristen Chalmers.

College is a time of transition and change that can be both exciting and nerve-wracking! But college is also a time of self-discovery and growth, a time of finding out how you were built and how you are not built! In this class, we will explore the notion of vocation, or calling, the way we learn to hear what God has and has not built us for, not only for our future careers but in play, love, life, faith, and mission. You will gain perspective on who you are, the community we share, and the world we’ve been called to bless through readings, guest speakers, activities, and service. Through hybrid learning, we will learn how to balance our virtual and personal presence and practice healthy skills to relate personally, academically, and professionally.

Learn more about your faculty mentor, Tammie Myslivecek and Ashley Cooper. 

Nearly a billion people, making less than $1.90 per day, live in “extreme poverty” worldwide. Many of these individuals live without adequate access to food, clean water, shelter, basic electricity, education, and healthcare needs. Eradicating extreme poverty remains an important global challenge facing us today. This FYS section will investigate how socioeconomic status, gender, race, geography, infectious diseases, and natural disasters contribute to the global poverty crisis. We will also examine relevant stories of innovation that have provided timely sustainable development and hope for the future.

Learn more about your faculty mentor, Jason Taylor, here. 

Welcome to college, your newest destination in life, where you will begin your exciting discovery of becoming your best self. As you move forward, you will face the unknown and demonstrate the willingness to attempt something new or different, even though it may be challenging. This seminar will focus on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of all people from a variety of backgrounds and help us work together on themes of integrity, personal excellence, servant leadership, and overall adjustment to your college experience.

Learn more about your faculty mentors, Lindsey Mwene & Ezrine Taylor.

Navigating through life feeling comfortable with who we are is not always easy, especially as we embark on our journey in college. This course is designed to offer students a range of activities, discussions, and opportunities to Let Go, and Let God help us find true purpose so we can be the servant leaders God intends us to be while being true to ourselves. Knowing who we are and understanding our place in our world today is a challenging undertaking. Through targeted course content focused upon God's love and grace, we will begin to deconstruct who we are expected to be in order to construct who we want to be.

Learn more about your faculty mentor, Diana Abbott, here. 

THRIVING is a condition beyond mere survival, implying growth and positive development. This special exploratory First-Year Seminar provides Academic Exploration Program students with support, activities, and community as they examine personal wellness, who they are, and their unique gifts, values, and vision they can offer their communities. Being with other students who are actively exploring their academic and life path provides insights from peers and a valuable sense of community while celebrating diversity (e.g. different academic interests, career paths, perspectives, backgrounds, culture, and personalities). This class will focus on the transition to college, optimizing the student experience, and providing a safe space for students to grow and develop here at Roberts.

Learn more about your faculty mentors, Kelly Fasoldt & Kellie Barbato (AEP).

A key component of the Global Honors Program is the Honors First Year Seminar course. First Year Seminar is designed to introduce first-year students at Roberts Wesleyan University to college life. In addition to introducing the students to their new academic setting, the Honors First Year Seminar course will focus on a foundational principle held by B. T. Roberts: freedom. In this course, students will explore political movements and innovations from Rochester, NY, that led to various forms of freedom, not only in Western New York but in the country and, subsequently, the world. Through a series of readings, historical Rochester site visits, and guest lecturers, students will learn about: B.T. Roberts and the rich history of Roberts Wesleyan University, his views on women’s rights and slavery, and his foundational work in the Free Methodist church. The work and lives of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, and explore how their freedom movements impacted the world. Additionally, students will learn about modern-day slavery and the lessons learned from connections between the past and present. The Erie Canal, discovering how the canal system opened up freedom of commerce in the Rochester area and around the world. The invention of Photographic Film and how it revolutionized photography. Students will also research how the camera has been used to photo document freedom movements around the world. Throughout the course, students will discuss what it means to be free as Christians and the responsibilities Christians have to those suffering from oppression. To put hands and feet into the discussions and explorations, the class will participate in a service project working with a local anti-human trafficking organization. This course will allow students to see the global impact of local political movements and innovations and will help students realize that no matter their location, they can make a difference in the world.

Learn more about your faculty mentors, Denise Johnson, and Jeffrey McPherson.