Illinois Tech is committed to empowering students to make a successful transition from high school to college by providing a framework through which each student is able to find their support network within the Illinois Tech community, to maximize the use of all resources the university has to offer, to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and self-efficacy in order to make highly impactful life decisions, and to create a highly individualized plan to realize their desired college experience.
Using a combination of individual, group, and whole-group supports, the First-Year Elevate (FYE) consists of a weekly seminar addressing topics that are relevant to students during both their first year of college and a first-year mentorship program.
First-Year Seminar
During each student's first year they will participate in one group seminar to learn more about the program. In the seminar we will discuss:
- Suitable - our mobile student engagement platform
- The Individualized College Plan
- The College Blueprint tool
First-Year Mentors
Mentors will facilitate events for the first year. In addition student mentors will facilitate a small discussion group to supplement and expand on the topics from the First-Year Seminar. In addition, these student mentors will check in with each of their first-year mentees throughout the year to address any questions and to provide any guidance needed for students to create their individual college experience plan.