New grant from Teagle Foundation will refine AU’s First Year Seminar program
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University has received a $110,000 grant from The Teagle Foundation to strengthen its First Year Seminar program, enhancing a key component of the university’s general education curriculum that helps new students build the academic skills, intellectual curiosity and campus connections essential for long-term success.
The 24-month grant, awarded through The Teagle Foundation’s Cornerstone: Learning for Living initiative, will support efforts to refine the seminar’s curriculum, expand faculty development and further connect students’ liberal arts education with their academic and professional aspirations. The Teagle Foundation is a private philanthropic organization that supports and strengthens liberal arts education.
“This grant is vital to our focus on critical thinking skills and will strengthen our close community of learners,” said Dr. Jon Parrish Peede, president of AU. “We are grateful to President Andrew Delbanco and The Teagle Foundation for their confidence in our vision and commitment to student success.”
The First Year Seminar at Ashland University is a one-credit course, co-created in 2023 by an interdisciplinary group of faculty to provide a common intellectual experience for incoming students, anchored in transformative texts.
Students are required to read and reflect on a common text, with the current selection being “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.” They also have assignments that “introduce them to academic support resources and institutional expectations while building relationships with faculty in a low-stakes setting,” according to interim Dean of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor Dan McDonald, one of the principal investigators of the grant.
The First Year Seminar has generated strong engagement across academic disciplines and demonstrated early promise for strengthening student connection, critical thinking and retention. The grant will enable AU to further improve upon and formalize the course’s curricular framework, strengthen faculty collaboration and professional development, refine pathways that link education to professional aspirations and ensure long-term sustainability of the program.
“Research shows that first-year seminars provide an opportunity to forge relationships and mentors with faculty from the start of a student’s academic journey. The early connection between faculty and students is critical to the student experience,” said McDonald. “Furthermore, we believe that having a shared document across the sections helps to cultivate an esprit de corps among the students, the faculty teaching the class and the student aids in the class.”
McDonald continued, “This grant will also support faculty onboarding and development through mentored preparation and opportunities for conference attendance where conversations around similar first-year seminar courses are taking place. In addition, funds are identified for program support that can include outside scholars associated with the common readings.”
McDonald believes having a successful First Year Seminar, where AU students can explore academic life and possible degree paths, reflect on the nature of liberal arts and become familiar with the AU learning community, plays a pivotal role in the new students’ future success.
“The support of The Teagle Foundation is critical to supporting the FYS program as faculty examine and debate its future. Where we ultimately land with this course will speak to our academic identity, ambitions and expectations,” summarized McDonald. “This grant is meant to provide the means to explore what this course can be and how it will serve Ashland University’s overall academic vision.”
About The Teagle Foundation
The Teagle Foundation, established in 1944, works to support and strengthen liberal arts education, which it views as fundamental to meaningful work, effective citizenship and a fulfilling life. It aims to serve as a catalyst for the improvement of teaching and learning in the arts and sciences while addressing issues of financial sustainability and accountability in higher education.