Stein, a marketing major, continued, "The two philosophy classes I took in a cluster with psychology and English composition were so interesting that I decided to pursue philosophy as my minor. Touching on the importance of advisement, Stein said, "Professor Godlove became my academic adviser and helped calm my anxiety about college classes and what future classes to take."

A weekend safari to the Bronx Zoo last spring was just one of many excursions that first-year students enjoyed in 2004.

FYC's innovative interdisciplinary curriculum is seen as the ideal introduction to the liberal arts. Moreover, no matter which school at Hofstra students select for future study, their FYC courses will count toward their degree requirements. Freshmen typically enroll in four or five courses in their initial Hofstra semester. FYC's thematic approach enables students to link three of those courses. To illustrate their interdisciplinary focus, Dr. Godlove singled out a few Connections Seminars, both current and upcoming.

"The Literature and Mathematics of Baseball," scheduled for fall 2006, will explore not only math in baseball but also baseball in literature. This seminar will include a trip to Yankee Stadium – which, he observed wryly, will be tough since he's a Mets fan.

For "Liberty and Equality in American Law," taught in fall 2005 by Professor Stan Bernstein (also a federal judge), students worked on projects related to the two recent Supreme Court vacancies, Dr. Godlove noted. That seminar likely will be on the fall 2006 roster. Still other FYC seminars will include two on geology, one on Shakespeare and another titled "Understanding Contemporary Islam," he added.

For the "Thinking About Art" seminar, Fine Arts Professor Laurie Fendrich and students worked on projects linked to the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2005. For a Shakespeare class, students went to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for a production of A Winter's Tale, and then developed a project around that.

Turning to Connections Clusters, Dr. Godlove said, "`Science and Science Fiction,' scheduled for fall 2006, consists of astronomy, science fiction in English and composition, while `This Great Stage' combines philosophy and drama."

To help these seminars and clusters come alive, FYC budgets for relevant off-campus trips, Dr. Godlove noted. For "This Great Stage," students see Broadway or off-Broadway plays, he said, and a trip to the Hayden Planetarium's Rose Center for Earth and Space in Manhattan is part of "Science and Science Fiction."

In fall 2006, as in 2005, FYC clusters will include "Pre-Medical Sciences." Combining biology and chemistry courses, this cluster is designed to provide a solid science foundation for students interested in medical, dental or veterinary schools.

Professor Perotti, who recently taught an FYC seminar on "The Clinton Presidency" that tied into Hofstra's presidential conference in November 2005, has found the FYC experience most beneficial. "The small class sizes allow me to get to know the students immediately, including their reading and research interests," she said. Professor Perotti previously taught a "Pursuing the American Dream" cluster in conjunction with courses in English and economics and will in fall 2006 teach the "Media and American Politics" cluster. She praised the FYC program as "making a huge difference. Students find direction in their first year at Hofstra."

Professor Ben Talton, who will teach a "Modern Slavery" seminar in fall 2006, recalled a previous seminar, "War and Peace in Modern Africa." "I had thought I'd be doing a lot of lecturing and that it would be tough to get students involved." He said the actual experience was quite the contrary. "The students gained confidence and actively participated, making for livelier discussions." Citing the small classes as key, he noted, "Hopefully, the FYC approach will help students get more excited about history earlier in their academic careers."

"It's an exciting time right now," Dr. Godlove concluded. "Next fall, for the first time, we'll see a First-Year Connections program for the entire freshman class at Hofstra."

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