About FYE
What is FYE?
FYE is a mandatory four-day program that aims to familiarize students with the purposes and expectations of higher education, AUC culture and services, student rights and responsibilities, and academic, personal, and social competencies necessary for college success. The program equips them with the skills necessary to become self-reliant in the use of university information resources, identify relevant service offices when needed, and appreciate the values of respect and appreciation for the institution, other members of the AUC community, and the learning experience.Who is it for?
All students who have been admitted to AUC are required to take part in the FYE program. These include undergraduate Egyptian and international degree-seeking students, including ELI students.
What happens during the four-day program?Just before the first week of classes, new students attend a four-day program consisting of plenary and workshop sessions, as well as an evening convocation. Each of the four days covers a theme that highlights a key value or area of knowledge prioritized in the university mission statement. More about FYE themes.
Students are divided into groups of approximately 20-22 students each. Each section is supervised by a facilitator, assisted by a peer leader. Services of the various offices are presented by staff members during the plenary sessions.
Convocation celebrates the students’ initiation as AUC members. Parents and members of the senior administration are present at this event, where refreshments are served and students receive FYE completion certificates.
Prior to the convocation, the language and writing programs are introduced to both parents and students in separate sessions according to students’ English placement.
The convocation's opening address provides parents with an overview of a liberal arts education, the core values upheld by the university – integrity, community responsibility and respect for diversity – and an overview of the limits and challenges of their responsibility as parents of college-level students. Convocation also allows the students to gain awareness into “acceptable” behavior at formal public ceremonies.