University/Organization
Utah Valley University
Title
Engagement: Starts the first day and never ends
Synopsis
The importance of the first day of class is to set the tone for the entire semester. It is the opportunity to
create an atmosphere to engage students in the classroom and course content, feel a sense of
belonging, get to know their peers, and form bonds of trust between class members and faculty. The
importance of the last day of class sends students onto their next academic experience feeling good
about their accomplishments and the content of the class so that they will share their feelings about the
course with others and carry that feeling into subsequent courses. This session provides opportunities
for participants to share and generate ideas on how to build opportunities to engage students on the
first and last days of class.