First-Year Integration (FYI)

The First-Year Integration (FYI) program is led by a steering committee comprised of faculty and staff, and is administered through Student Life.

FYI  as a course gives students the opportunity to learn things they need to know about themselves, things that enhance their spiritual journey and assimilate them into a Christian learning environment, things they need to learn about their own campus and what makes CCU unique from other college campuses, and things they need to know and learn about the value and meaning of higher education and how to effectively integrate their faith with all that they will learn.

CCU introduces students to life and study at CCU in the following ways (or areas):

1. CCU provides intentional introductions and opportunities to practice academic basics including: academic expectations; use of a text book; use of the library and its resources; study skills; critical thinking; the process leading to critical commitment; development of a degree plan; and basic writing and communication skills.
2. CCU provides meaningful and intentional introductions to what it means to integrate faith with academics as well as life.
3. CCU provides meaningful and intentional opportunities for new students to establish and maintain relationships with their peers and faculty/staff. This may include involving them with group service learning projects as well as the many other opportunities available through Campus Ministries and Student Life.
4. CCU provides intentional opportunities to explore vocational options, and resources for discovering options.
5. CCU provides intentional introductions to campus resources.

FYI is a required, credit-bearing, academic course, and is part of the general education requirements in the College of Undergraduate Studies (CUS). New first-year students are required to complete FYI in their first semester of study at CCU.

The FYI exception policy is therefore consistent with the On-Campus Housing policy  for living on campus, which shares a similar philosophy.

A CUS student may request exception to the FYI requirement through permission of their Life Directions Center (LDC) advisor only if he/she meets one of the following conditions:

1. Student is of nontraditional age (22 years or older) on the date that he/she begins an academic program through the College of Undergraduate Studies.
2. Student has earned 24 or more semester hours of college level work from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. These credit hours must be earned post-high school graduation.  All transfer policies  apply. Students transferring in 24-59 credits (earned post high school graduation) will be required to take the INT 102 - Transfer Student Integration . The Dean of Students or her designee will make that determination.
3. Students who possess two or more years of post-high school, full-time work, military or other professional experience may petition for exception on a case by case basis. Petitions for exception should be directed to the Dean of Students via the student’s LDC Advisor.

Regardless of the academic aptitude or accomplishment of any student, considerations such as each student’s emotional and spiritual preparedness, preparedness for the residential collegiate setting, preparedness to maneuver successfully within a college system, and the unique mission and culture of Colorado Christian University are crucial to the experience of FYI. For these reasons, petitions for exception to the FYI requirement are rarely approved.

Students who receive a failing grade must re-take the course the following semester.