Friends of the First Year NEW STUDENT GUIDE

Campus-wide, there is a team of staff, faculty, and peer leaders eager to make your first year the best it can be. Learn about some of the people and offices ready to support you in our student guide!

First-Year Five

Kenedi Garrett (she/her) is one of five second-year students sharing their experiences in the First-Year Five.

What They Do:These five sophomores are your student guides to the ultimate first-year experience!

How To Connect With Them: Follow along with their stories and advice on Instagram @firstyear.tulane.

The First-Year Five (FY5) play a crucial role in shaping a positive, welcoming, and inclusive campus culture, ensuring that all students feel supported and connected during their first year at Tulane. By sharing personal stories, the FY5 aim to create a supportive community that eases the transition for incoming students and fosters a sense of belonging within the Tulane community.

First-Year Fives Erin, Eliza, Sanika, & Carys.

Wave Leader

Shyla Krishnappa (she/her) is one of over 140 student staff members who support Hullabaloo Hello.

What They Do: Wave Leaders guide students through Hullabaloo Hello and help them transition into the fall semester. As returning students, Wave Leaders are great resources for all things Tulane!

When To Connect With Them: Through Hullabaloo Hello and beyond, you can go to your Wave Leader for advice about campus life, academics, and anything else on your mind.

First-Year Seminar Peer Mentor

Alyson Christianson (she/her) is one of 125 peer mentors, placed in every TIDE and COLQ seminar course.

What They Do: During your first semester at Tulane, Peer Mentors provide a foundation of support by helping students connect with different campus resources and opportunities for academic exploration.

When To Connect With Them: Anytime you need to connect to a campus resource, find your people, or want a lunch partner.

How To Make an Appointment: Catch them in your TIDES or Honors Colloquium – your Peer Mentor will attend every class!

First-Year Seminar Faculty

Dr. Ray Proctor, Associate Professor, Theatre & Dance (he/him) is one of 134 First-Year Seminar Faculty.

What They Do: TIDES and Honors Colloquia faculty are more than just classroom instructors. Through engaging course content, they provide an introduction to the academic rigor and interdisciplinary education of Tulane and give guidance on how to excel as a student.

They also introduce you to the New Orleans community with field trips, classroom speakers, and class conversations

When To Connect With Them: All faculty, not just first-year seminar faculty, are a great resource for when you have a question about the course material or assignments, need help academically, or are interested in exploring opportunities in your major of interest.

How To Make an Appointment: Stay after your seminar class to ask them a question or visit them during their office hours, which can be found on your TIDES or COLQ syllabus.

Residential Faculty Mentor

Brittany Kennedy, Senior Professor of Practice, Spanish & Portuguese (she/her) is one of 16 RFMs in the first-year residence halls.

What They Do: Residential Faculty Mentors support your transition to the academic and social communities of the university through programs and office hours held right in your residence hall.

When To Connect With Them: Whenever you have a question about a major, are looking for an academic resource, or want to chat about life in New Orleans.

How To Make an Appointment: Stop by their office hours in your hall or look out for emails from one of your RFMs inviting you to one of their events.

There is a group of Residential Faculty Mentors connected to every first-year residence hall, except Wall Hall, which has a Faculty in Residence (FIR), Dr. Charles Mignot, who lives there.

Resident Director

Maia Radhakrishnan (she/her) is one of 10 professional Resident Directors who live on-campus and work with each residential community.

What They Do: RDs lead and oversee residential communities, supervise the Resident Advisors, advise the Community Government, and support residents individually and collectively.

When To Connect With Them: If you live on-campus and need help with your living situation, want to get involved, or need support from a staff member who's just next door.

How To Make an Appointment: Find your RD below and email them to make an appointment.

Resident Advisor

Kalil Mosquera (he/him) is one of 128 student Resident Advisors who live in the halls with fellow students.

What They Do: RAs guide and support residents who live around them through regular individual and group engagement to build positive relationships and community.

When To Connect With Them: If you have questions, concerns, or want to talk with a fellow student about something that's on your mind, they are here to help!

How To Make an Appointment: Just stop by their room! An RA is available on every floor.

College Advisor

Patrick Long (he/him) is one of over 25 College Advisors working with full-time undergraduate students in Newcomb-Tulane College.

What They Do: Advisors are your partners in your academic journey. From helping you with your first semester registration to filing your graduation application, a college advisor will support you through each milestone.

When To Connect With Them: Connect with your advisor if you want to explore different academic programs, have academic concerns, wish to transfer credit, want to plan or review your course registration, or confirm your graduation requirements. Your advisor is instrumental in keeping you on track towards your intended graduating semester.

How To Make an Appointment: Visit the link below to explore the many ways you can connect with College Advising.

Advising is a collaborative partnership that maximizes the individual potential of students by sharing information, tools, and resources that empower students to make informed decisions about creating appropriate academic and career plans to achieve their academic, career, and life goals.

Pre-Law & Pre-Health Advisor

Duc Huynh (he/him) is one of two pre-professional advisors.

What They Do: Whether you're pursuing a life-long passion or just starting to explore career options, Tulane's pre-law and pre-health advisors can talk with you about skills, activities, and achievements that will prepare you to be a competitive applicant to law school, medical school, or other health professions schools.

When To Connect With Them: Planning for pre-law and pre-health career paths starts early, so students should meet with advisors during their first semester at Tulane.

How To Make an Appointment: Visit the link below to meet with a pre-law or pre-health advisor.

Career Coach

Sammy Stevens (she/her) is one of a team of Career Coaches, Career Educators, and Career Peer Advisors.

What They Do: Career coaches can help you explore your individual strengths and paths, build strategies for finding jobs or internships, actualize the job search process, and connect you with alumni and mentors in the industries you're most interested.

When To Connect With Them: There's so much that goes into making a career plan. Whether you're still exploring your options or committed to a specific career path, you can schedule an appointment with a career coach to begin creating your individualized plan as early as freshman year.

How To Make an Appointment: Visit the link below to make an appointment with a career coach.

First-year students can also engage with NTC Career Services outside of 1:1 coaching; they can take our 1-credit career course Exploring Majors and Careers (CRDV: 1060), participate in our 4-week networking sprint called Career Launch, or attend any of our events and programming that we host throughout the year – all of which can be found on Handshake and career.tulane.edu!

Success Coach

Joanitah Nakiggwe (she/her) is one of five professional success coaches and ten peer success leaders.

What They Do: Coaches work with students through a strengths-based approach and a belief that every student learns and process information differently. Coaches offer support in social, academic, and professional success. Coaches help students explore habits, strategies, or beliefs they want to refine to create their desired results.

When To Connect With Them: Students can be in contact with a coach at any point in their Tulane journey. You may want a coach to help you establish routines at the start of the semester. You may want to meet with a coach to help you prepare for finals. Some students utilize coaching throughout the academic year to help connect to their passions and purpose.

How To Make an Appointment: Visit the link below to make an appointment with a success coach or peer success leader.

Success Coaching also includes Peer Success Leaders, a group of highly motivated students who assist their peers through the academic and social challenges of college.

Academic Learning & Tutoring Center

Jasmine Kiley (she/her) is one of 45 Supplemental Instruction Leaders. They are part of the ALTC team, which includes 30 tutors and 15 writing coaches.

What They Do: The Academic Learning & Tutoring Center is your partner for academic success. Whether you are looking for a place to study between classes, a teaching assistant from the Math Center, a tutor for Organic Chemistry, or a writing coach who understands APA formatting, the ALTC can help.

When To Connect With Them: When you want to get ahead on your courses, review with your classmates, or ask questions of a peer who excelled in the class when they were enrolled.

How To Make an Appointment: Download the Penji app or go to penjiapp.com and log in with your Tulane email and password.

The Academic Learning and Tutoring Center offers a wide range of services. Following are the highlights, so you can choose the one that's right for you!

The Academic Writing Center connects students with trained peer tutors who specialize in writing skills. Writing tutors collaborate with you on content, organization, grammar, and idea generation.

The Math Center is a space designed for students enrolled in difficult calculus and statistics courses. Study independently or with a group of friends, work out problems, and get helpful advice from math department teaching assistants.

Peer Tutors meet one-on-one with you in the ALTC to review class concepts, work practice problems, and answer questions. All tutors excelled in the courses in which they provide support.

Supplemental Instruction sessions are regularly scheduled, out-of-class, review sessions where students work collaboratively with a peer instructor in reading discussions, solving practice problems, and preparing for exams.

Therapist

Dr. Jinaki Flint (she/her) is one of 17 professional therapists, psychologists, and psychiatry staff.

What They Do: Their team of licensed and experienced psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, and psychiatrists foster personal, emotional, and academic growth by offering comprehensive therapy and psychiatry services, outreach and prevention programs, self-guided, web-based resources, and consultative relationships throughout the Tulane community.

When To Connect With Them: Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is an inclusive, confidential space for all undergraduate students to receive individual and group therapy, and/or psychiatry treatment for a variety of mental health concerns, to include mental health education, college adjustment concerns, stress management skills, or mental health concerns that may require medication, among other needs.

How To Make an Appointment: All first appointments are same-day initial consultation appointments. Schedule by calling 504-314-2277.

Case Manager

Baileigh Bosco (she/her) is one of five case managers.

What They Do: Many students experience difficult times during college, due to either academic or personal reasons. Common stressors include medical, mental health, personal or family crisis, illness, or injury. Case Management and Victim Support Services (CMVSS) is a one-stop resource for any Tulane student in need of support.

When To Connect With Them: You can connect with CMVSS for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, navigating a personal or academic barrier or crisis, if you have been the victim of a crime or an incident of bias of harassment, resource connection and coordination, and support and follow-up related to an illness, injury, and or/hospitalization.

How To Make an Appointment: To connect with a case manager: call 504-314-2160, email srss@tulane.edu, complete a concern report at www.tulane.edu/concerns, or stop by our office Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm.

Resources for Specific First-Year Communities

BIPOC Students

The Center for Academic Equity (CAE) supports students from historically underrepresented groups through unique learning opportunities, mentorship, and support. Find them in the Richardson Building and learn more at academic-equity.tulane.edu.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) uses a trauma-informed lens to counter the effects of oppression and empower students to thrive. Find them in the Richardson Building and learn more at intercultural.tulane.edu/multicultural-affairs.

First-Generation College Students

The Center for Academic Equity (CAE) supports students from historically underrepresented groups through unique learning opportunities, mentorship, and support. Find them in the Richardson Building and learn more at academic-equity.tulane.edu.

First-Year Honors Scholars

The Honors Experience is supported by NTC College Programs and provides academically gifted and intellectually curious students unique opportunities for exploration and immersion. Learn more at firstyear.tulane.edu/honors.

International Students

The Center for Global Education (CGE) provides support for undergraduate international students and for NTC students who study abroad through programs administered by our office. Learn more at cge.tulane.edu.

The Office of International Students and Scholars is the designated office for immigration advising and support services for Tulane's international community. Learn more at oiss.tulane.edu.

LGBTQ+ Students

The Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD) strives for Queer & Trans Liberation rooted in anti-racism, accessibility, and decolonization. Learn more at intercultural.tulane.edu/gender-and-sexual-diversity.

Spring Scholars

Spring Scholars begin their time at Tulane in the spring after engaging in exploratory experiences during the fall semester. This cohort is supported by the NTC College Programs. Learn more by emailing dkarashgivens@tulane.edu.

Students with Accessibility Needs

The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility seeks to eliminate barriers, advocate for inclusion, and ensure access for every members of the Tulane community, acknowledging that great minds think differently. Find them in the basement of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, and learn more at accessibility.tulane.edu.