The First-Year Seminar: A Program Evaluation of Students’ Public-Affairs Awareness

Abstract

Similar to the public-welfare aim of many universities, Missouri State University (MSU) was granted a specific statewide public affairs mission in 1995 comprising three pillars: community engagement, cultural competence, and ethical leadership. Since the implementation of this mission, the university has engaged in various efforts to promote and foster public-affairs awareness among students, including through its first-year seminar (FYS). This article details a study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the FYS in enhancing students’ public-affairs awareness. The researchers solicited input from students in the first and last weeks of their first semester at MSU using the Public Affairs Scale–Short Survey (PAS-SS) as well as other questions. The study sample consisted of 540 students who completed both the pre- and post-surveys. The researchers found that students’ public-affairs awareness in the cultural competence domain increased during the FYS program, but not in community engagement or ethical leadership. Additionally, there were significant differences in public-affairs awareness over time between first-generation students enrolled in specialized sections and those who were not. No significant differences were found in public-affairs awareness between faculty- and staff-taught sections or between sections with a peer leader and those without. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the study findings and a consideration of implications for future practice.