The Freshman Success Experience

What is ASE?

ASE 1111: The Freshman Success Experience, is a first-semester freshman class that meets twice a week for 50-minute sessions for one hour of credit. Its purpose is to help students adjust to the differences that have been observed between high school and college culture.

The class is informal in structure, and discussions and presentations involve topics such as time management, setting goals and priorities, communicating with professors and other students, study skills and how each student’s own personality profile can affect their academic and social skills.

Why Does ASE Exist?

Recent studies indicate that in Texas, anywhere from 20 to 70 percent of high school graduates will need additional skills and instruction to make them ready for the expectations of college. In Tarrant County, this statistic is about 60 percent.

ASE helps freshman students by making them more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and helping to adapt to the college climate. ASE gives them information and resources to advance and succeed and know where and how to get help and answers for questions, concerns and problems that can arise from their first year adjustment time to a university setting.

Studies have also shown that first-year students who participate in a class such as ASE are more likely to stay in college.

Who Takes ASE?

All full-time incoming freshmen are expected and required to take ASE 1111: The Freshman Success Experience. Classes are intentionally small, with about 20 students from various majors and interests in each section.

The classes are taught by Wesleyan professors that have been invited to participate as class facilitators because of their known ability to relate and communicate well with freshmen and their very unique needs at this time of their life as they move from high school into Texas Wesleyan’s academic culture and expectations.

Faculty facilitators come from all academic areas of the campus: business, psychology, language and literature, education, sociology, biology, history and fine arts. The ASE professors are also there to help academically advise a freshman, in addition to the terrific staff that is in the Academic Advising Center, located on the first floor of the library.

When and Where is ASE?

ASE 1111 sections are offered at many times that are convenient for a student’s schedule. As mentioned earlier, classes are 50 minutes in length and meet twice a week either on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday, unless the professor indicates otherwise in their syllabus.

The syllabus for ASE is based on 14 weeks and the class ends the week of the Thanksgiving break, just after the freshmen have been pre-registered for the spring academic semester and about two weeks before the end of the academic semester.

ASE classrooms are located in various parts of the campus and are usually located near the particular office of the professor teaching the class.

The central ASE classroom is located in the basement of the Administration Building, Room 106 and is where several of the sections for ASE are taught.

If you have any questions or concerns, your ASE professors are here to help you. Freshmen are encouraged to get to know their particular professors and utilize their experience and knowledge.

ASE is overseen by Dr. Gladys Childs, dean of freshman success.  Besides administrating the ASE classes, Dr. Childs is there as a helping hand to all freshman students to aid them through their first year of college.

Dr. Childs can be reached by email at gchilds@txwes.edu or 817-531-4296.  She welcomes and encourages your questions, calls and emails in order help all freshmen reach their full potential at Texas Wesleyan.