First-Year Seminar Rounds Out Its Leadership as It Continues to Build on Course Engagement

The First-Year Seminar (FYS) 101 welcomes new leadership this year as it builds upon a strong foundation, while expanding and strengthening its engagement and experiences for new students. The team will welcome Shannon Hitchcock Schantz G’21, who will begin her role as director on May 16. Jimmy Luckman, who had joined First-Year Seminar as program coordinator, was promoted to associate director. Ali Bakhtiari G’21 is the new program coordinator.

“First-Year Seminar engages students to help them find belonging and explore areas of health and wellness, the development of identity and issues surrounding bias and discrimination, among other areas—all through guided conversations and experiences,” says Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives, who oversees First-Year Seminar. “As we continue to build on our efforts in First-Year Seminar, Shannon, Jimmy and Ali will be providing that guidance and leadership to further strengthen the important work being done by so many through the various sections led by faculty and staff.”

Shannon Hitchcock Schantz

Schantz is a higher education professional with 17 years of experience working on college campuses across New York state. She completed a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biophysics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), a master’s degree in higher education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a doctorate in higher education at Syracuse University. She previously worked in residence life at Barnard College, Hamilton College and RPI.

During her studies at Syracuse, Schantz served as a teaching assistant for the College Learning Strategies course. Her dissertation research focused on an intersectional examination of the impact of classroom climate in engineering on women’s academic outcomes. In her most recent position as student life director/Title IX coordinator at PrattMWP College of Art and Design, an extension campus of Pratt Institute, she oversaw residence life, student activities and leadership, health and counseling, and accommodations, and spearheaded the college’s retention efforts and academic support.

Schantz says she is looking forward to returning to Syracuse with her family to continue the great efforts the First-Year Seminar team is making on campus to enhance students’ experience and sense of belonging.

Jimmy Luckman

Luckman joined the University in August 2019 as program coordinator for New Student Programs in the Student Experience Division. He joined the FYS team in July 2021, and, as program coordinator, supported operational aspects of FYS, communicated with lead instructors and peer leaders, and managed leadership development opportunities.

Luckman holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, with a double minor in women and gender studies and African and African American studies, from SUNY Brockport and a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs from Northern Arizona University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at St. John Fisher University, studying LGBTQ+ students’ sense of belonging and the phenomena of queerbaiting on college campuses. In addition to his work with FYS, Luckman has been a C.A.R.E. facilitator and a part of the Queer Mentorship Program at Syracuse University.

Ali Bakhtiari

Bakhtiari joined FYS as program coordinator at the start of the Spring 2023 semester. He is a Fulbright Scholarship recipient and an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program. He has extensive experience in higher education. He previously worked at the Shaw Center, where he advised on curriculum and lesson planning and oversaw transportation. He also has worked as a researcher with different organizations, a trainer at the British Council and a lecturer at Kabul University, where he taught sociolinguistics for over five years. He served in different committees—First Year Orientation Program, Curriculum Committee, Assessment and Evaluation Committee, Admissions Committee and Student Conduct and Academic Discipline Committee—at  Kabul University and has served as a member of the Faculty Recruitment and Promotions Commission at the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan. He is a native of Afghanistan and earned a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum in the School of Education.

First-Year Seminar started as a temporary course in 2018. It was approved by the University Senate and all schools and colleges and then ran for the first time in Fall 2021 as a full-semester, a one-credit course required for graduation.

Chandice Haste-Jackson, associate dean of student services and associate teaching professor of human development and family science in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, served as interim director of the program in its inaugural year.

“The inaugural year was focused on establishing a foundation from which to engage well over 3,500 first-year and transfer students. This of course was no easy feat, but I am proud of the work that was done to move us forward in engaging students in discussion of the most pressing issues of our time, in real-time,” Haste-Jackson says. “A solid framework was established for the program to be built upon, and the First-Year Seminar team will do an outstanding job in taking the information learned from that first year, both from data and anecdotally, and strengthening this program.”

There were 233 FYS 101 sections last fall, led by 180 lead instructors (faculty, staff and graduate students) and 227 peer leaders. For fall 2023, the number of peer leaders is being finalized, and lead instructors are still being recruited.

The program has adapted and expanded its offerings and experiences.

“Programming for FYS 101 is ever-evolving to ensure that we are engaging in dialogue with first-year and transfer students about things that are happening in the Syracuse and global community, whether it be in-person or via social media,” says Luckman. “This year we expanded our Week 4 Shared Experience opportunities to include more resources and opportunities, to help students find a sense of belonging and explore how they can expand their awareness, knowledge and skills during their first semester. Students reflected on and incorporated FYS 101 programming and course content in their Personal Engagement Plan, which is the cumulating end-of-the-semester assignment for all FYS 101 students to explore dimensions of growth in terms of their academic, social, wellness and cross-culture development.”