First Year Experience

The Office of First Year Experience provides a variety of events, experiences, opportunities and support to assist new students with their adjustment to college.

Our Mission 

The mission of the First Year Experience Office is to provide experiences that support students with their transition to college through an orientation program, providing opportunities for engagement across campus, and actively supporting students to help them achieve academic and personal success.

What We Do

First Year Experience (FYE) strives to support students through coordinating, enhancing, and supporting a broad array of programs, services, experiences, and educationally purposeful activities. Our efforts begin with Orientation for first-year students that introduces college expectations and student development utilizing team building and appropriate resources and services available for academic success. We schedule welcome activities during the first week of classes (GrizzFest), creating opportunities for new students to meet and interact with other students, providing interactions and experiences with instructors and staff beyond the classroom.

For our students, the journey into and through college is rarely an endeavor one takes alone. First Year Experience values the importance parents and families play with their involvement in the lives of our students. It is the commitment of FYE to provide information to parents and families about Butler and provide opportunities to help them feel part of the Butler community through communication. We invite parents and family members to sign up for The Butler Family Portal and join our extended community of support for students. Please provide emails to Sherri Conard at [email protected] and they will receive an invitation to sign up and complete their profile in The Butler Family Portal. Butler will only share general Butler information with these contacts, not personal student data. 

The FYE Office also strives to support faculty with efforts such as reaching out to students who may miss class or may be in need of academic or personal support, continuing our efforts through identifying and supporting students in need.

Contact Us

Sherri Conard
Director of First Year Experience
316.323.6373
Office: BOA 5002C
[email protected]