E³ Centers and Activities

Office of First Year Experience (FYE)

The first year of college is the foundation upon which the entire academic experience is built. Norfolk State University views the first year of college as an essential time for students to build a solid foundation for life-long academic, personal, and career success. NSU, committed to academic excellence, has been actively engaged in the process of developing ways to translate opportunities provided at NSU into student success by enhancing their first year experience. First year students will have the opportunity to benefit from New Student Orientation, Freshman Seminar, and the Academy for Collegiate Excellence and Student Success (ACCESS). The goal of First Year Experience is to enhance student retention by offering a variety of academic support services such as, intrusive academic advising, undeclared student services, mentoring, supplemental instruction, tutorial services, computer lab instruction, mentoring, academic probation, and all services for other at risk student population.

The Office of First Year Experience oversees various activities and programs that currently exist in support of student success. The office is responsible for designing, recommending, and coordinating existing and new programs and/or initiatives that focus on first year experiences of new and transfer students. Also, the First Year Experience office ensures cohesiveness in academic and support services that impact new and transfer students. Assessment of student outcomes as a result of first-year curricular and co-curricular programs and services are reviewed and recommendations made accordingly so that programs are aligned with current trends.

A university-wide council on the First Year Experience will serve as an advisory board to the Office of First Year Experience


NSU Service Learning Center

The Service-Learning Center is designed to bring academic disciplines together in a collaborative effort to build successful student outcomes by developing academically-based learning and service opportunities for civic engagement, career enhancement and intellectual growth. The Center also provides resource support and offer workshops and conferences. For more information, please go to www.nsu.edu/servicelearning


American Democracy Project (ADP)

Norfolk State University’s participation in the American Democracy Project (ADP) enhances the university's long-standing tradition of integrating community service and civic responsibility in students' academic experiences. In 2003-2004, building on the successes of ongoing programs such as "Getting Out the Vote” Campaign, "Black History Month," "Young Democrats Club," and "Young Republicans Club," NSU engaged in a number of new initiatives.

For example, using the data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), and the Graduating Student Exit Survey, NSU conducted an assessment of student engagement in community and civic activities. Also, some faculty members integrated civic engagement outcomes in the course syllabi and successfully pilot tested the activities. In addition, faculty began exploring meaningful and intentional partnerships between the ADP and other campus-wide projects such as the Service-Learning Center and the Center for Global Education. The purpose of the partnerships is to enrich student learning experiences by enhancing student awareness of local, regional, national, and international civic issues.

Finally, NSU continues implementing the Research and Innovations to Support Empowerment (RISE) Center – a joint project of the university, city and state governments, local community and private enterprises to address social, political, and economic issues in downtown Norfolk and to serve as an agent for change to bring faculty expertise, student engagement, and community initiatives together in developing the region and the empowerment zone surrounding the campus.


Center for Global Education

Norfolk State University is committed to infusing a global perspective throughout all aspects of student, faculty and academic life at the university. The university’s strong commitment to expand its international involvement reflects the recognition that a global perspective is essential to achieving with excellence, especially in today’s ever shrinking world.

This vision guides Norfolk State University’s efforts to promote the broader goal, as stated in the university’s mission of providing an affordable, high-quality education for an ethnically and culturally diverse student population, who would eventually contribute productively “to a global and rapidly changing society.” To this end, we seek to promote among our students and faculty international awareness and understanding through an enrichment of our curricula and other designated programs and activities. For more information, please go to www.nsu.edu/global