Shepard Freshman Resource Center: Home

The Shepard Freshman Resource Center is just for freshmen—a "one-stop" place for first-year students to come for support, counsel, and assistance of all sorts. The Center oversees counseling and academic advising, helps students explore interests related to the first year of studies, and works closely with freshmen having difficulty adjusting to college life. It facilitates access to the academic, informational, and social resources first-year students need to help them transition from high school to college and to successfully complete their first year at the University. The center also provides resources for parents—to help them help their sons and daughters have a successful first year of college.

Students can find information regarding the many resources offered by departments all over campus, including residence life, financial aid, the registrar, study abroad, volunteer services, and the career center at the Shepard Freshman Resource Center. The director coordinates existing services for freshmen and works with various campus departments to oversee counseling and academic advising for first-time students, and help resolve problems with career planning, financial aid, registration, and adjusting to college. The Shepard Freshman Resource Center helps the University improve its services to first-year students in an effort to push freshmen retention rates above 90 percent.

Objectives:

• Providing assistance to every first-year student to ensure a successful first year of studies and helping them to remain at the University of Portland
• Combining and unifying resources already in place making them respond more quickly and efficiently
• Working with undeclared first-year students as they decide to select a major course of study
• Targeting those first year students who have the potential for not returning and providing assistance for them
• Assisting and acquainting first-year students with University culture and procedures that are frequently misunderstood