KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 31, 2019

Nirmal Trivedi recognized for first-year seminar program at KSU

Nirmal Trivedi, director of First-Year Seminars at Kennesaw State University, has been honored with the Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars Award by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Co-sponsored by Penguin Random House, the award recognized Trivedi’s outstanding work in teaching first-year seminars. He will receive the award at the 38^th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience in Las Vegas in February, and will be recognized in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Under Trivedi’s four-year leadership at KSU, the First-Year Seminar program has refocused on three areas to help students be successful: student growth, purpose and social belonging.

These three areas create foundations for students to succeed in college and in life. By focusing on building skills beyond the classroom, Trivedi teaches students to understand how they learn by reflecting on ways to belong to the university community and practicing “metacognitive” skills where students are taught to be self-aware about their learning strategies. When taught in tandem, the approaches help students improve their study methods, time management techniques, and proficiency in group collaboration.

“We look at the fundamentals of how students learn. We’re giving students the skill and the understanding of how to succeed in college,” Trivedi said.

The First-Year Seminar program in Kennesaw State’s University College offers 3-credit-hour courses for first-year students to help with the transition to college and teach students how to build a foundation for a successful college career.

“Nirmal’s work with the First-Year Seminars has led Kennesaw State to being a nationally recognized leader in first-year experiences. Our seminar combines best practices and innovative content which is what makes it a model course for the nation. We’re proud to see him recognized for his hard work and dedication to faculty, staff and students,” said Lynn Disbrow, dean of KSU’s University College.

– Andrea Judy

Photos by David Caselli

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.