Office of First-Year Initiatives

Greetings! We welcome you to the Office of First-Year Initiatives, home to Transition Coaching, the Flames Leadership Network, UIC Summer College and Community Organization Partnerships.

The Office of First-Year Initiatives partners with students, faculty, and staff to encourage and promote student persistence and academic success.
Services include:

• One-to-one professional coaching services for students in high school and transitioning to UIC,
• Connecting students to programs and professionals available on campus and close collaboration with UIC support programs as well as local community organizations focused on post-secondary access & success.

Additionally, The Office of First-Year Initiatives coordinates the Summer College Program for incoming first-year students.

We encourage you to stop by our office anytime you need support, have a question or simply want to share your accomplishments!

We look forward to serving you,

Elizabeth Houlihan
Director

• Advocating for and empowering students as they navigate the transition from high school to college;
• Building and cultivating meaningful relationships with students;
• Engaging in active listening to foster an environment conducive to personal and academic growth, while assisting students with understanding the purpose and goal of higher education;
• Providing timely and directed coaching, planning, and resource referrals, and a collaborative and supportive environment;
• Promoting student engagement on campus in ways that leads to student success;
• Respecting and valuing the diversity of UIC students, their perspectives, life experiences, interest, worldviews, and cultures;
• Liaising between students, advisors, and support services in order to foster a collaboration that results in student success.