RIT's First-Year Enrichment program supports students' scholastic and social transition from high school to college. The Program's courses, Discovery and Pathways, are instructed by professionals who are experts in student transition. Credit-bearing FYE classes focus on topics including independent thinking and problem solving skills, ethical decision making, personal and social responsibility, and professional networking, as well as academic fundamentals such as time management, study skills, and working in teams. Each class carries one credit hour meaning that it meets once-per-week. Discovery classes are composed of students from the same major, while Pathways classes are multidisciplinary.
Additionally, Discovery and Pathways instructors provide coaching on academic, personal and social issues. This element of the FYE program sets the RIT FYE program apart from other first-year programs around the country. Coaching is not counseling. Rather than being a problem-based meeting with a counselor, the goal of coaching is to provide an academic and career focused meeting to identify goals and the steps and resources which can facilitate that goal becoming a reality.