Foundations

Foundations is designed to help first-year students make successful transitions to college student life. You will explore the opportunities for intellectual, academic, social and spiritual growth you'll face as a Concordia freshman. Through reading, discussion and writing, you will reflect on the ways your own values, beliefs, goals and learning styles may affect your experience as a student and your professional and vocational paths.

Foundations is required of all students as part of the General Education sequence. The course should be taken the first semester in which the student is enrolled full-time. The requirement is waived for transfer students who come to Concordia with at least 24 hours of successful college credit and for adult learners with significant work experience. 

Transitions to college life

  1. Better understand the opportunities for intellectual, academic and spiritual growth available to you as a Concordia student.
  2. Better understand how your own values, beliefs, learning styles and life experiences relate to your academic, professional and vocational goals.
  3. Adopt academic, social, spiritual and other lifestyle habits that will improve your chances of succeeding as college students.

You'll learn:

  1. More about college student health concerns (e.g., stress, substance abuse, sexual activity).  
  2. Differences in learning styles and ways to improve your own study habits and time management skills.
  3. About academic and career paths and reflect on your own interests and aptitudes. 

Each instructor will include content areas dealing with the above mentioned goals.

Examples include:

  • Philosophical foundations of academic disciplines
  • Ethics of college student living
  • Christian apologetics related to college student life