The Fall 2025 semester introduced a new development to Pace’s University 101 courses. The most significant of these changes was the introduction of thirteen 3-credit sections as opposed to the traditional 1-credit course. Other changes include the elimination of mandatory one-on-one meetings between students and peer leaders, changing grading policies, and the overall responsibilities of a peer leader, in some cases.
“The changes to UNV 101 are part of a multi-year effort that began in 2023–2024 in response to recommendations from both the Retention Task Force and the Strategic Differentiation Task Force to review the first-year experience in light of current research and our institutional priorities,” said Kelley Kreitz, Interim Associate Provost of Academic Programs and Strategy.
In my freshman year, the UNV 101 course I was placed into was an MCVA-specific section, with all but one student being Digital Cinema & Filmmaking (DCF) majors. This structure, including a peer leader and instructor who were also MCVA, was a very productive way to conduct UNV classes, in my opinion. Every student had similar expectations, goals, and struggles that could be openly discussed and worked through as a group. When it came time for registration, we were all clear on which specific courses we should be taking for our major.
As a Fall 2025 Peer Leader, my section was very mixed in terms of major. While approximately half the class was DCF, the other half was a mix of Dyson, including Criminal Justice and Biology. Dyson is a broad college, and students who are in Dyson still have drastically different trajectories in their college experience. As a DCF major, I could not help the STEM and Criminal Justice majors to the same extent as the DCF and other MCVA majors. To improve the effectiveness of peer leaders, I would recommend that UNV sections remain as consistent as possible regarding majors and departments. If the students, instructor, and peer leader are all in the same department, the information given to the students will be the most applicable.
Another aspect of UNV that I think should be prioritized is the utilization of the peer leader as a peer. I did not begin to feel comfortable approaching my peer leader until the one-on-one meetings, at which point I began to ask more questions about campus life. With my own section, I implemented the meetings after discussing them with my instructor, though they were not mandatory and did not affect the grading of the students. The students I did meet with asked general questions about the university that were not being answered in the UNV course, as well as some asking major or resource-specific questions, allowing me to point them in the right direction. Furthermore, these meetings allow peer leaders to see if there are any students who are struggling academically, emotionally, or with simply being away from home, and can talk about resources on campus to help in a friendly, non-confrontational, non-lecture manner. The elimination of these mandated meetings comes at the expense of the students, as well as the role of the peer leader.
An anonymous freshman agreed, stating that they and their peer leader “are friends outside [of class], so meeting was just a regular thing. We had to give our peer leader our plan for next semester, and that was the first time we were registering for courses. I think the peer leaders are definitely important.”
In addition, clear boundaries must be set between the university, the instructors, and the peer leaders. In my interview process for this article, I heard reports of peer leaders being asked to work extra hours, partake in mandatory meetings outside of the actual class, and stay with the class while the instructors left early, none of which they get paid for. Peer leaders work on a stipend, not by the hour, so some instructors are demanding additional work be done without additional pay.
When speaking with one peer leader, they suggested that the job could be hourly, functioning on a clock-in, clock-out system. Especially with the addition of 3-hour UNV courses and the instructors having varying expectations of their peer leaders, this system could be more equitable. Furthermore, while some peer leaders were paid by the university when they were supposed to be, others were not, not receiving payment until weeks later. However, this is not a peer leader-exclusive issue, as other student employees have reported similar concerns.
One 3-credit course combined Dyson majors to form a new curriculum, instructed by the chairs of those departments. The grading for this course was a letter grade, not Pass/Fail. While there were students who reported being reached out to by their academic advisors to enter the 3-credit classes, most appeared to have been placed into the courses without communication. This resulted in some students in the class reporting that they did not feel as if they benefited strongly from it and not understanding why they were placed in the course to begin with, as well as attendance fluctuating. When asked if the pairing of the two departments made sense, an anonymous student answered, “No, I don’t know why those two subjects were used together.”
According to the same student, the class met once a week for three hours, with 2-2.5 hours of the class being devoted to a semester-long research project and the rest dedicated to the titular UNV learning. Some benefits of the course included learning research skills, how to write a paper, public speaking, and developing relationships with the chairs of two departments, although the actual content of the course was reportedly not universally helpful. Most of the students were not even majoring in either of the majors that were combined, and the section consisted of a mix, with Communications, DCF, Journalism, Criminal Justice, Business, and Biology majors. If most students are not even in the departments or majors of the specialized course, the effectiveness of the 3-credit module may not reach its full potential.
If the coursework is not balanced according to major or department, one peer leader suggested that students should have more of a choice regarding their placement into a specialized class. Advisors should take students’ feelings more into account, and students should know what courses they are taking.
The primary focus of this course was a 10-page group research project, which, along with attendance, was meant to account for the letter grade of the course. Students were graded individually for their part in researching, writing, and presenting. According to one student, this project caused them academic stress, especially since their group was not putting in as much effort as they were. Rather than being educated on the university and what it has to offer, they were worried about getting their assignments done in fear of failure in their first semester.
“We’re going to do enough work in our field in our classes already,” said one peer leader in STEM. “Classes are intensive. They’re already adjusting, they don’t need a new paper with unclear grading and unclear expectations.”
The university cannot lose sight of the original purpose of UNV 101. While there is room for specialized, 3-credit courses, the students would benefit more from a different or evolved structure. One freshman emphasized the importance of actual UNV learning, as these students are still first-semester freshmen who need the resources and are meant to have the course as a transition from high school to college. Some basics that were not fully covered in their 3-credit course include how to use SetterSync and a full library module. Future 3-credit courses should implement more of a balance, highlighting department resources and research skills while promoting socialization and general campus resources.
It is important to note that Pace is aware of how transitional this phase of UNV is, and the university is committed to further altering the program based on student and peer leader feedback.
“At its core, this redesign is about students. We are intentionally building a first-year experience that is academically meaningful, engaging, and genuinely enjoyable. The goal is for students to begin college not in a checklist-style orientation course, but in a small, intellectually stimulating seminar that helps them feel connected — to faculty, to peers, and to their academic life,” said Kreitz.
The 3-credit model will continue to expand, with approximately 30 courses being implemented between Pleasantville and NYC in Fall 2026. The focus of UNV will reportedly lean into being intentionally low-stakes, student-centered, and immersive. Building a strong community in college can be difficult, but this method of learning may help students form bonds with others in their major/department and succeed at Pace in the long run. I encourage students to advocate on behalf of themselves and future freshmen, working with the university to improve a course that provides valuable information and friendships at its best.