HFA Opportunity Scholars is a program for underrepresented populations and first generation College students in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. This first-year seminar promotes personal development, scholarship, community service, and connections to people, cultural events, and resources on campus. HFA Opportunity Scholars receive one-on-one mentoring, participate in field trips, academic and social events, career exploration, and benefit from guest speakers and alumni panels.

It begins with our morning alarms, those cruel arbiters of wakefulness, and continues in the chatter of the dining commons, the honking of geese by the campus pond, and that noisy squeak all the PVTA buses make when they start moving. We hear so many sounds every day. How often, though, do we take time to listen closely and think about all the sounds we hear each day? In Soundscapes of UMass we will explore music as sound and the relationships that we have formed with it. We will record bird songs, sing with microwaves, attend concerts, and call 1-800 numbers to get put on hold.

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring the topic: Public Health Fact or Fiction. There is vast misinformation amongst the general public on health recommendations. Students will learn how to scientifically interpret pop science articles, where to find data informed recommendations, and how to communicate this information.

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring the topic: Technology and Physical Activity. How do we monitor physical activity using sensor-technology? Is the goal of 10,000 steps/day a "myth"? Students will explore associations of physical activity measures such as steps, physical activity intensity with various health outcomes.

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring the topic: Public Health Culture Wars. Many public health advances were gained through community activism. Together, we will navigate the history of US culture and activism, and their role in public health advances through time.

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring the topic: Marijuana Legalization & Health. The legalization of marijuana is a complex public health topic that includes many potential risks and benefits. We will review the history of marijuana criminalization and the historical precedent for racist drug laws in the US.

The purpose of this course is to prepare exploratory track students to achieve academic success at UMass. The curriculum will assist students with major exploration and declaration, create strategies for academic success, transition to campus life and learn how to effectively navigate and utilize campus resources. To achieve these goals students will engage in reflective self-assessments and connect with faculty, staff and peers to learn more about academic options and opportunities at UMass and skills to develop to be successful at UMass and beyond.