Breadcrumb
Program Components
Because there's only so much you can learn from a book, you'll gain experience - inside and outside the classroom - through this two-part, year-long program.
PBLCs do not add to your workload as a first-year college student. In fact, it makes your first year much more manageable by taking a more comprehensive approach, and helping you every step of the way to put you on the path to success.
The components are
Welcome Week
Welcome Week is a week-long series of events with team building activities, university 101, hands-on exercises, and a short introduction to academics. Students will meet faculty in their major, hear from staff in key departments, and engage with their peer mentor in trips and activities.
Welcome Week activities introduce students to the theme of their PBLC, support students through the transition to campus from the place they came, and help students achieve a sense of belonging with their peers, educators, the campus, and the greater Humboldt community.
Example Activities:
- Connecting with students in your major/interest on field trips to local areas
- Hearing guest speakers and meeting the Humboldt faculty
- Learning what it means to be a professional in your intended major/interest
- Welcomed to Native ancestral territories by tribal leaders
- Meeting tribal and non-tribal professionals working on issues that relate to your major/interests
- Icebreakers with peers in your major and Peer Mentor
- Tours of campus facilities related to your major/interest
Support Trio
The support trio includes Peer Mentors, Advisors, and Faculty.
Peer Mentors
Each PBLC student is paired with a RAMP Mentor (Peer Mentor), who is typically an upperclassman in the same or in a related major. These mentors offer peer-to-peer support for the incoming PBLC freshman.
Advisors
Each PBLC student is also paired with an advisor, someone who will guide them through their academic journey. Advisors support students in class registration, career exploration, and navigating policy and procedure on campus.
Faculty
PBLC students will also have faculty support, usually someone in their department or with expertise in their chosen interest. These faculty help discover more about potential paths in their major and career.
Themed Housing
We have collaborated with Housing & Residence Life to offer PBLC students the option to live together in the Residence Halls. This component is optional for students in the program and space is limited, but we do highly encourage it.
Throughout the academic year our PBLC team collaborates with Housing & Residence Life to hold exam review sessions in nearby classrooms, and organize other social events and activities for the students in PBLC Themed Housing.
Example Activities:
- Tidepooling and a tour of the Humboldt Telonicher Marine Laboratory
- Day trips to Redwood National and State Parks and walks through Fern Canyon
- Organized walks through the Arcata Community Redwood Forest
- Group tutoring and special professor-led review sessions timed to coincide with upcoming exams in PBLC courses
- Hear from and engage with community and campus advocate teams
For more information about Residence Life at Humboldt please visit their website: housing.humboldt.edu
Native American Studies and Indigenous Communities
PBLC students are grouped together by major and/or interest to learn as a cohort through hands-on, real world experiences related to the environment, peoples, cultures, and traditions of our region. As all places have an Indigenous history, Native and Indigenous people are authentic partners in the design and implementation of place-based educational projects. All PBLC students will take part in Native American Studies curriculum on what it means to live and work in the place of Indigenous people.
Guided Enrollment
As part of guided enrollment, PBLC students have the opportunity to enroll into a deliberate selection of courses based on their PBLC. Guided Enrollment alleviates the pressure of finding spaces in courses and will set students on the best path to graduation.
