Interviews are underway for the Student Government Association's freshman leadership program, Tiger Tuesdays.
Tiger Tuesdays consists of six programs designed to facilitate a new class of leaders for Auburn University.
Though not crucial, many Tiger Tuesdays participants go on to successful careers in SGA.
The focus on Tiger Tuesdays this year is expansion. Each program jumped from 40 to 45 students, and a brand new program, Freshman Academic Communication Team (FACT), has been introduced.
"We wanted something that would ease the transition from high school to college and also would serve as a liaison between the students and the faculty, advisers and SGA Senate," said Colton Campbell, junior in journalism and director of FACT.
Campbell was the assistant director of the Politics and Leadership Tiger Tuesdays program last year and this year will be joined by three assistant directors: Alura Neville, sophomore in undeclared science and math; Chelsea Reynolds, sophomore in public relations; and Jeffrey Bolan, sophomore in aerospace engineering.
All three were Tiger Tuesdays members last year.
"I am so excited for it this year," Neville said. "I was so surprised when I learned that we did not have a Tiger Tuesdays program that dealt with the academic aspect of why we all came to Auburn."
While each has its own focus, all of the Tiger Tuesdays programs serve as forums on building the leadership skills necessary to lead in SGA and beyond.
FACT will touch on leadership, but the director and his assistants stress that academics is the most important part of the program.
"We hope to equip them with the skills they need to tackle their freshmen year," Reynolds said. "We all realize how difficult it can be to adjust to collegiate academics, so we want to make that transition as easy and successful as possible."
The program will work with the SGA Senate on its academic initiatives, and Campbell said they will host "Academic Integrity Day."
The day will be headlined by a popular figure within the Auburn athletic community speaking on the importance of academic honesty. While the program will build useful college success skills, Campbell stresses it is not solely for the benefit of program members.
"It sounds like it's for people who are struggling with academics," Campbell said, "but it's not. We want people who are academically minded, who can drive these initiatives to success for everybody."
In essence, the FACT team hopes its members will take the lessons in academic success and honesty and be ambassadors to the entire freshman class.
In addition to the important academic mission of FACT, the directors are looking forward to the fun that is waiting to be had with 45 new "FACTers," whomever they may be.
"This program is in position to provide a truly unique opportunity," Bolan said. "The other programs have a history and their own unique traditions. With FACT, however, our tradition is ready to be written."
The directors are ready to go with their new program, which will meet every Tuesday in the Student Center.
"Programs like FACT allow you to meet 45 motivated, involved and all-around awesome students," Bolan said.
Call-outs for the program will take place Sept. 16 in the Upper Quad.
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