The Pathways model (Model Black) exposes students to scientific, social scientific, humanistic, and mathematical forms of reasoning and knowledge creation. This model offers a flexible, student-interest-driven Pathway in which students engage with contemporary themes and pressing questions. The First Year Experience (FYE) course for this model engages High Impact Practices (HIPs) related to experiential learning and fosters curiosity in students. 

The seven foundational course categories are Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Human Connection and Communication, Difference and Power, World Languages and Cultures, Scientific Inquiry, and Texts and Contexts. Students also complete three elective courses related to a single theme or topic. For example, students may choose three electives exploring Environment and Sustainability, or they might choose a trio of courses examining issues related to Media and Technology, Social Justice, or Creative Expression. 

First-Year-Experience courses in the Pathways Model offer students and faculty opportunities to explore pressing questions through readings, discussion, experience-based activities, and a culminating collaborative project. These contemporary questions can be as varied as “Can We Trust Machines to Make Moral Choices on the Road? Dive Into the Ethical Dilemmas of Autonomous Vehicles,” “How Can We Actually Colonize Mars,” “What is AI Good For? Critical Perspectives on Generative Artificial Intelligence,” or “Are You Sure About That? Examining Beliefs and Opinions Among the Mass Public.”