OASIS is a 3-credit program for all first-year students. It is a foundational course aimed to equip first-year students with a proper understanding of the general nature, value, and requirements of a university education. OASIS is designed to assist students to successfully navigate the new experience of university learning while forming a solid basis of support from which students may further develop their personal and professional excellence.
As part of OASIS, students will learn skills meant to prepare them for future success. These include:
Orientation offers new students the exhilarating opportunity to make friends and gain a sense of belonging to their new home at VinUniversity, while preparing for the exciting journey ahead. Orientation introduces students to the VinUniversity academic life and team culture through workshops and group bonding activities that are designed to facilitate the effective transition from high school to university life.
The OASIS Academic Advising program has created a culture of active mentorship on the VinUniversity campus. Students meet either in groups or individually with faculty advisors and peer mentors who provide guidance and support. Each VinUniversity student will develop an independent development plan (IDP) to assess their own talents, potential, and aspirations while charting a plan for their academic, personal, and professional future. The IDP is a living document that is continually revised by students during their VinUni journey and serves as a useful tool for self-reflection, longer-term planning, and design-thinking that enrich the understanding of each student’s unique life path.
The OASIS Skills Course employs active learning and team-based learning (TBL) pedagogical techniques to engage students in acquiring and practicing skills that ensure their academic and personal success. Working in teams, students apply skills concepts to in-class activities and challenges. In the final session, teams will be responsible for cross training their fellow students in an essential skill of their choice. OASIS students record their learning experiences and practice self-reflection in their VinUni eportfolio, an electronic medium used increasingly by students at top universities like Cornell to enhance learning and prepare students to present their skills mastery to future employers and advanced degree admissions committees. The OASIS Skills Course introduces students to foundational e-portfolio skills which will be further refined during the entire four years of OASIS developmental programs.
The intercultural component aims to deepen students’ understanding of themselves and other identities by fostering an understanding of various dimensions of culture and an appreciation of cultural and human differences. Students will develop intercultural competency by reflecting on their own strengths and challenges when interacting within a common culture and within new cultures. Students will learn how to cope with cultural and social diversity, identify internal biases, and live with a global mindedness. Students will explore how to live in harmony and connect within the community.
“Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs, together with structured opportunities for reflection designed to achieve desired learning outcomes” (Service-Learning Essentials, Jacoby 2014; pg.2).
As part of the VinUni experience, every student participates in a service-learning opportunity. First year students enroll in an OASIS Service-Learning class which promotes the development and skill building of empathy, service-mindset, project management, and global citizenry. This class focuses on project-based activities during in-person sessions and requires additional work on developing and implementing a service-learning plan beyond the classroom.
Community Service-Learning options:
Volunteer: Students can participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities. For example: teaching in rural communities, cleanup and sustainability events around Hanoi, assisting with fundraising for a local social enterprise, working on education-based projects.
Academic course: In their first year, students complete a service-learning course offered by experts within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Student project: Students can either establish their own CSL project, join an existing student-led endeavor, or partner with a local social enterprise/non-profit.
At VinUni, students’ health and well-being are our top priorities. With the Healthy Lifestyle course, VinUni ensures that we not only provide you with professional skills but also teach you how to live a balanced and rewarding life. Freshman year is the perfect time for you to establish life-long habits that benefit your health, interpersonal relations, and work-life balance.
This course provides the foundation for student well-being from psychological, physical, social, and spiritual perspectives. You will be given the tools to integrate these components of well-being for a stronger, healthier you for your personal and professional life. It includes the essential knowledge, skills, and practical lessons (exercise/sports/meditation classes), whereby students are able to develop a suitable approach in attaining a healthy lifestyle. The course uses a variety of modalities to maximize your engagement: face-to-face lecture sessions, active sports sessions, and online learning modules.