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First Year Seminars

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Elisabeth Gruner (English), Coordinator

First-Year Seminars offer a hands-on introduction to academic inquiry with small classes, a diverse array of topics, and close contact with faculty. A wide variety of seminars will be offered each year, drawn from across the University. Each entering student will take an FYS 100 course during the fall of their first year. Readmitted students must complete the first-year seminar requirement within one year of their readmission, but no later than the end of their sophomore year.

First-year seminars serve as an introduction to academic inquiry and the modes of expression that lie at the heart of a liberal arts education. They foster habits of mind fundamental to students’ intellectual and academic development, including critical reading and thinking; sharing ideas and research through discussion; and the ability to write and think clearly and effectively. Integrating explorations of specific questions and topics with the development of skills, seminars aim to foster intellectual curiosity and students’ ability to act on it.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Written Communication: Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively through a variety of written work that utilizes a process to help them develop the basics of academic writing, an initial understanding of disciplinary conventions, and an analysis of appropriate evidence.

  2. Oral Communication: Students will demonstrate effective formal and informal oral communication skills within the classroom setting.

  3. Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills through the ability to evaluate, interpret, and analyze a variety of sources and other forms of expression.

  4. Information Literacy: Students will be able to effectively access, evaluate, and make ethical use of appropriate sources of information for different scholarly purposes.