Introduces students to the concepts of general
education and the academic community
and to the skills educated people use to
generate and address important questions.
Using critical thinking skills and basic tools
of gathering and evaluating information,
students and the instructor together engage
in a meaningful exploration of a specific
“Question.” The “Question” varies across
sections of the course. Required of all first
year students.
The First Year Seminar is a cornerstone course, through which
students begin to build the repertoire of intellectual skills needed
for university-level work. The skills are not taught in isolation
but rather in the context of the topic or problem of the course.
Assignments and activities introduce all of the skills listed above,
but special emphasis is given to critical thinking, conducting
research, working with information technology, writing, speaking
and listening, and collaborating with others.
Other objectives include:
15% - Library quiz
15% - Reading response assignments - I will collect (at random) at least 4 of your written assignments at the beginning of class. No late assignments will be accepted.
20% - Critical thinking exam
20% - 2-3 page papers. (three papers will be assigned) 10% will be deducted for every calendar day after the due date that the paper is passed in.
10% - Participation in class discussions. small group work, and respectful behavior toward peers and instructor.
Students must be in class to take these exams. Only in response to documented emergencies can these tests be taken at an alternate time or date.
The semester schedule lists questions and/or exercises to be written and potentially handed in for a grade. Students must be in class to hand in these assignments, and the reading response assignment papers must be completed before class. I will collect them (at random) at least four times throughout the semester. I will drop the student's lowest grade to accommodate legitimate absences. No late papers will be accepted.
| low | medium | high | |
Active in class discussions
|
Does not always participate in class discussions. Appears to be engaged in non-class related activities. (0-11) |
Is engaged in class discussions and pays attention while others are speaking. (12-24) |
Is clearly engaged in class discussions and always pays attention while others are speaking. (25-33) |
| Shares ideas | Rarely shares ideas, answers to questions, or other solutions with class. (0-11) |
Occasionally shares ideas, answers to questions, or other solutions with class. (12-24) |
Frequently shares ideas, answers to questions, or other solutions with class, and allows other students to participate as well. (25-34) |
| Uses class time well. | Is not engaged in small group activities or other class exercises. Sometimes IM's or reads material not relevant to class. (0-11) |
Uses small group time or other class time to work on exercises, but rushes through them to leave class early but never IM's or reads material not relevant to class. (12-24) |
Always works on small group work or other class exercises in a thoughtful manner, clearly attempting to benefit learn as much as possible. (25-33) |
Please read the following statement of departmental policy very carefully: The work you submit in this course must be your own. Whenever possible, it is preferred that students paraphrase/explain key concepts in their own words and cite the original source material appropriately. However, if you include four or more consecutive words directly from any source, be certain to surround them with quotation marks, and to properly cite the source and page number. Plagiarism, however unintentionally it may occur, is a serious violation of academic integrity. A student who is found to have plagiarized on any assignment should expect to receive a failing grade for the entire course. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Please read the following statement of departmental policy very carefully: Students are expected to attend each course meeting and to arrive at class on time. It is acknowledged, however, that a student may need to miss class occasionally. Accordingly, each student is limited to two unexcused absences during the semester (the equivalent of missing an entire week of course content). Absences beyond the second will result in the deduction of one-half letter grade (five points) per absence from the student’s final grade in the course. In addition, arriving late to class is an unacceptable practice. As such, two late appearances to class count as one absence. Appropriate official documentation for excused absences must be submitted to the course professor within one week after the student returns to class; otherwise, no credit will be granted for such absences. There are no exceptions to this policy.