Course Goals and Outcomes

The second-semester freshman seminars are one-credit enrichment courses.  The primary goals of these courses are:

1. To impart a strong sense of academic community
2. To acquaint first-year students with a full-time tenure-track and tenured faculty members
3. To provide students with an opportunity to engage directly with an academic topic in a small setting
4. To allow for experimentation in curriculum design

Course Guidelines

Syllabus: Instructors should hand out a syllabus at the beginning of the first class meeting with guidelines and expectations, and a rough timetable.Instructors should make sure to email a copy of their syllabus to the Faculty Director of their College.

Attendance: Instructors should take attendance and set a goal that relates attendance to a grade.

Course Projects:  It is strongly recommended that each student write one or two short  papers (3-5 pages) or complete a substantive academic project (e.g., sculpture, oral presentation, portfolio, musical performance or piece, etc.)

Contact hours: The course should meet for a total of fourteen class hours.  Instructors who choose to meet less frequently than weekly must inform students at the beginning of the semester.  Three hours of film/music/lab generally equals one regular class hour.  If significant outside preparation is required, two contact hours for film or music or lab equals one regular class hour.  This is similar for field trips to museums or other sites.  Travel time should not be counted. 

Class Participation: Class participation should be graded and may count for up to 25% of the final grade.

Advising: Instructors are encouraged to set aside time for informal advising and discussion of academic progress.  Students should be encouraged to attend faculty office hours.  Students seeking formal curricular advising should be referred to their Undergraduate College Advisor.

Events: An instructor may require that students attend one or more field trip or university lecture.