First-Year Seminar Faculty Information

Overview

First-Year Seminars are discussion-based courses taught each fall that are limited to 24 students. These 3-credit hour seminars are organized around stimulating questions and topics that introduce students to the practice of critical thinking and inquiry within the faculty member’s discipline. Students develop their critical thinking and communication skills through sequenced assignments that culminate in an integrative assignment.

First-Year Seminar faculty get the opportunity to teach a small class that is focused on getting to know your students and building their critical-thinking skills. Seminars are taught as part of the faculty members' normal teaching responsibilities, and funding is available to departments to help offset some of the cost of covering faculty members' usual course offerings. First-Year Seminar faculty join a learning community on campus with other instructors who are interested in developing their teaching skills.

KU's First-Year Seminar Program is coordinated through the Center for Undergraduate Research, with support from the Office of Academic Programs & Experiential Learning. All questions about the First-Year Seminar Program can be directed to fys@ku.edu.

The deadline for new First-Year Seminars for Fall 2022 is Friday, November 5, 2021.

Contact

fys@ku.edu

Information for Faculty

Information for Students

First-Year Seminar Videos

Learning Outcomes:

While the content of each course varies, all First-Year Seminars fulfill the critical thinking learning outcome for the KU Core and meet the following learning outcomes:

Critical thinking: Students will be able to analyze and evaluate assumptions, claims, evidence, arguments, and forms of expression; select and apply interpretive tools.
Information literacy: Students will demonstrate information literacy skills by identifying the credibility and authority of various information sources; students will recognize libraries and librarians as valuable resources in this process.
Communication: Students will be able to more effectively develop and articulate critical analysis and application through writing, media, and/or oral communication.
Experiential Learning: Students will become aware of experiential learning opportunities and ways to extend their learning outside of the classroom.

Method of Instruction:

First-Year Seminars foster a sense of belonging for students new to the university. Through an investigation of an interesting question in a discipline, students also develop academic skills that serve as a strong foundation for their studies at KU. First-Year Seminars share the following characteristics:

They have no prerequisites.
They use a small set of materials to help students develop skills critical to college success—information literacy, using evidence and source materials, early research skills, etc.
Class time prioritizes discussion and active learning.
Course and assignment design supports early and frequent feedback.
Instructor uses inclusive teaching practices to facilitate the success of all students in the course.
Seminars provide exposure to experiential learning opportunities. To support faculty, the First-Year Seminar Program hosts an annual spring event that brings together FYS faculty with representatives from campus museums and offices that offer experiential learning opportunities in order to explore possibilities for class involvement.

Required First-Year Seminar Course Features:

Participation in a campus event.
A library visit.
A required office visit.
An integrative assignment.
Student presentation at the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase.

All Faculty:

All First-Year Seminar faculty (returning and new) are expected to:

Incorporate the required elements of First-Year Seminars into their courses (see above section).
Assist First-Year Seminar Program staff in assessing student learning for the program (as needed).
Participate in two workshops per year, one the spring prior to teaching the course and one at the end of the fall semester that the seminar is taught.

New Faculty:

In addition to these expectations, new First-Year Seminar faculty attend an additional workshop in the spring and fall semesters to support the development of their courses. New faculty receive a $500 overload payment for developing their course.

All KU faculty who are tenured or tenure-track, teaching professors, and full-time lecturers are eligible to apply to teach a First-Year Seminar. All seminars are taught on the Lawrence campus.

If you have questions about your eligibility, email fys@ku.edu.

Department Funding

Instructional Replacement Funds

The First-Year Seminar Program provides support to help offset the cost of covering faculty members' usual course offerings so that faculty can teach these seminars as part of their normal teaching load. The home department/school of each approved seminar is eligible to receive $3,000.

Department chairs can request Instructional Replacement Funds when they fill out the Chair Endorsement Form

Faculty Funding

See the Experiential-Learning Intensive Seminar dropdown below for additional faculty funding opportunities.

New Seminar Development Funds

Faculty who are teaching a new First-Year Seminar will receive a $500 overload payment the first time that they teach the course.

One-time Course Expenses

First-Year Seminar faculty can apply for one-time funds to support such activities as field trips, supplies for class projects, and museum fees. Interested First-Year Seminar faculty can fill out an application form starting in the spring prior to the semester when the Seminar is taught, until funds are depleted. Typical award amounts range from $300-$1,000. More information about these funds will be sent to First-Year Seminar instructors the spring prior to them teaching their courses.

Faculty teaching a First-Year Seminar can apply to have their course designated as an Experiential Learning-Intensive Seminar. While all First-Year Seminars introduce student to experiential learning opportunities, Experiential Learning-Intensive Seminars have research or service learning as a major component of the course.

Students in these seminars will:

spend at least 20 hours (in- or out-of-class) working on an authentic research project or engaging in community service
reflect on their experiences

Experiential Learning-Intensive Seminars that focus on research should:

address an authentic question with the potential to generate knowledge that is new to the discipline or wider community. For example, research projects could address four of the steps in the Research Cycle or could meet the criteria for a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE).

create opportunities for students to use methods and ask questions using the faculty member’s disciplinary lens. Faculty in research and creative fields are encouraged to apply.

Experiential Learning Intensive Seminars that focus on service learning should:

serve a community-identified need through partnership(s) with a local organization; KU’s Center for Service Learning can help faculty connect with community partners

require students to critically reflect on the connections between their service experiences and other course content

In addition to the normal workshops for First-Year Seminar instructors, faculty teaching Experiential Learning-Intensive Seminars will have an individual advising meeting with staff in the Center for Undergraduate Research or the Center for Service Learning the spring prior to teaching the course for the first time.

Faculty will receive an additional $1,000 payment through the KU payroll system the first time that they teach an Experiential Learning-Intensive Seminar in order to develop the course.

Application Instructions

Faculty interested in teaching a new First-Year Seminar during the Fall 2022 semester should complete the following steps:

Review the requirements for First-Year Seminars and the questions asked for on the New Seminar Application Form.
Talk with your department chair to see if your participation in the First-Year Seminar Program will be feasible. If so, ask your chair to complete the Chair Endorsement Form.
Complete the New Seminar Application Form before the November 5, 2021 deadline.

Info Sessions

The First-Year Seminar Program will be hosting two Info Sessions about First-Year Seminars to help faculty learn more about the program and prepare a strong proposal: