Intended for first-year students who have not yet declared a major. Designed to introduce students to the liberal arts disciplines and majors, help them develop the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary to choose a major, and provide undeclared first-year students with grounding in the culture and values of the college and the University community.

FSEM

Connections and Decisions

Offers students an opportunity to explore a specific area of academic research in a small-group seminar environment. Students meet regularly with a faculty member to read and discuss the faculty member's research. Research topics vary, but general themes discussed include (a) how a specific research topic emerges and evolves over time, (b) the selection and implementation of specific research methodologies, (c) the contextualization of particular research studies within broader academic and real-world conversations, and (d) how the specific research contributes to philosophical and/or practical discussions in the world in which we live. The latter may include discussing how the research findings might help answer questions and/or be used in solving problems and making decisions. May be repeated up to three times.

First-Year Seminar