First-Year Seminars

The First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses are the centerpiece of the Core Program. These are small first-year writing seminars, each designed by a faculty member around a topic in their field of expertise, emphasizing discussion, critical analysis, and intensive instruction in writing. Incoming first-year students are required to take one seminar in the fall and one in the spring, for a minimum of eight units. FYS courses do not satisfy any other Core Program requirement and are graded on a S/U basis only.

In addition to the primary goals of all FYS courses to develop effective college-level writing and enhance critical thinking, Fall FYS courses provide assistance with navigating the transition to college life; the focus on written communication and critical thinking is developed through the creation of thesis-driven essays. Spring FYS courses center scholarly inquiry and research, information literacy, and experiential learning; the focus on written communication and critical thinking is developed through the production of a research project.

Passing both FYS courses is required to partially satisfy the College’s First Stage Writing Proficiency Requirement. Exactly how to satisfy College’s First Stage Writing Proficiency Requirement is described in detail here. Students may not drop or withdraw from an FYS course unless they withdraw from the College for that semester. A student who earns a grade of U in one or both FYS courses will be required to take CWP 201 to complete their First-Stage Writing Proficiency requirement.

Course Objectives

1. Written Communication: Students practice crafting clear and organized argument-driven writing that features original and insightful responses, effective integration of scholarly sources, and well-developed analysis.
2. Critical Thinking: Students are provided with opportunities to develop, strengthen, and demonstrate their ability to think critically and engage in academic discourse.
3. Information Literacy: Students are introduced to core concepts of information literacy, including finding and evaluating sources, scholarly citations, and academic integrity.
4. Transition to College: Students are introduced to the norms of college academic life, and curricular and co-curricular resources available to promote their academic success.
5. Scholarly Inquiry: Students practice scholarly inquiry by crafting research questions; collecting, evaluating, and interpreting evidence; and communicating the findings.
6. Experiential Learning: Students engage in an experiential learning opportunity that incorporates investigation, creation, collaboration, and reflection. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the first-year seminar courses, students will be able to:

• Develop original and insightful written responses to assignments by composing texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from scholarly sources. (Written Communication: Fall & Spring)
• Write clear and organized argument-driven essays with integrated evidence, developed analysis, accurate citation, and appropriate conventions. (Written Communication: Fall & Spring)
• Frame a precise question, problem, or issue, while considering attendant assumptions, implications, and practical consequences. (Critical Thinking: Fall & Spring)
• Employ appropriate strategies to identify information needs, locate and evaluate sources, and generate scholarly citations. (Information Literacy: Fall and Spring) 
• Utilize academic and co-curricular resources and support services at the college. (Transition to College: Fall)
• Construct well-reasoned evidence-based written claims that contribute to scholarly conversations by crafting research questions, and testing relevant criteria and standards. (Scholarly Inquiry: Spring) 
• Make meaning of experiential learning through critical reflection on investigation, creation, and collaboration. (Experiential Learning: Spring)