Please consider proposing a First-Year Seminar for Fall 2021; additional proposals from CLAS are needed, particularly in the natural, mathematical, and social science areas.

As you know, First-Year Seminars allow students and faculty to engage with each other in a small and supportive course, helping first-year students to transition to university-level learning. The social engagement provided by these classes is especially important for new students entering UI. Faculty also report gathering surprising insights about today’s students, which in turn inspires change to help students in multiple and creative ways.

Before submitting a proposal, please read the following information about recently updated FYS learning outcomes, guidelines, policies, and proposal procedures discussed under Instructor Resources (https://fys.uiowa.edu/pillars; https://fys.uiowa.edu/attributes; https://fys.uiowa.edu/policies).

• Proposals are due in University College on February 1, 2021.
• To submit a proposal, see https://fys.uiowa.edu/proposals.
• Even if you have taught the same FYS previously, a new proposal and its approval is still required.
• All proposals must show a knowledge of the learning outcomes of the FYS program; be sure to read and follow the guidelines in the above links before writing a proposal.
• All First-Year Seminar instructors are expected to attend an online Zoom informational session during Spring 2021 and an enrichment session at the start of Fall 2021. Instructors will be asked to select a spring session as part of the proposal submission process.
• These sessions create opportunities to share relevant information with and among all instructors and contribute to a more meaningful First-Year Seminar experience.
• For more information about proposals, please free to contact me; I am happy to meet with you (cornelia-lang@uiowa.edu).
• Additionally, information is available from University College which administers the FYS program; please contact Andrew Beckett (andrew-beckett@uiowa.edu) or Angie Lamb (angela-lamb@uiowa.edu).

I know our students will appreciate this opportunity to make friends in an academic setting and to learn more about UI while exploring a unique and interesting topic.

Many thanks to all of you able to participate.