Reminder: First-Year Seminar Proposals for Fall 2023 due January 31, 2023

To: Departmental Executive Officers
From: Cornelia Lang, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
RE: Reminder: First-Year Seminar Proposals for Fall 2023 due January 31, 2023

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Please consider proposing a First-Year Seminar (FYS) for Fall 2023; proposals from CLAS are always encouraged and particularly in the natural, mathematical, and social science areas.

As you know, FYS 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 student engagement provided by these classes is especially important for new students entering UI.

Additionally, FYS may be delivered as a Research-Focused or Honors course (or both). Additional information on these two criteria can be found at: https://fys.uiowa.edu/what-are-honors-and-research-focused-seminars.

Before submitting a proposal, please read the following information about FYS learning outcomes, guidelines, policies, and proposal procedures.

  • To submit a proposal, please go to https://fys.uiowa.edu/proposals. Even if you have taught the same FYS previously, a new proposal and its approval is still required.
  • First-Year Seminars should be designed around the four pillars of a First-Year Seminar: 1) Academic Inquiry, 2) Active Learning, 3) Community and Connectedness, and 4) Exploration of Identity. Additional explanations for these pillars, which offer structure and guidance for course design, can be found at https://fys.uiowa.edu/instructional-pillars.
  • All First-Year Seminar instructors are expected to attend an informational session during Spring 2023 and an enrichment session at the start of Fall 2023. Instructors will be asked to select a spring session as part of the proposal submission process. https://fys.uiowa.edu/trainings
  • Please note compensation policies for FYS taught by CLAS instructors (see: https://fys.uiowa.edu/compensation and https://policy.clas.uiowa.edu/clas-policies-and-procedures/undergraduate-education/academic-programs-and-curriculum/first-year)
  • The First-Year Seminar proposal form is in workflow. Please review the website for important information before submitting your proposal. Proposals must be submitted and through workflow (all required signatures complete) by 11:59pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. For more information about proposals, please free to contact me; I am happy to meet with you to discuss ideas and possible course topics(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 and CLAS while exploring a unique and interesting topic. Many thanks to all of you able to participate.