Full Name *
Email *
Department *
Proposed Seminar Title *
Foundational Question *
What is the overall “big question” that you would like students to explore in your seminar?
Seminar Description *
Provide a seminar description written for a high school senior audience. Include (1) the main questions your seminar will explore, (2) examples of class activities and assignments (individual and/or collective), and (3) sample readings, which can include videos, movies, podcasts, etc. As you think about your seminar description, please note that the purpose of a first-year seminar is to use your area of expertise to introduce students to critical thinking. Therefore, your seminar is not a survey course about your discipline. Instead, it should deal with a specific topic that students will explore in depth. Please limit your description to no more than 300 words.
Topic Relevance and Transferrable Skills *
(1) In what ways will a first-year student benefit from studying your proposed topic?
(2) What aspects of the seminar do you anticipate will generate the most excitement?
(3) What specific skills will student learn that will help them throughout their college journey?
Fostering Critical Thinking *
Provide an example of a course activity or assignment that would introduce students to research in your academic discipline (this can be any part of the research process, from topic exploration, to data collection, analysis and interpretation, if appropriate).
Fostering Inclusive Classrooms *
First-Year Experience and First-Year Seminars are dedicated to inclusive teaching practices. Please use https://cte.ku.edu/resources-inclusive-teaching from KU’s CTE as a reference. How will you foster an inclusive climate in your classroom? Please note that an inclusive climate goes beyond actual classroom interactions, as it can be further fostered via readings, guest speakers, assignments, topics of in-class activities, etc.
Assessing Critical Thinking *
All First-Year Seminars include an integrative assignment for students to measure critical thinking. Integrative assignments take a scaffolding approach, with a series of assignments that build on each other. Integrative assignments can be individual, group-based, or a combination of both. Integrative assignments can take various forms, from traditional research papers to works of art to fiction writing to media (e.g., creating a website, podcast or video addressing a particular topic/issue). Please propose an idea for an integrative assignment for your seminar and include examples of sample assignments that will build-up to the final project.
Experiential Learning Fund *
FYE maintains a separate fund to support out-of-the-classroom experiences in First-Year Seminars. Faculty who seek these funds submit proposals which are due mid-Spring. FYE does not place a limit on the dollar amount of a proposed experience. Should the cost of proposals exceed the fund, a committee will convene to review them. Once the fund is depleted, any subsequent requests will be rejected. Do you plan to submit an experiential learning funding request?
