The First-Year Seminar Program
Courses
Information about the First-Year Seminars in the fall of 2011 and the contact information for the First-Year Seminar instructors can be downloaded as PDF documents via the links below.
Information about the First-Year Seminar Program
The purpose of the First-Year Seminars (FYS) program is to help students make the transition to university courses and college-level learning. In this effort, the FYS's focus attention on the intellectual skills that students need to flourish at the university. As a place to ask questions about the University and practice the skills needed to succeed as a first-year student, these courses provide support for the transition into college life and the K-State community.
Emphasis on first-year students
The small seminars enroll only students in their first-year at K-State.
Academic content
Each seminar is a special FYS of a regular, academic, general education class. Although the academic content varies among the seminars, each seminar focuses on a distinctive, college-level academic subject. The most important goal of these seminars is to provide fundamental support to K-State's academic mission and its focus on student learning.
Common elements
The FYS's are connected to each other as parts of a larger FYS Program. All seminars are designed to introduce students to the academic standards of college-level work and the University's undergraduate student learning outcomes. The FYS's emphasize critical thinking, communication, community building, and the application of learning. They also provide students with the opportunity to engage in at least three co-curricular activities.
High-quality instruction
The FYS Program has a strong, skilled, and dedicated faculty. These faculty members are part of a team of instructors who are coordinated at the university-level and work with each other to plan, design, teach, and assess the FYS Program. These instructors, drawn from all over campus, are pedagogically excellent, experienced, and interested in undergraduate education at K-State. They are among the best instructors at the university.
Active learning
With their small size and community-focus, the First- Year Seminars (FYS) invite and encourage an active learning environment. The seminars devote significant portions of class time to hands-on learning, group discussions, problem solving, inquiry-based learning, and activities that provide students with opportunities to develop their critical thinking and communication skills. The FYS's are also academic spaces that encourage students to collaborate, interact, and develop relationships with their peers and professors.
Announcements
Information for Deans, Department Heads, and Faculty about offering classes: If you would like to offer a First-Year Seminar in the fall of 2011, please contact Greg at eiselei@k-state.edu or Emily at lehning@k-state.edu.
Awards: One of our First-Year Seminar instructors, Robin Mosher (English),has received the 2011 Putting Students First Award for her outstanding work with first-year seminar students.
Events: Lecture by Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, U.S. Army (Ret): "The New Normal: Leadership and Preparedness in the 21st Century." General Honoré will talk about leading relief efforts the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the initial disaster relief efforts. He'll also address the need to create a "culture of preparedness" in the U.S. A great opportunity to use the information and insights from Zeitoun to think about current challenges.—Tuesday, September 13, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the K-State Student Union Grand Ballroom, second floor. For more information, check out our General Honoré poster [PDF].
Contact Us
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us anytime at kstatefirst@k-state.edu.