First Year Seminar

First Year Seminar

Enroll in a First Year Seminar designed to help you further explore and clarify your path.
First -year seminars introduce students to academic engagement in a small group setting while exploring themes that relate to students’ interests or majors.

Features of First Year Seminar

Student Centered
Educational and Career Plan
Connections to Campus Resources
Connections to Student Services
Small class size
Seminar Style Course
Themed Content
Designed for first-time degree-seeking students
3-Credit hour course
Mentoring Opportunities

First Year Seminar 101
In First Year Seminar (FYS) you’ll work on college skills that will help you be successful in all of your classes while exploring majors and career paths that Harper has to offer. During this class, you’ll be encouraged to meet with your advisor who will help you create an Ed Plan that will ensure you get your degree and certificate on time! Also, in FYS, you’ll be supported by an instructor who cares about you and whose goal it is to make you feel welcomed.

Core Outcomes:

1. College Life-Navigating the System and Campus Resources
Utilize support services available in the collage environment to meet students’ personal and academic needs.
2. College Learning Strategies for Academic Engagement and Success
Demonstrate responsible academic behaviors appropriate to intellectual engagement, including the application of active learning strategies.
3. Career Development-Developing an Academic and Career Plan
Create a personal development plan which includes academic and career goals and explores pathways for completion.

Extended Outcomes (for 3 credit FYS)
4. Contextualization and Integration
Interconnect course concepts and experiences (personal, campus, or community) in ways that produce new knowledge or skills.
5. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Identify and evaluate issues, problems, positions, and supporting evidence through an objective critical thinking process.
6. Information Literacy and Source Documentation
Research print and electronic sources, assess their credibility, and support a position using appropriate documentation.
7. Diversity and Cross-Cultural Awareness
Articulate inter-cultural ideologies, perspectives, and contributions that people or diverse backgrounds bring to a multicultural world.