First-Year Seminar Faculty Information

First Year Seminar students at Spencer Museum

Fall 2024 Overview & Introducing Transfer Seminars

We are in the process of developing a comprehensive and collaborative plan for first-year courses that meets the objectives outline in Jayhawks Rising. In doing so, we will begin offering a limited number of seminars geared toward our transfer student population beginning in Fall 2024! The requirements and qualifications for Transfer and First-Year Seminars are exactly the same, just teaching to a different audience!

First-Year and Transfer Seminars are discussion-based courses taught each fall and spring that are limited to 22 students. These 3-credit hour seminars are organized around stimulating questions and topics that introduce students to the practice of critical thinking and inquiry within the faculty member’s discipline. Students explore topics and issues related to US and Global Cultures through sequenced assignments that culminate in an integrative assignment. 

First-Year & Transfer Seminar faculty get the opportunity to teach a small class that is focused on getting to know your students while introducing them to cultural differences within in the US or globally. Seminars are taught as part of the faculty members' normal teaching load. First-Year Seminar faculty join a learning community on campus with other instructors who are interested in developing their teaching skills.

KU's First-Year and Transfer Seminar Program is coordinated through the Undergraduate Education within the Division of Academic Affairs. All questions about the First-Year Seminar Program can be directed to fys@ku.edu.

The FYS Program has been revised so please note the changes below!

Please email Millinda Fowles (mfowles@ku.edu) if interested in teaching a first-year or transfer seminar for Fall 2024 or Spring 2024.

Contact

Learning Outcomes:

While the content of each course varies, all First-Year Seminars fulfill the US (4.1) or Global (4.2) outcome and criteria for the KU Core and meet the following learning outcomes:

  • Academic skills: Develop and practice skills in critical thinking, information literacy, time management, and study skills. 
  • Student success and wellness: Identify available academic, student, and wellbeing resources that will ease your transition to college and help you reach your goals (e.g., time management, study skills, health and wellness services)
  • Community building: Interact and develop connections with peers, faculty, and staff with common interests and goals to support and encourage you and connect you to the KU experiences
  • Experiential Learning: Recognize how learning extends beyond the classroom and articulate the skills and knowledge you gained in this course
  • Content Specific from Instructor

Method of Instruction:

First-Year Seminars foster a sense of belonging for students new to the university. Through an investigation of an interesting question in a discipline, students also develop academic skills that serve as a strong foundation for their studies at KU. First-Year Seminars share the following characteristics:

  • Utilize active learning strategies that promote interaction between students and instructor and creating opportunities for frequent feedback.
  • Content must be designed and delivered using pedagogical methods appropriate for first-year and transfer students.
  • Instructor uses inclusive teaching practices to facilitate the success of all students in the course.
  • Seminars include active learning and introduce students to experiential learning. To support faculty, the First-Year Seminar Program brings together FYS faculty with representatives from campus units that offer experiential learning opportunities in order to explore possibilities for class involvement.*

*A limited amount of funds will be available to assist faculty with incorporating experiential learning opportunities such as field trips, movie screenings, theatre tickets, etc. 

Required First-Year Seminar Course Features:

  • Participation in a campus event. 
  • A library visit. 
  • An individual meeting with each student.
  • An integrative assignment assessed with a common rubric.
  • Participating in Showcase of Student Learning at the end of the semester.
  • Incorporation of Canvas modules created by FYS staff that outline resources/services/opportunities available at KU. 

Fellowship:

Faculty who are approved to teach a First-Year Seminar will be inducted into the First-Year Seminar Fellowship, a fellowship based on excellence in teaching and mentorship of first-year students. 

Fellowship Expectations:

All First-Year Seminar fellows are expected to:

  • Participate in a fellow's program that includes professional development on integrating experiential and active learning, best practices for teaching first-year and transfer students,

    building effective assignments, and course redesign strategies. Professional development includes:

    • Multiple workshops and monthly dialogue
      • April 19, 2024 | 10:30a - 12p | Zoom
      • May 3, 2024 | 8:30a - 3p | Baker Wetlands Discovery Center
      • August 22, 2024 - CTE Teaching Summit
    • Faculty-led learning community in which faculty exchange ideas and support each other. This requires at least three  meetings during the semester where small groups check in with each other. 
      • September 13, 2024, October 11, 2024, and November 8, 2024 | 9:30a-10:30a
  • All KU faculty who are tenured or tenure-track, teaching professors, professors of practice, and full-time lecturers are eligible to apply to teach a First-Year Seminar.  
  • First-Year Seminars must be part of the individual faculty's regular teaching load.

If you have questions about your eligibility, email fys@ku.edu.

Department/Faculty Funding

First-Year and Transfer Seminars must taught “on load” in the fall and spring semesters (with department chair approval). Beginning Fall 2024, we will not be awarding instructional replacement costs. All Fall 2024 instructors will be directly paid $1,500 for completing professional development workshops and redesigning their course to meet the new learning outcomes associated with First-Year and Transfer Seminars. 

The departments receive the student credit hours (SCH) associated with the seminars they offer in accordance with the College/School practices for managing these tuition dollars.

Application Instructions

Faculty interested in teaching a new First-Year or Transfer Seminar during the Fall 2024 semester should complete the following steps:

  1. Review the requirements for First-Year Seminars and the questions asked for on the First-Year Seminar Application.
  2. Talk with your department chair to see if your participation in the First-Year Seminar Program will be feasible.If so, ask your chair to complete the Chair Endorsement Form.
  3. Complete the 2024 FYS Seminar Application before the January 26, 2024 deadline.

Note: Due to the change in First-Year Seminar learning outcomes and the KU Core equivalent, faculty who have previously taught a First-Year Seminar must fill out the full application form. There is no “Returning Instructor Form” at this time.

Evaluation Criteria for New Seminar Proposals

Applications for new First-Year Seminars will be evaluated on the following:

Topic: Course is organized around a stimulating and innovative content area, more narrowly focused than a survey course. Topic is important and will be engaging to first year students.

US or Global Culture: Course meets or can be adapted to meet the learning outcomes and criteria associated with the US or Global Culture goals. 

Seminar and assignment design: Course activities will enable students to practice skills and apply their knowledge in a variety of settings. Application describes an integrative assignment that will capture student achievement of the major course learning outcomes.

Transferrable skills: Course will provide students with opportunities to develop skills that have value in a variety of contexts at KU.

Experiential/Hands-on Learning: Course clearly provides opportunities for experiential or hands-on learning (e.g., field trips, service projects, lab experiences, artistic performances or exhibits. Opportunities for experiential/hands-on learning are articulated in the application.

Fostering Inclusion: Course design will foster an inclusive experience for all students.

Other Considerations: Additional considerations for approving this course: (a) multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary, or makes clear connections with other courses, or (b) involves collaborations with other units or organizations on or off campus (e.g., Spencer Museum of Art, Writing Center), or (c) from a discipline or area not represented by current list of FYS.

General Requirements for Faculty and Departments

  • FYS must be 16-week courses taught in-person on the Lawrence campus. 
  • Course must taught “on load” in the fall or spring semester with department chair approval (see funding tab for more information).
  • Department/Instructor must commit to teaching the course for 3 semesters over the course of 3 academic years (beginning fall 2024).
  • Enrollment is capped at 22.
  • Classes are scheduled for a standard time meeting pattern and meet at least twice a week.

I taught a First-Year Seminar previously. Do I need to complete the application?

Yes, everyone interested in teaching a first-year or transfer seminar must complete the application. 

I currently teach a course that satisfies the US Culture Goal in KU Core 34. May I continue teaching that course and teach a first-year/transfer seminar?

Yes, you are welcome to continue teaching that course in addition to a first-year/transfer seminar. If you are selected to teach a seminar, you are expected to adapt the content to meet the needs of first-year or transfer students. The seminar would be taught under XXX 177. 

When will we learn if our application has been approved to teach a seminar for Fall 2024?

We intend to notify you by the following week if your proposal has been accepted. Then, we will work with your scheduling officers to get the course on the schedule.

Apply to Teach a First-Year Seminar

Submit Application Submit Application
Chair Endorsement Form Chair Endorsement Form