First-Year Seminar
The first year of college is an exciting and a challenging time during which students experience tremendous academic and personal growth. Xavier provides close faculty-student mentoring to start students on their college journey as they discover their potential to become people of learning and reflection, integrity and achievement, in solidarity for and with others, an overall perspective that can be summed up with the phrase: "All for One, One for All."
The First-Year Seminar is an opportunity for students to work closely with faculty to explore important and challenging issues.
First-Year Seminar
These courses (designated CORE 100 in the schedule) are designed to excite students' intellectual curiosity in an intimate seminar setting. First-year students engage in questions and problems that are interesting and intellectually challenging. They develop skills in critical and creative thinking, such as interpreting complex texts, employing effective library research skills, constructing an argument and supporting it with evidence, and critically assessing multiple perspectives on "the Greater Good." Xavier faculty who teach FYS courses are committed mentors, guiding students to think about the evolution of their vocation and their aspirations to contribute to the world. FYS integrates students into the community of scholars at Xavier and establishes a solid foundation on which the other Core Curriculum courses will build.
First-Year Seminar FAQ's
What kind of a course is this?
FYS is a 3-credit course. The course number is CORE 100, with the specific title for each section to be determined by the instructor. Courses are capped at 16 students. We are open to both traditional and non-traditional formats (though fully on-line courses will not be considered).
Who is eligible to teach?
Principal faculty, clinical faculty, permanent full-time instructors, visiting faculty and emeritus faculty are eligible to teach a FYS, in consultation with their chairs. In rare cases, other individuals may teach a FYS, such as a person affiliated with Xavier who has a specific area of expertise. The FYS Task Force welcomes and encourages proposals from across the university.
What are the course goals and student learning outcomes?
Based on the proposal approved by faculty in April 2014, the FYS Task Force crafted this Guide for Faculty.
What support is there for faculty to teach these courses?
For information on course development and expectations, please see the Guide for Faculty. More details can be found at the Library Research Guide for FYS.
How does this relate to Goa, Xavier's First-Year Journey Program?
Students will participate in Goa throughout their first year at Xavier. Faculty are strongly encouraged to explicitly link their FYS courses to the Goa content at different points in the semester, as appropriate to their courses, through class discussion or associated reading.
How can I apply to teach a FYS?
The FYS Task Force will issue a call for proposals each semester. Log on to Nexus, and click on "Core Curriculum Course Submissions" under "Electronic Forms/Requests". You'll find the link to propose a First-Year Seminar there.
Whom can I contact with questions?
The Director of the First-Year Seminar is Dr. Randy Browne, browner@xavier.edu
Can I see some examples?
View the current list of courses