Course Description
Seminar for first-year students with faculty members in topics of interest pertinent to research, academic life, and higher education at the University of Georgia.
Athena Title
Freshman Seminar
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in FRES 1020S
Prerequisite
Freshman standing
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
FRES 1020 is parallel to FRES 1010, the only difference being that FRES 1020 will be taught as a traditionally graded, A through F course. FRES seminars seek to introduce freshmen to senior faculty, to academic programs, and to higher education at the University of Georgia; to provide first-year students an opportunity to meet directly with senior faculty on a regular basis to learn about their interests and research.
Topical Outline
FRES 1020 is parallel to FRES 1010, the only difference being that FRES 1020 will be taught as a traditionally graded, A through F course. First-year seminars will introduce freshmen to senior faculty, to academic programs, and to higher education at the University of Georgia. They will give interested first-year students an opportunity to meet directly with senior faculty on a regular basis to learn about their interests and research. In turn, faculty will be able to meet informally with students new to the university and to discuss with them their particular fields of interest. We would seek to offer a diverse range of topics taught by faculty from across the College, and because enrollment in seminars would be voluntary, and because students would select topics that interested them, we hope would that those who enroll in each class would be attentive and motivated. For some students these seminars might serve as an entry to the major. Seminars will meet one hour per week on the semester system. Class size will be limited to 15 students. Classes will involve at least one significant writing assignment and a reading, research, or creative project. They will be taught primarily by senior tenure-track faculty on a seminar basis, especially as informal discussion groups. Enrollment will be open to freshmen only. Seminars will count towards the required number of graduation hours but will not satisfy other requirements. Grading will be on an A/F basis. Faculty who volunteer to teach these one-hour seminars will do so in addition to their normal teaching load. Seminar teaching will be evaluated as instruction when raises are determined at the end of each year. Distinguished researchers who are also distinguished teachers will be especially encouraged to offer seminars. Faculty will propose seminar topics to department heads or directors during the fall preceding the academic year when the seminar will be taught. Department heads or directors will forward recommended topics to a faculty Freshman Seminar Committee, which will evaluate proposals. The committee will approve a list of seminar topics that will be published in descriptive form and made available to advisors and to freshmen at orientation. The committee will approve topics that are innovative, stimulating, creative, significant in substance, and directly related to the faculty member's areas of expertise and interest--though they may also relate to a developing area of interest rather than a previously established one. Interdisciplinary topics will be especially encouraged, and team-teaching will be permissible. The committee will not approve topics that seem "dumbed" down for a freshman audience. Preference will be given to seminar topics proposed by faculty with both distinguished teaching and research records.
Syllabus