Faculty & Staff: Programs: Support for the First Year

First-Year Seminar UCOL U110

This is a special course required of entering students, offered by University College (UCOL) and all undergraduate schools. It facilitates student transition to college by introducing key information and skills needed to succeed and by offering opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and other students. The courses are taught by an instructional team, including a faculty member who sets academic goals and is the team leader; a student mentor who serves as a role model and peer guide to the college experience; a librarian who introduces library resources and literacy information; and an academic advisor who provides information on academic policies and procedures and works with students to begin academic planning, major and career decision-making. First-year seminars are typically linked with other entry-level courses to form learning communities, where faculty may collaborate in creating class assignments.

Learning Communities

First-year seminars are linked to another first year course, such as writing, speech, or math. Students learn to study together, collaborate on projects, and depend on each other for support in the classroom.

Themed Learning Communities

Themed Learning Communities (TLCs) involve two or more discipline-based courses paired with an integrative freshman seminar in which incoming freshman students enroll. TLCs engage students, faculty, librarians, advisors and others in a community of learners that explore interdisciplinary connections both in and out of the classroom. Students are encouraged to explore relationships among different academic disciplines, and develop a comprehensive perspective on higher education. Through the use of thematically linked curricula, service learning and co-curricular experiences, TLCs provide enriching learning experiences that foster interdisciplinary understanding.

TLC faculty have developed creative strategies to integrate their assignments across disciplines and with co-curricular events.

Themed Learning Community Offerings:

• 2006
• 2007 - coming soon

Are TLCs Making a Difference?

• More information and resources coming soon

Resources for TLC Instructional Team Members:

• General Information on Learning Communities
  • National Learning Community Directory
  • Learning Communities National Resource Center
• Integrative Learning Resources
  • Huber, M. T. & Hutchings, P. H. (2004). Integrative learning: Mapping the terrain. Washington , DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
  • Miller, M. & Boix Mansilla, V. (2004) Thinking across perspectives and disciplines.
• IUPUI Resources to Support Your TLC
  • Campus & Community Life Events
  • Center for Service and Learning
  • Office of Community Service

Critical Inquiry

This is a one-credit course designed to help students succeed in a linked, discipline-based course by developing collegiate-level skills which are transferable to other courses. Students learn to read and understand text materials, critically evaluate information and ideas, and communicate understanding of course materials through written and oral exercises.