First Year Seminar courses - expression of interest

First Year Seminar Pilot Program

Capilano University is launching a new initiative - a First Year Seminar Pilot Program for 5 courses; one in each Faculty. These are small discussion-intensive creative courses designed for first-year students. Examples of First Year Seminars includes Medieval Medicine , Sociology of Accidents , and Environmental Imagination. Read more about First Year Seminars below.

Request for Proposals to Teach a First Year Seminar in the Spring of 2019

We are asking faculty who are interested in developing a First Year Seminar to submit an the Expression of Interest Form by Friday May 11 . This is a general proposal of a new course you would like to develop. Note that all First Year Seminar courses must fit into one of the Cap Core Integration Themes.

What are First Year Seminars?

First Year Seminars (FYS) are limited enrolment learning environments (25 seat max) for first year students (less than 30 credits) utilizing an inquiry‐based pedagogy. Seminar courses emphasize student participation, critical thinking, and the development of academic skills. They provide students from different programs and majors an opportunity to work collaboratively in an experiential and investigative learning environment, developing research, writing and presentation skills with practical 360 degree feedback. First Seminars are known to be high impact educational practices than increase student retention, engagement, and academic success. See the FYS presentation given at the DACs and check out the University of Toronto's First Year Seminar for inspiration.

What is required of faculty if their idea is chosen?

Attend a PD session in May/June on First Year Seminars
Meet monthly with First Year Seminar group in the Fall
January 2019 teach the new course.

If you have any questions please contact

Laura MacKay , Stephanie Wells , or Robin Furby.

Thank you and we look forward to your great ideas.

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